Hope’s face and arms were scraped, and although they had been treated, her skin was so delicate and fair that the swelling and bruises were shockingly apparent.
Alia held the two children for a long ti, unwilling to move or speak, only silently shedding tears.
In her heart, she dared not contemplate what Ethan might be enduring right now.
Was he being threatened and cursed, or even beaten and abused? Or worse... already—
She couldn’t bear to think, couldn’t bear to think...
Just a re deep thought was enough to make her heart ache unbearably, and she wanted to break down into tears!
But she couldn’t.
The children were terrified; she needed to be calm now, to give them a sense of security.
With this thought, her blank mind finally steadied sowhat. She blinked, her gaze slowly focusing again as she took a breath and lowered her head to look at the two small heads in her embrace.
"Hope, Noah... it’s Mommy’s fault. Mommy shouldn’t have left you two today, should have co back earlier to be with you. Then, none of this would’ve happened, and Ethan wouldn’t have been taken by the bad person."
Noah lifted his head from his mother’s arms, his large eyes filled with guilt, and stamred, "Mommy... it’s my fault, I saw the bad man take my brother, and I couldn’t save him..."
Alia, just having regained composure, was again brought to the brink by her eldest son’s words, far too mature for his age.
Tears swirled in her eyes. She took deep breaths to control her emotions and hurriedly soothed him, "It’s not your fault, you did great! You saved your sister, you are the bravest and smartest big brother!"
After comforting her son, Alia turned to her daughter with a gentle question, "Baby, did you thank your brother? Look how much he loves you, you are the treasure of our whole family."
Alia hoped that through this ordeal they might find a blessing in disguise, allowing her daughter to change her viewpoint of her brothers, so she seized every opportunity to teach her daughter.
Hope glanced at Noah, her pink lips pouting. She wanted to say "He caused to be hurt," but, when it ca to it, she held back the words.
Hope wasn’t an unreasonable or unruly child; she just couldn’t accept that her long-awaited mother had suddenly beco soone else’s mother too. She didn’t want to share her mother’s love with anyone else.
But she was well aware that both her brothers were her family, that they loved her, and that they would protect her in tis of danger.
So, despite not voicing it, the young girl was internally moved.
Alia, seeing through her daughter’s feelings, knew that a complete change in attitude would take ti. For now, she didn’t press the issue, instead holding them tighter and comforting them, "Your brother will definitely co back. Daddy and Mommy will do everything possible to find him."
Christopher Hart walked toward the living room and saw his wife and children huddled together, their eyes red and their expressions still panicked and unsettled. His already anxious heart ached even more sharply.
Kneeling in front of the sofa, he gently touched his daughter and then looked at his son, praising him, "Noah, you did well, you saved your sister in ti."
The little boy glanced at him without a word.
Alia, noticing his approach, lifted her eyes to look at the still busy police officers and asked in a low voice, frowning, "How’s it going? Can they find Lily Garcia?"
"They’re working on the location; it should be soon."
"What about the delivery rider?"
"He’s clever, ditched his phone. We don’t know where he is right now. But we assu he will definitely et up with Ethan and Lily Garcia."
Noah, listening to his parents, suddenly thought of sothing and sat upright, "That man, I’ve seen him before."
Both parents looked at him in astonishnt, "Seen before?"
"Yeah." Noah nodded, "Before, when Ethan and I were taking Little Dunham downstairs to play, the delivery rider played with Little Dunham too."
Alia’s hairs stood on end as she urgently asked, "What did he say at the ti? Did he do anything to you guys?"
This ti Noah shook his head, "He just played with Little Dunham, and when you ca, Mommy, he left."
Upon hearing this from her child, Alia rembered as well!
"My God... we’ve indeed been targeted for a while, that person must have been waiting for the right mont."
That ant if she had co downstairs a bit later that day, the two children might have been taken away then and there.
They looked at each other, both experiencing a chill down their spines, not knowing what to say, filled with nothing but regret and frustration!
They brushed past the criminals, yet had no clue!
How great it would be if ti could rewind—
"Mr. Hart, we’ve found them!" the police suddenly exclaid. Christopher Hart instantly turned around and got to his feet.
Alia Garcia handed the children over to Sister Jones and also stood up to follow.
"The location is on North Street of Fortune Community!"
"It turned out to be Fortune Community!" Christopher was not surprised, although he was puzzled—after Jacob Garcia gave the tip last ti, he had sent people to search Fortune Community for several days, so why hadn’t they found anything?
Captain Lee explained, "Fortune Community is an area densely populated with outsiders; that urban village is ho to over a hundred thousand people. There are rental houses partitioned off on every street and alley, making it not so easy to find soone."
As Captain Lee clarified things for him, he imdiately made a call, summoning all the patrolling officers to convene on North Street of Fortune Community.
Christopher Hart looked at Alia Garcia and instructed, "You stay ho with them; I’ll go save Ethan."
"No, I want to co with you!" Alia declared resolutely.
"But... Noah and Hope also need soone to take care of them if you leave—"
"I’ll stay with Noah and Hope. You go save Ethan quickly!" At the doorway, Snow Fitch hurried over.
Alia turned her head and saw her best friend, her heart softened, and she almost burst into tears again, "Snow..."
Snow Fitch quickly entered the house, holding her hand and comforting her shoulder with equal worry and anxiety, "I was still at the dinner when I heard about it and could hardly believe it. When I checked online... Don’t worry, Ethan has the blessing of good people, nothing will happen to him. Go now, I’m here for the house."
With her best friend there, Alia no longer had any worries, and looked at the man.
Their eyes t, and with Christopher’s silent consent, they both hurried out the door with the police.
Just as they got into the car, Christopher Hart’s phone rang.
That number, he glanced at it once, and his pupils constricted sharply.
Alia, seeing his reaction, instantly understood, "Is it from her?"
"Yeah." He responded, suppressing his frantic heartbeat, and answered the call, turning on the speakerphone.
"Hello—"
"Christopher, it’s ." Lily Garcia’s voice was, as ever, affected and lodramatic, giving anyone goosebumps, "I’m sure you’ve been waiting for my call, haven’t you? You’ve never wanted to hear from as much as you do today, have you?"
Christopher Hart’s expression tensed, his turmoil subsiding sowhat, he asked calmly, "Is my son with you?"
"Oh, I do have a little boy here—is he your son?"
"What do you want? Just say it."
"What do you think I want?"
"Money? No matter how much you ask for, I can provide it, just return the child."
"Heh, hehe..." The woman laughed contemptuously and triumphantly, "What do I need money for? No matter how much money you give , I won’t have the chance to spend it!"
Lily Garcia was very self-aware, clearly understanding what awaited her given the path she had taken.
She no longer cared about the future; her only desire was for revenge, to vent her pent-up hatred!
"..."
"I want you to co to ."
"Fine, I’ll be there imdiately."
"It seems you already know where I am, so I don’t need to tell you."
Lily Garcia spoke slowly and deliberately, then let out an intentional sigh, "Then co... but only you and Alia can co up. If there’s one extra person, I’ll imdiately throw that unlucky kid off the rooftop! I an what I say!"
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