The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

The Lawyer’s Romance in Law

Novel The Lawyer’s Romance in Law is an amazing story about a young woman Elias Winters and rich people Amanda Bailey. After being secretly married for a year, Elias Winters brought his mistress home but was confronted by his wife, Amanda Bailey, who presented him with a positive pregnancy test. Falsely accusing her of infidelity, he vowed never to see her again. Four years later, Amanda returned to the country as a successful barrister, causing Elias to cling to her and beg for reconciliation. He even went as far as kneeling in the rain, seeking her forgiveness. However, Amanda remained unmoved. It was then that their child rushed out and asked about Elias. He was shocked because he had always believed that she had aborted the child. To his surprise, the little one standing before him was a spitting image of himself!

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 265

Any Other Instructions, Miss Bailey?

Jack wanted to argue further, but Edith held him back and explained to Amanda patiently. “You’ve mistaken. Your father and I aren’t here to take your son away. We’re just here to see him. We’re worried that you don’t want to see us if we go to your place. So, we thought about taking a peek”

However, before Edith could finish her explanation, Amanda interrupted her mercilessly. “You call this ‘taking a peek? You’re already standing right in front of Aiden!”

With that, Amanda handed Aiden to Selina and said, “You two get to the car first.”

Selina nodded in acknowledgment and took Aiden to Amanda’s car.

Edith was instantly speechless, realizing that there was indeed nothing left to explain.

When they came, they genuinely just wanted to take a peek at Aiden, but when they saw how happy he was, they couldn’t help wanting to get closer to him.

“I’m sorry. It’s our fault…” Edith apologized.

Jack couldn’t help feeling upset, seeing how humble his wife was behaving toward their long-lost daughter. They were her elders, her parents; why should they act so subservient?!

“We’re your parents, not your enemies. Must you treat us like this?” Jack reprimanded.

Amanda sniggered, her laughter filled with mockery. “My parents? The last time we saw each other was over twenty years ago. And might I remind you, Mr. Allegra, of the way you treated me on our first meeting. Was it any different from treating an enemy?”

She still remembered it like it was just yesterday, Jack had asked her to prepare a prenuptial agreement for Stephanie. It was evident he knew she was Elias’ ex-wife and wanted to humiliate her.

Jack fell silent. He’d be lying if he said it was unintentional. That said, he didn’t know she was his dear Amelia at the time.

Edith, on the other hand, was confused, completely oblivious to the past incident. “What does Amelia. mean? Have you already met her before this? Did you give her a hard time?”

“Well, I didn’t know she was Amelia at the time!” Jack argued impatiently.

At that, Amanda sneered mercilessly. “So, are you saying you can disparage me just because I’m not your daughter? Do you think it’s right to humiliate someone else’s daughter on the basis of your daughter’s happiness? Well, I don’t really want to acknowledge parents like you. Besides, I don’t lack maternal or paternal love.”

With that, she turned to leave, but Edith grabbed her arm before she could walk away. “Amanda! I know we’ve wronged you. It was our fault that we lost you back then. But you can’t say such hurtful things. It really saddens your father and me.”

However, Amanda shook Edith’s hand off while looking at her pitiful gaze. “You still have Stephanie, don’t you? She grew up by your side.”

“You’re both my daughter, not one less, Amelia-no, Amanda! Please give Mom and Dad a chance to make amends!” Edith choked up, her face full of grievances.

“Stop it! Do you know how embarrassing you look right now?!” Jack pulled his wife back at once.

“Well, you sure can see the bigger picture, Mr. Allegra, mocked Amanda, her words filled with sarcasm. But Jack didn’t argue with her and instead asked bluntly, “Why did you and Elias divorce back then, and why did you raise your son alone? Was it because he didn’t want to take responsibility?”

That said, it was clear to Jack that Elias didn’t shirk any fatherly responsibilities, at least not that he could tell. In fact, he was a very responsible father.

“That’s between us and us only. You, on the other hand, shouldn’t you be worried about the major ongoing trouble in Winters Enterprise since you’re one of the major shareholders?”

She was genuinely curious as to what Jack had in store. After all, he wouldn’t benefit from Winters Enterprise’s collapse. He was relying on Winters Enterprise to make money, was he not?

At that, Jack snorted contemptuously. “How can I expect Elias to support the entire Winters Family business in the future if he can’t even handle such a small issue?”

“So, you’re not planning to help him regain his shares either?”

“I will, but he has to suffer a little, Harrogant, looking down on everyone. He will stumble big time in the future if he doesn’t experience some setbacks.”

It then dawned on Jack that Elias would be his son-in-law eventually, just that this time, he was a former son-in-law. It seemed that he and Elias were destined to be in-laws. No wonder he felt a special closeness to Elias before and insisted that he be his son-in-law.

By evening, the online voices had temporarily shifted in Winter Enterprise’s favor. The Knox couple didn’t remain idle either. They began seeking lawyers to negotiate with Winters Enterprise, striving for the maximum benefit.

Right then, Elias was talking to Amanda on the phone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his office.

The industry is now waiting to take on this case. After all, it can bring fame and increase the law firm’s reputation. I bet many law firms are lining up to talk to the old couple,” said Amanda on the other end of the line.

“I know,” Elias replied, pinching his brow.

“Don’t release the surveillance footage online unless absolutely necessary. Releasing them too early will backfire, and people will accuse you of being heartless and evading responsibility.”

Elias smiled in response. “Got it, Miss Bailey. Any other instructions?”

It was a very normal sentence, yet it carried a different kind of romantic ambiguity coming from him.

Amanda was taken aback for a moment before responding. That’s it. I’m going to sleep. I’ll let you know tomorrow if I remember anything

“Alright, good night. The man’s tone remained gentle and indulgent.

Amanda didn’t respond but hung up the phone directly.

At that, a playful smile appeared at the corners of Elias lips as he looked out at the bustling streets filled with shimmering neon lights.

Just then, a knock came at the door, and he instantly tucked his smile away, returning to his usual aloof self. “Come in.”

The door was pushed open, revealing Jack. Elias’ frown deepened at that. Why has he come looking for me at this hour?

“Do you need something from me, Mr. Allegra? Have a seat,” he said, gesturing toward the couch. Jack obliged, sitting down but remaining silent.

Elias didn’t rush him either and simply sat there with him. He even asked his secretary to brew them some tea.

However, Jack remained silent even after the secretary placed the tea before them and left, closing the door behind.

Elias smirked, but he continued to wait patiently. In the meantime, he fiddled with his phone, looking through Aiden’s pictures, which he had taken during their trip to Universal Studios. The little guy had a blast that time.

“What are you looking at?” Jack suddenly asked.

“Aiden’s pictures,” Elias replied, handing Jack his phone.

Jack took a second to register Elias’ words, and he took the phone from the latter. Seeing the innocent and cheerful little boy in the pictures, he couldn’t help smiling too. This was his eldest daughter, Amelia’s boy My dear grandson…

In an instant, he felt a myriad of emotions. Amelia was still just a child when she was lost, and now, her child could even already greet him as ‘Grandpa.’

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 266 Is Reconciliation Impossible for You Two?

Jack looked up at Elias and asked, “Will you give me a call the next time you take the little guy out? Edith and I will join you.”

They usually had no chance to be alone with Aiden, plus Amanda wouldn’t agree to it either.

It suddenly felt quite sad. So what if his career was successful?! The daughter he lost twenty years ago now looked at him like a stranger.

It was because he and his wife were too busy with work that they accidentally lost their eldest daughter. Fortunately, they found her eventually, or they would regret it for the rest of their lives.

Late at night, in his dreams, he would often dream of Amelia being mercilessly harmed, unable to even find her body. So, he found the DNA test surreal when he first saw it, unable to believe that their daughter had returned.

Elias nodded. “I’ll take Aiden out to play every weekend, and the weekend is coming again in two days. I’ll let you know then.”

Jack hummed a response, then reluctantly returned Elias his phone before saying, “I have a question for you.”

What is it?” Though he already had a rough idea of what it could be.

“Why did you and Amanda divorce, and why did you let her raise Aiden alone? Do you know how tough it is for a woman to raise a child on her own?” Jack questioned Elias entirely from a father’s perspective.

Elias remained calm and spoke up slowly. “I did some messed up things back in the day, and I had selfish reasons for divorcing her. But regarding Aiden, I didn’t know she was pregnant with him at the time, let alone the fact that she was raising him alone. That’s why I’m making amends as much as I can.”

For a moment, it seemed that they were in a similar situation; both fathers had been missing from their children’s lives and now were trying to make up for lost years as much as possible.

However, unlike Jack, Elias could still make amends since Aiden was only three. Amanda, on the other hand, was already 26.

Jack didn’t want to inquire about the past anymore, for it was meaningless at this point.

“I have a proposition for you. Help me mend my relationship with Amanda, and I’ll help you regain your grandfather’s shares.”

Elias’ raven-black eyes flickered slightly, and a chuckle escaped him. “Sounds reasonable, but after thinking about it, how can I help you when even I haven’t mended my relationship with her?”

He had been trying so hard for such a long time, but Amanda wouldn’t give him any chances to turn things around, let alone Jack, whom she hadn’t seen in the last twenty years.

“You’re already in a much better position,” said Jack. “You can at least see her and your child openly while Edith and I have to sneak around but are still unable to see Aiden. Not only that, we even have to bear Amanda’s hostile gaze. We didn’t mean to lose her either. It’s not like we wanted to go twenty years without seeing her!”

Now that Elias looked at it, he seemed to really have the better end of the stick. At least he could still see Aiden and meet with Amanda.

“I’ll try my best.” He didn’t have much confidence either, for Amanda was no longer the young woman she was four years ago. Now, she had her own opinions.

“I’ll wait for your good news. It’s best if you can have her bring the little one over for a meal. I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

With that, Jack got up to leave, but he had taken only a couple of steps before turning his head around. “Is it really impossible for you and Amanda to reconcile? The boy’s already three, and he shouldn’t be without a father.”

Elias fell silent, and Jack said nothing more and left.

After Jack left, the office was empty, with only Elias alone, and it felt hollow in every corner.

The following day, Amanda arrived early at Winters Enterprise, for the Knox couple and their lawyer had arrived. It seemed that they were prepared to strike big.

When she arrived at the meeting room, Elias was already seated in the observer’s seat, seemingly not intending to participate in the negotiations.

“You’re finally here, Miss Bailey. This way.” The head of the Legal Department gestured toward her.

At that, she sat at the conference table with her briefcase in hand, facing the Knox couple and their lawyer.

“Let’s get straight to it. How do you want to be compensated? Let’s hear it out,” Amanda said while looking. at the case files.

The opposing lawyer wasted no time and directly presented a series of compensation demands. “This is the list of compensation we require, totaling 15 million.”

15 million? These two sure are ruthless, asking for such a large sum.

Amanda was taken aback by the list but remained impassive on the surface. Suddenly she sniggered. “Why is a house also listed here? And we’re also responsible for Mr. and Mrs. Knox’s retirement after Natasha’s death?!”

“Naturally Natasha is Mr. and Mrs. Knox’s only daughter. Now that she’s gone, and they have no one else to rely on, the responsibility should fall on Winters Enterprise, debated the opposing lawyer.

Amanda tossed the list onto the conference table and leaned back. “But even when Natasha was alive, they didn’t have a place to live. Moreover, considering Natasha’s salary, even if they starve for thirty years, they couldn’t afford the property you’re targeting in this prime location worth 700 thousand. Isn’t this going too far?”

She suspected that the elderly couple had been deceived by their lawyer. It was normal that they would want compensation, but their exorbitant demands made it feel like they were feeding off their own daughter even after her death.

Upon hearing Amanda’s words, Natasha’s father became agitated again. “You, you’re a very annoying girl. You’re the one causing trouble every time. If it isn’t that you’re the lawyer of this company, I’d really want to give you a slap. What kind of heartless child did your parents raise? Shouldn’t children take care of their” parents in their old age? Now that my daughter is gone, who will take care of me in my old age? You? Why shouldn’t we ask for money?”

“Please, calm down, sir,” Amanda said with a smile. “I didn’t say you can’t ask for compensation, did I? But you can’t ask for everything from us. Should we also find you a young and beautiful companion while we’re at it?”

This time, it was Natasha’s mother’s turn to be upset. “Watch your mouth!” she berated. “Get another lawyer to negotiate with us! You’re a fake!”

“Oh, but I’m more genuine than your lawyer,” Amanda sneered. “I don’t know what he’s told you either way, the amount is impossible. It’ll be the same even in court. Besides, you two caused a major scene in the company before Natasha ended her life. I strongly suspect that it was because of you two that she chose to do the extreme.”

“What?! You’re bullshitting! That’s our daughter! Could we force her to death?!” Natasha’s father flipped out again, even slamming the table repeatedly as if he wanted to smash it.

Meanwhile, Elias remained seated in the observer’s seat without expressing any opinions, just silently watching Amanda.

It was his first time watching her do her job with such seriousness. She had truly grown a lot.

But just when Natasha’s mother was about to hit Amanda, Elias stood up and pulled Amanda behind him. He gripped the elderly woman’s hand firmly, warning. Are you guys resorting to violence? Did you used to hit your daughter like this?!”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 267 You Like the Little Me?

“What are you going on about?! I never hit my daughter! I never did! Shouldn’t you be held accountable. when my daughter died in your company?! Instead, you bring in a lawyer to bully us! You people are unbelievable!”

Intimidated by Elias’ imposing stature, Natasha’s mother began behaving unreasonably. After all, they were elderly; no one would dare to do anything to them.

At that, Elias released the elderly woman’s hand and demanded sternly, “Do you really think no one saw or heard what you two did here?”

The Knox couple was indeed quite naive. They probably thought public opinion would continue to lean in their favor. Immediately, Natasha’s father shielded his wife behind him. “What are you saying?! What have we done? We are only a helpless couple seeking justice. Why is it so hard?!”

“No need to trouble yourself with this matter, Mr. Winters. I’ll handle it,” said Amanda, fearing Elias might mention the surveillance footage and give the opposing lawyer a new line of thinking.

Complying with her request, Elias returned to his seat. “Get physical again, and I will have you throen out. You won’t receive a single penny either. We will bring this to court.”

This time, not only the Knox couple but even their lawyer somewhat panicked, for Winters Enterprise had a formidable team of lawyers who might not necessarily lose even if the case went to court.

At that, the opposing lawyer pulled the Knox couple aside for a hushed discussion. “Mr. and Mrs. Knox, it’s best we don’t go too far, or you really might not get a single penny in the end. After all, some evidence currently available is highly unfavorable to our side.”

Natasha’s parents exchanged a glance and finally realized the severity of the situation. All they wanted was monetary compensation and not to bring the issue to court. After all, the case would take a long time to resolve if it was presented to the court, and it would be ages before they receive any compensation.

Amanda crossed her arms and squinted her eyes slightly as she watched the Knox couple and their lawyer whisper to each other. They had been discussing for almost half an hour, and she didn’t know what they were saying.

At that, she checked the time on her wristwatch. Seeing it was approaching noon, she couldn’t help but turn to the opposing lawyer. “Mr. Waltham, how about you and your clients go back and discuss it among yourselves before coming back to negotiate? It’s almost noon, and I have things to attend to this afternoon.”

“Um… I think we can consider reducing the amount in question. After all, the deceased should be given due respect, and we don’t want to see Natasha Knox leave in such a disgraceful manner and have the matter go to court, the opposing lawyer said.

Amanda smirked in response. She knew it would come to this. The elderly couple was simply feasting on their daughter’s tragic fate while portraying themselves as pitiful.

After spending the morning negotiating, the elderly couple still insisted on an exorbitant amount, reducing it from 15 million to 12 million-still an astronomical amount. As a result, Winters Enterprise decided to leave it to the court.

Upon having lunch in the company cafeteria, Amanda prepared to attend to her own law firm matters. As she wiped the corners of her mouth, she couldn’t help but chuckle, catching Elias’ attention.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“I feel quite dedicated these days, clocking in to work on time.”

Elias chuckled as well, then remembered Jack’s request. With that, he asked, “Do you have time this weekend? Are you willing to join the Allegras for a meal at their place and bring along Aiden as well?”

Originally, he wanted to persuade her more tactfully, but he realized it wouldn’t be appropriate. It was better to be straightforward and let her decide for herself. The smile on Amanda’s face vanished instantly. She fell silent for a while before asking, “Did Jack ask you to be the mediator?”

“Sort of, but I only intend to be a messenger. He didn’t want to be involved in this matter, especially considering Amanda’s aversion to it.

A chuckle escaped Amanda as she lowered her head. She had been avoiding that matter lately, not wanting to bring it up or hear anyone mention it. But she would have to face it eventually. The truth was that she was indeed Jack’s biological daughter, proven by a DNA test.

Seeing that she remained silent, Elias spoke up. “If you don’t want to recognize them as your parents, so be it. Either way, you now know Dick Leans isn’t your father. That’s all that matters, and you don’t need to feel ashamed or guilty about anything Leans did. It has nothing to do with you.” He knew Amanda had always felt inferior because of her gambling-addict father. Now, she could finally stand tall.

Amanda let out a deep sigh. “But Mrs. Allegra seems pitiful. They didn’t want to lose their daughter either. These past few days, I sometimes wonder, would we have still inexplicably gotten married if I hadn’t been lost back then? Would we have a child as adorable as Aiden? It seems like everything is destined.”

Elias’ eyes flickered slightly, and he chuckled. “Of course not, but I might have known you twenty years earlier.”

Amanda looked up and met the man’s sober gaze, her expression slightly puzzled

Elias smiled and said, “Jack joined Winters Enterprise a year after they lost you. He brought his entire family to the annual dinner. If you hadn’t been lost, we might have already known each other at that time.”

For a moment, Amanda’s heart fluttered. If she hadn’t been lost, she and Elias would’ve been childhood sweethearts, wouldn’t they? But very quickly, she found the thought laughable. Even if they had known each other that early, Elias might not have liked her.

“You’re wondering if there would have been a spark between us if we had met that early, aren’t you?”

I swear this man can really read minds, Amanda mused with panicked eyes and quickly evaded her gaze. “No.”

He laughed, his hands in his pockets as he looked ahead at the greenery. “It’s possible.”

“You didn’t like me four years ago. What makes you think you’ll like the little me from twenty years ago?” Amanda scoffed, showing her disdain. I’m definitely not buying it.

However, Elias stared at her side profile, incredibly serious and affectionate. “In that photo I saw, the little you was quite charming. At least you looked more attractive than Stephanie.”

In the photo, although Amanda and Stephanie stood together, they had very different looks.

“Are you saying you like the little me?” Amanda had almost forgotten what she looked like as a child. She hadn’t taken many pictures, as her gambling-addict father, Dick, couldn’t even provide enough food, let alone nice clothes.

Elias nodded in affirmation. “I do. You had a lively and spirited appearance.”

Amanda had also seen Elias’ childhood photos back at the Winterses’ place. He was an aloof kid, exuding a handsome aura at such a young age. However, his expression was always sour, making him appear unapproachable and difficult to deal with.

At that, she couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

Elias frowned. “What are you laughing about now?”

“I remembered your childhood photo. You looked very unapproachable.”

“Is that so?” Elias smiled. “Do you like it?”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 268 Dining at the Allegra Villa

“No, I don’t.” Although Amanda raised her voice on purpose just to oppose Elias, he didn’t say more as he decided to see her off.

When they arrived at the basement car park, Amanda suddenly spoke up. “Let’s have a meal at the Allegra Villa this weekend. You have to come with me; I don’t really know Jack, and Aiden may not like it either. You have to be around to maintain order.”

The man was stunned for a moment. ‘He didn’t think that Amanda would agree so quickly. He initially thought that Amanda would reject him. “All right, I’ll pick you guys up when the time comes.”

“Okay.” Amanda opened the car door and got into the driver’s seat. She started the car and slowly drove away.

The man stood where he was, watching the taillights of the car gradually disappear into the distance. He let out a deep sigh. Amanda probably didn’t want this, but she compromised. He didn’t know what Amanda was compromising for, either.

Soon, it was the weekend.

In the evening. Aiden kept asking for food, but Elias still hadn’t shown up.

“Come on, stop shouting. When Daddy comes, I’ll take you to get nice food, all right?”

“But when is Daddy coming? Why isn’t he here yet? I’m so hungry.” Aiden put a piteous look on his face. He was almost losing it.

Amanda comforted her son. “I just called to ask, and he said there was a slight traffic jam on his way here. He’ll be here soon, so please hang in there. Here’s a cookie to snack on.”

