Ch. 1171..1180

Chapter 1171

After finding out that Johanna was pregnant, Loraine helped her into the car carefully. Loraine was afraid that the younger woman would injure herself. When they arrived home, she also refused to leave Johanna unsupervised.

Her actions rendered Johanna speechless. "You don't have to worry so much. I can navigate my way at home just fine."

"We need to take extra care as the child's development isn't stable in its first three months," Loraine said as she helped Johanna into the living room. She prepared some peaches and carried them over before continuing, "Should we give Mr. Timothy a call and inform him of the news?"

"No. I'll tell him myself when he returns." It wasn't as if it was Johanna's first time being pregnant. Besides, she did not want to interfere with Timothy's work.

Loraine merely hummed in response before hurrying off to prepare food that was good for pregnant women.

Asel, who had gone on an outing with her nanny, came back around ten o'clock in the morning. Holding a bright yellow balloon in her hand, the little girl appeared in high spirits.

Asel jumped into Johanna's arms the moment she spotted her mother.

Johanna propped the little girl onto her lap. Although she could not see Asel, she knew that the pretty little girl had chubby pinchable cheeks.

Johanna teased, "Asel, you're going to have a little sister."

Although Asel could not understand the words spoken by Johanna, she flailed her arms happily. "Balloon... Mandy..."

Asel was smarter than an ordinary child. Moreover, her nanny would occasionally teach her new words.

Hence, she could already utter many words even though she wasn't even a year old.

Johanna knew that Asel wanted to give her balloon to Amanda. Lowering her head, she planted a kiss on the little girl's face. "When Daddy comes back, we'll go see Lucian and Amanda together, okay?" "Okay!" Asel giggled.

Perhaps it was because of her pregnancy, but Johanna felt slightly sluggish. She felt very sleepy after playing with Asel for a bit after lunch.

She lay on the couch and napped for some time. Since she could not see, her hearing was unusually sharp. When she woke up, she could hear another person breathing next to her. Johanna felt relieved after detecting the familiar scent. She reached a hand toward the man.

"When did you return?"

"I just got back." Timothy helped Johanna up and sat down beside her. "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something?"

Johanna shook her head. "I ate a lot earlier in the afternoon. Could you get me a glass of water?"

Timothy grabbed the glass pitcher from the coffee table and poured Johanna a glass of warm water.

He asked curiously, "Loraine appeared to be incredibly excited when I came back. She told me you had news to share. What is it?" Johanna continued to sip from her glass leisurely.

It wasn't until Timothy asked a second time did she break into a laugh. She guided his hand and placed it over her stomach. Snuggling closer to Timothy, she whispered, "You're going to be a father again soon."

"Really?" Timothy asked excitedly. He caressed Johanna's belly through her sweater. "Have you gotten a checkup at the hospital?"

Johanna smiled. "How else would I have known that I was pregnant if I didn't go to the hospital? I'm about nine weeks in. The doctor said that the baby is developing well." Johanna grabbed the pregnancy report she had placed under the cushion and passed it to Timothy. "However, the doctor did not tell me if the baby is a boy or girl."

Timothy's eyes grew soft as he stared at the baby's tiny limbs on the ultrasound scan.

He kissed Johanna's face and held her in his embrace. "It doesn't matter if the baby is a boy or girl; I will still love them. I'll also continue searching for an eye specialist. There must be a doctor who can cure your eyes."

Johanna hummed in response and hugged Timothy back.

Before this, she did not care if she could see as long as she had Timothy and Asel by her side. However, she now wanted to regain her eyesight as soon as possible so that she could see the birth of her child. "I haven't had a chance to contact Genev since I got back. Could you give her a call? Since it's New Year, I would like to visit her. Asel wants to play with Amanda too."

Timothy's expression turned gloomy when he heard Johanna's words.

Chapter 1172

Earlier that morning, Benson Corporation had declared bankruptcy as Jiminy Benson had acquired a debt of more than a billion.

Timothy had hurriedly departed that morning to deal with the fallout of the incident.

Timothy's father and Jiminy had an amicable relationship because of their friendship. While Timothy could help Charlotte out, he was unable to loan the Benson family money because the debt was not merely hundreds of millions but more than a billion. It was a bottomless pit that could not be filled easily.

Jiminy had been arrested in Xedells but had not been extradited yet. Due to the fact the Benson family's assets would eventually be sequestered by the court, Timothy arranged for Charlotte and her family to stay at a hotel temporarily.

Throughout this period, Timothy had been busy taking care of Johanna and had not contacted Armand for some time due to the resentment he felt.

After Timothy had settled Charlotte and her family at the hotel, he chatted with the latter. It was only then he found out that Armand and Genevieve were dead, and the two children were currently under Cooper's care.

Cooper had kept the matter a secret from the children.

During the journey home, Timothy was unable to return to his senses. He called Cooper, finding out from the latter regarding what had happened to Genevieve in Lostaria and how Armand had willingly followed her to her death.

