Ch. 301..310

Chapter 301

Hearing the mention of Alistair, Zephyra shrank back meekly and eagerly looked at Sienna, hoping she would speak up for her.

But before Sienna could speak, Michael said, "Dr. Ausline, you should leave too! Mr. Sunny Hayes isn't suitable for your therapy right now." Sienna didn't expect Michael to ask her to leave as well. But she couldn't just leave like that, or she'd never be able to clear things up later.

Thinking about it, she could only put on a show and say, "I'm the only one who can cure Mr. Sunny Hayes' illness. Are you sure you want to drive me away and not explain it to Mr. Hayes?" Audrey had just calmed Sunny down when she heard such a shameless remark.

She looked at the somewhat familiar woman and spoke coldly, "Is Dr. Ausline so accomplished that she doesn't know autistic children can easily react to stress when alone with strangers?" Sienna knew that Audrey wasn't as easy to fool as Michael, and not wanting to appear weak, retorted, "What do you know?

"Mr. Sunny Hayes not only has autism but also stress-induced mania. It's normal to have stress reactions during treatment. If you hadn't suddenly come in and interrupted, he wouldn't have lost control..." Hearing such clueless words, Audrey's eyes darkened completely.

If she hadn't rushed in just a moment ago, Sunny would have fallen out the window.

Originally, she just thought that Ausline's eagerness for quick results had stressed Sunny out. But now she was questioning if she was really the trusted Ausline.

Audrey thought, 'How could the Ausline, whom Alistair spent so much money to hire, be such an amateur?'

Audrey was about to speak when Zephyra, standing next to her, suddenly seemed to have a revelation.

She said, "Audrey, did you just burst into the room to disrupt the treatment because Mr. Hayes wasn't here, so you could harm Mr. Sunny Hayes and then use it to your advantage?" Audrey was speechless. She rolled her eyes dramatically, ready to respond, when she heard a cold and authoritative voice coming from outside the door.

"Who dares to harm my grandson?" The man's voice was deep and commanding, exuding authority effortlessly.

Everyone was drawn to the sound and turned to look at the doorway.

A middle-aged man strode in, dressed in a traditional tunic suit, standing tall with his hair perfectly combed, showing strands of gray at the temples.

The man's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's; his features were finely chiseled, and his eyebrows conveyed an undeniable sense of pride and dominance.

Seeing the man's features that bore a resemblance to Alistair's, and recalling his mention of "grandson," Audrey made the connection.

Audrey suddenly realized that this must be Sunny's grandfather, her father-in-law whom she had never met.

Even though she had been married

to Alistair for almost six months, this was her first time meeting the elder of the family. She just didn't expect the meeting to happen in such circumstances. en FindNovel

After all, they were family, and Audrey didn't want any misunderstandings, so she was about to explain.

But before she could get a word out, Zephyra squeezed past her. "Mr. Francis Hayes, it's been a while! didn't expect to see you here today." She reached out her hand, intending to shake Francis's hand.

Even though Francis no longer managed day-to-day affairs, he was still the chairman of the Hayes Group. Zephyra had to address him respectfully as "Mr. Francis Hayes". Francis slightly narrowed his eyes, looking at Zephyra with indifference. "And you are?"

Ever since he could remember, countless people were trying to cozy up to him, so naturally, he couldn't remember every single one.

Zephyra's smile faltered at his words

as she gave an awkward laugh. "Mr.

Francis Hayes, we've met in Willowdale. My husband's name is Kevin he used to do business there, and our families are related.

-QUMS

"Never heard of you." Francis interrupted her directly, not interested in her chatter.

Zephyra often boasted about being related to the Hayes family from Willowdale but being put down by Francis in front of so many people left her embarrassed.

 

Chapter 302

The socialites she brought were getting impatient from not seeing Mr. Hayes.

Now, seeing her snubbed by Francis, they couldn't help but chuckle.

"Zephyra, you kept saying you were the esteemed aunt of Mr. Sunny Hayes, but it turns out you were bluffing?"

"I know! How could the Hayes family have such an unsuitable relative? So it's you forced your way in."

Zephyra was boiling inside, but she didn't dare lose her cool with these people, and certainly not with Francis, who had thrust her into the limelight with just one sentence.

She had some pent-up frustration with no outlet, so she dragged Audrey down with her.

She said, "Mr. Francis Hayes, it's fine if you don't recognize me, but we were just discussing how this woman plans to harm Mr. Sunny Hayes. Since you're here, please don't let this malicious woman get away!"