Ding-dong-

The doorbell finally rang. Aiden tossed the cookie in his hand and dashed over to open the door.

Amanda shook her head in exasperation, then said to Selina, “We won’t be having dinner at home tonight, so remember to eat on time. We might come home late, so you don’t have to wait for us.”

Selina smiled as she nodded. “All right, got it.”

“Daddy!” Aiden excitedly leaped into the man’s arms. Elias picked his son up and looked at Amanda. “Are you ready? Let’s go.”

Amanda took her purse and went out the door.

After that, they got into the car. Amanda sat on the passenger seat, gazing at the profile of the man next to her, who was focused on driving. She asked. “Have you told Jack about it? He knows we’re visiting, right?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you two. It’s just a meal.” Elias sensed how nervous Amanda was.

“I’m not worried…”

“Mm-hmm.” The man’s lips curved into a smile.

The car slowly drove into the garden of the Allegra Villa. Aiden peered at the scenery outside as he leaned against the back of the man’s seat. “Daddy, where is this place? I’m so hungry, I want to eat.”

“Come on. We’re going to eat.”

After entering the villa of the Allegra Family, Amanda was seriously nervous. Is this supposed to be my home?

If I weren’t abandoned 20 years ago, would I have grown up in this place?

Amanda undid her seatbelt as she looked around at her surroundings with an unfamiliar yet curious gaze.

Just then, the butler came over and led them to the dining hall for dinner. The Allegras were already waiting in place. Amanda took Aiden’s hand as she passed through the garden, headed for the Allegra Villa.

Meanwhile, in the dining hall, the Allegras sat at the dining table, all lined up. The table was filled with sumptuous delicacies, and everyone was waiting for Amanda’s arrival with her child.

Mrs. Allegra, Edith, was a little anxious. “Why are they not here yet? Did they change their minds at the last minute?”

She was elated when Elias called and said that Amanda agreed to have a meal here. But now, Amanda still hadn’t shown up, so she was both anxious and nervous.

Jack frowned. “What are you saying? Amelia is an adult now, how can she not keep her promises? Also, we just called to confirm, right? They encountered a slight traffic jam, that’s all. You just had to choose to have dinner, and it’s the rush hour too.”

“I just thought it would be more relaxed at night. We could have some tea after the meal, too…” Edith was extremely nervous, for she feared that Amanda wouldn’t come.

Seated at the side, Stephanie had mixed feelings about this. Her emotions were quite a challenge to describe.

Just then, the butler came over. “Mr. Allegra, Miss Bailey and Mr. Winters are here.”

As soon as the butler said that, Jack and Edith beamed as they hastily raised their heads to look. Their eyes were filled with anticipation.

Amanda led Aiden into the dining hall. When Aiden caught sight of Stephanie, he couldn’t help but point at her as he shouted, “Ah! The nasty ugly woman! Mommy, I don’t want to be here. I want to go home.”

Aiden reached his arms out to be picked up. Amanda carried him in her arms as she said patiently, “Aiden, you cannot say that. That’s not right, understand?”

Stephanie suppressed the rage in her heart as her mother comforted her, “Forget it, he’s just a child. Don’t hold it against him.”

Jack was still glad that Amanda could make it. At least she was here now, and she came with her child. They would take it one step at a time. Things would get better.

“Have a seat. You must be hungry. There are still some dishes in the kitchen, and I told them to serve those dishes only after you’ve arrived. With that, Jack looked at the butler at the side. “Get the kitchen staff to serve the food.”

“Understood.” The butler turned around and left the dining hall.

Amanda placed Aiden on a dining chair, coaxing him, “You’re hungry, right? Look, there’s so much delicious food here. If there’s anything you’d like to eat, ask Daddy to get some for you.”

She sat down next to Aiden while Elias sat on the other side of the child. Aiden was sandwiched between his parents so that he wouldn’t feel unfamiliar or scared.

Edith adored Aiden very much. He was her biological grandson, after all. She said in a coaxing manner, “Aiden, what would you like to eat? Let me take some for you. The food is all prepared for you. Or would you like to have something else? Whatever it is, I’ll get the chef in the kitchen to make it for you, all right?”

Aiden picked up his spoon and said, “I can do it myself

Aiden was truly hungry, for he had been complaining about his hunger ever since he was at home. Now that a whole feast was laid out on the table before him, he couldn’t help but gulp.

Amanda said calmly, “He can eat by himself, so you don’t have to feed him. He might dirty the table, though.”

“It’s okay, children are all like that.” Jack looked at the stubborn child and couldn’t help but put on a smile.

He had always been looking forward to seeing his daughter get married and have children so that he could have grandchildren to pamper. Now, he not only found his eldest daughter, but he was also able to hold his very own grandson.

Edith looked awkwardly at Amanda. “Amelia-I mean. Amanda, you should eat too. You must be hungry as well.”

Edith was very careful about Amanda’s emotions, fearing that if Amanda was upset, she might leave without warning.

Amanda nodded, and then began to eat slowly. However, someone was staring at her so intently that she felt uneasy.

She looked up to see Old Mrs. Allegra, Cassandra, staring at her with tears in the latter’s eyes. Cassandra wiped her tears from time to time.

“Grandma, you- Amanda suddenly didn’t know what to say.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 269 Jealousy

Cassandra smiled as she wiped her tears. “Please excuse me. I was just too overwhelmed. I haven’t seen you in so many years, and it’s a surprise to see Amelia all grown up. You’ve become so beautiful.”

“Mom, what are you doing? She’s back already, so there’s no need to cry.” Jack frowned.

Cassandra said smilingly, “Yes, she’s back now, so why am I crying? Old people tend to cry easily, so please excuse me.

Elias didn’t say a word throughout the process. He just silently took care of Aiden and kept putting food on the latter’s plate.

Aiden was quite obedient, too. His small mouth was constantly chewing, and he stopped making any fusses.

Another person at the dining table was also quiet throughout the meal: Stephanie. However, when Stephanie saw the harmonious scene, she felt upset.

In the past, everyone’s attention would be drawn to her and her only. She was pampered by everyone in the house. Now that her sister was back, her family seemed to have forgotten about her. She was ignored as if she had turned into air.

“Mom, can you not be so biased? I want to eat fish too!” Stephanie couldn’t stand it any longer. Edith had placed a lot of food on Amanda’s plate, and her gaze seemed to be glued to Amanda.

Edith, however, was a little annoyed. “Stop being so childish. Your sister has just come back, and I haven’t seen her in so many years. Are you going to get jealous just because I put food on her plate?”

Stephanie couldn’t believe that Edith, who usually pampered her the most, could say something like that. The others seemed to find it reasonable as well.

Stephanie couldn’t stand it anymore. She put down her utensils and turned around to leave the dining hall.

Cassandra called out, “Stephanie, sit down. I’ll get some food for you.”

Unexpectedly, Jack said, “Mom, ignore her. She’s just throwing a tantrum.”

Amanda and Elias exchanged glances. They knew it wouldn’t be appropriate for them to say anything, so they could only lower their heads and eat.

Stephanie heard their conversation from her position outside the dining room. Amanda hadn’t officially returned yet, but Stephanie was already losing favor.

Stephanie sobbed as she went to the garden, her heart filled with injustice. Would she be ignored like this forever?

Just then, a maid walked over to her. “What’s the matter, Miss Steph?”

“It’s none of your business!” Stephanie hastily wiped her tears, not wishing her unsightly appearance to be witnessed by servants. She would always be the proud young lady of the Allegra Family.

The maid said, “Well… Crispin is here, and he’s looking for you.”

Crispin? Stephanie almost forgot about that man. The engagement banquet was canceled, so of course,

Elias had let Crispin off the hook.

Amanda’s real identity was exposed as well, so her family couldn’t be bothered about Stephanie. In other words, Stephanie could be together with Crispin just like she wished, but why wasn’t she happy about it?

They were both daughters of the Allegra Family, but why did Amanda, who was abandoned for 20 years, manage to find the excellent and rich Elias, whereas Stephanie found the impoverished Crispin, with whom she was even obsessed?

Stephanie was beginning to suspect that there was something wrong with her head. She was brought up in a wealthy family, so why did she have poorer taste than Amanda, who grew up in poverty?

Could it be that she truly was too far behind Amanda? But why could Amanda get Elias, but she got Crispin instead?

Comparison truly did hurt. With Amanda as a contrast, Stephanie now felt that the man she fell for was completely useless, and there was nothing to like about him.

“Miss Steph, are you meeting him or not?” The maid couldn’t help but ask again. After all, they could barely hold Crispin off at the gate.

Stephanie frowned. “No! Tell him I’m not in the mood

She had just finished speaking when Crispin’s voice sounded behind her. “Steph! Why don’t you want to see me? You know how much I miss you!”

“Hey, how did you get in here? That’s not allowed. The maid went up to stop Crispin, but he shoved the maid aside.

When Stephanie saw Crispin’s insistent behavior, she found it annoying. She wondered how she managed to be so infatuated with him in the past.

Perhaps the things she couldn’t get were always the best ones.

“Fine, just leave for now,” Stephanie said to the maid.

The maid nodded and left.

Only Stephanie and Crispin remained in the garden. Crispin looked around at the luxurious villa of the Allegra Family, his heart itching.

He had gone against all odds and stopped the engagement banquet, but why was Stephanie so indifferent. about him? What happened? Did she have a change of heart?

“Steph, what’s wrong? Did you change your mind? Why didn’t you want to see me?”

Stephanie’s gaze was avoidant. She didn’t know what to say as she stuttered, “Nothing, I was just down in the dumps these days.”

“Why? Tell me, maybe I can help you.”

“I told you I had a sister who was lost for 20 years. You remember, right? Now, she’s back, and everyone is focusing on her. I feel abandoned.” Stephanie sighed as she tossed a green leaf away.

When Crispin heard that, his expression subconsciously shifted. The daughter who has gone missing for 20 years is back now? That meant he wouldn’t be the only son-in-law, so even if he married Stephanie in the future, he wouldn’t be able to inherit all the property of the Allegra Family.

Why did she come back at this time? How annoying. Crispin was already cursing in his heart, but he had to put on a calm expression as he said, “That’s a good thing, right? You should be happy about it. I remember back when you told me how much you looked forward to your sister’s return.”

“I said that, but now that she’s back for real, I feel weird… The love that fully belonged to me is now split in half to be given to my sister.”

“Steph, don’t think that. Your sister was missing for 20 years, and you’ve also enjoyed the love all to yourself for 20 years, right?” Now, Crispin’s head was filled with questions of whether this newly returned sister intended to inherit the family property.

Stephanie didn’t say anything. She just sighed.

He asked tactfully, “Your sister must be 26 years old now. Is she married? Does she have children now?”

Those were all tools to get more family property. He had to know about these things.

She replied, “She not only got married, she got divorced too. Her son is 3 years old already.”

“What? Does that mean she might just stay in the Allegra Family forever?”

Shock colored Crispin’s face. Two more competitors had shown up in the race for the family property: One of them was even a kid! If Jack was overjoyed, he might give all his property to his grandson instead.

Under these circumstances, Crispin knew he had to marry Stephanie as soon as possible. Then, they had to have a child so that they could keep things under control.

“Of course. My parents wished that they could take her and her son home and pamper them every day.” Stephanie’s voice was filled with jealousy.

Crispin suddenly said, “Steph, let’s get married.”

“Huh?” Stephanie had completely returned to her senses now, and she looked at the man in front of her in disbelief.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 270 Eased Relationship

Stephanie couldn’t believe what she was hearing for a moment. They were just chatting, so why did the topic of marriage come up all of a sudden?

She did want to get married to Crispin in the past, but now… She wasn’t quite willing to go through with it.

“I said, let’s get married. Now, Elias has fulfilled his promise, the engagement banquet was canceled, and your sister is back. Everyone’s attention is elsewhere right now, so it’s the perfect chance to get a marriage certificate in secret.”

Crispin couldn’t wait any longer. If this went on, everything he was working for would be gone.

“But… That’s not appropriate, is it? My dad would be mad if he knew, and…” At the moment, she wasn’t raring to get married anymore. More specifically, she was no longer so enthusiastic about marrying Crispin.

“And what? Steph, do you not want to be with me anymore?”

That… That’s not true! I just-Things are a mess at home, so I truly have no time to think about such personal matters at the moment.” She was reluctant to admit that she had a change of heart, but that seemed to be the case..

Just then, footsteps sounded nearby. Someone seemed to have come to the garden for a walk.

Stephanie panicked. “You have to leave, Crispin. My dad and the others are here. Go, go! My dad will get mad if he sees you again.”

“Steph, I-”

“We’ll talk over the phone. Just go now, please, Crispin!” Stephanie pleaded as she instinctively turned back to look. They truly were walking toward her.

In the past, she would pit absolutely everything against her father and be with Crispin. Yet, she was scared now. She feared that her father would be furious and truly ignore her forever.

Crispin also wanted to leave a good impression on Jack, since he would be the latter’s son-in-law in the future. So, he could only retreat for now as he quietly turned around and left..

“This is our garden. You especially loved the camellia when you were young, so your mother refused to move the tree. She kept it intact for the day of your return,” Jack said.

Amanda looked at the beautiful scenery before her, unable to remember anything. She couldn’t quite remember the memories she had before she was five.

Just then, Edith spotted Stephanie, who was standing there. Then, she spoke up of her own accord, “Steph, why are you here alone? Are you still mad? Your sister has just returned, and I was just too happy about it. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

She had given birth to both of them, so how could she love one more than the other? Edith walked up to Stephanie and patted the latter on the shoulder.

Stephanie’s eyes were red as she said stubbornly, “I know.”

“Mommy, why did she cry? Even her eyes are red.” Aiden stared at Stephanie for a while, then looked up and asked Amanda.

Amanda was slightly stunned as she said. “I wonder why.”

Stephanie snorted in her heart. At least this little kid had some conscience and recognized that she had been crying.

While everyone was amazed at the child’s compassion, Aiden suddenly said, “She’s probably crying because of her ugliness.”

As soon as he said that, everyone froze on the spot.

Meanwhile, a smile crept onto Elias’ lips. Just why did the kid harbor such strong enmity toward Stephanie?

“Watch your mouth, kid! Whom did you say was crying at their ugliness? You! That’s who!” Stephanie felt like she was about to explode from anger. Did Heaven send this little kid here just to make her miserable? “Why are you so childish? We shouldn’t have spoiled you,” Jack reprimanded his daughter.

Stephanie felt even more aggrieved. Her tone was laced with injustice as she said, “What do you mean, ‘childish? Are children allowed to say that other people are ugly? Why don’t you lecture your grandson for being rude instead?”

Amanda coughed lightly as she stepped in. “Aiden is at fault here. He shouldn’t say such things about _people.”

She lowered her head and glared at Aiden, but the latter only stuck out his tongue mischievously. There wasn’t even an ounce of fear in his eyes.

Elias caressed his son’s head as he said patiently, “Aiden, you can’t say things like that. You might hurt them, understand?”

“Hmph, that’s her fault for tying to take my daddy away. Nasty woman! Everyone who tries to snatch Daddy from Mommy is nasty!” Aiden put on a spoiled expression, refusing to admit that he was wrong.

Nonetheless, everyone fell silent when they heard that. They finally understood why Aiden hated Stephanie so terribly now.

Stephanie had no words to say, either. She probably left a bad impression on the child when she caused a huge ruckus in kindergarten.

Amanda lifted her wrist and checked the time on her watch, then swiftly changed the topic, saying, “It’s getting late, so we should go home now. Aiden has to go to kindergarten tomorrow.”

Jack wished that he could convince her to stay the night when he saw that Amanda was about to leave with Aiden. Unfortunately, he didn’t dare to push his luck in case it ruined the beautiful moment.

Edith was equally reluctant to part with her long-lost daughter. “It’s already so late, so why don’t you stay for the night? We have a lot of empty rooms here, anyway.”

This was the first time after a long time she had gotten so close to Amanda. So, she sincerely didn’t want Amanda to leave so soon.

Alas, Amanda smiled and declined. “I’m sorry, but I’ll be busy tomorrow as well. Maybe next time. Aiden is a little fussy when it comes to his bedtime.”

With that, she glanced at Elias, deciding to toss the problem to him..

Elias quickly understood as he explained, “We’ll have all the time in the world. I’ll take Aiden to the amusement park tomorrow, so, Mr. and Mrs. Allegra, let’s accompany Aiden tomorrow.”

He was creating a chance for Jack and Edith, and the two were more than willing to do it. Regardless, they didn’t dare to pounce right at the chance as they looked at Amanda beseechingly, fearing that the latter would decline.

Nonetheless, Amanda didn’t say anything. It seemed that she had given her silent approval.

Edith looked at Amanda carefully. “Amanda, may we? May we spend some time with the child tomorrow?”

“If you have time, I don’t see why not.”

When Jack and Edith heard that, they exchanged glances and smiled. They could finally have some intimate interactions with the grandson they longed for.

Hence, Elias and Amanda left with Aiden.

The Allegras stood at the entrance, watching the car drive off into the distance before turning back to their home.

Edith was excited. I’ll ask the kitchen to make preparations. We’ll make some snacks and food for the child for tomorrow. It’s going to be tiring for him if he spends the entire day playing in the amusement park, after all. We have to bring some juice too.”

“You weren’t this enthusiastic when you were raising your children.” Jack was in a great mood, but he didn’t expect his comment to accidentally hurt his wife.

Edith fell silent for a moment before saying, “That’s precisely how Amelia went missing. We’ll keep our eyes on the child tomorrow at all times. We won’t make the same mistake twice.”

“What are you saying? We’ll take bodyguards with us tomorrow, okay? We can’t possibly lose Aiden like this.”

Stephanie walked behind them, watching her parents bicker, leaving her all alone. Her heart was filled with resentment and jealousy. Had she been replaced so easily?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 271 Reluctance

Amanda recalled the dinner during the ride home, she felt that the atmosphere was quite peaceful. It had been a while since she enjoyed that feeling; it was very comfortable.

Meanwhile, Aiden sat in the back of the car, nodding off. He no longer had the energy to bounce around.

Elias glanced at the reflection of his sleeping son in the rearview mirror, then at Amanda, who was in the passenger seat. He asked in a low voice, “How are you feeling tonight? Are you happy?

“Not bad.” She nodded, a faint smile gracing her lips.

The man smiled as well. He could sense that Amanda quite liked this home, and the father’s love she lacked was slowly being made up for.

All those years, because of her gambler of a father, she felt so ashamed that she couldn’t even hold her head up high amongst her peers. Now that she had discovered that her biological father was Jack, she probably felt a little better.

Elias wanted to say something else, but when he opened his mouth, he hesitated. Never mind, now was not the time to ask such things.

“Are you trying to ask if I would return to the Allegra Family?”

The man glanced at her, then answered truthfully, “Yes, I did. Still, it’s fine if you probably don’t want to answer.”

“I don’t know how to answer right now, either. We’ll see. She was already compromising a lot, for she truly yearned for the warmth of a family.

Ever since her foster mother passed away, Amanda never experienced the warmth of a family. She might as well scratch out the scumbag Dick from her list, for he only ever asked Amanda for money. The less said about him, the better, really.

The car slowly drove into the community and pulled up at Building Seven at Northern No. 1.

Amanda and Elias got out of the car, one after the other. The man picked up the little guy sleeping in the back seat, then the two entered the building.

However, unbeknownst to them, a black Maybach was parked in front of them, and Simon was in it..

Simon originally wanted to talk to Amanda, but he was caught off guard at the sight of this scene.

He gripped the steering wheel so tightly that veins started bulging, and he couldn’t help but let out a sneer.

Hah…

What was this?

Did the two reconcile already? Then, what about him?

Afterward, Elias came downstairs again and drove away. When he got into his car, he seemed to be in a wonderful mood.

Simon fiercely punched the steering wheel. He couldn’t accept this!

Could he do nothing but sit by and watch Amanda and Elias reconcile?

Wasn’t Elias about to establish a marriage with the Allegras? Why did he cancel it all of a sudden? What was he doing?!

Simon thought that as soon as Elias married Stephanie, everything would be set in stone. Yet, the sudden turn of events made Simon wonder if Elias had done it on purpose.

He took out his phone and dialed Amanda’s number. It only went through after a long while of waiting. Amanda’s cold voice sounded over the phone, “What is it, Simon?”

“Nothing. Can we meet tomorrow?”

“Is there something you want to say to me?”