Cooper replied faintly, "I know you did it for Johanna, so don't be too hard on yourself."

There was no way Timothy would not blame himself.

Although he had never wished for Genevieve's demise, he was the one who had impulsively requested the doctor release her from the hypnosis and forced her to travel to Lostaria in order to bring Johanna back.

If I had known...

If he had known things would unfold this way, he would have informed Armand beforehand and tried to come up with another way to rescue Johanna.

Johanna could not see Timothy's expression, but when the latter was silent for a long time, she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Timothy pressed several kisses on her hand. "I called Armand, and they've gone to stay at the Zeigler residence for New Year. I heard that General Zeigler isn't well." Johanna was aware of Herbert's poor health.

Since Genevieve was Herbert's granddaughter, it was natural for her and Armand to visit the Zeigler residence with the children during New Year.

"Darling, you're pregnant. You need to rest." Timothy tried to change the subject. "Armand and the others can visit when he's not as busy. Would you like an orange? I'll peel one for you." Johanna did not pursue the matter further. "Yes, please. I'd like a sour one."

After staying at the Zeigler residence for several days, Cooper and the two children returned to Jadeborough on the fourth day.

A lot had happened in the past several days.

Jiminy, who was returning to Jadeborough from Xedells, died on the way back. As the police had not publicly announced the cause of death, rumors of Jiminy taking his own life ran rampant. Benson Corporation was also liquidated due to bankruptcy.

Just like that, a company that was the glory of Jadeborough for decades and one of the biggest real estate companies in the country ceased to exist.

As no one else from the Benson family inherited Jiminy's assets after his death, naturally, there was no need to pay off the debt of over a billion.

However, Benson Corporation going bankrupt affected countless families.

The members of those families hated Jiminy's wife and children. If it hadn't been for Timothy's quick thinking in making arrangements for Charlotte and her family, she could have been swarmed by the angry mob.

When Melissa saw Cooper return, she opened the door and welcomed them.

Melissa said to Cooper, "Mr. Jensen came by with lots of presents the other day. He even had a balloon Asel wanted to give to Mandy."

Upon hearing this, Amanda rushed into the living room excitedly to open the presents.

Cooper could only sigh faintly in response.

He did not blame Timothy for the turn of events. Had he been in the latter's shoes and Genevieve was the one who was kidnapped, he probably would have done something far more drastic. However, it remained a fact that Armand and his wife were dead.

Worried that Timothy would accidentally let his tongue slip in front of the children, he refused to bring Amanda to Timothy's place despite the little girl's pleas to visit Asel.

Suddenly recalling something, Melissa added, "Ms. Joule seems to be pregnant."

Amanda ran over when she heard Melissa's words. Clutching the balloon excitedly, she exclaimed, "For real? Am I going to have a little sister? Uncle Cooper, I want to visit Aunt Jojo and the baby!" She tugged at Cooper's shirt as she pleaded with him.

Cooper patted the girl's head lovingly. "Your Aunt Jojo is currently very weak due to her pregnancy. What if you accidentally hurt her when you're playing with Asel? Be a good girl. We'll visit them some other time."

Upon hearing Cooper's explanation, Amanda stopped pestering him to take them to Johanna's place. She was afraid that she would hurt the baby if they bumped into Johanna during one of their play sessions. Suddenly, she ran up to Sally and hugged the woman.

Chapter 1173

Amanda was noticeably taller after the past few months. When she stood on tiptoe, she could comfortably rest her head on Sally's stomach. Sally, who stood at one hundred and seventy centimeters, froze and could not help but ask, "What are you doing, Mandy?"

"Oh, Aunt Sally, I was wondering if you were having a baby." Amanda continued seriously, "If both Aunt Jojo and you bear one, I'll have a lot of friends to play with next time!" Sally was amused by the little girl's comments.

Cooper overheard their chat as he returned from answering the phone. "Jerry called to ask us to dinner at the club," he said, ignoring the subject of the conversation.

Sally was aware that the Pann family carried considerable authority in Xedells. They had always kept a low profile and stayed out of other cities' affairs.

Despite her knowledge of the Pann family's reputation, she did not know Jerry personally.

Cooper had obviously told Sally about the meal with the purpose of having her join it. Therefore, after patting Amanda on the head, she followed the man outside. Cooper, who was in the passenger seat as they drove away from Swallow Garden, stated bluntly, "You won't become pregnant."

"Hmm?" Sally cast a doubtful glance at the man.

"I have azoospermia," he replied.

Cooper was afraid that Sally would be swayed by Amanda's earlier comments and wish for the impossible. After all, they had not taken any precautions during their previous intimate encounters.

Sally had known Cooper was trying to avoid pregnancy for a long time, but she had no idea his method would be his own body rather than medication.