She hadn't forgotten her purpose in coming here today; if she was having a hard time, then Audrey shouldn't expect an easy ride either.

Francis had noticed Audrey early on. He sized her up subtly, but really, there was nothing to fault in her appearance or demeanor.

But this daughter-in-law was secretly found by his son and married hastily at another's wedding. Just the thought of it made Francis feel a bit uneasy.

To top it off, his cherished grandson didn't even glance at him but held onto Audrey tightly, making him feel rather bitter.

Thinking that both his son and grandson had been completely charmed by Audrey, Francis deliberately kept a stern face, glowering at her as if interrogating a criminal.

He asked, "Is what they're saying true? Are you really trying to get rid of Sunny to clear the way for yourself?"

Faced with Francis's questioning, Audrey replied calmly, "I see Sunny as my own son; how could I ever intentionally harm him?"

Audrey's words were not intended to show loyalty to Francis; they were meant to comfort the uneasy Sunny in her arms.

Francis stared at Audrey, remaining silent for quite a while.

Nearby, Zephyra taunted at these

words, saying, "That's ridiculous! et

Who are you to treat Mr. Sunny

Hayes as your own son? What a way to flatter yourself!"

Audrey didn't want to bother with Zephyra, and Francis, knowing the backstory, didn't respond either.

2UT

Sensing something was wrong, Sienna quickly said, "I don't know what relationship you have with ME Sunny Hayes, but interrupting therapy sessions is very dangerous. If you really cared about him why did you burst in like that?"

Upon hearing this, Francis's expression turned cold.

Audrey wasn't affected by his attitude, but she didn't want to be falsely accused of having harmful intents.

She looked at Sienna and sneered, "But I am Alistair's wife in the eyes of the law, and Sunny is my son-by-law. Why would I intentionally harm him?"

Her words shocked everyone except Michael and Francis, who knew the truth.

Sienna was the most reactive, turning pale instantly.

She never imagined that Audrey and Alistair would have such a connection.

Zephyra was taken aback for a moment, but then she burst out laughing, slapping her thigh in amusement.

She said, "Audrey, have you gone crazy? Daydreaming in broad daylight? Your husband is just a gigolo you support, and what's he got to do with Mr. Hayes?"

Hearing this, Francis's face

immediately turned dark. He

thought, What? My son is actually

being supported by a woman? What a useless guy he is! It's so embarrassing.'

 

Chapter 303

Audrey looked at Zephyra as if she was looking at an idiot, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "How are you so sure my husband's just a gigolo? Have you seen it with your own eyes?" Hearing this, Zephyra's eyes went blank for a moment.

Even though she frequently cursed Audrey, calling her a tramp always flirting with men.

Thinking more carefully, she knew there really weren't many guys around Audrey.

The only time anyone saw her interact closely with a man was in a photo at the amusement park with Alistair and their kid.

Thinking of this, Zephyra could no longer smile. She thought, 'Could it be that Audrey's husband is really Mr. Hayes?'

Feeling uneasy, Zephyra heard Francis snort. "So what if you and Alistair have a marriage license? I haven't accepted you as my daughter-in-law yet!"

Hearing this, Zephyra was stunned. She thought, 'Francis only said he doesn't acknowledge her, and he didn't say she wasn't... So, Audrey's husband in this quick marriage is really Mr. Hayes?' Zephyra was so shocked by those words that she was momentarily speechless.

Sienna felt a strong sense of panic inside. She thought, 'How does Audrey end up being Mr. Hayes' wife? If everything I did gets exposed, Alistair will definitely stand up for her.'

Thinking of this, Sienna clenched her back teeth in regret. If she had known this earlier, she wouldn't have been blinded by money. Now she didn't even have a chance to change her mind.

Since there was no room for regret, she might as well go all in. She decided to make Francis completely lose hope in Audrey.

With a devious thought, Sienna rolled her eyes and purposefully said, "No matter how nice it sounds, this kid isn't really hers, so there's always a gap.

"I've been a psychologist for a long time and have seen many stepmothers trying to harm their step kids just to get ahead. Since Mr. Sunny Hayes has such serious mental issues at his age, he must have gone through a lot..." Zephyra chimed in, "Mr. Francis Hayes, this woman is no saint. She even sent her foster dad, who took care of her for more than twenty years, to prison herself. There's nothing she wouldn't do!"

Zephyra wasn't really knowledgeable about psychological issues. But she didn't want Audrey to have an easy time.