It was obvious that Amanda didn’t want to agree to his invitation, and she was even trying to decline politely. Still, Simon said stubbornly, “Can you come out tomorrow? I want to chat with you. I don’t feel so great these days.”

“Well… Fine.”

“See you tomorrow, then.”

After Simon ended the call, there wasn’t any hint of a smile on his face, because he could feel that Amanda was distancing herself from him.

Simon couldn’t understand how Amanda’s ex-husband, who hurt her so greatly, could have such a powerful charm that even Aiden had changed his mind.

On the other hand, Amanda was still in the bathtub when she ended the call. She never thought that Simon would still call her; she thought that she had made things clear enough.

This time, she would spell it out for Simon. She couldn’t let him harbor any more hope for her.

When she was dining at the Allegra Villa, her heart was beginning to yearn for compromise. Nonetheless, her pragmatism told her not to rush into things.

Suddenly, her phone rang once more.

Amanda glanced at it. It was an unfamiliar number. So, she warily answered the call, saying, “Who is this?”

“I’m Lunabelle.”

Lunabelle?

Simon’s ex-girlfriend?

Why would Lunabelle call her all of a sudden? How odd.

Amanda said, “Oh, hello. What’s the matter?”

What was wrong with those two? Why did both of them call her tonight? Did Lunabelle also want to have a chat with her?

Just as expected, Lunabelle said, “Do you have time tomorrow? Can I ask you out for a chat?”

“Well… I may not be free tomorrow. I’m busy with my law firm. Why don’t we meet another time?”

“Do you have time now? Can I visit you? I honestly want to talk to you.”

Lunabelle’s voice sounded urgent on the other end of the line. She seemed to have something important. to ask Amanda.

“Come over, then. I’m at home. I’ll send you the address.” As Amanda spoke, she got out of the bathtub with a splash.

“All right.”

Amanda took a towel and wrapped it around herself after ending the call. Her mind was filled with questions. What exactly was going on?

Sometime later, the doorbell rang. That was probably Lunabelle.

Selina and Aiden had gone to sleep, so Amanda ran to get the door. When she opened the door, she found Lunabelle standing at the entrance, looking frail. She seemed to have undergone an ordeal.

“What did you-

“Can I go in? Please.” Lunabelle’s eyes were red. She looked like she had just gotten out of an argument.

“Sure. Come in.”

Amanda looked at Lunabelle’s pitiful appearance, and she couldn’t help but guess what had happened as she poured out a glass of water for Lunabelle.

Amanda didn’t want to wake Aiden and Selina, so she took Lunabelle to the balcony for a chat.

“Sorry, my son and my friend are asleep now, so I don’t want to wake them up.”

“It’s okay, I get it.” Lunabelle sat on the outdoor couch, keeping her head low throughout the entire. interaction.

Amanda sat opposite her, letting the breeze play with her hair. “Lunabelle, are you okay? What happened. to you?”

“Amanda, do you think that people who have made mistakes aren’t worthy of second chances?” Lunabelle’s tears slowly flowed out.

This startled Amanda greatly. Why was Lunabelle crying all of a sudden?

“Perhaps. Criminals have to pay the price of their actions.”

“But I’ve honestly repented. Why am I not forgiven yet?” Lunabelle said, sobbing.

Amanda couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly happened? I’ve already distanced myself from Simon. I have even deliberately gone out of my way to avoid both of you. Your relationship should be going well. I even thought you guys are getting married soon.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 272 He Can’t Get Over You

“That’s… A problem.” Amanda didn’t know what to do now. She didn’t want to get involved in Lunabelle’s and Simon’s mess.

Lunabelle sobbed. “I’m so sorry for visiting you out of the blue today. I don’t have many friends in this country. I wanted to vent to someone, but then I realized that I don’t have any friends,”

“It’s okay. I understand.” Amanda knew more than anyone what it felt like to be left alone, completely. helpless.

Lunabelle seemed to have cleared her mind after enjoying some time under the breeze. Then, she wiped her tears.

“What about you? Are you reconciling with your ex-husband?”

Amanda’s smile froze for a moment. I’m not sure about that. There doesn’t seem to be a need to reconcile. I can never be his type, or he wouldn’t be so cruel to me four years ago. I cannot believe that he earnestly fell for me now, either. I think we’ll just keep things as they are, and we can raise our son together.”

She honestly didn’t know how to deal with her relationship with Elias, and with the Allegras added into the mix, her mind was a mess.

“You have to follow your heart. Why bother about so many things? If your ex-husband wants to reconcile, and you want to reconcile as well, then just do it. After all, you have a child too,” Lunabelle said.

Amanda fell silent.

Could things be so simple? She didn’t dare imagine it.

Also, Howard had just passed away, and Elias was swamped with company matters. Elias probably didn’t have the time to think about these things.

In reality, Lunabelle had ulterior motives for saying that. She felt that as long as Amanda hadn’t found a man of her own, Simon would never turn his focus back on her.

Lunabelle wasn’t as confident as she had been back then. In the past, she could confidently tell everyone that Simon would only marry her. Now that things had changed, she had lost that confidence as well.

Amanda sighed lightly. “Are you convincing me to get a man and settle down?”

She seemed to have understood Lunabelle’s thoughts. Lunabelle thought that it was Amanda’s hesitation. that caused problems between Simon and her. Simon couldn’t settle down knowing that Amanda is still up for grabs. Hence, Lunabelle and Simon still couldn’t reconcile after all this while.

“Um, I don’t mean it like that. I just want everyone to have a good ending.”

Amanda scoffed, her voice filled with mockery, “A good ending? Then, why would you make the wrong choice in the beginning? When you decided to get married, you should have known that you made the wrong choice. Now that you’re trying to turn back, you realized that Simon didn’t wait for you like you assumed he would.”

When Lunabelle heard Amanda’s words, she was forced to face just how cruel she had been.

“No! It’s not like that. I had my reasons when I got married all those years ago. I was forced to do it,”

Lunabelle suddenly shouted defensively.

Amanda crossed her arms and leaned back. “Sure. However, you shouldn’t have left without saying. goodbye. In those years when I met Simon overseas, he was in a horrible state. He looked like he was still plagued by sorrow after being abandoned by you. He took a long while to get over this failed relationship. Yet, here you are now. You came back and suddenly wanted him to accept you unconditionally. You didn’t even give him time to recover from the shock. Do you think this is fair to him?”

For a moment, everything was quiet.

Lunabelle was at a loss for words. Of course, she knew that she was being unfair to Simon right now. Plus, she was also a divorcee.

She had no other choice, so she could only go to Simon. If she didn’t, the rest of her life would be in ruins.

Lunabelle was all worked up as she refuted hotly, “What about you? Was it fair for you to be with Simon? You got divorced and even had a child, so you’re better off being with your ex-husband!”

Hah…

This woman finally revealed her truest thoughts.

Amanda said with a smirk, “You finally said it. You’ve been holding it in for long enough, haven’t you? You didn’t want to vent to me; you wanted to convince me to reconcile as soon as possible so that you wouldn’t have anything to worry about in the future, right?”

“It’s not like that, I truly wanted to vent-

Amanda was losing her patience. She stood up and said, “Miss Gowen, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson looked down on you, and Simon has no intention of reconciling with you, but I’m not at all related to these things. It’ll still be the same if I weren’t part of the equation.”

Lunabelle shot to her feet as well. “Impossible! If it weren’t for you, Simon wouldn’t still be so hung up over you. He can’t get over you.”

“Even if it wasn’t me, he would still fall for someone else. Did you think that Simon wouldn’t fall for anyone but you? You’ve gotten married and then divorced, so what right do you have to forbid Simon from liking another woman?” Amanda’s tone was filled with disdain.

“You!”

Lunabelle wanted to say more, but Amanda interrupted her. “If you still insist on wasting my time with nonsense, then I’m sorry. I don’t want to hear more of it. I have to go to sleep now because I have a lot of matters to attend to tomorrow. Please go home.”

Lunabelle looked at her, hesitant. Then, she could only leave in anger.

She thought that Amanda could understand her circumstances and work with her, but she didn’t expect. things to turn out like this.

Amanda went to the location Simon specified to meet the following day. It was a cafe.

The waiter led her to a seat by the window. Simon was sitting there alone, drinking coffee. He even ordered a latte for her.

“Amanda, you’re here.”

“Yes.” She smiled, then took a seat at the side. She picked up the coffee and took a sip.

Simon looked at her joyful expression, then couldn’t help but tease her as he said, “You don’t look too good. Did something nice happen?”

“It’s nothing. I’m probably happy that things are going well these days.”

She was truly quite happy to learn who her biological parents were. When she knew that the gambler wasn’t her father, she even felt relieved as if a huge burden was lifted from her shoulders.

Only Amanda knew the meaning behind her words. So, to Simon, it was painful to hear.

Simon asked, “Elias was getting engaged with Stephanie, right? I was preparing to attend the engagement banquet, but I was informed last minute that the engagement was called off. Do you know what happened?”

“Well… I probably do.” Amanda took a sip of coffee.

“Why?” Simon’s gaze was filled with anxiety. He wanted to know if the reason was the one he had in mind. Could it be that the two wanted to reconcile? Was that the reason why Elias called off the engagement?

Simon couldn’t help but clench his fist under the table at that thought.

Regardless, Amanda didn’t want to make the reason known to the public. She didn’t want more people to know that Jack was her biological father, so she chose to keep it a secret.

“I’m just saying that I have a vague idea. I don’t know the details, though. They seemed to have reached that conclusion after some negotiation.”

“No, you definitely know something. You just don’t want to tell me.”

Simon felt his heart turning cold. Perhaps it truly was as he had feared, the two were reconciling. After all, he could see the happiness radiating from Amanda’s eyes.

Amanda didn’t say anything else. She simply lowered her head and drank some coffee. Her actions were akin to a silent admittance.

Still, she didn’t expect Simon to overthink matters. She just wanted to keep her identity a secret for a longer time.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

273 Aiden’s Nosebleed Won’t Stop

“What about you? Do you still not intend to give Lunabelle a proper position next to you? She has been waiting for a long time.”

Lunabelle again. An annoyed look appeared on Simon’s face. Lunabelle had been bugging him recently. It had gotten so annoying that he had the urge to just avoid her completely.

“Why should I give her that? She was the one who left me back then. I didn’t abandon her; she was the one who abandoned me!” Simon sounded a little irritated.

Amanda didn’t say anything. She simply picked up the coffee and took a sip.

Simon suddenly realized he had lost his cool. So, he downed the rest of his coffee before saying, “Sorry, I lost my calm there.”

“It’s okay.” She smiled faintly.

“Amanda, are you truly thinking of reconciling with him?” In the end, Simon still posed the question. He truly couldn’t find,it in himself to be happy for them just like that.

Amanda was stunned for a moment before she realized that he was talking about Elias.

She was about to speak when her phone rang. She glanced at it and saw that it was a call from the kindergarten. She instinctively frowned at the screen.

Did something happen to Aiden again?

Amanda answered the call, saying, “Hello, Miss Zimmers. What’s the matter?”

In the next second, her expression shifted as she stood up. “What?! Okay, I’ll be right there. Please send him to the hospital.”

Amanda grabbed her purse and was about to leave right there and then after hanging up the call. “The kindergarten teacher said that Aiden’s nose started bleeding, and they’re sending him to the hospital now. I’m going to the hospital to have a look.”

With that, she moved to leave. Simon also rose to his feet. “I’ll accompany you. Let me drive you there.”

“All right.”

Hence, the two arrived at the hospital the teacher mentioned.

Amanda couldn’t help but wonder, Everything looked fine before, so why did Aiden suddenly have a nosebleed? Could it be that he had eaten too many fried foods these days? But his phone had been rather light recently.

“Don’t overthink things. Let’s hear what the doctor had to say.” Simon noticed her anxiety, so he couldn’t help but comfort her.

She nodded and followed Simon into the hospital. Miss Zimmers was accompanying Aiden to get hist laboratory sheet.

“Aiden!” Amanda shouted as soon as she saw her son.

Aiden’s nose had just stopped bleeding, and he seemed listless. When he heard Amanda’s voice, he instantly sprung back up, letting go of his teacher’s hand as he dashed toward Amanda.

“Mommy!”

“Don’t run. This is a hospital. Amanda walked toward her son as well, not forgetting to remind him to slow down.

Miss Zimmers came over with the laboratory sheet. “Miss Bailey.”

“Miss Zimmers, what did the doctor say? Why did Aiden suddenly have a nosebleed?” Amanda was extremely nervous.

Simon stood at the side, looking at Aiden. He wanted to touch the child’s head, but the latter dodged his affections.

The little kid would call him ‘Daddy’ every time they met, but now Aiden was avoiding him. Had Aiden changed his target of affection to Elias? At that thought, Simon clenched his fists, which were hanging on either side of his body.

Miss Zimmers said, “Miss Bailey, I suddenly noticed that Aiden’s nose was bleeding, and I couldn’t stop it at all. So, I sent him to the hospital. They had just done an examination on him, but they didn’t seem to find anything. Perhaps the medical facilities here aren’t advanced enough, so I suggest that you go to other hospitals for a checkup. The child’s health takes priority.”

“All right, thank you, Miss Zimmers. You can leave him to me. So, you can return to your work.”

“Now that you’re here, I have no reason to worry anymore. I’ll make sure to inform the school that Aiden. will be taking two days off. That way, he can rest for two days. You can send him back to school once he’s fine.”

“Sure.”

After Miss Zimmers left, Amanda checked Aiden’s nose. There were still traces of blood around it, and her heart ached when she saw it.

Simon suggested, “I know a friend in a private hospital, so why don’t you get him a checkup there? Miss Zimmers is right, the child’s health takes priority.”

“Can we go now?’ Amanda couldn’t wait to let Aiden go through a checkup. She wanted to know why exactly his nose started bleeding.

“Sure. Let’s go. Private hospitals aren’t crowded, and the service is better there. The results should be out sooner, too.”

“Mommy, my nose hurts…” Aiden leaned against Amanda’s shoulder as he whimpered softly.

Amanda hugged her son tightly. “Be good. Just sleep for a bit, and the pain will go away when you wake up.”

“Mommy… I want to drink milk.”

“Okay, I’ll get it for you.” With that, Amanda looked at Simon. She could only ask Simon for help now.

Simon smiled. “I’ll buy it, then. You guys can wait for me in the car.”

Then, Simon turned around and left. Amanda carried Aiden as she walked out of the hospital.

“Mommy, why didn’t Daddy come? Why is it Uncle Simon?” Aiden seemed a little disappointed. He thought that Amanda would come with Elias.

Amanda patted her son lightly on the back. “Daddy is busy. Mommy accidentally ran into Uncle Simon on my way here, so he sent me here.”

“Mommy. I’m fine, so don’t worry” Aiden could see that Amanda was anxious, so he comforted her like a considerate kid.

Amanda smiled. “Of course, you’re fine. It’s probably all those fast foods you’ve been eating recently. Did you eat junk food behind my back?”

“No, Miss Selina won’t let me eat any Aiden shook his head.

“Good boy…”

Even though nothing serious happened, Amanda could see that the child wasn’t his usual self. He used to be lively and active, but now, he was listless and droopy!

Amanda and Simon took the child to a private hospital and had a series of medical examinations performed on him. They were informed that the results would be out in a few hours.

Amanda decided to just wait in the hospital. That was because she would still be anxious even if she returned home right now.

“Wait here while I go see if the results are out. My friend should be keeping an eye out.”

“Okay, please thank that friend for me.” Amanda carried Aiden, who had fallen asleep, in her arms. She spoke in whispers.

Simon smiled and nodded, then turned around and walked toward the doctor’s office.

Simon arrived at the consultation room and knocked on the door. “Dr. Smith, are you free?”

Christopher Smith, who was looking at the laboratory sheet, raised his head. “Just come here and quit pretending to be nice.”

Simon smiled, then walked over to him and asked, “How is it? Are the results out? Is the kid okay?”

“First of all, tell me about the relationship between you and the child. Don’t tell me he’s your illegitimate son! We haven’t met in just a few years, but you’ve already gotten yourself into a mess!” Christopher asked, a gossipy expression on his face.

“What are you talking about? He’s my friend’s son. Examinations take too long in public hospitals. That’s why I brought him to your place. How is it?”

Christopher sighed, looking slightly disappointed. “Oh I thought there was some scandal going on. After some initial tests, he seems to be fine, but we may need to take advanced tests to see if there are any illnesses in the blood, like leukemia.”

“Leukemia? It’s that serious?” Simon’s expression shifted drastically. He always felt that such diseases would never happen to people around him.

Christopher explained in a professional tone, “Don’t worry. I’m just saying that we’re going to take more tests. He seems to be fine, but a ceaseless nosebleed can’t be a good sign. It’s better to take more tests as a safety precaution.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 274 Like Losing One’s Soul

“Okay, I’ll tell her,” Simon said before leaving the consultation room. When the door closed, a wicked thought suddenly came to Simon’s mind.

If Aiden truly had leukemia, and only he could be a bone marrow match… Would Amanda lean toward him? He knew that harboring such thought was despicable and vile, but if he continued to wait and not do anything, Amanda would inevitably reunite with Elias, and he would lose all hope.

Meanwhile, in the rest area, Amanda smiled as she cradled the peacefully sleeping Aiden in her arms. It was a mother’s smile that came from the depths of her heart. Just then, Simon approached her.

Amanda raised her head when she caught sight of him and asked anxiously, “How did it go? What did the doctor say about the test results? Is it serious?” Although she believed there shouldn’t be any major issues, she couldn’t help but seek out some form of reassurance.

Simon furrowed his brow and kept quiet for a few seconds before finally saying. “There’s nothing major, but…”

Amanda heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that but her heart instantly sank at the word “but. “But what? Tell me! What exactly happened?” Amanda could feel her heart leap to her throat.

“My friend mentioned that there aren’t any major concerns for now, but nosebleeds aren’t a good sign. We -need to take this seriously and conduct another blood test to confirm if it’s leukemia or a similar
condition. Don’t worry. It’s merely a precautionary examination to put our minds at ease, Simon made a show out of the explanation, deliberately making it sound even worse than it was.

Amanda couldn’t find solace even after hearing his words. It was as if her heart plunged into an abyss, and she looked at him with widened eyes. “Leukemia… How can it be so serious?”

“Don’t overthink it; it’s not that serious. My friend mentioned it’s just a routine check-up for our peace of mind.”

Amanda attempted to calm herself and suppress her agitation before saying. “Alright, let’s do it. Regardless of the outcome, we need to do it to put our minds at ease.” However, the thought of putting Aiden through another blood draw pained her deeply.

During the previous blood draw, she had spent a considerable amount of time coaxing him to help him. endure the pain. Amanda could clearly feel the child’s fear during the procedure. She was in utter dismay as she held the little one tightly in her arms.

When Simon noticed Amanda’s distress, he gently patted her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. It’s just a routine check-up.”

The wicked thoughts that Simon harbored earlier disappeared upon witnessing Amanda’s troubled expression. He didn’t want to hurt her. Aiden was the person she cherished with her entire being, and hurting Aiden would be equivalent to hurting her. Let it be. Let things unfold naturally. Relationships are not something that can be forced.

After that, Simon accompanied Amanda for the child’s blood test before driving them back home. Throughout the entire process, Amanda’s face turned increasingly grim as she considered countless horrendous possibilities.

“Amanda, try not to be too anxious. Let’s wait for the test results,” Simon advised.

“I know, I’ll be fine. Thank you. I’ve taken up a lot of your time today, and I apologize for that.” Amanda lifted the still-slumbering Aiden as she exited the car.

Simon attentively opened the car door for her and said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve taken care of you in the same way during the past four years we were abroad.” It was a casual remark, but it made Amanda think that he was reminding her about it.

“Thank you,” she expressed her gratitude before heading upstairs with the child in her arms. As Simon stood in place while watching her figure, he suddenly felt a pang of heartache for what she was going through.

Amanda wilted the instant she was in the confines of her home. She was like a plant that was about to endure the first bite of winter.

Selina, who was cooking in the kitchen, rushed out to greet them upon hearing their voices. “You’re back! The food is almost ready. Wash your hands, and we can cat.” However, she became startled when she saw just how pale Amanda’s face was. “Amanda, what’s wrong? Did Aiden fall asleep?”

Selina reached out to take the child from Amanda’s arms, but Amanda held the little one even tighter and murmured. “It’s fine, let me hold him a little longer.”

“Okay, but what’s going on? You look as if you’ve lost your soul.”