"I'm telling you this because I'm afraid you'll get your hopes up." Cooper rested his chin on his palm and gazed out the window. "I don't need anyone else because I've already got Amanda and Lucian." "I've never liked children and have no plans to have any in the future," Sally responded.

The man turned around and teased her, "But you and Mandy get along great, and you treat her so well. You didn't appear to be faking it."

"That's because she's adorable," Sally answered.

As the car pulled up to Imperial Club, the two did not say anything more.

Jerry had arrived early and was sitting in a corner, smoking a cigarette.

He appeared considerably younger with his short, sky-blue hair and casual clothing of jeans and a sweatshirt. The feeling he gave off was not that of an actor but rather a trendy singer who had just finished his performance. Cooper was astonished by Jerry's appearance. "What role do you have that requires you to have blue hair?" Jerry put out his cigarette in the ashtray and replied, "It doesn't matter because you're not going to watch it."

Cooper and Sally took their seats at the table and began placing their food orders. After the waiter removed the menu, Cooper took a gulp of his coffee and said, "Charlotte has been declared insolvent. Why are you treating me to a meal instead of comforting her?"

"Timothy has made lodging arrangements for Charlotte and her family." Jerry spotted the ring on Cooper's finger while he was speaking. When he turned to look at Sally, he noticed that she, too, was wearing a ring.

They were obviously wearing matching rings.

Jerry had a sudden realization. "I see why you brought Ms. Loake along."

Sally was not an outsider now that she was married to Cooper. Jerry handed the documents he brought to the man and said, "This is a list of people who have a connection to the Gaudette family." "Didn't you want to stay out of this?" Cooper smiled faintly as he flipped through the documents.

When Jerry brought his uncle to Cooper the last time, he avoided discussing the Gaudette family since he refused to have anything to do with them.

However, he was now willing to share information about the Gaudettes.

Jerry drank some whiskey and stared grimly at the glass. "I didn't want to get involved in the political world, but the Gaudettes gave me no choice when they used the Pann family to do their dirty work." He did not expect the Gaudette family to take action against the Benson family because the latter were businessmen and posed no threat.

Chapter 1174

Cooper paused in his flipping through the documents to consider Jerry's words. He understood what the man meant when he said the Pann family had to do the dirty work. "Beatrix's and Eurydice's mothers were very close. If the Gaudette family needed money, the Lowes were always willing to lend a hand. Eurydice is certain to exact revenge now that her cousin has been bullied."

Jerry conceded, "This was all my fault. I shouldn't have underestimated Beatrix."

When Beatrix bullied Charlotte back then, he had sent his men to teach the former a lesson, even being bold enough to claim responsibility for the situation.

The Gaudette family must have heard about the matter and held a grudge against him for it.

Jerry did not expect the situation at Jadeborough would change so drastically once Armand died. The Gaudette family immediately seized the opportunity to weaken the Zanes' and Loakes' political influence. Furthermore, the Gaudette family attempted to implicate the Pann family as well.

In the past, Jerry would have ignored the situation since he did not want to become involved with politics. However, he could not turn a blind eye now that he was affiliated with Charlotte.

"Eurydice may appear to be an easygoing and demure woman, but she is far from simple." Sally rested her arm along the back of her chair and continued, "With her father's high-ranking position, she must exercise extreme caution in all of her actions. She must have taught Beatrix how to manipulate the Pann family."

Sally frequently joined her father at business dinners. As a result, when the Gaudette family attempted to make an alliance with the Loake family, she interacted with Eurydice several times. Sally was a smart and observant woman. Hence, she was able to tell Eurydice's true colors after only a few conversations.

Cooper had also guessed that Eurydice would not handle the situation herself. He said to Jerry, "You need to explain things to Charlotte clearly and tell her to watch herself. Don't fall for the Gaudette family's tricks."

Jerry replied with a bitter smile, "How am I supposed to explain?"

The Pann family acted against Jiminy because they did not know about Jerry and Charlotte's relationship. In fact, Jerry had never disclosed his family background to Charlotte either, leading her to believe he was only a small-time actor.

Now that his uncle was responsible for Charlotte's father's death, he was certain she would dismiss his explanation.

Jerry had always been a carefree person. For the first time in his life, he felt terrified. He did not dare to tell Charlotte the truth for fear of receiving her scornful gaze.

Hence, he chose to assist in defeating the Gaudette family in order to avenge the Benson family.

The more Jerry thought about it, the more uneasy he became. He rubbed his chest and said to Cooper, "Even if my influence is in Xedells and I have no desire to dabble in politics, I do have contacts. They provided me with this report. It shows the list of persons who support the Gaudette family."

Cooper's face darkened as he glanced at the list. "It appears the Gaudettes have a strong backing."

"The guy on the top of the list has finished his term, and they are looking for a replacement." After taking a sip of wine, Jerry continued, "Mr. Gaudete's political career appears to be the most promising of the five candidates. He handled his responsibilities well as the city's deputy mayor. Even people outside his coalition were impressed by his abilities.”

