Ethan Yardley didn’t know what Quinn Gardner’s true objective was.
There was no reason for him to take the fall, so he told Nina Thorne the truth. "I didn’t know anything about it."
"But you knew he had another child, didn’t you?"
Ethan Yardley fell silent.
He did indeed know about that.
But he had assud Quinn Gardner had confessed everything to Nina Thorne before marrying her.
He never imagined that guy hadn’t said a word.
Seeing Ethan Yardley’s silence, Nina Thorne knew he was covering for Quinn Gardner.
’These two n are cut from the sa cloth.’
The thought that her child would have been wheeled into surgery if she’d arrived at the hospital just a mont later was too much for Nina Thorne. She couldn’t suppress her devastation. Clutching her son, she burst into tears again.
’How could Quinn Gardner do this to ?’
’I married him, so full of joy, bringing my child with . I thought the three of us would walk hand-in-hand through a happy, blissful life.’
’I never imagined I was just jumping into a pit of fire, one that nearly burned and my child alive.’
’Oh, Nina, Nina... you never should have co back.’
’You shouldn’t have held out any hope for that man. You never should have married into the Grant family.’
’Thank God my son is safe. If they had really taken his bone marrow, how could I ever live with myself?’
Seeing Nina crying again, Serena reached out to embrace her and the child, whispering softly in her ear to comfort her.
"Nina, please don’t cry. You’ll make your son worry. He’s looking at you."
Hearing Serena’s words, Nina Thorne fought to hold back her tears, hugging her son even tighter.
Her son, Leo Thorne, was remarkably perceptive. He raised a small hand to wipe the tears from his mother’s cheeks and comforted her in his innocent, childish voice.
"Mommy, don’t cry. We don’t need that man anymore. Let’s go find Grandpa and Grandma, and Uncle. I don’t want to see him again. He’s not my real daddy."
’A real daddy wouldn’t bully like that.’
’Grandpa and Grandma are bad guys, too. They bullied Mommy and . Just wait till I grow up, I’ll show them.’
"Okay, Mommy won’t cry. Don’t be scared, Leo. Mommy will protect you."
"Mommy, I’ll protect you too."
The little boy raised his arms and hugged his mother tightly.
Watching the mother and son clinging to one another, Serena felt a deep pang in her heart.
They said she had miscarried a child before.
’If I hadn’t lost that baby, he or she would be several months along by now... probably fully ford.’
’Even though I can’t feel that child’s presence, at this mont, I miss him for so reason.’
Soon, Ethan Yardley’s car pulled up to the gate of the Grant residence.
Serena got out of the car with Nina Thorne, intending to go inside with her, but Ethan Yardley grabbed her arm.
"Let her and her son have so space to cool down," he said. "We’re going ho."
Serena wouldn’t have it and shook his hand off.
"You knew Quinn Gardner had a daughter and you didn’t tell Nina. You and him are just the sa! I’m not speaking to you."
Seeing Nina head into the house, Serena quickly hurried after her.
Ethan was left speechless.
Standing at the Grant’s gate, watching Serena run into the courtyard, he was suffering in silence.
’I didn’t know anything about it either, okay? How can she pin the bla on ?’
Resigned, Ethan had no choice but to head ho alone.
Back at the villa, Vivian Lynch answered a call from Sylvia Schuyler.
Sensing soone was at the door, she quickly spoke into the phone.
"Miss Schuyler, rest assured, I’ll report anything that happens here. But about the paynt... could you possibly add a little more?"
Sylvia Schuyler had already been deported.
She wouldn’t be able to return anyti soon. She couldn’t believe Mrs. Miller’s daughter, the contact she had made, had the nerve to demand an exorbitant sum right now.
But what choice did she have? She had to pay up.
’Ethan Yardley was so ruthless to . If I don’t keep an eye on them, how will I ever get my revenge?’
’The next ti I go back, I’ll make sure we all go down together.’
With no other choice, Sylvia Schuyler had to add more money. "Fine, I’ll add another hundred thousand."
Vivian Lynch was satisfied. "Great," she said quickly. "Let’s stay in touch. It looks like Mr. Yardley is back. I have to go."
After hanging up, Vivian saw Mr. Yardley push the door open and walk in. She hurried over to greet him.
Noticing Miss Serena wasn’t with him, she quickly bent down to get his slippers.
She asked with feigned concern, "Mr. Yardley, you’re back. Didn’t Miss Serena co ho with you?"
Ethan Yardley didn’t respond. He changed his shoes and went straight upstairs.
Vivian watched his retreating figure, so tall and imposing in his suit, and her face was once again an open book of infatuation.
’How often does a woman get to see a man like that in her lifeti?’
’But he seems so cold to outsiders, never giving them the ti of day. He’s only especially good to Serena Yardley.’
’So does he really love her that much?’
’I rember Mom telling that Mr. Yardley is a very perceptive man who doesn’t like strangers getting too close. I should probably suppress this little crush for now.’
’First, I’ll help Miss Schuyler and get paid. Then I can figure out the rest.’
「 」
At ten o’clock that night, Ethan finished his work and went to his room, only to find Serena still wasn’t back.
He called her.
But she didn’t pick up.
He had no choice but to go next door to get her.
At the Grant residence next door.
After coaxing her son to sleep, Nina Thorne turned to Serena, who had stayed by her side the whole ti. "Serena," she said, her voice low and hoarse.
"Serena, thank you for today. If it weren’t for you, I might still not have seen Leo. I’ll have to treat you to a nice al so other day."
Serena quickly shook her head and squeezed Nina’s hand, her own eyes red-rimd.
"Nina, don’t say that. I rember how good you’ve always been to . If you’re sad, I can stay with you as long as you need."
Nina Thorne gave a desolate smile.
"I’m not sad. I’m just utterly hopeless. I have to divorce him, there’s no other way. You should go ho. I need to get so rest. I’ll have my lawyer co tomorrow to discuss it."
She hadn’t been able to rest properly this whole ti she was kept from her son.
Now that he was right here beside her, she could finally get a good night’s sleep.
Once she recovered her strength, she would slowly settle her accounts with the Grant family.
Serena could see how exhausted Nina was. She nodded. "Okay, you get so rest. Just call if you need anything."
"Okay."
Serena walked out of the Grant Villa. Standing on the steps, her eyes imdiately fell upon a familiar figure walking toward her under the courtyard’s dim, yellow light.
Pouting, she walked toward him.
But instead of greeting him, she walked right past him and headed for ho.
Ethan felt a surge of helplessness as Serena brushed past him without a word.
He turned and followed, reaching for her hand.
"Serena..."
"Don’t touch . None of you n are any good."
Serena angrily shook his hand off.
Ethan sighed. "You can’t just lump all of us together."
"Am I wrong about you?"
Serena stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, demanding, "Why did I jump into the river to kill myself? How did I lose my baby?"
Ethan was at a loss for words.
’How did we get back to this again?’
’I know I was wrong back then, but haven’t I been atoning for it?’
"Serena, please. Let’s not bring up the past."
He pressed his lips together, trying his best to soothe her.
Serena wasn’t one to throw tantrums, but Nina’s situation had just made her furious.
She took the initiative and threw herself into his arms, whispering,
"Ethan, I hope you never disappoint . Because if you do, I’ll leave you. And you’ll never be able to find ."
As she said this, Serena could never have imagined that much later, she really would disappear.
And Ethan would search for her like a man possessed, but to no avail.
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