Although Audrey was Alistair's wife, Zephyra and she were already at odds, and it was too late to make up.

She thought, 'Why not cause trouble and make Francis annoyed with Audrey?'

As she thought about it, she caught sight of the scars on Sunny's arm and said even more excitedly, "Look, those marks on his arm must be from her. She pretends to care for him, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors?"

Upon hearing this, Francis's eyes immediately darkened, surrounded by a cloud of displeasure.

He thought, 'Audrey is so young; she hasn't even had her own child yet. How can she be okay with being someone else's stepmother? Maybe she really does have it out for Sunny.

Francis wasn't the type to just follow what others said. He made his own decisions.

But seeing the obvious pinching marks on Sunny's arm, he couldn't help but ask Audrey, "Did you do this to him?"

Audrey frowned in displeasure. She didn't expect Francis to trust her. But she was still his daughter-in-law. He might not like her, but he shouldn't doubt her like this.

Yet she stood her ground, calm and upright, saying, "It wasn't me. I didn't hurt Sunny."

Francis felt sorry for Sunny and snapped, "Then how did he get those bruises?"

Hearing this, Audrey couldn't help but feel a little angry. She thought, 'How am I supposed to know how Sunny got hurt? Why should I take the blame for something I didn't do?' But what happened in the room was unseen by Michael and the other wealthy ladies. Without surveillance footage, she really had a hard time proving her innocence. Sienna felt a little uneasy, but seeing Sunny, who was known for not speaking up, she figured no one would find out what she did, and that gave her more confidence. She took the opportunity to add, "It's a good thing, Mr. Sunny Hayes, just got a scare this time, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable." Audrey felt her anger boiling over at these words.

Francis saw her silence and assumed she was guilty, and his anger flared up immediately.

He was already unhappy with Audrey as his daughter-in-law, and he shouted angrily, "What else do you have to say? Alistair has been deceived by your tricks, but won't be fooled.

"A cruel woman like you, who harms your stepson, doesn't deserve to be part of our family! From now on, you're not allowed to be near Sunny."

 

Chapter 304

While speaking, Francis didn't give Audrey a chance to argue and reached out to take Sunny from her arms.

But unexpectedly, Sunny, who had been so obedient earlier, suddenly screamed and clung tightly around Audrey's neck.

This startled Francis, and he softly coaxed, "Sunny, it's Grandpa. Come to Grandpa, please."

Sunny shivered and clung desperately to Audrey, doing her best to avoid Francis. He even turned back to glare at him fiercely. "No... You insulted Mom. You're a bad person..." Audrey didn't expect Sunny to stand up for her, and she was deeply touched.

Francis's hand, raised in mid-air, froze. He thought, 'Did I really hear that? Did Sunny really speak?'

In his whole life, he never thought he'd hear Sunny speak willingly. He could die without regrets now.

But realizing Sunny spoke up to defend Audrey he didn't like, and even called him a bad person. Francis's heart was full of mixed emotions.

He saw Sunny glaring at him, eyes blazing with anger.

Francis quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, Sunny. Grandpa was wrong."

But Sunny turned his head away coldly, showing Francis the back of his head.

Francis didn't get angry and immediately patted his chest as he promised, "Sunny, don't be mad. Grandpa will definitely find the real culprit and stand up for you!"

Seeing this, Audrey couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement. Francis could change his expression faster than a professional actor.

When Sienna heard this, her heart skipped a beat. Luckily, Sunny looked deflated and seemed unwilling to say anything more except to stand up for Audrey.

Seeing that Sunny really didn't want to talk more, Francis had no choice but to turn to Michael and ask, "Can you tell me what happened with Sunny's injuries?" Sienna's heart sank, and she bit her lip hard.

Michael glanced at her without

hesitation and truthfully said, "M Francis Hayes, Ms. Rhodes entered the room just a short while ago. Before that, Mr. Sunny Hayes was alone with Dr. Ausline."

Sienna knew it was all over. She felt everything go black before her eyes and almost passed out on the spot.

Upon learning that Sunny had been with Sienna earlier, Francis's eyes turned cold and serious.

He looked at Sienna with an imposing aura in his slow, measured voice. "Did you cause Sunny's injuries?"

Sienna's breath caught. The pressure from Francis was overwhelming.

Just a single glance made her feel like a fish on the chopping block, completely helpless to resist.