Amanda gazed at Aiden in her arms and spoke in a quavering voice, “Selina, do you think I haven’t devoted enough time to my child? Should I spend more time with him?”

“What’s the matter? Why are you crying? Please don’t cry.” Selina hastily got a tissue before gently wiping. away the tears that were about to roll down Amanda’s face. She was genuinely surprised by how distressed Amanda was.

Amanda kept her head lowered and her voice quavered as she spoke, “Today, Aiden had a nosebleed at school, and we couldn’t stop it no matter what we tried. We went to the hospital for an examination, and while they didn’t find any najor issues, they suggested further tests to investigate the possibility of leukemia…

“What! That’s impossible! Aiden is usually so healthy so it can’t be true. Don’t think that.” Selina’s heart sank as she was shocked by the sudden revelation.

“Yes, let’s hope it’s nothing serious.”

“It will be fine. So, there’s no reason for you to worry your head over it. Aiden has always been well taken care of. How could he suddenly have leukemia? Children having nosebleeds is quite common. Perhaps he’s been drinking less water lately and the weather is hot. I’ll make him some herbal tea to help cool him. down.”

“Thank you.” Amanda nodded gratefully.

“No need to thank me. Are you feeling hungry? Go ahead and eat something. Let’s wake Aiden up and have him eat too. I’ll prepare some cooling tea for him.

As Amanda watched Selina walk away, an inexplicable sense of distress gnawed at her, leaving her unable to pinpoint the exact reason..

Throughout that sleepless night, Amanda anxiously awaited Simon’s call with the test results. Unfortunately, the hospital had informed her that the results wouldn’t be available until the afternoon due to the complexity of the tests.

The next morning, Aiden woke up earlier than usual, washed up, and finished breakfast obediently, as he cagerly anticipated Elias’ arrival to take him out to play. Although he appeared excited, Amanda could sense that he seemed a bit tired and lacked his usual energy, which intensified her anxiety.

Ding-dong! The doorbell suddenly rang. Aiden rushed to the door, knowing that it was Elias coming to pick him up. When the door swung open, Elias stood there, accompanied by Jack and Edith, all donning hopeful expressions. After all, they had finally found their long-lost daughter and now had a grandson. They were genuinely elated.

Only Amanda had a grim expression on. Elias was quick to notice that something was amiss. So, he inquired as he furrowed his brows, “What’s wrong? You don’t look well. Have you been tired recently?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Perhaps I didn’t sleep well last night. Take Aiden out to play. Oh, and make sure he drinks plenty of water today. The weather has been getting hotter these past few days, and he had a nosebleed yesterday.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 275 How Could This Happen!

Elias frowned upon hearing Amanda’s words. “Nosebleed? Didn’t you go to the hospital for an examination? Nosebleeds shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

“We did. However, the test results aren’t out yet. We have to wait until this afternoon.”

“In that case, we’ll leave first. Take care of yourself and get some rest. Elias effortlessly carried Aiden with
one hand.

Jack and Edith, who were concerned about her condition, spoke up, “Should I take you to the hospital for an examination? You don’t look well.” Edith chimed in worriedly, “Yes, your health is important. It’s better to get yourself checked.

“I’m really fine. It’s just that I didn’t sleep well last night and caught a cold. I’ll have some ginger tea later. I’ll go to the hospital if I don’t feel well after that. Don’t worry. I’m all grown up and can take care of myself.” Amanda forced a smile to reassure them. Then, she sat alone on the couch while sighing heavily as she clutched her phone tightly after bidding them farewell.

Soon, Selina approached her. “Amanda, would you like something to eat?”

“No, thank you. I don’t have an appetite. By the way, Selina, have you noticed that Aiden seems less energetic today… I wonder if it’s related to the nosebleed.”

“Don’t worry. Children can be like that sometimes. Maybe he’s just tired from waking up early in the morning. Selina tried to reassure her. In fact, Selina had also noticed that Aiden seemed a bit off today. He wasn’t as lively as usual.

Just then, Amanda’s phone rang, She instinctively picked it up and glanced at the screen-it was Simon.

She answered the call almost instantaneously. “Hello, Simon. What did the doctor say? What are the results?” Simon was left momentarily silent after being bombarded with so many questions which made Amanda even more anxious and her fingertips trembled involuntarily. “Why aren’t you saying anything? What happened?” She was so agitated that she almost lost her mind.

Finally, Simon spoke on the other end of the line, “You’d better come over. Let’s talk in person. I’ll wait for you at the hospital.”

“Okay, I’m coming right away!” Amanda hung up without explaining anything to the bewildered Selina. Instead, she grabbed her coat before rushing out.

Amanda raced to the hospital. At that moment, Simon and Christopher were in Christopher’s office. Simon wasn’t sure how he was going to deliver the news to Amanda.

“Just tell her the truth. Delaying the diagnosis won’t help. The earlier we start treatment, the better,” Christopher advised when he saw how torn Simon seemed.

“I understand, but I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it.” Simon glanced at the test results with a frown. so deep that it seemed as though it had been etched on her face.

“Let me handle it, then. I can soften the blow, explain it in simpler terms, and make it less terrifying. This disease is treatable. It’s just a little complicated.”

Just then, Amanda arrived at the office. She was panting and it was apparent that she made it all the way to the hospital in a hurry. “What’s the situation? What do the results say?” She was on the verge of a mental breakdown as her mind raced with endless terrifying possibilities.

Simon exchanged a glance with Christopher, signaling him to speak. Christopher sighed in resignation and stood up, before patiently explaining. “The test results are out. The child may have aplastic anemia, a type of bone marrow failure caused by various factors. We need to perform a bone marrow transplant as soon as we find a suitable match…”

Amanda felt like her world was spinning upon hearing Christopher’s words. The news hit her like a sledgehammer that she became so dizzy that she was about to lose her balance. In fact, she nearly fainted.

“Amanda, are you okay?” Simon rushed to support her.

Amanda couldn’t hear what the doctor was saying after that as her mind was filled with nothing but white noise. Her eyes widened as she looked at Christopher, unable to believe what she had just heard. “Doctor, did you just say that my son has aplastic anemia? And he needs a bone marrow transplant?!”

“Yes, I’ll spare you the technical details, but your child does require a bone marrow transplant. It’s crucial to get as many of your relatives and friends tested for a match as soon as possible. The chances of success are higher with direct relatives.”

Amanda stood there tearfully with a pale face after hearing such dreadful news. How could this happen? Why is this happening? Why is it happening to my Aiden…

Amanda was in a daze as she stumbled out of the hospital, with Simon remaining by her side, as he was afraid that she might collapse. She felt numb as she staggered through the crowd and she didn’t even realize it when she bumped into a passerby.

“Amanda? Amanda?” Simon tried to bring her back to reality. His heart broke when he saw how lost and miserable she looked. He was saddened that she had to bear the weight of her suffering and was genuinely concerned that she might crumble under it.

“Simon, I’ll be okay. I have to be strong. The more hardships we face, the stronger I have to become. Aiden still needs me.” She understood the situation, but she needed time to take it in and couldn’t bear to see her child suffer.

“Given the circumstances, you should get Elias to perform the bone marrow match at the hospital. Reach out to your relatives and friends for the tests without any delay.” Simon sighed.

“I know…”

Amanda wiped away her tears and took out her phone before dialing Elias’ number, but no one answered. the call. Considering the current circumstances, she refused to wait any longer and decided to go to the amusement park since she wasn’t sure about Aiden’s condition. “I’ll look for my baby. You should get back to your work,” Amanda said to Simon as she got into her car before driving away slowly. She wasn’t in the mood to wave him goodbye..

Simon couldn’t help but let out another sigh as he watched her car’s taillights fade into the distance. Just yesterday, he had casually come up with such a thought, never imagining it would become a reality. He even questioned himself, wondering if his negative thoughts had somehow contributed to the child falling ill. What is this? Are the Heavens on my side?

As soon as Amanda arrived at the crowded amusement park, she tried to look for Aiden among the crowd. Amongst the laughter and cheer of countless children, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She sat on a bench in an empty corner and couldn’t stop weeping.

Amanda began to reflect on whether she had been too free-spirited since returning to the country, whether she had neglected her child, and whether that’s what led to her child’s illness… She cried alone for a long, long time, and the tears that fell onto the ground formed a puddle.

Suddenly, she heard a child’s voice calling her, “Mommy!” It was Aiden.

Amanda hastily wiped away her tears and forced a smile before looking up. The next moment, Aident darted toward her.

“There’s no need to run, I’m here,” Amanda got up and went to meet her child halfway. She couldn’t bear to see him suffer any ailments,

Elias followed closely behind Aiden and sensed that something was wrong when he noticed her teary eyes. “Did you cry?” he asked.

Amanda avoided his gaze and replied, “No, I just got some sand in my eyes.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 276 A Bone Marrow Transplant Is Needed

Elias could easily see through this perfunctory remark, but he chose not to expose her.

“Why are you crying. Mommy? Did someone bully you?” Aiden sensibly helped her wipe away the tears.

“No, like I said, it’s just some sand in my eyes. Did you have fun? Did you drink water?” Amanda said while forcing a smile.

“I did drink. The grandpa and grandina that I don’t really know kept making me drink water, but I don’t like it.” Aiden pouted with an aggrieved expression.

Amanda gently tapped his nose and said, “It was Mommy who asked them to make sure you drink water, so you have to be a good boy.”

“Hmph!” He huffed and turned his head away.

At that moment, Jack and Edith approached as well. As they were getting on in age, they couldn’t keep up with the little guy and could only slowly head over to them.

Amanda glanced at everyone present and suddenly spoke, “Let’s have dinner together tonight at our place. My friend is an excellent cook.”

Jack and his wife were quite surprised as they didn’t expect Amanda to invite them for dinner, but they agreed without hesitation. “Sure, that sounds good. We’re free tonight,” Edith said as she beamed. It was the first time Amanda had taken the initiative to invite them for a meal. Jack also nodded and said, “I’m fine with it. I haven’t spent enough time with this little guy.”

Meanwhile, Elias remained silent. He sensed that Amanda seemed to have something weighing on her mind.

When they arrived at Northern No. 1, Amanda continued to behave strangely, as she seemed absent- minded. On the other hand, Aiden immediately complained about being tired and wanted to go to bed. No one knew what was going on, except Amanda, who understood that there was something genuinely wrong with his health.

“Mommy, I’m tired…”

“I know. Should Mommy carry you to bed?”

“Yes…

With that, Amanda picked Aiden up and headed toward the bedroom. Edith couldn’t help but speak up, “But the child hasn’t eaten yet. Let him have something to eat before sleeping. It’s not good for him to go to bed on an empty stomach…” Before she could finish her sentence, Jack glanced at her and signaled her to keep quiet.

Amanda ignored them and carried the child directly to the bedroom.

Elias frowned as he felt that something was amiss, so he planned to find an opportunity to ask later even though Amanda might not necessarily tell him.

After the bedroom door was shut, Jack looked at his wife and said, “Let’s not interfere with how others. raise their own children. They know how to take care of their child. She had raised him for four years, and the child has grown up well without us meddling in their affairs.”

“I know, I’m just concerned…” Edith sighed. Their concern seemed unnecessary since Amanda hadn’t agreed to recognize them as her parents yet.

After some time, Amanda walked out of the bedroom. At that moment, Selina had finished preparing dinner and came out to call them to eat. Thus, everyone gathered in the dining room.

Edith was still worried about the child and couldn’t help but say, “Did you leave food for the child? He’ll definitely be hungry when he wakes up later…” Jack immediately cut in with a cough and reminded his wife to be quiet.

Amanda merely responded, “It’s okay. I left food for him. Let’s eat. He’ll probably be asleep for a while.”

This time, Elias finally said something. “You still don’t look well. Have you seen a doctor?”

“No.” Amanda responded indifferently as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

“I’ll take you there after dinner. It’s on the way anyway… Elias persisted.

Before he could finish his sentence, Amanda calmly interrupted, “If any of you have free time in the coming days, it would be good to go to the hospital for a bone marrow match. Aiden is sick and needs a bone marrow transplant.”

When those words were spoken, the three of them at the dining table, including Selina, who was serving the food, were stunned.

Jack was the first to react. “What did you just say? What happened to Aiden? A bone marrow transplant? Is it that serious?”

They had only just reunited with Amanda and their little grandson, and now the situation had escalated to requiring a bone marrow transplant. Edith, who was still trying to process the situation, was teary as she stared at Amanda.

Finally, Elias murmured tremulously, “Wh-What did you just say? A bone marrow transplant? What happened to Aiden?” Elias had never lost control of his emotions like this before. He struggled to gather his thoughts, feeling as if his words were failing him.

Amanda had already anticipated their reaction as she was in their shoes just moments before. Thus, she dared not look up to see their response as she would lose whatever grip on her emotions while speaking. fearing that she might lose it and start crying as well. She couldn’t afford to break down at such a critical moment because she still had many tasks to attend to.

So, she squashed whatever distress and sorrow she felt as she repeated, “The hospital has released the test results. They diagnosed Aiden with aplastic anemia and confirmed the need for a bone marrow transplant. The success rate is higher with direct relatives, so I’m asking all of you to undergo a matching test. I’m counting on you.”

The next moment, Edith burst into tears, sobbing. “My poor child, how could this happen…” Jack fell into silence while sitting there in shock. He had lost his appetite.

Now, Elias finally understood why Amanda had been so troubled earlier. So, this is the reason… He struggled to regain his composure and his dark gaze filled with astonishment. His mind was flooded with memories of his son, picturing how happy he looked at the amusement park. Even though he would occasionally complain of tiredness and ask to be carried. He had merely teased the boy for being delicate.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 277 No Suitable Match

Although Amanda reckoned she was technically the most heartbroken person by this news, she had no choice but to pull herself together, in order to comfort Edith. Even though she would desperately like to overcome her mental hindrance and call Edith ‘Mom’, she could tell that Edith was indeed upset over Aiden’s poor health.

Jack and his wife made their way to Aiden’s bedroom to take a look at him as they had utterly lost their appetite and had no desire to finish their dinner. Their eyes filled with tears as they gazed down at his peaceful face. Still, they did their best to suppress their emotions so that they wouldn’t wake him. up. In the meantime, Elias stood beside Aiden’s bed and gazed at his son, gently caressing the child’s cheek. His lips were pursed, and his eyes were closed. He had no choice but to endure the pain of watching his son. suffer, keeping it all to himself.

Later, Elias sent for Yacob and had the latter see Jack and Edith out of the house when they left. Then, he stood in the moonlight with Amanda as neither of them said a single word, but even so, it still seemed as if they could understand what each other was having in mind. Eventually, Elias made the first move and said, “Maybe we’ll get a second opinion. I’ll arrange another check-up for Aiden in another hospital tomorrow. Perhaps it’s just a misdiagnosis.”

“Td love to believe that, but our boy is starting to show the symptoms. So, let’s not waste any more time on the check-up and diagnosis. Instead. I would rather spend our time finding a compatible match for Aiden. I don’t want him to wait too long.” Amanda smiled bitterly.

After that, a long silence ensued between the couple until Elias decided to break the silence a few moments later. “I’ll get a check-up tomorrow and see if I’m a compatible match for Aiden, but you shouldn’t tell him anything just yet, alright?”

“I know, but I’m not planning to tell him either because I doubt he is going to understand it anyway.”

I’m going to put everything aside and keep him company. Nothing else is more important than Aiden,” Elias said solemnly.

“Don’t you want your grandfather’s shares back? I know you’re worried about Aiden, but you shouldn’t forget about your priorities. After all, you’re not only fighting for yourself but also for Aiden.

Elias fell silent upon hearing her reminder because he was genuinely too distracted by his son’s dreadful condition to work.

The following day, the Allegra Family sent everyone possible to do a bone marrow compatibility test while Elias had many of his family relatives do the same thing. Nevertheless, his mother was staying in an asylum. He also hadn’t bothered to request some of his quarrelsome relatives because there was a chance that they would make the situation even messier.

As the people from the two families were busy doing the test in the hospital, they were kind enough to hope that they could finally come across one suitable match among them to save Aiden. When Jack didn’t see Elias’ mother, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell your Mom to come along? After all, you and your mother are the only people who can boss everyone else in the Winters Family. Furthermore, the doctor also said a direct match from the next of kin would be effective.”

“I know, but my mom is mentally unsound. Even if she is a suitable donor, is she going to agree and cooperate?” Furthermore, Elias knew just how reluctant Jennifer was to treat Aiden as her grandson.

Meanwhile, Jack didn’t say a single word as he only paced back and forth, wishing he could just learn about the compatibility test result right away.

“Mr. Allegra, why don’t you wait for the result at home? Desperation and anxiety won’t change or speed up the result.” Elias turned around and walked away slowly.

For the next few days, Elias would spend his time accompanying Aiden while Amanda decided to shove all her work aside and stayed by her son’s side as well until his condition was treated. At the same time, Jack. and his wife would also visit Aiden every day. While the adults actively made time out of their busy schedules to accompany Aiden, the smart child quickly sensed something wrong, finding it strange for them to always be by his side. “Mommy, why are you guys playing with me every day? Didn’t you say adults had to work?” Aiden curiously asked while having his breakfast.


Amanda, who was busy peeling off the eggshells, paused and said. “That’s because you’re just too adorable, and everybody likes you, which is why they want to be around you. Maybe they’re recently on a vacation or something.”

“Does that mean I’m also taking a break? But the teacher didn’t say anything about that, Mommy. I haven’t been to school for days, and I want to play with my friends.”

Amanda responded with silence upon hearing that. Unfortunately, she didn’t dare to let Aiden play by himself because she was worried that he would end up getting himself hurt. Thus, exacerbating his already precarious condition. Therefore, all she did was to keep him at home with her, but at the same time, she also knew that was not good for a child’s curious and inquisitive nature to be locked up like this. My boy is going to be hospitalized in a few days. What should I tell him by then?

“Aiden, if you really want to play, your grandparents and Dad could play with you. Don’t forget about me too.” Amanda did her best to comfort Aiden.

Aiden knitted his eyebrows in a dissatisfied manner. “No way, Mommy. Didn’t you always say that kids should go to kindergarten? I haven’t been to school for days, and the teacher is going to lecture me about that.”

“No worries. I told your teacher that you’d be taking the day off.”

“Why? I want to play with my friends. Grandma and Grandpa have been making me drink water all the time while Dad kept carrying me around everywhere. So, I want to play with my friends. I can’t wait to have fun with them.” Aiden had long grown bored of playing at home. Despite his initial dislike for going to school, he was beginning to miss playing with his friends.

While Amanda was scratching her head trying to figure out an explanation, Elias arrived home. He unlocked the door with his thumbprint instead of ringing the doorbell and entered the house straight away.

“Aiden, look what I got you-it’s your favorite chocolate cake. The man walked closer to his son with an appetizing cake, which successfully distracted the boy’s attention as he retreated to a corner to enjoy his food.

“What’s wrong?” She heaved a sigh of relief, feeling grateful that her son didn’t press on with his question.

“It’s nothing. It was just Aiden who wouldn’t stop asking me why every one of us was accompanying him. all the time and why we wouldn’t allow him to go to school. I had no idea how to answer his questions, not to mention the fact that he will be staying in the hospital for the next few days. What should I tell him then? I totally forgot about that, and I doubt we can figure out a good cover story to fool him.” Amanda felt hopeless, thinking Aiden would know that he was sick if he saw her wearing a hospital gown.

“Let me talk to him once we’re there. Don’t worry. The compatibility test result will be out at the earliest by tonight or the latest by tomorrow. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we could find a few suitable matches among the people who did the test,” Elias said in a soothing tone.

“Let’s keep our fingers crossed.” Amanda nodded, praying hard that they would find a compatible match. since there were so many people who went to have themselves tested to see if they could be a suitable match.

Nevertheless, the couple was about to be disappointed because they would soon learn how cruel and grim fate could be as there was actually no.compatible bond marrow match for Aiden. Suddenly, Elias’ phone. rang. He shook off his jacket and took a look at his phone. When he realized it was a call from the hospital, his face was written with excitement and hope. Alas, as soon as he heard the news, his face darkened like there was a storm brewing behind the dark clouds in the sky. “Alright, I understand.” Elias sat on the couch. in silence without saying a single word after ending the call.

“What’s wrong? Who called?” Amanda could tell that something was not right.