Cooper gave the document to Sally without saying anything once he finished reading it.

The woman then began flipping through the report.

After taking a drink of coffee, Cooper said, "It's pointless to investigate the people at the lower levels. There are simply too many supervisors above them, so blaming the Gaudette family would be difficult. I propose that we target those in the highest positions."

We will be able to ruin the Gaudette family as long as we find dirt on any of the top officials.

Jerry tapped his fingers on the table and said solemnly, "To get to where he is now, he must have the support of many formidable figures. It will be difficult to find any wrongdoings."

Cooper replied with a menacing frown, "If we can't discover any dirt on him, we'll make it up. We can't allow him to sit in that position."

Once the Gaudette family took control, their first priority would be to destroy their opponents. The Zeiglers would be their first target.

Furthermore, after being rejected by Armand for her advances and suffering a loss because of Genevieve, Eurydice would undoubtedly retaliate against Specter Corporation.

Chapter 1175

The meal dragged on until around eight in the evening, whereby they finally managed to wrap up their discussion.

On the way home, Cooper's brows were furrowed as he recalled the names of all the prominent individuals on the list that were backing the Gaudette family.

Sally's gaze strayed to the man seated in the passenger seat even though she was driving.

He had a troubled look that Sally knew meant he had a lot on his mind.

How could they stand against the Gaudette family without support when even her father and Robert had failed?

Overthrowing the Gaudette family would be far from an easy task.

Sally pursed her lips and refrained from speaking as she wasn't used to comforting others.

Cooper's voice sounded shortly after. "Steven managed to unearth all information on Ninette from her childhood till now. Her parents ran a small business, and she never owned luxury goods. Neither was she acquainted with any affluent progenies. In addition, their bank accounts showed no trace of having transacted significant amounts of money. She seemed to have been chosen by the school as a concierge for the meeting due to her looks since her records are clean. Unfortunately, however, she was raped. At the moment, all evidence points to Gerald being the perpetrator.”

Sally's voice trembled as she whispered, "My dad would never do such a thing. My mom has faith in him too."

Miranda had spoken to Sally sternly as soon as she'd heard the news of Gerald's incident. "Your dad must have been framed. He would never do such a thing."

Miranda had taken a fall when she was pregnant with Sally, causing her to give birth prematurely. That experience then became the trigger that led to her having panic attacks. Despite her best efforts to garner support to prove her husband's innocence, none was willing to stand by her when faced with the overwhelming evidence against Gerald. Miranda's desperation triggered a panic attack, and she passed away soon after due to failing to take her medication in time.

"We should schedule to meet Ninette in Baykeep sometime." Cooper was unconvinced that Gerald was a rapist, but there wasn't any proof that indicated otherwise. They had no clue who Ninette had made a deal with.

Nonetheless, they were sure Ninette's self-preservation instincts would compel her to give up some intel when coerced by physical violence.

Sally uttered a sound of agreement.

She drove to Robert's residence after dropping Cooper back at Swallow Garden.

Upon her arrival, Robert led Sally to the living room and poured her a cup of coffee. "I've failed you. I'm sorry I'm unable to do much for your dad."

Although he'd been blackmailed, Robert could not be reinstated to his former position as the truth was that he'd indeed been responsible for pulling strings.

It was simply impossible for him to vindicate Gerald without the authority of his position.

"I'll think of other ways to clear my father's name. You should take care of yourself." Sally sipped from her cup of coffee.

Robert's gaze flickered as he saw the diamond ring on her finger.

Sally fished out an ammunition case from her bag. "Other than checking in on you, the other reason for my visit is that I have a favor to ask."

She handed the ammunition case over to Robert. "These bullets were newly invented two years ago. I'd like to know the serial number for this batch of bullets and which troop or police station it was distributed to."

Robert examined the ammunition case under the light for several seconds. "I might no longer hold any position in the army, but I'm still capable of doing this."

Sally felt immense relief at that. "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Zane."

"Not at all."

Sally took her leave as it was getting late after they chit-chatted for another ten minutes.

Robert personally escorted Sally as she got into her car.

She was about to shut her car door when Robert uttered, "Sally, I know you love Ethan, but he's been gone for so long. I believe he would wish for your happiness as well. I'm sorry you've got to shoulder such a burden and sacrifice so much for my sake-"

"You witnessed me growing up, and I've always considered you my godfather." Sally cut Robert off. "I won't allow anyone to slander you or my dad."

Sally looked down at the ring on her finger before continuing, "You're right about how I should let go now that Ethan is no longer with us. I've already gotten married, haven't I?”

Chapter 1176

Robert's lips quivered as he had more to say.

Sally raised her head and smiled faintly at him. "You don't have to worry. The deal is not the only reason I married him."

"Okay. Drive safely." He knew how opinionated Sally was and that she had everything under control.