Unable to bear the overwhelming presence she stammered

defensively, "Yes, Mr. Sunny Hayes was with me earlier! But I don't know how he got injured. He might have accidentally hurt himself...

"That's nonsense!" Audrey sharply retorted upon hearing this. Sienna glared at her with disapproval.

Audrey, however, rolled up the sleeve on Sunny's arm to reveal the large bruises and glaring red marks.

Audrey said, "Sunny's injuries look like they were caused by someone forcefully grabbing him and leaving scratch marks with their nails.

"But here's the thing I just trimmed his nails this morning. So you tell me, how could he possibly have clawed himself like that with his nails all short?"

Francis looked at Sunny's pudgy fingers, noting how neatly clipped and clean his nails were he couldn't have left any scratches.

Stealthily clenching her fists to hide her sharp manicured nails, Sienna defensively said, "Well, you can't prove that these scratches were

caused by me, right? Maybe vinet

caused them earlier and now you're just trying to pin the blame on me..."

Audrey let out a mocking laugh. "I might not be able to prove it, but someone else can!"

Chapter 305

'Who can prove it?' Sienna thought and hesitated, glancing over at her.

Audrey narrowed her long eyes, her voice clear and sharp. "Michael, call the police to check these nail marks immediately. I don't want to wrongly accuse someone!" "Got it," Michael replied.

Seeing that Michael immediately took out his phone to make the call, Sienna quickly lunged forward. "No... don't call the police!"

At this point, Francis had figured everything out. He furiously yelled at Sienna, "If you didn't hurt Sunny, why wouldn't you let us call the police?"

"No... no, it's not like that, Mr. Francis Hayes." With her voice already tinged with tears, Sienna anxiously defended herself.

She said, "I understand now. When I was treating Mr. Sunny Hayes earlier, he suddenly went berserk and tried to hit me. His injuries might have happened when I was dodging him. I really didn't mean to harm him intentionally!" In any case, she absolutely denied having deliberately hurt Sunny to punish him.

Audrey asked coldly, "Aren't you a self-proclaimed internationally known child psychology expert? How can you not handle the stress reaction of a special child?"

An adequate doctor would never let a patient go wild and hurt themselves right in front of them.

And yet, Sienna couldn't even notice that Sunny had been upset, let alone stopped rubbing salt in his wounds.

She kept repeating to Sunny that if he misbehaved, his father would leave him. A qualified psychologist would never do that.

Upon hearing this, Sienna had no way to refute it and could only glare angrily at Audrey.

Audrey hadn't really looked closely at her before, but now, seeing her clearly, a sudden idea struck her.

"Sienna Hastings?" Audrey stepped forward, her voice cold. "My classmate, it's really been a long time!"

Sienna's eyes trembled. She instinctively raised her hand to cover her face and denied it, "No, I'm not. You've mistaken me for someone else..."

But Audrey pushed her hand away, speaking without any expression, "How could I possibly mistake you for someone else?"

After all, almost all the pain and torment she experienced in high school was caused by Sienna standing right in front of her.

In her junior year of high school, Audrey was confessed to in public by the school's most popular guy.

But at that time, she was only focused on her studies and rejected him in front of everyone, not caring about his feelings.

After that incident, some girls at

school started picking on her. Among them, the one who used the meanest tactics was Sienna, who had a crush on the popular guy.

en FindNovel

She put dead rats in her backpack, thumbtacks in her sneakers, and even almost caused Audrey to lose her life.

Audrey let out a mocking laugh, her voice cold as ice. "Sienna, when you stand on this ground again, will you feel ashamed of what you did?"

Over the years, Sienna had changed a lot, transforming from a chubby little girl into a stunning beauty, which is why Audrey didn't recognize her at first. At this point, there was nothing left to deny.

Sienna retorted defiantly, "Why... Why should I be ashamed? Back then, it wasn't my fault!"

The culprit stood in front of Audrey without a hint of remorse.

Audrey's anger surged. "Not your fault? If it wasn't for you, how would Wilbur have ended up disabled? Sienna, how do you even have the nerve to appear in front of me?"

As Audrey slowly closed in, Sienna's face turned as pale as a sheet, terrified. She was forced to retreat, eventually collapsing to the floor, too weak to stand. "What do you want?" She looked at Audrey in horror, as if seeing a vengeful ghost.

At that moment, Audrey genuinely felt the urge to kill, but just as she was about to act, Sunny in her arms seemed to sense her emotions. Uneasily, he hugged her neck and murmured softly, "Mom..."