Elias wasn’t about to lie to Amanda either as he honestly answered, “The hospital called back and told me that I’m not a suitable donor, but they’re currently looking for a suitable match in their bone marrow storage…

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 278 Amanda’s Emotional Breakdown

In that instant, it was as if the whole world went silent while Amanda simply stared at Elias without any other response. However, her tears began rolling down her cheek from her eyes. At the same time, the man sank onto the couch in a dejected manner with his head lowered in defeat as he clenched his fingers. tightly around his cell phone like he was about to crush it.

“No! How is it possible that there isn’t a suitable match out of so many people? How can that be?!” Amanda wailed in despair, finding herself on the verge of an emotional breakdown. No, that’s impossible! How is there not a suitable match for Aiden even after so many people from the Winterses and the Allegra Families went for the compatibility test?!

In the meantime, Elias only closed his eyes helplessly, asking himself the same question that Amanda did. to herself. He then began to wonder who else had not done the compatibility test until his mother came to his mind. What about my mom? But… Is she going to cooperate? At the thought of his mother’s mental condition, Elias had doubts about her willingness to cooperate even if she was discovered to be a suitable match for Aiden.

Amanda was at her wits end as she seized Elias’ arm and cried, “Think! Do something! My baby’s condition can’t go out like that without a suitable donor. How long is their search going to take? I don’t want my baby to wait that long!”

“I’m figuring out a way, Amanda. Just calm down.”

“Hurry up, then! My boy can’t wait much longer!” Amanda sobbed uncontrollably, refusing to let Aiden waste any more time waiting for a suitable donor. Deep down, she wished she could just donate her own. bone marrow to her son but was dismayed by the fact that the child had to wait for someone with compatible bone marrow.

Soon, Aiden, who was eating a cake, heard Amanda’s cry and came scurrying, whereupon he shoved Elias away and shouted angrily. “Why are you bullying Mommy, Dad?! Look what you’ve done! She is crying!” Aiden acted like a protective guardian as he buried himself in Amanda’s arms and comforted his mother. “Don’t worry, Mommy. I’ll protect you and keep him from hurting you.”

On the other hand, Elias, who was shoved aside by Aiden, instantly felt tears rolling in his eyes because only he himself knew just how desperately he wished his son didn’t have to wait until a suitable donor appeared. What a prank that fate is pulling on me! Despite his disparaging thoughts, he did his best to fight back his tears. He had to be tough enough to shoulder a true man’s responsibility.

As soon as Amanda laid eyes on Aiden’s face, she cried even louder, completely letting her emotions get the better of her. Why? Why is this happening to my boy, Aiden? He is such a good boy, and he certainly doesn’t deserve to be tormented like this! Why does Aiden have to suffer from this illness?!

“Don’t cry, Mommy. I’ll teach Dad a lesson for you, Mommy…” Aiden started to feel a little panicked because he had never seen Amanda act like this. He also knew that his mother had never cried in front of him before.

Amanda wanted to speak, but the words that were forming at the tip of her tongue couldn’t come out of her lips. After all, the more mature Aiden appeared to be, the more heartbroken she felt about her son’s misery.

“Why are you bullying Mommy, Dad?! Look at what you did to her! She is crying non-stop!” Aiden glared. at his own father like an angry kitten. Although he was short in stature, he was still able to demonstrate a slight sense of manliness that a brave boy should have.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made your mommy cry…” Elias stuck out his hand and tried to caress Aiden’s cheek.

“Hmph!” Aiden hit his father’s hand and responded with a cold grunt before he turned around and wrapped his arms around Amanda’s neck.

“Don’t worry, Mommy. Dad is such a bad guy. I promise I won’t talk to him ever again because anyone who bullies Mommy is a bad person.”

When Amanda heard her son’s response, her tears began to gush out like a waterfall. “Don’t worry about me, Baby. Your dad didn’t bully me. I was watching TV earlier and was touched by the drama…” Amanda wiped her tears while trying to calm herself down so that Aiden wouldn’t see through her sadness.

Aiden gazed at the television and said, “But the television has been off all the while.”

She was rendered speechless that she somehow stopped crying. Then, she caressed Aiden’s fair cheek and forced a smile on her lips. I’m really fine, and your dad didn’t bully me. I was just too… Stressed out!

“Don’t worry, Mommy. I’m sure I’ll make you a lot of money when I grow up.” Aiden exclaimed confidently with his little chest puffed out,

“You’re just giving me some lip service.” Amanda couldn’t help but chuckle at his response.

“No, Mommy. I’m a kid who never breaks his promises. Aiden intoned solemnly, as if he was afraid that Amanda wouldn’t trust him.

“Alright, I trust you, my boy! I’ll wait until you grow up, alright?” It was then that Amanda found the determination to get her son treated because she was motivated to watch him grow up healthily. At the same time, Elias was sitting aside, watching their interaction as his heart twisted itself in his agony. I just want to protect and love my simple family, but why is that so hard?”

Later that night, Elias paid a visit to the asylum upon leaving Northern No. 1. In the meantime, Jennifer was locked up in the VIP room, always seen to be talking to herself as her mental impairment seemed to have worsened..

“Mrs. Winters hasn’t seemed to be well lately. She’s been talking to herself all day like that, shouting out loud like a madwoman that karma is going to catch up to her. At the same time, she wouldn’t stop saying that it was time for her to meet up with Mr. Winters.” The hospital’s dean talked about Jennifer’s condition to Elias, who was standing outside the ward and watching his insane mother through the window.

“Can she go for a bone marrow compatibility test in her condition? If she is proven to be a suitable donor, can she donate her bone marrow?” Elias asked, thinking he didn’t have any time to waste.

The dean responded with a frown on his face, “Well, it has nothing to do with her mental and hematopoietic conditions, so I suppose it is possible, but the only thing that I’m not sure about is the question of whether she would give her consent.”

“You could have just answered my question with either a ‘yes’ or ‘no. So, don’t worry about me. I’m going to figure out a way soon.” Elias gazed at his own mother, deciding right then and there that he would take her to the hospital at the thought of Aiden’s failing health.

Suddenly, Elias opened the ward’s door, whereupon his arrival left Jennifer in a state of shock. After that, when she finally took a closer look at Elias, she smiled happily. “Damn you, my son! How long has it been until you have finally decided to come get me? Come on, get me out of this place! I’m tired of staying there because everyone else seems mentally ill, so I don’t want to stay here anymore.” Jennifer held Elias’ arm tightly, as if he was her only hope.

“I’m here to take you away, but I’ll need you to do me a favor in return. You’re not going to say ‘no’, are you?” In fact, she had never turned Elias down so long as fulfilling her son’s request was within her power.

“Take me away from this place. Please just take me with you.” Jennifer kept urging Elias to take her away, not paying any attention to what he said.

In the meantime, he was sad and heartbroken at the sight of his mother’s miserable state. Ever since his father passed away, Jennifer’s mental health had been unstable as she always mentioned the word, ‘karma.

When Elias’ grandfather passed away, the news only added to her terrible condition. Nonetheless, Elias took his mother away from the ward while the dean stood aside and watched them go with a sigh of relief.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 279 Taylor Momsey

The next day, Elias sat restlessly in the president’s office of Winters Enterprise, having spent the entire night without sleep and anxiously awaiting the matching results. The overflowing ashtray in the room. testified to his anxiety, even though he appeared calm on the surface.

As he watched the sky brighten, he sighed deeply and put out his cigarette. He leaned back in his chair, completely forgetting about the injuries on his back.

Why is there no news yet? He frowned as he impatiently picked up his phone and glanced at the time. It was almost 6.00AM.

Suddenly, the oflice doorwas shoved open, and Yacob rushed in, panting.

When Elias saw him, he sat up straight and eagerly asked, “How is it? Are the matching results out?”

Yacob walked to the desk after catching his breath and shook his head. “Mrs. Winters is not a match either.”

Disappointment replaced the anticipation in Elias’ dark eyes, followed by anger. He swept everything on the desk to the ground, causing a loud crash. Unable to hold back his frustration, he cursed, “Damn it! How can there not be a single match?”

Is this really karma, as Mom said? Dad has already passed away; Grandpa died without a clear cause, and now Aiden has this illness. Is it really karma? But why didn’t it fall upon me instead? Why let the innocent three-year-old child suffer?

Yacob then continued, “However, they actually found a match.”

“Who?!” Elias’ head snapped up, and he fixed a piercing stare on Yacob, eager to know who it was. He quickly searched through his mind but couldn’t think of anyone.

“It was found in the bone marrow registry, but… I’m afraid he might not agree,” Yacob said, sounding. somewhat discouraged.

Elias angrily exclaimed when he heard that, “Since it was found in the bone marrow registry, why wouldn’t he agree? If he won’t agree, why did he even register in the first place?”

“Calm down, Mr. Winters. He registered in the bone inarrow registry, so he’ll definitely agree to donate, but he might not donate to us.”

“Who is it?”

“As soon as I received this news, I had the hospital contact him. Normally, the donor and recipient are kept unaware of each other’s identities, but the donor insisted on knowing the recipient’s identity, and after hearing it, he refused…”

Before Yacob could finish speaking, Elias snarled in fury, “Can you please get to the f*cking point? Who is it?”

“It’s… Taylor Momsey.”

Taylor Momsey? When Elias heard the name, his face was filled with shock. How can it be Taylor? Is this really karma? Of all people, it just has to be the person who hates me the most in this world to be a match for my son’s bone marrow.

Yacob wasn’t surprised at his reaction at all because it was impossible for this donor to agree on the bone marrow donation. The grievances between Taylor and Mr. Winters are simply irreconcilable. We can only wait for new candidates in the bone marrow registry. However, Taylor is currently the most suitable candidate. If he agrees to donate his bone marrow, the kid can undergo the transplant right away. For this illness, the sooner the bone marrow transplant, the better. Otherwise, the kid will continue to suffer

Meanwhile, Elias sat there for a long time, lost in thought.

After a while, Amanda’s phone call came in. Yacob had to remind Elias to answer the call. “Mr. Winters, it’s Miss Bailey’s call.”

Only then did Elias finally snap out of his daze and answer the phone. He simply said, “Okay, I’m coming right away.”

“Let’s go to the hospital. Aiden is being admitted today! After that, he picked up his suit jacket and walked out of the office, with Yacob following behind.

At the hospital, Amanda had been patiently explaining to Aiden why he needed to stay in the hospital and wear a patient gown. Yet, Aiden might be a child, but he wasn’t a toddler and couldn’t be easily fooled. Therefore, he didn’t believe any of her explanations.

“Mommy, why isn’t Daddy here yet? I want to hear it from Daddy. You’re lying to me.”

“Daddy will be here soon. And I’m not lying to you, baby. It’s a homework assignment from your teacher, asking us to experience what it feels like to be a patient in the hospital.”

Although she also felt like her lies were simply too ridiculous, she had no other choice but to continue spouting such nonsense. She couldn’t possibly tell him that he was sick, and it was so serious that it required a hospital stay and a bone marrow transplant.

“Hmph!” He looked disdainfally at the oversized patient gown he was wearing, constantly itching to take it off, but she wouldn’t allow him to do so.

At that moment, Elias arrived, pushing open the door to the ward.

They had chosen a VIP ward, so it was a single room. Only Aiden would be staying in the room, which had been warmly decorated and filled with toys to keep him entertained.

“Daddy! Why do I have to stay in the hospital? Mommy said it was a homework assignment from the teacher. Is that true? I don’t believe a word she’s saying.”

The moment Elias walked into the ward and saw his little son wearing the large patient gown, it felt like a hand reached into his chest and tightly clenched his heart, causing him unbearable pain. Such a young has to wear a patient gown….

He stood still for a few seconds and then walked over, saying, “Mommy is telling you the truth. We’ll complete the assignment here and go home after that, alright?”

“What? But it will take so long. Mommy said we have to stay for a long time.” Aiden looked disappointed.

Elias shot a glance at Amanda before lowering his head with a smile and gently ruffling his son’s little hair. “Not for long. We’ll be able to go home very soon.”

“Really? That’s great!” As soon as Aiden heard that they could go home soon, a smile tugged on his lips, and he happily ran to play with the toys on the side.

She immediately got up and pulled Elias outside of the ward. She even made sure she closed the door so Aiden wouldn’t overhear their conversation.

“Why did you tell him we can go home soon? We haven’t found a bone marrow match yet. How can he be discharged soon? I’ve already told him so many lies. I don’t want to lie to him anymore. What will I say if we can’t go home later? Should I continue lying to my son?” She looked at him angrily.

Yacob remained tight-lipped as he stood by silently, Mr. Elias has to tell her himself. We found a bone marrow match, but the match refused to donate. This can be heartbreaking to say.

“We’ve found a suitable bone marrow match. I’m going to talk to the donor tonight,” Elias said in a deep voice.

“What? So soon?” Amandà looked surprised and couldn’t help but laugh heartily. “You’re going to go talk to the donor later? Take me with you. Let’s go together.”

Yacob, on the side, looked up in astonishment at Elias. What is Mr. Winters doing? Taylor would never agree to donate his bone marrow. Wouldn’t telling Amanda about this only make her more hopeless once she learns about Taylor’s refusal later?

However, Elias continued saying, “I’ll go alone; you should stay here with Aiden.”

“No, I want to go with you. I want to thank the donor properly and meet him in person.” She stubbornly insisted on tagging along.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 280 You’re Not Guests, Just Two Dogs

Elias fell silent, unsure of what to say.

Yacob, who was merely an audience, grew anxious as well. If Mr. Winters is going to see Taylor tonight, he will surely be given a hard time, and even after that, it is unlikely that Taylor will agree. Amanda will witness Mr. Winters’ embarrassment if she tags along. No man would want to lose his pride in front of his woman.

At this thought, he couldn’t help but speak up, “Please don’t make things difficult for Mr. Winters, Miss Bailey. He doesn’t know the outcome of tonight’s meeting yet. You should let him handle it.”

As soon as those words were spoken, Elias bellowed, “Yacob! Shut up! No one will think you’re mute even if you don’t say anything

At this moment, Amanda was stunned. What does he mean? Wasn’t the match found in the bone marrow registry? Why would the donor refuse to donate? If he doesn’t want to donate, why would he even be in the registry database? “What are you guys talking about? Is the donor refusing to donate bone marrow? But it was found in the registry, right?” She looked confused, unable to comprehend the situation.

Yacob didn’t dare to speak anymore, and Elias spoke slowly, “You don’t have to worry. Just take care of Aiden. Leave the bone marrow matter to me. I’ll end this quickly.” With that, he turned and left, heading toward the elevator.

Meanwhile, Amanda remained rooted in place. When arm and inquired sharply, “What’s going on?”

Was about to follow Elias, she grabbed his

“It’s better if you don’t ask. Just take care of Aiden and leave the bone marrow matter to Mr. Winters, as he said. Although it’s extremely difficult-almost impossible-to get Taylor to donate his bone marrow.

Unfortunately, she tightly grabbed his arm and angrily demanded, “Tell me. What’s going on? Who is the donor? Why does he refuse to donate his bone marrow?”

He was getting annoyed by the questioning, so he simply answered, “Because the donor is Mr. Winters’ enemy. Get it now? Don’t ask any more questions, What’s the use of knowing?”

Enemy… Her eyes widened in shock. How can Elias’ enemy be a match? This is absurd.

When Yacob saw that Elias had disappeared from his sight, he wanted to leave immediately, but she forcefully held him back. “How difficult is it to persuade the person to donate his bone marrow? Does Elias. stand a chance in the negotiation tonight?” If the donor is an enemy, it’s unlikely that any amount of money would convince him to donate. How will Elias succeed in his negotiation tonight, then? How?

After a few seconds of silence, Yacob replied, “It’s harder than reaching the heavens, but Mr. Winters is willing to give it a try. I’ll go with him. My task is to protect him.”

“Take me with you tonight.”

“You…” He was starting to lose his patience. Why is she so stubborn? I already told her that the donor is Mr. Winters’ enemy, someone who wouldn’t show him respect. Does she think she will get special treatment?

Nonetheless, she looked at him sincerely and said, “Please take me with you. I’m begging you.”

He didn’t say anything further and just nodded. “I’ll text you tonight. I’ll send you the address after Mr. Winters and have arrived.”

“Thank you, Yacob.”

Then, he turned to walk down the corridor after shooting her a look.

Tears slowly streamed down Amanda’s face as she covered her mouth, trying to stifle her sobs. Why are things so difficult? None of our relatives or friends were a match. When we finally found a match in the bone marrow registry, it turned out to be Elias’ enemy. Why does God want to torment my baby like this? My baby has done nothing wrong!

In the evening, after Elias finished his work, he and Yacob arrived outside the Momsey Residence.

They waited outside for the butler to inform Taylor of their arrival. Unfortunately, they waited for a long time but the entrance never opened for them. To be honest, Taylor’s response was actually within their expectations.

Yacob couldn’t help but blurt, “Let’s go, Mr. Winters. Let’s find another bone marrow match. Taylor will never agree to this. He won’t even let us in. He hates you with every fiber of his being. There’s no chance he will agree.”

“Let’s wait a little longer. Elias was resolute since there were no other options now. This is the fastest way to save Aiden.

Yacob fell silent and waited by Elias’ side, for he understood Elias’ feelings at this moment as well.

After more than two hours, the butler finally came out and said, “Mr. Winters, please come in. Mr. Momsey has just woken up. He said you can only meet him in Pudding’s living area.”

“Who is Pudding?” Yacob asked.

The butler’s face remained stoic as he replied, “Pudding is Mr. Momsey’s pet. A Dogo Argentino.”

Elias pressed his lips tightly together at his words. This is clearly intentional.

Yacob was the one who snapped, “What? Your Mr. Momsey wants Mr. Winters to meet him in a dog’s living area? Is he a dog? Does he live with his dog every day? Can’t he leave his dog for a second? Why is he meeting his guest in a dog’s living area?” This is clearly an insult! Although there are unresolved grievances between Taylor and Mr. Winters, it wasn’t Mr. Winters fault!

The butler continued, “Mr. Momsey said that you’re not guests, just two dogs.”

“Say that again? I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Yacob was completely enraged. How dare this lowly butler be this arrogant? He needs to be taught a lesson!

When he grabbed the butler’s collar, fear finally appeared on the butler’s face. “What are you doing? Let go of me! Let go…

At this moment, Elias finally spoke, “Release him. It’s just a dog’s living area. Our purpose is to meet Taylor, not to care about these things.”

“Mr. Winters!”

“Shut up!”

Yacob had no choice but to keep his mouth shut. After he calmed down, he realized that he had indeed been impulsive. We came here to persuade Taylor to donate his bone marrow. I have to restrain my anger. Then, he followed Elias through the gate of the Momsey Residence.

The butler led them to a luxurious house. Still, it was a house specially built for Taylor’s beloved dog.

“What a show-off. Building such a house for a dog. He might as well marry his dog.” Yacob muttered under his breath.

When Elias entered the house, he saw a man sitting on the couch, playing with a Dogo Argentino.

Woof, woof, woof, woof? Suddenly, the dog named Pudding barked wildly at them. These dogs usually had a bad temper and were quite ferocious. They could bite off a chunk of flesh with one bite.

“Hey! What are you barking at?” Yacob couldn’t help but growl at the dog.

Just then, the man sitting on the couch called his pet back with just a hand gesture, and Pudding obediently returned to his side and lay down. This man was none other than Taylor Momsey, Elias’ enemy.

“You’ve already come to a dog’s living area, so why do you still want to act so tough? It seems that our Mr. Winters knows how to compromise when necessary,” Taylor taunted.

Elias wasn’t in the mood to talk nonsense with him, so he went straight to the point. “So, tell me. What conditions can make you donate your bone marrow?” Definitely not money. Although the Momsey Family’s wealth couldn’t be compared to that of the Winters Family, they definitely weren’t lacking in money.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 281 I Will Use My Way to Make You Agree

Taylor gently ran his hand through his pet’s fur with one hand. When he glanced at Elias standing there, he couldn’t help but snicker, “What conditions do you think I will propose?”

Elias remained silent, just looking at him, waiting for his next response.

Meanwhile, Yacob, who was standing on the sidelines, couldn’t restrain his anger any longer. Mr. Winters has never endured such humiliation. Back then, even when Taylor was so furious that he was going to explode, he couldn’t do anything to Mr. Winters. Note that he finally has the opportunity to do so, he will definitely torment Mr. Winters to the fullest.