It was already 11 p.m. by the time Sally reached Swallow Garden.

The help had long since fallen asleep. Sally unlocked the door and went upstairs to the bedroom, where Cooper was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows in long sleeve pajamas. There was a laptop on the coffee table before him. It seemed like he still had work to do.

"I thought you wouldn't be coming back tonight." Cooper voiced his surprise as the sound of the door opening caught his attention.

"Where would I be staying if I don't return?" Sally replied while heading to the bathroom for a shower.

Cooper had finished up his work when she stepped out of the bathroom.

He removed his glasses and placed them on the nightstand before rubbing his temples. "I'll be leaving for Xedells tomorrow for a business trip. I'll be gone for about five days."

Sally knew how busy he was, but she hadn't expected him to leave for Xedells early the next day when they'd just returned from Baykeep in the afternoon. "Should I send you there?"

"It's all right. I'll be bringing my secretary with me."

Sally had only donned a navy blue silk chemise as the heater was on. It clung to her skin and contrasted starkly with her fair skin under the bedroom's lighting.

Her distant expression, along with her glacial eyes, deterred others from coming close, only permitting others to admire her beauty from afar. Cooper was enticed by Sally's allure and hooked his arms around her waist, pulling her against him as his fingers circled her hips through her chemise.

He raised his head at the same time Sally lowered hers and caught her lips with his.

"Will you do it yourself?" He lowered the straps of her nightgown as their heated kiss turned frantic.

Sally mumbled a vague reply and buried her fingers in his hair.

Sally took advantage of her free time while Cooper was on his business trip to bring the two little ones on a helicopter ride around Chanaea, where they visited all the fun attractions in the city. Lucian was pleased with himself as he became more proficient in communicating with the control towers.

One fine day, Sally brought the two little ones out for breakfast in Springwyn and bought them two buckets of plasticine. They enthusiastically occupied themselves with creating plasticine figures the moment they reached home.

Lucian had been playing upstairs when he decided to carry his laptop downstairs in search of Sally.

"Uncle Cooper asked me to look up information regarding Edward previously. I've since found something," Lucian explained as he showed his screen to her.

It was footage of the day Edward passed away.

Edward was leaving work when he bumped into someone who got into his car, after which they conversed for about ten minutes.

After the passenger exited the vehicle, Edward died abruptly while driving home.

While the surveillance camera footage was blurry, Sally could make out Edward's passenger as Sean, the current Deputy Minister of the Jadeborough Department of Public Information and Eurydice's cousin. Cooper's analysis had been correct when he'd proposed that Edward had not died suddenly and was instead murdered by the Gaudette family. They feared Edward would betray them when they discovered he was conducting an investigation and decided to get rid of him for good.

Alas, this footage could not prove that Edward's death was connected to Sean.

Sally patted Lucian's head. "Good job."

She had just finished making backup copies of the footage when she received a call from Robert.

"Sal, have you asked your father about the bullets?"

"I did not," Sally denied and withheld from spilling the truth.

"No wonder. The armory records show that your father retrieved ten bullets from this batch, in addition to a new pistol."

"I see." Sally tried her level best to keep her voice steady.

Chapter 1177

After she had hung up the phone, Sally recalled her last visit to the prison. She had asked Gerald about the bullets, but Gerald had told her that he had signed too many documents and that it was impossible for him to remember everything.

Both the gun and the bullets were taken by Dad. He was the one who signed the slip. How does one simply forget something like this?

Nonetheless, Sally refused to believe that Gerald would kill Ethan.

Just as Sally was lost in a daze, her phone rang again.

"Sally, Cooper's with me."

Upon hearing Stefan's voice, Sally instantly regained her senses. "Where are you? Did you kidnap Cooper?"

To her dismay, Stefan ended the call without another word.

Panicked, Sally quickly called Stefan's number, but no one picked up.

Stefan had never liked Cooper because Sally had married him to save the Loake family. Worried that her brother would do something to harm Cooper, Sally immediately rang Steven. To her surprise, Steven was already in Jadeborough.

Within minutes of waiting, Steven returned. With a solemn expression, he pulled Sally to the side. "We found the person who previously kidnapped Mandy," Steven announced.

Usually, Steven only had to convey such news to Cooper, and the men would get it sorted. It was out of the norm for Steven to inform Sally about the case.

It didn't take long for Sally to piece together the clues and figure out the culprit. Her expression darkened as she let out a low hiss. "Stefo has kidnapped Cooper. Look after the kids. I'll go to Baykeep right away."

Steven was taken aback by the sudden news. "No wonder all my calls to Cooper kept ending up in voicemail. He went on a business trip to Xedells, so I thought he was just busy."

Sally did not stay and chat. After leaving Steven with instructions, she left.

Approximately half an hour later, Sally arrived at Baykeep on a helicopter. Upon landing, she gave Stefan another call.

This time, Stefan picked up.