That fearful cry of "Mom" pulled back what little sense Audrey had left.

She gently stroked the back of Sunny's head, soothing him quietly.

Sunny gently pressed his face against her cheek. Feeling his softness, the anger in Audrey's heart gradually faded away.

She looked down at Sienna and said coldly, "Sienna, you're not actually Dr. Ausline, are you?

 

 

Chapter 306

Seeing Audrey's suspicion, Sienna felt extremely guilty and quickly explained, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't understand what you're saying!" Audrey chuckled, her eyes showing a mysterious knowing look. "If you really are Dr. Ausline, then why is Sunny agitated by your so-called professional treatment?" Sienna was speechless. She couldn't come up with an answer at all.

After all, her mind was completely blank, and she couldn't even make up some technical terms to bluff her way through. Moreover, she knew Audrey wasn't someone easy to fool.

After a moment of thought, Sienna decided to be stubborn and said, "Child psychology is a very complex subject. Each individual is different, so naturally, the symptoms in children can vary too!"

"Since you don't believe me, there's no reason for me to stand here getting insulted." She then turned around and was about to leave.

Audrey said, "Stop right there!"

Sienna turned back angrily, shouting, "What more do you want..." Before she could finish, a blinding light suddenly froze her in place.

With her back to everyone, Audrey gently twirled the chain of a pocket watch between her fingers, her voice soft and tender. "Sienna, you lied, didn't you?"

The swinging pocket watch was reflected in Sienna's pupils. She instinctively nodded obediently. "Yes, I lied..."

Their voices were so soft, like whispers, that no one else could hear them.

A few seconds later, Audrey put away the pocket watch and asked coldly, "Sienna, what did you just do to Sunny?"

Hearing this, Francis couldn't help but think Audrey was being unnecessary.

Asking this question now was a waste of time; they might as well just take her to the police.

Just as Francis was about to call the police, Sienna spoke in a robotic voice, "I took him to the room to try and hypnotize him for treatment, but he wouldn't listen or cooperate, so I grabbed him to give him a sedative. "He went wild and tried to hurt me, and I pinched him a bit..."

Hearing that Sienna had attempted to sedate Sunny, rage surged within Audrey. But for the greater good, she had to hold back her anger, take a deep breath, and continue to ask, "Do you really understand child psychology?" Sienna's expression faltered clearly, but her mouth moved uncontrollably, "I don't. I've never studied child psychology. I'm a fraud pretending to be you."

Hearing this, Michael was

completely stunned. He thought, 'What does, she mean? Isn't Sienną supposed to be Dr. Ausline? Why did she say she was pretending to be Mrs. Hayes? Could it be that Mrs. Hayes is actually Ausline?

Audrey ignored Michael's surprise, turned to Sienna, and asked, "How did you get out early?"

Sienna blinked and said without expression, "Six years ago, three months after I was imprisoned, my parents paid to get me out. To keep it a secret, they had to send me overseas... en FindNovel

"Back then studying abroad wasn't just about having money, especially for someone with a record. Many schools overseas wouldn't accept me unless I could give them a reason to take the risk.

"During that time, I was feeling down and spent a lot of time online. I stumbled upon a forum where Ausline had published a paper on child psychology..." Sienna couldn't tell if the paper was good or bad, but many people on the forum praised it for being very professional.

Driven by selfish motives, she printed out the paper and put her own name on it.

Unexpectedly, a renowned principal from abroad noticed this paper.

Thinking the paper was hers, the principal not only arranged for her free admission but also celebrated her as a genius in psychology.

At first, she didn't know that the mysterious Ausline was actually Audrey.

One day, she accidentally stumbled upon traces Audrey left online, and after investigating further, she learned the truth.

However, she didn't stop impersonating; instead, she continued using the papers even more boldly. Until she became the internationally renowned Ausline. After getting the answer she wanted, Audrey stepped forward and gently patted Sienna's shoulder.

Sienna suddenly snapped back to her senses. She had been aware of everything that had happened just now.

Realizing she couldn't keep it a secret anymore, she crouched on the ground in agony, covering her face and choking up.

She said, "I didn't want to do this, Audrey. If you hadn't refused to settle privately and insisted on pushing me to the brink, I wouldn't have pretended to be you..."

Audrey looked at her silently, her beautiful eyes as cold as ice. "I won't let you go. Get ready to face the law."

Sienna collapsed to the ground, knowing she probably couldn't escape this time.

Chapter 307

Francis looked at Audrey and asked, "Is what she said true? Did you publish papers on child psychology before?"