“No matter what conditions you propose, as long as you say it, I can do it.” Elias’ tone was extremely firm because he knew had no way out of this,

Suddenly, Taylor’s eyes turned fierce. He sat up straight and bellowed, “What’s the use of saying these things to me now, huh? My sister has gone insane! It’s all because of you! Back then, when I begged you to save her, did you bother to listen to me? You didn’t even let me in the gate. I experienced your cold- heartedness firsthand. I’ve already given you better treatment. I let you through my gate.”

When he recalled the past, he wished he could just kill Elias right now. How could I possibly be that kind to donate my bone marrow to his son? In his dreams! I want to see him kneel before me and beg me, and even then. I won’t agree with his wishes. I want him to forever be immersed in regret and pain.

Elias lowered his gaze slightly, his expression emotionless, as he said in a deep voice, “Saying that I regret it now will only make you feel disgusted, so I don’t want to waste my breath on it. Just tell me what want me to do.”

He’s the one in need, but he still acts so arrogantly? This displeased Taylor. He suddenly stood angrily, “You’re the one in need of me now! Why are you still acting so high and mighty? Since you don’t up, roaring regret your decision back then, why are you here now? Let me make it clear to you. I won’t donate my bone marrow. I want you to suffer and experience the pain I went through. Get out! Stefan, show them the way out! After that, he turned around to leave.

At this moment, Elias called out to his retreating figure. Your sister is still in the asylum. If I say I can make her normal again, would you agree to donate your bone marrow?”

Taylor stopped in his tracks at his words but didn’t turn around.

Meanwhile, Yacob’s face showed surprise as he looked at his boss. What nonsense is he spouting? Miss Momsey has been insane for several years. How can she be cured just like that? Mr. Winters is digging a pit for himself!

“If I say I can make your sister normal again, would you agree to donate your bone marrow? Answer me,” Elias asked again.

In the next moment, Taylor abruptly turned around, took a few steps, and grabbed Elias by his collar. “Elias Winters! How dare you say such a thing to me? Have you forgotten who caused her insanity? How can you have the audacity to use this as a condition to exchange with me? Are you even human?”

Elias freed himself from Taylor’s grip, still wearing a cold expression. “Just tell me if you agree to those terms or not. At this point, I can only push forward. I need to save Aiden. There’s no turning back. I have to remain indifferent and use everyone I can to my advantage.

“Elias, you inhumane beast! At this point, you still dare to use my sister? I don’t understand what she saw in you all those years ago. She was willing to die for you, even severing ties with our family!”

The more Taylor thought about the past, the angrier he became. He had witnessed his sister’s descent into madness, all because of the man standing before him. How dare he use Rosie as a condition to make me donate my bone marrow? He’s fucking shameless!

Before Elias could say anything. Yacob, who was standing by, couldn’t bear it any longer. “Mr. Momsey, back then, your sister was the one who clung onto Mr. Winters relentlessly. Mr. Winters had repeatedly rejected her advances, but she cried, threw tantrums, and even attempted suicide by cutting her wrists or overdosing on sleeping pills. In the end, she drove herself insane. What does it have to do with Mr. Winters? How can you blame him for everything? All he did was reject her advances from start to finish. He didn’t do anything!”

Yacob couldn’t bear it anymore. Back then, Rosie Momsey was like a sticky piece of gum. Mr. Winters never agreed to be in a relationship with her, but she would go to great lengths to sabotage any woman who interacted with him. She relentlessly pursued him, only to be rejected again and again. There was even once when she threw herself into his arms, only to be forcefully shoved away. Then, she completely lost her sanity, pressuring Mr. Winters to be with her or she would die in front of him. She ultimately drove herself into madness with her extreme behavior. How can it all be blamed on Mr. Winters?

He truly couldn’t understand the Momseys for their hostility. The Momsey Family is completely unreasonable, acting like mad dogs. Instead of owning up to their own mistakes, they pushed all the responsibility onto Mr. Winters.

“Shut up! Do you have the right to speak here? Why isn’t he responsible? He clearly knew that my sister liked him, so why did he keep rejecting her?” Taylor snarled in fury.

Yacob couldn’t help but let out a cold chuckle. “He didn’t like her, so why can’t he reject her? Will you be happy if he plays with your sister’s feelings? Isn’t this responsible behavior? What if your sister was hurt by Mr. Winters and suffered emotional damage? Is that the result you want to see?”

“When my sister attempted suicide again and again, why did he choose to be indifferent? Doesn’t he know it’s a matter of life and death? If he had just comforted her a little, she would have been fine, but he pretended not to. When my sister ended up going insane, he never came to see her even once. Shouldn’t someone without humanity like him pay the price? Now that I’m a match for his son’s bone marrow, isn’t it a punishment from God for him? I won’t donate my bone marrow. I’m telling you right now that I will never do it!” Taylor emphasized once again. His tone was as apathetic as that of a doctor delivering a death notice.

All this time, Elias had been staring at him, and his gaze turned even icier when he heard those words. “If you agree to donate your bone marrow, I’ll cure your sister. If you don’t, I will use my way to make you agree.” He didn’t look at Taylor after saying that and walked straight toward the exit.

Yacob followed him, leaving Taylor standing there, utterly bewildered. Who is begging whom now? He still acts all high and mighty even at a time like this! The thing he despised most was Elias’ arrogant demeanor.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 282 I’m Elias’ Ex-Wife

Outside of the Momsey Residence, Yacob tagged behind Elias. “Mr. Elias, what are your plans now? It doesn’t seem like Taylor will help us out willingly.”

This situation was exactly what he expected. Back then, Elias had ignored Taylor when was outside the Winters Residence for hours, begging to meet him so he could save his sister. So, it was only to be expected that Taylor would spurn Elias now and refuse to donate his bone marrow.

Elias walked toward the car with a stoic expression on his face and said coldly, “I’ll do it by force, then. I could care less about everything else. All I want is for my son to be safe and healthy.”

Yacob said no more. Given his understanding of Elias’ personality, he knew that he was capable of something like that. It would be best if Taylor would give his consent to donate his bone marrow because Taylor would be forced to if he remained unwilling. However, unbeknownst to them, Amanda arrived at Taylor’s place after they had hopped into their car. Yacob had almost forgotten about her after giving her Taylor’s address. Initially, he thought she would accompany them to meet Taylor. Thus, he didn’t that she would come later.

Amanda pressed the doorbell by the large entrance, and the butler promptly came to answer the door. “Whom are you looking for, madam?”

“Uh… 1. For a moment, she didn’t know what she should say because she couldn’t simply tell him that she was here to beg Taylor for his bone marrow. On the other hand, she wondered whether Elias was still here. Maybe he’s still inside…

She cleared her throat and said, “I’m Elias Winters’ ex-wife and here to look for him. He told me that he’s here.

A knot appeared between the butler’s brows as he looked at her from head to toe. “Are you Mr. Winters” ex-wife? Mr. Winters just left a minute ago.”

“He left already?” That was quick, or maybe I came a little late.

Disappointed at the turn of events, she twirled around and wanted to leave when the butler stopped her. “Wait a minute. Let me inform Mr. Momsey. Somehow, he had a feeling that she was useful to Taylor. Hence, after Amanda waited outside the door for about ten minutes, he came trotting back. “Please come in, madam. Mr. Momsey would like to meet you.”

The person with the matching bone marrow that Yacob mentioned is probably this Mr. Momsey, she thought, her eyes lighting up with a glimmer of hope. “Great!” She wanted to meet him as well to ask him to donate his bone marrow, and hopefully, she could convince this stranger. Alas, he was an enemy of Elias. Just the thought of this made this seem like an impossible task.

The butler led her to the spot where Elias stood earlier-the same dog room. As Amanda stood there, she couldn’t help but notice dog toys and other a*sortments strewn everywhere. Is this a room made for dogs?

“Where is Mr. Momsey?” she inquired.

The butler took a look behind her. “He’s here. Right behind you.”

Slowly, she spun around and the first thing she saw was the fierce Dogo Argentino, which gave her a fright. and she jumped a couple of steps backward because she was terrified of dogs. Meanwhile, the dog barked loudly at her a few times the instant she met its gaze, and she trembled in fear.

Amused by her reaction, Taylor laughed and stroked his beloved dog. “Pudding, don’t frighten this pretty lady. Go on and play over there while I speak with her.”

Hence, the dog turned and trotted off into a different corner, and Amanda breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, her tightly wrung nerves relaxed.

Taylor took a seat on the couch, his eyes glued on the woman in front of him as he gave her a once-over. Elias wouldn’t fall for his sister, Rosie, no matter what she did but had a child with this woman. Was this the type of woman he liked? What type of woman is she? he wondered.

While he was silently judging her and trying to guess her personality, she opened her mouth and said, “Hello, Mr. Momsey. I’m Amanda Bailey.”

“Did you say that you’re Elias’ ex-wife? So, are you the mother of that child who needs a bone marrow transplant?” Taylor’s voice had a tinge of doubt because Amanda looked nothing like a mother. Instead, she looked a little childlike, more like a young girl who had just started joining the workforce.

Amanda nodded. “Yes, I’m the mother of that child. Are you the match for his bone marrow, Mr. Momsey?”,

“Yes, I’m the one, but I have no plans of donating my bone marrow.”

The smile that just appeared on her face turned stiff right away. Although she already expected this, she mustered her courage and said, “I know that there’s a personal feud between you and Elias, but the child is innocent and he’s only three years old. It isn’t easy for him to find a match and I really don’t want to miss this opportunity. I hope you’ll reconsider and donate your bone marrow. I’m begging you. No matter what conditions you come up with, I’ll agree to it. As long as you name it, I’ll get it done.”

He burst into laughter at her words. “You sure sound like his ex-wife, even the things you said are as sickening as his. You said any condition, eh? What about spending the night with me? Will you do that?”

She was rendered speechless by his daring and was certain that he was saying this on purpose to spite her. Thus, she held back the revulsion she was feeling as she said with a forced smile, “Mr. Momsey, a divorced woman like me isn’t good enough for a fine gentleman like you. Why don’t you name another condition?

“Tsk… Didn’t you just say that you’ll agree to any condition? How can you say that you’ll get anything that I said done when you can’t even do such a simple request? What are you doing? You’re the one asking me for help but expect me to compromise instead. Every word he said was filled with sarcasm and deep hatred.

“Are you serious, Mr. Momsey?”

“Of course, I am. Why don’t you tell me how you managed to seduce Elias back then that he married you. and even had a child with you? After that, why did he divorce and dump you in the end?” He was rather curious about this because he wanted to know why the heartless Elias would marry, have a child, and then divorce the woman before him.

So, she stood rooted to the spot as she answered humbly, “I didn’t seduce him. We were married upon our parents’ orders, and he didn’t want to marry me, but he couldn’t defy his grandfather, and that’s why we divorced soon afterward. After the divorce, I found out that I was pregnant. So, he didn’t know about the child.”

Taylor was almost fascinated with her story and stared at her with a straight face, sighing. “Phew… You’re a strong woman, aren’t you? All alone, you had the guts to give birth to a baby, and Elias’ child at that. Yet, the child is suffering from this illness now. Do you know what this is? It’s retribution! Why did you give birth to his child? A person like him isn’t fit to have one and this is a reminder from the universe. I think you shouldn’t waste your efforts and just let the child die. Will he be happy to be that scumbag’s child? No. he won’t, and only no end of miserable experiences aware him.”

“You shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you! Finally. Amanda couldn’t take it anymore, and it was all she could do to stop herself from ripping his mouth of

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 283 Why Did You Go to the Momsey Residence?

By now, Amanda was clear that Taylor would never donate his bone marrow and was merely making a fool out of them.

Taylor roared with laughter upon seeing her ire. “Are you mad because of this? Weren’t you willing to do anything for your child? You can’t even take this little bit of insult, so don’t talk about having motherly. love. That’s what I’d expect of a woman that Elias liked. You’re just like him-heartless and cold-blooded, all you do is pretend!” His eyes were filled with indifference, and because he hated Elias, he hated everything that had to do with that man.

“You know nothing! Have you been married? Are you a father? How can you say that we’re pretending?” Eventually, she lost all her patience as she turned around and wanted to leave.

Yet, he suddenly sprang to his feet and grabbed her shoulder. “I may not be married, and neither do I have a child, but I have family, too. I’ve seen my family suffering with my own eyes, and it’s all because of Elias! That’s why I want him to experience the pain I went through. I want him to watch in vain as his family suffers!”

she jerked her head to the despicable Taylor and glared at the man with daggers in her eyes, as though she wanted to shred him to pieces. Then, curiosity crept over her, and she started to wonder exactly what kind of feud was hatched between him and Elias. A few seconds passed by as she ferociously glared at him. before she slowly said, “Mr. Momsey, I’ll ask you one last time. You’re not going to donate your bone marrow no matter what we offer, are you?”

“That’s right. I won’t donate my bone marrow to Elias’ child. Never,” he said, making his stance clear.

All her hopes were dashed, and she didn’t intend to waste her time here. Her tears slowly streamed down her face. Then, she wiped them away and left without saying another word.

Taylor didn’t move an inch as he stared at her back, a little impressed by her guts. First of all, she dared to meet him alone. Secondly, instead of pestering him after he rejected her, she decided to seek other options instead. To be more accurate, she had successfully piqued his interest.

His eyes never left her retreating figure as he instructed his butler, Stefan, “Run a background check on Elias ex-wife.” Even if Elias didn’t want to marry her back then, it wasn’t an easy task to have Elias woman, and he needed to find out all the details.

“Okay, Mr. Momsey.”

Amanda climbed into her car with reddened eyes and received a call from the hospital after she departed from Taylor’s abode. “Where are you, Mommy? Why aren’t you here with me? I’m so bored.” In the call, Aiden sounded so sad and pitiful.

Her lips curled into a plastic smile as she faked a relaxed tone, saying, “I’m going to buy a chocolate cake for you and will be back soon. Wait for me, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy. My nose was bleeding again earlier, and the nurse helped me to stop the bleeding. I didn’t even cry. Aren’t I brave?”

Amanda’s heart fell into the pits. Was he bleeding from the nose again? What does this mean? Panic overwhelmed her as she clutched her phone tightly. “Wait for me, Aiden. I’m coming over right now,” she said and hung up before driving straight toward the hospital.

Amanda sped to the hospital and burst into the ward breathlessly, only to see that Elias was reading at storybook to Aiden. When she pushed the door open, she happened to hear Elias patiently telling Aiden. the story from the book.

Sweat broke out on her forehead as she gasped for air, and Aiden immediately saw her from the bed, exclaiming in surprise, “Where’s my cake, Mommy?”

“Uh… I’m sorry but I forgot. I’ll buy it for you tomorrow, okay?”

Elias remained seated on the chair as he kept the storybook away. The moment he caught sight of her disheveled state, he asked, “What were you doing? Did you cry?”

Aiden immediately forgot about his cake. “Why did you cry, Mommy? Why do you keep crying in the past. few days? Was someone mean to you?” To him, it didn’t seem like Elias was the one who was mean to her because he was always by his side the whole time. So, he honestly couldn’t figure out just what was bothering her.

All of a sudden, Amanda didn’t know how she should explain herself, but Yacob happened to return to the room. “Mr. Winters, that side- Right after he opened his mouth, he saw her standing before his and couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Bailey, where did you go? Mr. Winters has been looking for you.” When she remained silent, something dawned upon him, and he gaped at her in surprise. “Did you really go to the Momsey Residence? You-”

“What? You went to the Momsey Residence?!” Elias sprang to his feet, anger all over his handsome face.

Amanda shot Yacob a look with a scowl on her face, hinting at him to shut up. The latter understood her message and Elias glanced at his son on the bed. Thus, he threw Yacob a glance before leaving the ward. “Come out with me, both of you.”

“What are you guys doing. Mommy? I wanna come along, too!” On the bed, Aiden bounced upright.

“Be good and stay here. We’re going out to discuss something”

“Oh… Okay.” Therefore, he continued flipping his storybook, not even bothering to conceal the look of disappointment on his face.

Amanda and Yacob went outside the ward and found Elias standing there, danger lingering in the air around him. When he heard their footsteps, he turned around and snapped at Yacob, “Why did you tell her?” Then, he turned to Amanda and added, “Why did you go to the Momsey Residence? I told you to leave this matter to me!”

“This has nothing to do with Yacob. I was the one who forced him to tell me because I was anxious, but I didn’t know that things were that bad. Now, it looks like Mr. Momsey is never going to donate his bone. marrow. Let’s look for a new donor. I don’t want to waste my time on him, Amanda said resolutely.

Yacob hung his head without a word. He was well aware that he should keep his mouth shut right now, or else he would be caught in the crossfire.

“You don’t have to worry about that. All you have to do is stay with Aiden. I have ways to make Taylor agree to this,” Elias said and turned to Yacob. “Inform the doctor that we’ve found a suitable donor and to prepare for the transplant next month.”

“Mr. Winters, this… Taylor is obviously not going to cooperate. Do you really think that he’ll agree to your terms? What will you do if it doesn’t work out even when you force him?”



“Just do as you’re told and stop asking questions! Do you think that I don’t have enough to deal with?”

“Okay…” In the end, Yacob could only head for the doctor’s office, leaving Elias with Amanda, who saw how frustrated the former was. She unconsciously clenched the hem of her shirt in her anxiety.

He’s definitely very frustrated right now, she thought. There are a bunch of stuff to deal with at the company and he still has to care about the transplant. How many issues can a person juggle at one time? Elias had to go to work during the day and accompany Aiden in the evening. Truth be told, she was afraid that this man would break down from exhaustion.

“Are you sure you want to force Mr. Momsey’s hand? Isn’t this illegal? Your reputation will be in tatters if he brings this to the court later.” Amanda was worried that Taylor would seek revenge on Elias after the surgery if he was forced to donate his bone marrow. Considering the disturbingly unhealthy amount of resentment he already harbored for Elias, there was no doubt that his revenge would be bloody and cruel.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 284 A Story From the Past

Yacob nodded in agreement and faced Elias with a grave look on his face, waiting for him to make his decision. Alas, Elias’ mind was made. “I know what I’m doing. Both of you, please just do what you’re supposed to do and don’t cause more trouble for me if you’re really serious about saving Aiden.“

Amanda and Yacob shared a look, slipping into silence as they watched Elias returning into the ward to continue reading the storybook for Aiden.

Amanda stood outside the ward as she watched as Elias expression turned gentle in an instant. He had shifted to the role of a loving father in the blink of an eye as he patiently told a story to his son as though the person who berated them earlier wasn’t him but someone else instead.

Then, Yacob dragged her to a corner. “Amanda, you really went to the Momsey Residence! I thought that you’d leave when you found out that we weren’t there, but you actually went in after we left. This is as good as rocking the boat!”

“I… Just don’t want to miss out on this chance.” She merely wanted to give it a shot, thinking that she could convince Taylor with her charisma. Alas, judging from Taylor’s reaction, it seemed that she had underestimated how dire the situation was between Elias and Taylor.

Yacob was hopping mad. “Did you think that you could convince Taylor with your words? That’s impossible! You have no idea what kind of feud existed between Mr. Winters and him, and it was a feud that can never be reconciled. That’s utterly out of the question.”

“I think it’s about his sister. Why does he hate Elias so terribly?” A curious Amanda couldn’t figure out what could have happened that made Taylor despise Elias so badly.

Initially, Yacob didn’t want to speak about this, but seeing how reckless she was, he had no other choice but to tell her about it. Therefore, he stole a peek at Elias in the ward and said, “Let’s talk outside.”

So, she tentatively closed the ward door and followed him to the hospital garden.

In the garden, they chose a secluded corner without anyone, and Yacob started to tell her a story from the past, “I didn’t plan to bring this up, but I think it’s better for me to tell you so that you won’t keep going to the Momsey Residence and do something dumb. Once I finish telling you everything, I can rest easy knowing that you won’t do anything idiotic.”

Is it really that serious? Amanda thought, feeling a tight squeeze in her heart. In all honesty, she was still carrying a small glimmer of hope that Taylor would donate his bone marrow.

He sighed wearily as he slowly began, “This happened many years ago, and actually, it had nothing to do with Mr. Winters. It was Rosie Momsey that pushed herself off the edge.”

“Rosie Momsey? Is she Taylor Momsey’s sister?”