"I've reached Baykeep. Where are you, Stefo?" Sally's tone was ice-cold. "Cooper is not an enemy to the Loake family. Do not act rashly."

"I'm at the hotel where you guys previously stayed in," Stefan stated.

Sally hurried over to the hotel and dashed to the topmost floor of the building. Reining in her temper, she banged on the door of the presidential suite forcefully.

The door was opened immediately.

Stefan was wearing a plain hoody. The short hair above his forehead was slightly ruffled. Paired with his broad shoulders and long legs, the outfit made him look young.

Before Stefan could even speak, Sally raised her hand and slapped him harshly across the cheek. Her expression was dark. "Marrying Cooper was my decision. Didn't I ask you not to meddle in my business? Do you understand how important Mandy is to Cooper? You almost killed a five-year-old!"

If it weren't for the fact that Stefan was her brother and that Gerald had always advised her to take care of Stefan, Sally would not hesitate to give him more than just a slap.

Feeling the throbbing on his cheek, Stefan turned his head to face Sally without uttering a word before opening the door wider to let her in.

With just a glance, Sally realized that Cooper was not in the living room. When she noticed that one of the room doors was shut, she immediately assumed that he was in there.

Just as she stepped toward the door, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck.

Sally was an agile woman. Plenty of people had tried to ambush her before, but none of them had succeeded.

Since the person standing behind her was her own brother, Sally had let down her guard. Never would she have suspected Stefan would lay a hand on her.

Due to the element of surprise, Sally did not have enough time to react. Her vision began to blur, and then it was all dark.

The next thing she knew, she was waking up on a bed. Her arms and legs were not tied up, but it felt as though all the energy inside her body had been drained out. Each breath she took was proving to be a challenge.

Sally realized that she had been injected with a low dose of anesthetics, causing her to go limp. Although conscious, she could not move her body.

Hearing some noise, Sally summoned all the strength she could muster to turn her head in the direction of the sound. She saw Cooper leaning against the wall, unconscious. Stefan was squatting in front of him and inserting a needle under the latter's skin.

"Stefan." Unable to breathe properly, even her voice was weak. "Are you done with this madness?"

Chastising herself for being naive enough to think that family wouldn't harm each other, she regretted letting her guard down in front of Stefan.

Chapter 1178

Stefan turned a deaf ear to the person behind him. After injecting the liquid into Cooper and removing the needle, he grabbed Cooper by the hair and slammed him into the wall with tremendous force. The sudden pain at the back of Cooper's head jolted him awake.

Opening his eyes, he tried to make sense of what was happening around him. When he regained his vision focus and saw the person in front of him, his expression darkened as something clicked inside his head.

Cooper spoke up in a hoarse voice. "Ninette was the one who invited me, yet you were the one who showed up."

Initially, Cooper would have finished his work that morning and be back in Jadeborough by the afternoon. Suddenly, Ninette texted him and inquired if he was in Baykeep, saying that she wanted to have a mea with him.

Since Cooper wanted to extract information from Ninette, he jumped at the opportunity.

Cooper was a cautious man, but he had not expected the invitation from Ninette to be a trap. Yet, the trap was not set by Ninette but by Stefan.

"That's right. I'm the one that Ninette is working with." Stefan tilted his head as he spoke plainly, not bothering to hide the truth.

"I was also the one who threw your niece into the elevator. I absolutely despise that kid. She's not even Sally's daughter, so why should Sally be nice to her? Why should Sally buy her things?"

Cooper glowered at the young man.

If it weren't for the fact that he had been drugged, causing all of his muscles to be paralyzed, he would have ripped Stefan's head off his neck.

As for Sally, she was in disbelief. She would have never expected Stefan to be the secret mastermind who was working with Ninette, the one who tainted the reputation of the Loake family-of Gerald-with the charge of raping a minor.

She could not believe that the culprit was someone she had grown up with, a person she treated like her own brother.

When her anger subsided, Sally calmed herself and looked at Stefan icily. "Your parents passed away when you were young. It was Dad who adopted you and treated you like his own son. He could never bring himself to punish you or scold you. Even when something happened to him, he insisted I take good care of you."

"That's because his guilt was eating him up!" Stefan whipped his body around to glare at Sally. "If it wasn't for him, my parents wouldn't have died!"

Sally's brows drew together. "What are you talking about?"

Stefan approached the bed slowly and towered over Sally. His eyes were filled with hostility. "The position of commanding officer belonged to my dad. It was Gerald who killed him. And before you try to say anything, this is not a misunderstanding. I heard about this from Gerald's own mouth!"

Stefan remembered that day like it was yesterday. It was his friend's birthday, and his group of friends went all out to celebrate. By the time everyone got home, it was almost past midnight. When he passed by Gerald's bedroom, he heard Gerald talking to his wife, Miranda.