He studied Audrey thoughtfully. He thought, 'This woman seems to be more capable than I thought!'

Audrey replied calmly, "I did a bit of research in that area before."

Hearing this, a wave of complex emotions arose in Francis's heart. He thought, 'Hypnotizing Sienna without her even noticing, and Audrey calls that a bit of research?' Michael's eyes widened in shock at this moment. He couldn't believe that the person he and Alistair searched the world for was right in front of them.

Upon realizing this, he almost instinctively said, "Ms. Rhodes, you are too modest! Your contributions to child psychology are much more than just a bit!"

Hearing this, Francis curiously asked, "Oh? What else do you know?"

Michael said sincerely, "I did a special investigation on Ausline before.

"A few years ago, because there wasn't enough focus on child psychology in our country, a shocking incident occurred nationwide. People were devastated and felt powerless until Ms. Rhodes' paper on child psychology was released. "Many psychology researchers only began to pay serious attention to child psychology and actively promoted the treatment methods mentioned in Ausline's paper after it was published.

"Without Ms. Rhodes, the field of child psychology in our country would still be undeveloped! It isn't an exaggeration to call her the driving force behind the development of child psychology here. How could she have only done a little research?" Hearing this, not only did Francis feel more admiration for Audrey. Even Zephyra, who was standing nearby, was stunned.

She never imagined that the person she once overlooked would turn out to be such an extraordinary figure.

For a moment, Zephyra was full of regret. Audrey was supposed to be her daughter-in-law.

But now, she quietly became Mrs. Hayes of the Hayes family in Willowdale. She had become someone Zephyra could never possibly match.

After hearing Michael's words, Francis felt a bit embarrassed and, after hesitating for a moment, was about to explain.

Before he could even speak, Audrey had already interjected, "Sunny has been through a shock and needs to calm down in a familiar space. I'll

Take

him home for now."

She showed no intention of inviting him over to her place. Francis forced a smile, grumbling internally about her lack of consideration.

Audrey picked up Sunny and started to leave. As she reached the door, she paused for a moment.

Francis thought she was finally going to invite him over, casting a hopeful look her way.

Instead, she turned to Michael and said, "Michael, Sienna has been deceiving people using this Ausline identity. Please stay and cooperate with the police investigation." She didn't want anyone else to be fooled.

"Okay, got it." Michael nodded.

With that, Audrey didn't even glance at Francis as she left with Sunny.

Francis was speechless, and he was left simmering with frustration, with nowhere to vent his pent-up irritation.

Seeing Sienna at the side, a flicker of

disdain crossed his eyes as he coldly ordered, "Michael, report

everything that happened here met

Alistain Tell him to get the best lawyer. I don't ever want to see this woman in Riverdale again!"

Francis was unaware that Michael no longer worked for Alistair, yet he smoothly issued the orders.

Michael didn't object and just said, "Yes."

Sienna was completely devastated. She thought, 'It's over! Completely over! I'll never recover from this in my lifetime.'

 

Chapter 308

After Audrey and Francis left one after the other, everyone else started to disperse as well. Zephyra couldn't avoid getting teased by her girlfriends again.

But after being so shocked today, she couldn't care about the teasing and aimlessly headed back to the hospital.

After witnessing Sienna's downfall firsthand, she was still a bit out of it when she returned to the hospital and almost cut her hand while peeling an apple for Dominic. In the VIP room, Dominic was lying quietly on the crisp white bed.

Noticing her mood was off, Dominic said, "Mom, stop peeling. I don't want to eat."

Zephyra replied with a dull "okay," but she continued peeling the apple absentmindedly.

Catching a familiar scent, Dominic frowned and asked, "Mom, did you go see Audrey today?"

Just hearing the name made Zephyra's hand tremble, causing the apple to fall and roll onto the floor.

Seeing Dominic's stern face, she didn't dare admit it, and lied, "No, why would I go see her..."

Dominic said coldly, "Not only did you see her, but you stayed with her for quite a while." Otherwise, she wouldn't have Audrey's perfume on her.

Caught in the lie, Zephyra could only give an awkward smile and say, "Yeah, I did go see her."

Hearing this, Dominic seemed a little anxious and asked, "Did you tell her about my car accident? How did she respond?"

Upon hearing this, Zephyra's face immediately turned grim. Even though she didn't say anything, Dominic understood. It looked like Audrey didn't say anything nice.