“Yes, she’s the one I’m talking about. Back then, this girl was courting Mr. Winters very aggressively and everyone in the circle knew about it. She was crazy about him, but he wasn’t interested in her at all. She started to pester Mr. Winters ever since they were in high school, and he had always ignored her. Later, when he went abroad for studies, she insisted on following him abroad, too.” Amanda was stunned to silence that she was so obsessed with Elias, and Yacob continued, “This girl… Even though Mr. Winters had rejected her countless times, she kept bothering him. If any ladies got into contact with him, or even spoke to him, she would make life hell for the women. In the end, no women dared to approach Mr. Winters, and it was all because of Rosie. Then, when he returned to the country after graduation, she continued with her ways and wouldn’t let him out of her sight. Once, he rejected her in public and totally embarra*sed her, hoping that she’d give up, but guess what happened after that?”

“What happened?”

“She attempted suicide by threatening to leap off a building! That woman created a really huge scene at that time, creating such a stir that it even hit the headlines. If Old Mr. Winters hadn’t suppressed the news, I think the entire country would know about it until this day.”

Amanda’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets in shock. “Suicide? Leaping off a building? So, she died because of that?”

Yacob waved his hand. “Let me finish. This was considered the first time she made such a big scene and Taylor came looking for Mr. Winters to help resolve the situation. Because it concerned a life, he went and saved her. After that, things should have cooled down and she should have given up, but she didn’t and kept bugging Mr. Winters. She wanted nothing but to be his wife and used all sorts of means, even going as far as spiking him. Do you think this is love? This is purely an obsession.”

“It is truly messed up, but then what? What happened afterward?” She couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Rosie and why Taylor hated Elias with every fiber of her being.

“After? After that, Mr. Winters kept rejecting her nonstop, and finally, he couldn’t tolerate her anymore when she stole his dirty laundry and slapped him. Then, she started crying and making a scene again. threatening to kill herself. But this time, she didn’t jump off a building and chose to take sleeping pills instead.”

Amanda balled her hands into fists in astonishment and thought. This girl is really tough on herself.

“She finished a bottle of sleeping pills and almost lost her life from it. After she was sent to the hospital, she was under emergency treatment for a few days and finally managed to stay alive. Unfortunately, her mind snapped after that incident. And now, she’s completely mad and locked up in a mental hospital.”

Now that Amanda was aware of the full story, all she could think was that Rosie was a perverted person. who lost her mind due to her decisions. “So, Taylor hates Elias because of this?”

“Yeah. When Rosie was taking the pills, she threatened her family to get Mr. Winters to see her. If they didn’t, she would finish the entire bottle. So, Taylor went to look for Mr. Winters again, but Mr. Winters was truly annoyed because he was already overwhelmed with work after taking over the company and didn’t have the time to waste on comforting Rosie. Hence, he didn’t even let Taylor into the house at that time. Taylor waited outside the house in vain for hours, begging him to save Rosie, and still, Mr. Winters didn’t agree to meet her. In the end, she kept to her word and finished the pills. She almost died from her actions and ended up losing her mind. Of course, Taylor bears a grudge against Mr. Winters for this.”

Finally, she understood the situation. “In other words, if Elias had agreed to meet Rosie that time, there is a chance that she wouldn’t have taken the pills and become as mad as a hatter.

“She definitely wouldn’t have taken the pills because that was just her means to threaten Mr. Winters to meet her. It’s an old trick of hers, always playing the pitiful card. On the other hand, Mr. Winters couldn’t possibly allow himself to be threatened by her his whole life, could he? He doesn’t even like her. Why would he spend any time on her? Furthermore, if that continued, he would be wrapped around her little finger.” Yacob himself couldn’t help but grit his teeth in frustration when he recalled Rosie’s face and everything she did.

Amanda nodded in agreement, imagining that Elias was most definitely thoroughly annoyed at that time because a woman he didn’t like pestered him to that point.

When she fell silent in her contemplation, Yacob sighed helplessly. “Now you know everything. Taylor’s sister lost her mind because of Mr. Winters and Taylor had always been a very protective elder brother. There’s no way that he would donate his bone marrow to Mr. Winters’ son. You can forget about such a notion.”

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

If you are following this story please join and comment. It will be nice having sharing opinion about the story so far.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 285 Potential Worsening

“That doesn’t mean we can allow Elias to act aggressively. It’s illegal, and if Taylor decides to press charges against him, he could end up in jail. In that case, Elias’ whole life will be ruined.” Amanda immediately. expressed the seriousness of the situation, which would destroy Elias’ entire life.

Yacob fell silent. He certainly knew that, but he couldn’t dissuade Elias either.

Amanda continued, “So, we should quickly search for a new bone marrow donor. We can’t let Elias resort to extreme measures that would harm others and himself!”

“But… Where do we even begin to find a suitable donor in such a short time? You should know that both the Allegras and the Winterses have mobilized all their relatives and friends for compatibility tests, but none of them turned out to be a match. Who would have thought that in the end, Mr. Winters’ enemy. Taylor, would be the one with a successful match?”

Yacob disagreed with Elias” approach, but he also had to acknowledge the difficulty in finding a suitable bone marrow donor.

Amanda lowered her gaze, bit her lip, and made up her mind. She continued, “I know it’s difficult, but we will eventually find one. Even if Elias’ method leads to Aiden’s recovery, he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Will Aiden really be happy when he grows up? We shouldn’t be so extreme. There will definitely be a suitable donor. I believe so!”

Yacob remained silent, not because he believed Amanda’s words, but because he felt that speaking further would be futile. After all, he couldn’t stop Elias.

In the evening. Amanda stayed with her son, engaging in their usual bedtime routine of storytelling.

“Mommy, the story you told wasn’t interesting at all. Daddy tells more exciting stories.”

“Really? What story did Daddy tell you?” She used to be the one telling these stories, so she wondered why the baby no longer enjoyed them. Could it be that he has grown up?

Aiden wore a mysterious expression as he covered his mouth with his tiny hands and whispered into Amanda’s ear, “Daddy tells scary stories about ghosts. He even said that if children don’t sleep after hearing those stories, ghosts will come and take them away.”

She thought in the silence, Why would this man tell such things to a child?

“Aiden, it’s time to take your medicine. We’ll go to bed soon, and the nurse will come for a check-up.” Amanda took out the pills and a cup of water while gently coaxing the baby to take the medicine.

“Mommy, I don’t want to take these medicines. They taste so bitter. When can we go home? When will I finish the homework given by my teacher?”

Aiden had only been in the hospital for two days, yet impatience had already begun to set in. Throughout these two days, not only did he resist taking the medicines properly, but he also spat them out secretly.

Amanda didn’t want to deceive her baby or give false hope about when they could return home, so she said, “I don’t know either, baby. We’re waiting for an update. Can you be a good boy and take the medicine?”

“Mommy, I’m not even sick. Why do I have to take medicine? I don’t want to… Aiden pushed away the offered pills with a disgusted look.

The medicines were undeniably quite bitter. Even adults found them unpleasant, let alone children. Alas, there was no other choice…

“Aiden, do it for Mommy’s sake. It’s good for your health and can help you grow tall, just like Daddy.”

Aiden became slightly intrigued, but a hint of doubt lingered in his eyes. “Really? Can I grow as tall as Daddy?”

“Of course! When has Mommy ever lied to you?” Amanda showed a sincere smile.

Aiden snorted, “Mommy always lies to me.”

Nonetheless, he had a strong desire to grow as tall as Elias, so he grabbed all the pills and swallowed them with several sips of water.

Amanda couldn’t help but smile at how obedient her baby truly was; every day at the hospital, she witnessed the heart-wrenching scenes of critically ill children crying and resisting treatment, even refusing to take their prescribed medications.

Her only wish now was to swiftly find a suitable bone marrow donor for her baby’s transplant and be discharged as soon as possible. It was evident to her that Aiden genuinely disliked staying in the hospital.

Just as Amanda placed the cup down, Aiden regurgitated all the ingested pills right at the next moment, accompanied by a significant amount of blood…

Blood! A horrifying sight of blood!

Amanda was left stunned for a full three seconds, until she heard her baby cry out, asking, “Mommy, I’m vomiting blood. Why…”

Why? Right! Why is this happening?

Amanda finally snapped out of her trance and cradled Aiden. “There, there, don’t cry, Mommy is here. It’s alright, don’t be scared…”

He clung tightly to Amanda’s body, frightened by the red liquid that emerged from his own mouth; he couldn’t comprehend why he was vomiting blood.

While Amanda comforted her son, she pressed the call button and within less than a minute, a nurse rushed into the room. “What happened? Is something wrong?”

Tears streamed down Amanda’s face as she tightly held her child, pleading, “Please help me examine why he’s vomiting blood. He just took the medicine, and then he vomited it along with blood. What’s going on?”

“Give me a moment. I’ll call the doctor.”

Amanda’s tears rolled down her cheeks as she cradled her baby close. Her heart was on the verge of shattering as she noticed the bloodstains around his tiny mouth.

After the nurse contacted the doctor, they examined the situation and comforted the crying child. Sometime later, he cried himself into slumber, perhaps due to the incomprehension of his condition or perhaps due to his waning strength day by day.

Amanda accompanied the doctor to the corridor and asked with anxiety etched on her face, “Doctor, what’s happening?”

“This illness has a sudden and severe onset. It’s progressing rapidly. That’s why I suggested a prompt bone marrow transplant. It’s evident that the child’s condition is advancing rapidly, and it may worsen. You have to remain vigilant to prevent further harm, as controlling the bleeding will be challenging.”

The doctor continued speaking, but Amanda seemed to have gone deaf at that moment; all she registered were the doctor’s words of potential worsening- worsening…

Those words weighed heavily on her heart, making it difficult to breathe like she was being suffocated.

After the doctor departed, Amanda returned to the hospital room alone. As she gazed at her slumbering baby, she stifled her sobs with a hand over her mouth. Yet, the tears persisted as she wondered just what other suffering her baby would endure if the situation worsened.

A prompt bone marrow transplant was imperative, but Taylor would never willingly donate his bone marrow. Not to mention, finding a new suitable donor would require time. Does my baby have to continue enduring such agony during our bitter search for a donor?

As these thoughts plagued her, she felt her heart being torn apart. This baby was the result of enduring ten months of excruciating pain. How could it not hurt her? If she could, she would willingly bear all the suffering in place of her baby.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 286 Meeting Taylor in the Lift

Amanda stayed at Aiden’s side throughout the entire night, never leaving even for a moment till dawn.

She was so exhausted in the middle of the night that she eventually fell asleep in front of the bed. Nevertheless, she continued to grasp her son’s tiny hand in fear that she might miss any changes in his condition.

In the morning, Elias arrived at the hospital and witnessed this scene. He sighed softly as he took off his coat gently, trying not to make any sound, then draped the coat over Amanda’s shoulders.

He had no intention of waking her. Alas, she suddenly opened her eyes after being awakened by the unexpected warmth on her shoulder. Then, her gaze first fell upon her baby who was sleeping soundly in the hospital bed.

She later turned her head and saw Elias and the coat she was wearing, finally letting out a sigh of relief.

“Why did you come in the morning? Don’t you usually come at night?” Amanda took off the coat, stood up slowly, and asked in a low voice.

Elias also lowered his voice, saying, “I cleared my schedule for the day and wanted to come here to accompany him. How is he? Is he okay sleeping here?”

As Amanda recalled the events of the previous night, she still carried a lingering fear in her heart. So, she didn’t reply. Instead, she remained silent as she stood beside the bed and gazed at her son, while tears slowly welled up in her eyes.

Elias immediately noticed that something was amiss as he furrowed his brows and pressed for answers. “What happened? Did something occur?”

“Last night, Aiden vomited blood when he took his medicine. The doctor said that his condition may worsen.” Her voice choked with sobs, as if she could burst into tears at any moment.

Vomited blood!? Elias dark eyes were instantly filled with shock as he gazed at Amanda for what felt like an eternity; his fists tightly clenched by his sides.

“The doctor stressed the urgency of a bone marrow transplant, but finding a suitable donor is really challenging, Tears continued to cascade down her face as she continued.

Elias” gaze shifted towards his son. No wonder he looked so pale. I’d already sensed something was amiss when I arrived.

Time stretched on before he finally spoke, “Why didn’t you call me?”

“At that moment, everything was so rushed that I couldn’t find the time. Later, the baby cried and insisted. on being held until he fell asleep, so I stayed with him.

He stood beside the hospital bed for a while, then leaned down to gently plant a kiss on his son’s forehead before carefully tucking him in. “I have an urgent matter to attend to. Stay here with Aiden, and if anything changes, don’t hesitate to call me immediately.”

Amanda inquired, “Didn’t you clear your schedule for the entire day to be with him? Why now?” are you leaving

Elias preferred not to disclose his plans, so he simply replied, “An unexpected situation has arisen. I’ll return as soon as I’m finished.”

With that, he turned and made his way toward the exit of the hospital room.

Suddenly, Amanda called out to him, “Elias.”

He halted his steps and turned back to face her, waiting for her to continue.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Amanda finally said, “We can consider other options. Let’s not pursue Taylor any longer, and let’s not force him.”

Elias remained silent and simply said, “Stay with the child. Never leave his side for even a moment. He needs you now,”

Then, he merely turned on his heels and exited the hospital room, leaving behind the echo of the closing door that woke the peacefully sleeping child. He tearfully called out, “Mommy..

Amanda swiftly approached the bed and cradled the baby in her arms, saying in a soothing tone, “Mommy is here. What’s the matter? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Or, do you want some water?”

The little one shook his head and sought solace by burying her head in Amanda’s embrace, promptly drifting back to sleep.

Since last night’s episode of blood vomiting, Amanda noticed that her baby had become increasingly anxious, causing him to crave a sense of security that could only be fulfilled by being held. She gazed at her baby in her arms; her heart breaking as she could do nothing but witness his suffering.

In the afternoon, Aiden insisted on having a chocolate cake, so Amanda had to request Selina to stay with him in the hospital room while she went to purchase the cake.

Ding! The elevator doors opened gradually. As Amanda stepped inside, she found herself in the company of an unexpected individual, someone she both dreaded and yearned to see.

Taylor, appearing somewhat drowsy, stood inside the elevator with a genuinely surprised expression upon. spotting Amanda. He wore a teasing smile as he remarked, “Well, well, what a coincidence to find you in this hospital.”

Amanda paid him no mind, only standing in a corner of the elevator as she awaited her arrival at the desired floor.

“I’m speaking to you. Why are you ignoring me? Has the cat got your tongue? I thought you were a lawyer. Shouldn’t you be quite the talkative type?” Taylor commented casually.

Still, Amanda refused to acknowledge him. She longed to seize this man and compel him to donate bone marrow for Aiden, but it was an impossible desire. The haunting image of her baby vomiting blood last night shattered her heart and there stood a solution right before her, yet it was far from her grasp. Nobody could fathom such an overwhelming sense of resignation.

Taylor intentionally ordered his butler to investigate Amanda’s background and uncover her unfortunate past-a gambling addict for a father, a deceased mother, and a childhood spent in poverty. Tsk tsk… how pitiable.

Unfortunately, he had yet to discover Amanda’s true identity. Once he uncovered her authentic background, he would no longer view her as pitiful.

He still couldn’t fathom how Elias had fallen into the clutches of this

she possessed captivating beauty and a distinct temperament. She was cool man. Is it because of her beauty? Sure, pure. Nonetheless, in this world, there are countless beautiful women. Especially for someone of Elias status and position, he should have encountered countless of them throughout his entire life.

Why is the elevator so slow? It stopped several times along the way, as the hospital was naturally crowded. Yet, as they ascended and descended, they ended up being the only two people left in the elevator.

Taylor continued to scrutinize Amanda, making her uncomfortable under his gaze. Finally, she mustered the courage to speak, “Mr. Momscy, could you please stop staring at me? It’s rude.”

Taylor snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing her voice. “What’s rude about it? This world isn’t just about you. Why can’t I look? I simply want to discover where your charm lies and why Elias succumbed to you.”

“Has he truly succumbed to me? Then, why did we get divorced?” Amanda retorted with an icy expression.

Taylor chuckled. “Isn’t he really concerned about your child now? You have to understand that a man has to first have affection for the woman before he can develop a fondness for the child she bears.”

“What nonsense. The child is his own flesh and blood. Of course, he cares. After all, it is the Winters Family’s lineage.

Taylor clicked his tongue. “It appears you still don’t understand Elias’ character. He is not a man who can be restrained by societal norms. If he doesn’t like a woman, he wouldn’t let her conceive or give birth to a child, let alone allow the child to survive until now.”

Amanda remained silent, too fatigued to engage in an argument.

Finally, the elevator arrived, and the doors slid open, followed by Amanda walking out without casting at glance back at Taylor.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 287 This Woman Is Really Fearless!

As for Taylor, he nonchalantly followed Amanda. “How’s your son? His condition is getting critical, isn’t it? How much time does he have left before he dies? I can attend his funeral if I’m free.”

Amanda abruptly turned around and slapped Taylor without hesitation after she heard him talk about her son’s death. The loud slap resounded through the hall, causing the passersby to stop and look at them.

Despite the hard slap, Taylor burst out laughing. He caressed his cheek that had just gotten slapped and looked at the enraged Amanda. “Your son is still alive, yet you are already so furious. What if he actually dies? Are you saying that you will die with him?”

This guy is scum! How is it that every word spoken by him sounds like a knife to my heart!? Amanda, once again, raised her arm. This time, she wanted to slap the other side of Taylor’s checks.

To her surprise, Taylor grabbed hold of her hand. “That’s enough. Do you honestly think I will just stand here and let you slap me as you wish? Who do you think you are? You are merely a woman who wished to claim ties with Elias but got abandoned by him. Not to mention, you had to raise your child alone so piteously.”

She withdrew her arm and glared at the man in front of her. “Who do you think you are, then? You are nothing but a lowlife who can’t even protect your own sister and only knows how to persistently demand. Elias take responsibility for what happened. What have you done to help your sister? What right do you have to ridicule me? At least, I have never harassed you to donate your bone marrow for my son. What about you, huh?!”

“What about me? Damn it! Fucking make yourself clear! Amanda’s words hit right at Taylor’s vulnerable spot, successfully infuriating him.

He was right about one thing. She was a lawyer, so naturally, she was more than qualified in dissing people.

Amanda sneered, disdain written all over her face as she added, “You dare ask me what about you? Elias. doesn’t fancy your sister. He doesn’t give a damn about her. In fact, he isn’t even interested in toying with” her. Yet, here you are, constantly begging him to save your sister. What? Is he obligated to do so? That’s your sister, not his. So, why do you blame him for all your grievances after something happened to your sister? What were you doing when your sister swallowed the sleeping pills? Why didn’t you stop her?”

Every word that escaped Amanda’s lips caused Taylor’s anger to intensify. Finally, he erupted and roared, “Shut the fuck up! What do you know?! What makes you think you have the right to spew such things?!”

“Then, what makes you think you have the right to curse my son?! What did my son do? Is he in the wrong just because he is Elias’ son? What does your enmity with Elias have to do with my son? You are a grown man, yet you don’t even have the slightest sense. You are just as worthless as a piece of trash.”

After that, Amanda turned around and left the hospital without sparing him a glance. Only Taylor was left standing there looking furious as he received a peculiar look from the passersby. Ha! This woman is really fearless! Excellent! Truly excellent! Just wait! I will make her come crying and begging me to forgive her!

In the meantime, an elderly passerby was staring at him as if he was looking at a freak. Taylor sensed this as he yelled at the elder, “What the hell are you looking at?! Fuck off!”

With that, the elder cursed under his breath before leaving the scene.

Taylor clenched his fists tightly, wishing so badly that he could strangle Amanda to death.

Meanwhile, Aiden and Selina were playing with toy bricks in the ward. Aiden looked so happy that it was as though he had forgotten that he was hospitalized. Such was the scene Amanda stumbled upon after returning from buying a cake. She unconsciously smiled along when she saw how happy Aiden was. Then, she sat on the couch on the side and quietly watched as Aiden played with Selina.

Amanda sat there for a long while when suddenly, a nurse came and knocked on the door. When Amanda went to open the door, the nurse said, “Are you Aiden Bailey’s family members? Dr. Smith is asking for you in his office. He has something to tell you.”

“What is it?” Amanda involuntarily tensed up. Don’t tell me it’s bad news again. In truth, Amanda’s nerves were strung taut during her stay in the hospital these few days. She feared the doctor would tell her more bad news regarding Aiden’s condition in the next second.

Unfortunately, the nurse didn’t enlighten her as she simply turned around and left.

Amanda stood still, but her heart couldn’t help but start pounding against her ribcage. She was on tenterhooks as she arrived at Christopher’s office. Christopher, who was filling out the medical records, saw her and beckoned, “Please take a seat, Miss Bailey.”