Gerald was troubled by the fact that Stefan was still not home so late at night. Ridden by worry and filled with guilt, he started talking to Miranda about the truth about Marcus-Stefan's father. Back then, the two men were of the same rank, and both of them were after the position of commanding officer.

Even though Gerald had joined the army before Stefan's father did and was more experienced, Marcus had better leadership skills. Having more experience was not enough for Gerald to climb up the ranks. Gerald had secretly wished that Marcus would be injured. That way, he would be given the position of commanding officer.

He had not expected that the bullet would hit a vital organ when Marcus jumped in front of him to save him. Just like that, Marcus died on the spot.

Everyone had thought that Marcus was someone who valued friendship, so much so that he was willing to take the bullet for a good friend. Only Gerald knew the truth. Even if Marcus had not taken the bullet for him that day, Gerald would not have died.

When Stefan discovered the truth about his father, it was as though he was struck by lightning.

He had always thought that his father-who was close friends with Gerald-had lost his life in an accident. He would have never expected that it was Gerald's pride and greed that killed Marcus.

Stefan could tell from the tone of Gerald's voice that the latter was immensely remorseful for what he had done to Marcus.

To Stefan's horror, Miranda comforted Gerald instead, saying that it was normal to have schemes when politics were involved.

Stefan could even hear Miranda's voice echoing in his brain. "We've raised Stefo as our own ever since he was a baby and have never mistreated him. When Stefo grows up, you can find a way for him to take over your role. That way, we wouldn't owe him anything anymore."

If it wasn't for Gerald's hesitation, Marcus would not have died. Instead, he would have become the commanding officer. As for Stefan, he would not have been orphaned.

Hence, Stefan could not understand how Miranda could say such a thing.

Chapter 1179

Stefan clenched his teeth in fury as he recounted the night. His eyes were bloodshot from the rage he was feeling.

As for Sally, disbelief was written all over her face.

She had always believed that Marcus had sacrificed himself to save Gerald, so Gerald had brought Stefan home to raise him. She thought the reason Gerald was always nice to Stefan and never had the heart to hit him was because of the guilt he felt.

As it turned out, she was partially correct. Gerald did feel guilty, but the guilt stemmed from directly causing the death of his friend.

Stefan took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before continuing, "During that time, I felt as though I was living in a daze. I loathed Gerald. I wanted to kill him, but he had raised me. Besides, my real father is dead. What good would revenge do? So I pretended. I pretended not to know the truth and forgave him. Yet, he had the audacity to go back on his word."

He looked at Sally. Hatred filled his eyes as he bared his teeth. "I told him that I like you and that I don't want you to marry Ethan. He said okay, yet after a while, he went to find Ethan. He even told me that you could only ever be my sister. Once you've married Ethan, it would be easier for me to get promoted once I join the army. It was only then I found out that Ethan had decided to return from the frontlines and take over Robert's position so that he could marry you."

Sally tightened her grip on the blanket. Her pitch-black eyes stared frostily into Stefan's. "So you killed him?"

"It was Gerald's fault for going back on his word! It was Ethan's fault for coming back and dreaming of marrying you!" Stefan roared like a lion that had gone mad.

"He killed my dad! He made me an orphan! He's supposed to give you to me as compensation! How dare he try to take you away from me?"

Before knowing the truth, Sally had come up with countless theories about Ethan's death. Never would she have imagined the killer of her one true love would be the brother she had raised herself. Gerald must have guessed the killer the moment he saw the bullet casing, but he had chosen not to tell her.

Seeing the tears rolling out of Sally's eyes, Stefan leaned closer and wiped away her tears with his fingers. "Sally, you're mine.

You told me that you'll always be by my side. You must not go back on your word."

Sally tried her best to turn her face away, but try as she might, she could not free herself from his touch.

"Get lost," Sally hissed through her teeth. "Run as far as you can. Otherwise, once I can move again, I will kill you!"

Ignoring her, Stefan brushed his thumb across her cool lips as his expression darkened. "You're mine," he whispered. "Mine."

With that, he leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

It was already hard enough for Sally to talk, so her closed lips were easily parted with minimal effort from Stefan.

She was like a dead fish on a chopping board, helpless and motionless.

On the other hand, Cooper had never expected Stefan to be so insane. He wanted to move, but he, too, had been injected with anesthetics. He was completely paralyzed.

Without any other plan, he could only mock Stefan. "What a meaningless life you have, Stefan. No father, no mother, and now you're despised by your only sister. Even if Ethan is dead, he's still the only man she'll ever love. That's how cowardly and useless you are. Just look at you. The only way you can have her is by playing such a despicable trick."

Infuriated by Cooper's mocking, Stefan grabbed the lamp by the bedside and hurled it at Cooper's head. "Shut the f*ckup!"

The lamp was made out of glass. Upon the impact, Cooper's head started to bleed, causing him to collapse to the floor.