Dominic gave a bitter smile and said, "How did things between us end up like this...?"

Feeling sorry for her son, Zephyra tried to comfort him. "Dominic, you..."

But Dominic just talked to himself, "Back when we first got together, even if I just had a little cold and sneezed, she would be so worried. But now, I've had a serious car accident and almost died, yet she doesn't even come to see me."

He felt really miserable, his thoughts becoming twisted as he asked blankly, "Mom, do you think she ever truly loved me? Or was all that care and concern just pretending?"

Zephyra opened her mouth, but no words came out.

In the past, she had said too much and interfered too much, which had ruined the relationship.

Dominic didn't need her to answer. He continued talking to himself, "If she really loved me, she wouldn't be so heartless, and she wouldn't break up with me over a tiny mistake without giving me a chance to change..."

Maybe she never loved him at all. Dominic thought that by believing this, he could lessen the guilt he felt inside.

But the truth was, he still couldn't be happy. Instead, he felt even more trapped.

He clutched his head in pain and punched himself twice, his voice hoarse. "It's all my fault. I couldn't resist the temptation..."

"Don't do this, Dominic. Don't act like this..." Zephyra couldn't stand it any longer and quickly grabbed Dominic's hands to stop him from hurting himself.

Dominic took a few deep breaths, his breathing gradually calming down.

Just when Zephyra thought he had settled down, he suddenly looked up and said, "Mom, help me. I need to get Audrey back. I can't lose her; I'll die without her..."

In the past, what Dominic longed for was the tenderness Audrey gave him. But the moment she turned away from him without hesitation, that longing became an obsession.

Seeing the blue eyes full of gloomy obsession and possessiveness, Zephyra couldn't help but feel alarmed.

She feared her son might do something extreme for Audrey and end up offending Alistair. She tried to persuade, "Dominic, since you and Audrey have already parted ways, it means you weren't meant to be together. Why force it?"

Dominic wasn't listening at all and stubbornly said, "She only got married quickly to get back at me."

Zephyra felt a headache coming on and patiently advised, "Dominic, it was okay if you lied to yourself before, but now Audrey is already married. Why can't you let go?"

Dominic stared coldly at Zephyra, his gaze filled with displeasure. "So, are you saying you don't want to help me anymore?"

Before Zephyra could respond, he

suddenly erupted in anger, accusing her, "It's all your fault! If it weren't for you always disliking Audrey, she and I wouldn't have broken up!

Zephyra looked at him with a heavy heart. "Dominic..." "Get out! Just get out!"

 

Chapter 309

Suddenly, Dominic grabbed the pillow from the hospital bed and threw it at her with great force.

Zephyra didn't move; she just looked at him, her eyes filled with disappointment.

Dominic took a deep breath, still feeling dissatisfied, he added, "Since you don't want to help me, then don't go looking for Audrey. If I find out you're secretly threatening her again to leave me, I won't let you get away with it!" Zephyra shouted furiously, "Dominic, I am your mother! How can you speak to me like that?"

Dominic shrugged indifferently and said confidently, "I'm just reminding you not to make mistakes, Mom. You owe me this. You all are the ones who pushed Audrey away from me!"

Zephyra felt a tightness in her chest, wanting to ignore him but afraid he would truly lose it and offend Alistair. She thought, 'If that happens, our family will be ruined!'

She could only gather her patience and say, "Dominic, listen to me. Audrey's husband isn't a gigolo; he's someone we can't afford to offend..."

"I don't want to hear it!" Dominic suddenly covered his ears and shouted. "Get out! Don't mention that man in front of me!"

Before Zephyra could finish her sentence, Dominic had already forced her out of the hospital room.

*****

After getting home, Audrey spent a long time trying to coax Sunny to sleep.

Late at night, lying on the empty bed, she couldn't help but think about what happened during the day.

Although she knew that she and Alistair were worlds apart and shouldn't be together. She kept trying to bridge the gap between them ever since she found out about Alistair's status. Hearing Alistair's father say he didn't approve of her was somewhat heartbreaking.

But she wasn't the type to back down easily. Since she decided to spend her life well, she would never give up easily.

Francis's disapproval was just because he thought she wasn't a match for Alistair.

Not long ago, she was thinking about leaving Supergalactic Idol to focus entirely on her company. But now, her fighting spirit was completely ignited.

She wanted to prove through this

show that even with a humble background, she could still stand proudly on stage. She could still become the center of attention! One day, she would be worthy of

Stair.

