Chapter_98
Chapter 98
Alana sat on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. “What should I do, Auntie?” she cried out, her voice cracking with desperation. “You have to save me! Otherwise, I’m finished!”
Alondra paced back and forth across the room, her mind racing. “Let me think, let me think,” she muttered to herself, trying to piece together a plan. Finally, she stopped and looked at Alana. “Why don’t we ask Adam for help?”
“Adam?” Alana’s panic deepened, her face twisting with fear. “That guy is a heartless tyrant! He’ll never help us!”
“He’s the only one who can save us,” Alondra said with quiet certainty. “Only Adam has the kind of influence to convince Oscar to support us.”
“Auntie, why are we involving Oscar in this?” Alana’s voice trembled with anxiety. “It’s already a huge mess. Why drag him into it?”
“Because only Oscar has the authority to settle this,” Alondra said firmly. “We need Adam to convince him. If we want this to work, we need to act fast.”
At the hospital, Hesperus slowly stirred from his sleep. The first thing he saw was Emmeline, sitting by his bedside with a warm smile, tucking him in gently.
“I’m feeling a lot better now, Mommy,” he said with a contented sigh. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
Emmeline’s heart swelled with relief, but there was a tightness in her chest. “It’s all thanks to Mr. Ryker,” she said softly, her voice filled with gratitude.
Hesperus frowned slightly, his small face serious. “He’s not Mr. Ryker. He’s Daddy,” he said, his voice full of certainty. “We all think he’s our daddy.”
Emmeline smiled gently, her hand brushing his hair. “But… he’s not.”
“Mommy, you can marry Mr. Ryker,” Hesperus suggested with innocent hope. “That way, he’ll really become our daddy, and Timothy will have a mommy.”
Emmeline’s heart skipped a beat. She gave a soft laugh, trying to lighten the moment. “Shh, don’t say that,” she whispered, pinching his nose lightly. “Timothy already has a mommy.”
“But Timothy told us his mommy doesn’t love him at all,” Hesperus continued earnestly, his little brow furrowed. “He thinks she’s not his real mommy.”
Emmeline’s amusement faltered. “That’s impossible! Alana is Timothy’s real mommy,” she said, shaking her head as if to dismiss the idea.
“But that’s what Timothy says,” Hesperus insisted, his lip poking out in a pout. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask him yourself.”
Emmeline was about to read a storybook to Hesperus when her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and froze. The news notification read, “Tragedy at Brookwater Maternity Hospital: Three Dead.”
Brookwater Maternity Hospital? Emmeline’s heart skipped. That was the hospital where she had given birth to the triplets.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she tapped the article. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw the names of the victims. The doctor and two nurses who had assisted her delivery were among the dead.
She felt a heavy pang of sorrow for them. They had been such kind people, and now they were gone. Who could have been so cruel? she thought, her mind racing.
Suddenly, the door to her room opened, and a voice echoed in the doorway. “How are you feeling now, my son?”
Emmeline turned to see Adrien jogging into the room, his movements hurried and disheveled as he collapsed onto the bed beside Hesperus. “I’m sorry I’m late, my son,” he said, his voice strained. “It’s not that I didn’t want to save you, but… I had an accident!”
Emmeline’s expression hardened. “That’s not how you speak to your son. You’ve been playing with fire for far too long. It’s no surprise you got burned this time,” she said sharply. “If you can’t even be responsible for yourself, how can I trust you to take care of our child?”
“Emma, I…” Adrien reached for her hands, his eyes pleading. “Please forgive me. I’ve learned my lesson. I swear it won’t happen again!”
Emmeline took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. “It won’t happen again, of course. I’ve already saved my son, and I don’t need you anymore.” She pulled her hands away from his grip.
“Emma!” Adrien’s voice cracked, desperate.
“Let go of me!” Emmeline demanded, her frustration building.
But Adrien held on, pulling her closer, his grip tightening.
Before Emmeline could react, a commanding voice rang out from the doorway. “Let her go!”
Abel’s presence filled the room as he strode forward, his eyes cold with fury. He shoved Adrien aside with one powerful motion and pulled Emmeline into his arms, holding her protectively.
Adrien, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion, whipped around. “Why are you here, Abel?” he roared, his voice a mix of anger and fear.
“I should be asking you that,” Abel replied, his tone venomous, his eyes dark with murderous intent. He glared at Adrien, his body tense with rage. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Adrien, clearly rattled, took a step back. “Abel, you know I had an accident that day!”
Abel’s expression hardened even more. “That’s what you get for messing with the wrong people at the Imperial Palace! You should count yourself lucky that you’re still alive.”
Adrien’s face paled. “I’ve changed, okay?!” he insisted, his voice shaking. “I’m not that person anymore!”