As he watched Stefan returning to the bed and kissing Sally hungrily, Cooper felt suffocated by his disgust and heartache.

He wanted nothing more than to shoot Stefan in the head, but he couldn't. The only thing he could do was watch the scene unraveling in front of him.

Sally could not speak, so she resorted to keeping her eyes open and staring at Stefan. Her cold gaze made Stefan uncomfortable, so he used a shirt to cover her eyes.

Cooper had always felt something amiss with Stefan and had warned Sally about him, yet she had always ignored the warning, believing that Stefan was family. They were now facing the consequences of their choices.

Chapter 1180

After a long while, Stefan removed the shirt that was covering Sally's eyes.

Satisfaction was written all over his face. He lowered his face to kiss Sally before whispering, "You're mine, Sally. Always and forever..."

Just as he had finished speaking, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.

Warm blood splashed unto Sally's face and neck as Stefan's limp body fell onto the bed. Even as his head rolled onto her shoulder, Sally did not even blink.

It was as though her soul had left her body. Her eyes were as empty as a blackhole.

After the trigger was pulled, the gun slipped out of Cooper's hand. He collapsed by the bed and lay still for a long time, gasping for air.

It took another half an hour for the drug's effect to wear off before Cooper felt himself regaining control over his muscles.

Picking up the clothes on the floor, Cooper took out a phone and made a phone call before making his way to the bed.

Stefan's blood had soaked the pillow red while some of it was splattered onto Sally's face.

If it weren't for the slow rising and falling of Sally's chest, Cooper would have thought that the bullet had hit the woman as well.

Suppressing the squeezing ache in his chest, he pulled Sally away and patted her cheeks gently. Seeing that she did not respond, he carried her into the bathroom. Water gushed out of the tap of the bathtub at high speed. As the tub filled, Cooper placed Sally inside.

He then took a towel from the rack and dipped it in water. When the towel was soaked, he took it out and began to wipe off the dried blood on Sally's face and chin.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the water or the tenderness of Cooper's movements, but Sally's blank eyes slowly came back to life.

She took the towel from Cooper and started to clean her face on her own. Soon, she became her usual silent and cold self again.

After a quick wash, Sally got out of the bathtub and accepted the clothes Cooper had handed her. Her voice was still a little hoarse as she spoke. "You might need to take care of the scene outside."

They were in Baykeep, not to mention in a luxurious hotel. She had no contact with the people that would help clear out the scene.

"I've already phoned them." Cooper's gaze swept across Sally's face. When he saw that she seemed fine, he relaxed his shoulders slightly.

Once help arrived, Cooper brought Sally out of the hotel.

Sally had come to Baykeep around noon. By the time they got out of the hotel, it was already seven in the evening.

A gust of wind brushed against her cheek, chilling her bones.

Cooper took off his coat to put it around Sally's shoulder, but Sally stopped his hand and stepped away, increasing the distance between them.

"I'm not cold. I'm gonna go buy something."

She had stayed in that hotel when she came to Baykeep in the past, which was why she knew that there was a pharmacy and a convenience store around the corner.

Sally walked into the pharmacy with a calm expression and waited as the pharmacist took out the drug she wanted from the cabinets. Upon receiving the pill, she swallowed it on the spot before leaving for the convenience store next door.

As Cooper followed Sally into the pharmacy, his phone rang.

It was not good news.

When Cooper ended the call, he caught a glimpse of Sally going into the convenience store and buying herself a pack of cigarettes.

Standing at the stairs, Sally held a cigarette by her lips as she lit it up with her other hand. Her shoulder-length hair was blown all over the place by the night breeze. She was wearing a black sweater and jeans, which made her look all the more skinny and lonely.

Walking toward her, Cooper immediately helped her put on his coat and buttoned it up to prevent her from catching a cold.

He was almost one point nine meters tall. It was no surprise that his coat looked enormous and long on Sally.

Cooper did not even bother rolling up the sleeves of the coat for her. With one swift movement, he snatched the cigarette away from her and grabbed her wrist over the sleeve before leading her down the

street.

Neither of them uttered a word. After a few minutes of walking, they arrived in front of a few food stalls.

Cooper and Sally entered the shop and found a place to sit before ordering food. Since there were not many customers, their orders arrived fairly quickly.

Cooper filled up a bowl of fish stew for Sally.

The stew was burning. Sally blew on the stew for a long time before putting the spoon into her mouth and swallowing the liquid. "You don't look very good. Is it because of the phone call?"

Her tone was as calm as it usually was. It was as though nothing had happened in the hotel.

"I didn't even have lunch." Cooper placed a piece of fried chicken on Sally's plate. "Let's talk after we finish eating."

Dropping the subject, Sally focused on eating the stew.

Suddenly, her hand jerked involuntarily, causing her grip on the spoon to loosen. The utensil fell onto the coat, spilling stew all over it.

Taking out two pieces of tissues, Sally wiped off the food spillage on the coat.