Thinking about all these things, she gradually fell asleep, feeling drowsy and hazy.

In the still of the night, a man quietly entered, bathed in moonlight.

In the dim light from the window, he tucked Audrey in and stood by the bed, gazing at her for a long time, unwilling to leave.

Audrey, deep in sleep, wasn't aware but seemed restless, her brows furrowed.

A hint of tenderness flashed in Alistair's eyes as he leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on her brow.

He planned to comfort her, but Audrey, who wasn't deeply asleep, instantly became alert and instinctively slapped him. The sharp sound broke the stillness of the night.

Audrey's whole body went tense. Just as she was about to cry out, she noticed the familiar pine scent.

In the darkness, the man leaned in close and placed an arm around her shoulder, and the subtle pine aroma surrounded her immediately.

Audrey's heart was still beating a bit

fast. She slowly raised her hand, felt the man's short rough hair, gently traced his facial features, and asked hesitantly, "Ali...Alistair?"

"Yes, I'm here." Alistair's voice was deep and rich, with a soft magnetism.

Audrey breathed a sigh of relief, nestled into his embrace, her voice sleepy and gentle. "When did you come back? Why didn't you turn on the light? You gave me a scare."

 

Chapter 310

Alistair gently stroked her silky hair, his eyes full of tender affection. "I just wanted to see how you were, sorry if I scared you."

Audrey shook her head slightly and softly asked, "Isn't there still unfinished business at work? Why did you come back so suddenly?"

Alistair's expression remained unchanged as he explained, "I missed you and Sunny, so I came back."

Audrey held his hand and looked up at him, asking, "Did you find out about what happened today?" Otherwise, he wouldn't have hurried back overnight. Alistair didn't want to lie to her, so he softened his voice and apologized, "I'm sorry. If I hadn't been too trusting of others, you wouldn't have suffered so much." Audrey huffed coldly, not appeased at all. Instead, she asked, "Am I the only one you should apologize to?"

"What?" Alistair looked puzzled, a bit confused.

Audrey glared at him, her tone sharp. "Your mistake wasn't just making me suffer. It was your neglect towards Sunny. The one hurt the most by this was Sunny." Just thinking about the ordeal Sunny went through during the day, even almost facing life-threatening danger, made Audrey very angry.

Upon hearing this, a strong sense of guilt surged within Alistair.

He lowered his eyes and sincerely apologized, "It was my fault. I initially brought him to Riverdale to take good care of him, but I failed to fulfill my responsibility." As Alistair continued speaking, his tone softened. "I promise this will never happen again!"

Alistair had to manage the vast empire of the Hayes Group along with dealing with various family matters. Sometimes it was tough to juggle everything, so a few slip-ups were normal every now and then. Thinking about all this, Audrey couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for him. She gently asked, "Isn't it exhausting to rush back so late? Next time, don't push yourself so hard. It's fine to come back a bit later."

He lowered his head and kissed Audrey, laughing sincerely. "Not tired at all, Audrey. So, what other secrets do you have that I don't know about?"

She was skilled in design, music composition, singing, and dancing, and was also a psychology expert with excellent work abilities.

He thought, 'How many more of her qualities are there for me to discover?'

Audrey suddenly felt a bit shy. She hadn't expected her casual paper to stir up so much interest.

Audrey smiled mysteriously. "Oh, there are too many to count! You won't be able to see them all in this lifetime!"

Alistair chuckled quietly at her words. Being close together, she could feel the subtle vibration in his chest when he laughed.

Audrey felt a tingling sensation in her ears like she was electrically charged. She reached up and pinched her earlobe.

Then she heard Alistair's gentle

laugh as he said, "If not this lifetime, then the next, or the one after that. My future is all yours, and we can share our life slowly, together."

This didn't even count as romantic words. Audrey's heart began to race suddenly.

But when she looked at Alistair's face, she couldn't help but think of Francis's cold face.

Her mood became a bit low for a moment. Leaning against Alistair she said softly, "I met Mr. Francis Hayes today. I may not have left a very good impression on him."

Even though she was married to Alistair, she wouldn't rush to call Francis' name casually since he hadn't acknowledged her.

Hearing this, a dark glint flashed in.

Alistair's eyes. He gently stroked hair

r and reassured her, "You denet

need to worry about him.",

Audrey frowned in disapproval and said hesitantly, "But he's still your father."

She thought, 'How could a daughter-in-law possibly not care at all?'

Alistair suddenly lowered his head and kissed her with deep affection and longing.