“Dr. Smith, is there something wrong with my son? What is it that you want to tell me?” Although Amanda feared the answer she would be receiving, she still had to know just why Christopher was looking for her.

Christopher placed the medical record in his hands down as he smiled and explained, “Calm down. I’m looking for you this time because I have some good news to share with you. We have found another suitable bone marrow match for Aiden from the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program’s list of donors. Moreover, this donor is quite young. Hence, we can arrange Aiden’s bone marrow transplant procedure as soon as possible.”

Amanda widened her eyes in shock. She was so stunned and didn’t know how to react for a moment. She wanted to burst into tears and laughter at the same time. I can’t believe the hospital managed to find another suitable bone marrow match for Aiden!

“I-Is this true? Can you tell me the identity of this donor? I want to thank them in person.” Amanda was so exhilarated that she started to stammer a little.

“I’m afraid I can’t. We don’t know the donor’s information as well. It is the rule and the donor’s privacy. Plus, the donor has requested to be anonymous. So.. I can’t help you with this. In addition, the donor doesn’t want a reward.”

Amanda had no idea how to describe her current mood. It was as if a bright light suddenly shone upon her, who was in an abyss. That light shone her way straight to heaven and even the usually blue sky seemed particularly special today.

Amanda couldn’t help but burst out into chuckles while she headed back to Aiden’s ward. Every cloud has a silver lining, indeed. Finally, there is hope! The doctor has found a matching bone marrow. Baby is saved!

She took out her phone and called Elias. Soon, the call went through, and Elias’ low-toned voice sounded, “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Aiden?”

“No, no. Everything is fine. Dr. Smith called me to his office just now. He told me they had searched through the list of donors in the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program and found a suitable bone marrow match. What’s more, the donor is willing to donate for free! This is such great news! We can proceed with

Aiden’s bone marrow transplant procedure without delay!”

Amanda excitedly gripped her phone tightly, unable to suppress her joy. As for Elias, he was the opposite. Not only was he not as happy as Amanda, but he also raised another question. “Do you know any information regarding the donor?”

“No, I don’t. Dr. Smith said that the donor doesn’t want to expose their privacy and has requested to remain anonymous.”

“Okay, I understand. I will drop by the hospital after settling all affairs. Just stay with Aiden in the hospital and don’t go anywhere.”

“Okay,” Amanda hummed.

Regardless, she felt that there was something a bit off with Elias’ emotions after she ended the call. We have finally found a suitable bone marrow match for Aiden, but tohy isn’t Elias feeling even the slightest joy? Instead, he is somewhat oddly indifferent. Come to think of it, what exactly is he so preoccupied with?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 288 A Bolt From the Blue

At the same time, Elias, who was on the other side, fell silent as he stared and listened to the beeping. sound coming from the phone. How is it that the hospital manages to so coincidentally find a matching bone marrow for Aiden at such a moment? Are we truly this lucky?

Elias turned his attention to Yacob, who was standing beside him, and instructed, “I want you to go and look up the donor’s information. At the same time, ask the hospital to arrange the bone marrow transplant. with the least delay.”

“Yes, Mr. Winters. Yacob swiftly acquiesced, turned around, and left.

Even though Elias wasn’t quite convinced that the hospital could find a suitable bone marrow match in such a short time, he also didn’t want to give up such a good opportunity at the same time.

Amanda accompanied Aiden in the hospital throughout the whole evening.

When the sky turned dark, Jack and Edith dropped by the hospital to visit Aiden. In truth, they had been wanting to visit Aiden in the hospital. However, they dared not to as they feared that they couldn’t help but shed tears of sadness in front of the little guy. Eventually, they decided to momentarily drop by and check on Aiden while he was asleep that late evening. Just as they expected, Aiden was asleep when they entered the ward. Still, Jack and Edith couldn’t hold back their tears upon seeing the slumbering Aiden.

“Aiden is still so young. How can he endure such pain?” Edith covered her mouth to prevent herself from crying out loud, for fear of waking Aiden up. Meanwhile, Jack kept sighing from the side, reluctant to let go of Aiden’s tiny hand.

“Don’t worry. Today, the doctor told me that they had found a new match. Baby can undergo a bone marrow transplant soon. He will recover in no time. An irrepressible smile formed at the corner of Amanda’s mouth as she shared this news with Jack and Edith.

The couple seemed to have instantly revived when they heard the good news. Jack was stunned for a few seconds before bursting out with laughter of happiness. Is this true? In that case, I have to express my utmost gratitude toward this donor. Money isn’t a problem. The most important thing is that they must proceed with my grandson’s bone marrow transplant procedure.”

Likewise, Edith wiped away her tears and echoed with a smile. “That’s right. They need to proceed with Aiden’s bone marrow transplant procedure. Aiden is so young. It pains me to see him suffer so terribly. Ask the hospital to quickly arrange the procedure before problems are incurred by a delay.”

With that, Amanda hummed, “I’ve already discussed with the doctor to arrange the surgical procedure as soon as possible.”

Jack and Edith didn’t want to disturb Aiden’s rest, so they left the ward shortly after. Nonetheless, the couple regarded their short visit to the hospital as worthwhile after receiving the good news. Finally, they, too, could breathe a sigh of relief now that the hospital had found a suitable bone marrow match for Aiden.

Elias arrived at the hospital slightly past 11.00PM. He even helped Amanda bring supper, for he knew she certainly didn’t have a good sleep and proper meal from having to look after Aiden. I’ve brought you. supper. Here, have some. Otherwise, who will take care of Aiden if you fall sick?”

As she watched Elias place the packed supper on the coffee table, she smiled slightly before walking over. “Alright.”

Elias went to Aiden’s hospital bed as he glanced at his sleeping son and caressed his face gently. The indifference in his eyes instantly turned slightly warmer. Indeed, Elias, who treated outsiders apathetically the whole time, only reserved all his love for Amanda and Aiden.

“According to the doctor, Baby can undergo the bone marrow transplant at the end of this month, and they will have to help him prepare for the surgery these days. They mentioned something about injections, but I have no medical background, so I don’t quite understand these medical terms. Anyway, they will arrange the bone marrow transplant procedure soon.” Amanda couldn’t help beaming with joy whenever she brought up this good news.

On the contrary, Elias remained silent. After a while, he sat beside Amanda and gradually said, “Don’t get too carried away just yet. Let me look up the donor’s information.”

Amanda, who was picking up her cutlery, paused for a second. Her smile froze at the corner of her lips as she looked up at Elias and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Perhaps, I’m merely paranoid. But… It will make me feel more at ease if we look up the donor’s background.”

“You’re probably overthinking things. The hospital found this donor from the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program’s list. There is no way Taylor can tamper with it. Amanda felt that Elias was being a little oversensitive.

Still, Elias furrowed his brows tightly. “Maybe.”

After a while, Yacob called. He probably had found out the donor’s information.

Elias answered the phone with a solemn expression on his face, “Tell me, what have you found?”

Amanda, who stood aside, involuntarily turned stiff as she listened to the conversation quietly. As the ward was too silent to the point that even the sound of a needle dropping to the ground could be heard, she could hear everything clearly.

On the other end of the phone, Yacob reported, “Mr. Winters, I have found out that the donor is a woman. around 24 years old and a normal office worker.

Elias finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Yacob’s words. It seems that the hospital has indeed found a suitable bone marrow match for Aiden.

Next to him, Amanda also slightly eased up her tense nerves after she heard what Yacob reported. Then, she couldn’t help smiling. “Told you! It’s you who overthinks. There are numerous donors in the Corynthea Marrow Donor Program’s list, so there’s bound to have one that matches Aiden’s.”

“In that case, ask the hospital not to wait any longer and arrange the bone marrow transplant procedure as soon as possible. Similar to Edith, Elias feared that there would be a chance of complications arising from their undue delay. Furthermore, he was afraid that the donor would have a sudden change of mind. After all, such events did occur to some patients before.

“Okay,” Amanda hummed.

Thus, the hospital was preparing for the surgical procedure the following week.

Everyone was looking forward to the day of the surgery. Although Aiden was very uncooperative, he would still obediently take his medicine and injections under Amanda’s coax.

Finally, it was the day before the surgery. Everything was all set, and all that was left was tomorrow’s surgical procedure. Amanda was truly glad that she could finally tell Aiden they could go home soon.

“Mommy, are we really going home soon? I really want to go home. I don’t like staying here!”

“Yeah. We can go home soon.” Amanda wished that tomorrow could arrive quickly, and Aiden could get his bone marrow transplant so badly.

Just then, a nurse came to the ward and said, “Aiden Bailey’s family members? Dr. Smith is asking for you.”

“Coming” Amanda didn’t give it much thought. She turned to look at Aiden and said, “Baby, stay here and wait for me, okay? I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

“Okay.”

Since there wasn’t a single sign of impending doom, Amanda thought Christopher wanted to brief her on some things that she needed to watch out for Aiden’s surgery. “Dr. Smith, are you looking for me?” she knocked on the door and asked. Christopher was in the midst of looking up some information when he heard the knock on the door. He turned around and beckoned, “Oh, yes. Please take a seat, Miss Bailey. I have something I want to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s uh… I know Aiden will undergo his bone marrow transplant tomorrow, but the donor has a sudden change of mind and refuses to donate no matter what

At once, the smile on Amanda’s face froze, and her heart instantly sank to the bottom. Sure enough, this news came like a bolt from the blue. How can this be!?

“What’s going on? Is it because it’s for free? Tell the donor we will pay them. Money really isn’t a problem.”

Christopher shook his head upon hearing that. “No, no, It’s not because of money. It’s because the donor’s family refuses to give their consent. Anyway, the donor did leave a phone number and an address, saying that she will donate her bone marrow if you can convince her family.”

After that, Christopher handed Amanda a piece of paper with a phone number and an address written on it.

“It says here, St. Helen. This donor lives in a sanatorium?” Amanda had a puzzled look on her face.

“According to the donor, her family lives there. Miss Bailey, this is a golden opportunity. If possible, please try to convince the donor’s family. That way, we can proceed with tomorrow’s surgery without any problems, Christopher elaborated earnestly.

"I will go there right away.” Amanda took the paper, turned around, and left Christopher’s office. When she noticed that the sky was about to turn dark soon, she decided not to delay even a second. In fact, she had no time to call Elias and relay this to him.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 289 I’m Giving You a Chance Now

Amanda followed the given instructions and drove to St. Helen. The moment she entered the premises of the rehabilitation center, an overwhelming sense of ecriness washed over her. There was an inexplicable strangeness in the air, creating a chilling atmosphere that seemed to envelop her. Goosebumps formed on her arms as she stepped out of the car and gazed at the center before her. She lightly touched her arms, attempting to soothe the prickling sensation.

She couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched from somewhere for some unknown reason. Yet, she couldn’t find anything suspicious when she glanced around warily. She retrieved her phone from her pocket and dialed the number written on the slip of paper. After a few rings, the call finally connected.

A soft. gentle voice greeted her on the other end, “Hello.”

“Hello, are you the bone marrow donor? I’ve arrived at the rehabilitation center. Can we meet?”

There was a brief pause before the woman on the phone responded, “Come to the third floor of the inpatient department. I’ll be waiting for you in the corridor.”

Amanda couldn’t help but find the situation even more peculiar after ending the call. The woman’s calm demeanor seemed detached as if she bore no concern for the matter at hand.

Meanwhile, a woman standing in the hospital corridor handed her phone to the man next to her. I've followed your instructions and made the call.”

The tall man stood before the window, observing Amanda, who was standing near her car in the distance. Her delicate silhouette exuded fragility. He released a kind of laughter filled with malicious glee as he remarked, “Very well, it’s none of your concern anymore. Carry on with your business.”

Amanda reached the deserted third floor of the inpatient department. As she passed by the wards, the sounds of heart-wrenching cries echoed through the air. She took a step back, feeling startled. This place was called a rehabilitation center, but it was nothing more than an asylum. Then, she caught sight of a man’s silhouette at the far end of the corridor. The dim lighting obscured his features, but she could see that he stood sideways, gazing out of the window toward the rehabilitation center, as though he was anticipating her arrival.

Why was there a man? The person who called her earlier was clearly a woman.

She hesitated and felt reluctant to approach, but she couldn’t afford to give up now, not when the bone marrow transplant was scheduled for the following day.

Hence, she summoned her courage and cautiously made her way toward the man. Before she could utter a word, he turned around, revealing his true identity. In an instant, her eyes widened in shock, and she remained unable to regain her composure for quite some time. It was Taylor! A sense of unease washed over her. Could it be… She dared not delve further into her thoughts.

He wore a satisfied smirk, clearly pleased by her astonishment, and chuckled. “Surprised to see me? Don’t doubt yourself. Your guess was right. I am the bone marrow donor.”

Him again!

Anger surged through her, reaching its peak. She marched up to him, unable to contain her frustration any longer, and delivered a resounding slap right across his face. “Are you out of your mind?! Playing with people’s emotions repeatedly! What do you truly want?”

Taylor rubbed the spot on his face where she had slapped him, his laughter growing more audacious. “Well, all I wanted was to witness your downfall. But this time, it’s not me who’s a match for your son. It’s Rosie. Isn’t it ironic? The Winterses and Allegras searched high and low for a matching donor, yet both my sister and I turned out to be a match.”

Amanda’s eyes widened, her balance wavering. How could this be? She couldn’t fathom how things had taken such a horrific turn. The Winterses and Allegras had exhausted every avenue in their search, but these siblings were perfect matches!

He reveled in the satisfaction of watching her spiral into a mental breakdown. “Go on, persuade me. Wasn’t that what you wanted? To convince the donor’s family? If you can persuade me, I’ll let my sister
donate the bone marrow. Come on.”

His mocking tone trampled over her, relentless in its assault. She clenched her fists, trembling uncontrollably. She bit her lower lip and came close to drawing blood. She knew he wouldn’t donate the bone marrow for Aiden, and he wouldn’t allow Rosie to do so either.

She struggled to hold back her tears and turned to walk away, but he grabbed her, pulling her toward one of the rooms. “Do you see that? That’s how my sister is right now. Don’t try to tell me that Elias isn’t to blame. If that’s the case, why should we care whether your child lives or dies? It’s not our responsibility to donate our bone marrow.”

Amanda glanced through the glass on the door and saw a disturbed girl inside, oscillating between crying and laughing. The girl incessantly uttered Elias’ name, as if bound by an unbreakable curse.

Taylor lowered his gaze, observing her side profile. “I’ll give you a chance now. I can donate bone marrow, but I have one condition.”

Amanda swiftly snapped her head toward him upon hearing his words, locking eyes with him. He was momentarily stunned, as it was the first time he had seen her eyes up close. He couldn’t help but admit that they were remarkably beautiful-bright, clear, and imbued with a hint of innocence and a touch of naivety. Anyone who gazed at them for too long would unintentionally be ensnared by her spell.

She didn’t waste a moment and demanded, “What’s the condition?”

Before he could respond, she quickly added. “If it’s something like sleeping with you, forget it. I won’t do it, and it’s absolutely disgusting.” She was about to turn and walk away, but he tightly gripped her wrist. “Take care of my sister for the next ten days, starting today. If you do, I’ll donate bone marrow to your son. Also, during this time, you’re not allowed to contact Elias or anyone else.”

“Just like that?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Did this scumbag suddenly have a change of heart? She couldn’t fathom that the only condition was to care for Rosie for ten days in exchange for him donating his bone marrow to Aiden..

“That’s all. Still, I highly doubt you’ll be able to endure these ten days,” he remarked in a snarky manner. Amanda was not aware of how severe condition his sister’s condition was.

She scoffed. “If I agree, will you honor your word?”

“Of course, I’ll honor it.”

“It’s a shame that I don’t trust you at all.” She had no trust in Taylor whatsoever. Hence, she freed herself from his grip and was prepared to leave. After all, how could someone who despised Elias so easily offer his bone marrow for Aiden just like that?

This time, he made no effort to stop her from leaving. Instead, he casually slipped his hands into his pockets and spoke from behind her, “Whatever. If you want to leave, go ahead. But remember, you finally found a suitable bone marrow match. It won’t be so easy to find another one. By the time you find another match, your son could be critically ill, teetering on the edge of death. There is even a high chance that the transplant might not be effective anymore. Do the math yourself.”

Her steps gradually faltered upon hearing his words. Her back tensed, and she hesitated. It truly was a daunting task to find a suitable bone marrow match. Moreover, Baby’s condition was visibly deteriorating, and if she couldn’t find another match in time, what would she do?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 290 She Didn’t Dare Risk Her Child’s Life

At the sight of her hesitation, Taylor spoke again. “Please consider it carefully. The clock is ticking, so I don’t want to waste time with you here.”

He prepared to leave and slowly walked past her. Amanda glanced at his retreating figure and eventually made up her mind after a brief internal struggle.

“Wait! I agree!”

I don’t really trust him, but what if he fulfills his promise? It would only take up to ten days, but finding another. compatible bone marrow donor would take an indeterminate amount of time if she turned him down. She didn’t dare risk her child’s life and could only take a leap of faith.

Taylor paused in his stride, an evil smile appearing on his face. He knew Amanda would agree because she was at her wits end.

He turned around to face her. “For ten days starting today, you must care for my sister without contacting the outside world. If you can survive it, then I will donate my bone marrow.”

Ten days without contacting Elias or my baby… How is that possible? What if Aiden misses me? He will surely throw a tantrum if he doesn’t see me for an entire day.

“But what about my child? He will throw a tantrum if he doesn’t see me for one whole day. Besides, how can I be reassured enough not to talk to him, especially in his current condition?”

Taylor, however, looked unbothered. “It’s not something I should worry about. That’s my condition-don’t contact anyone or let them know you are here with me, and I will donate my bone marrow after ten days, I will accept nothing else. Plus, it will be for ten whole days. Any shorter than that, and I won’t fulfill my promise, even if it’s just a second.”

Amanda clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. There wasn’t enough time, and she couldn’t wait anymore, so she could only agree to it.

“I know!” She bit out, thereafter brushing past him to face him.

A victorious smile appeared on his face as if his plan had worked. He intended to teach this proud, ignorant woman a lesson in the next ten days and let her know what Elias had done back then.

Amanda emerged from the nursing home and got into the Momseys’ car, waiting for Taylor to bring Rosie out. There were already countless missed calls on her phone from Elias, Selina, as well as Jack, but she didn’t take any of them and merely switched off her phone silently.

The car door opened suddenly, and she looked up in shock just to see a woman with long, mussed hair being stuffed inside the car.

Oh, my!” Amanda exclaimed in surprise.

Taylor’s expression was scornful. “Why are you so surprised? You will have to look at her for the next ten days, but you can’t bear the sight of her already?”

So, this was Rosie Momsey.

Amanda swallowed and studied Rosie from a close distance. However, she felt that something was off.

Rosie’s expression was terrifying and gloomy as she stared at Amanda fixedly before saying abruptly, “Do you want to steal Elias from me too? Say something!”

Amanda didn’t know what to say to that, now sensing how insane Rosie was since the latter saw every woman as her enemy. Taking a deep breath, Amanda smiled. “No. I don’t know him.”

“Nonsense! How can that be? How can you not know him? I remember you hugging him before this! I saw it!” Rosie screamed while pointing at Amanda, seemingly remembering something.

Amanda pushed Rosie’s hand down. “You’re mistaking me for someone else. I’m not her.”

“Really? But you look so alike. It’s definitely you….” Rosie began doubting herself since time was completely messed up inside her mind. It had been like this for six years, and she couldn’t leave the nursing home.

Taylor had wanted to take her home to be looked after several times, but it would cause chaos after just a few days. This gave him no choice but to send her back to the nursing home.

Rosie kept muttering throughout the journey, but Amanda ignored it completely since she didn’t know what Rosie was saying.

After arriving at the Momsey Residence, Amanda immediately opened the door and got out, but Taylor alighted from another car and asked mockingly. “Is that how you take care of my sister? Are you going to spend the next ten days like this? If so, I will never donate my bone marrow, even if you suffer for a year.

Amanda glared and turned to pull Rosie out of the car without saying anything else. “Come along, now. I’ll take you to get something to eat.”

Amanda felt that Rosie’s delirious behavior made the latter seem like a stubborn yet temperamental child.

However, Rosie brushed off her hand with disgust. “Go away. I don’t want to listen to you. All of you just want to steal Elias from me. I don’t want to look at you.”

Amanda had no words. Rosie was definitely crazy since only a crazy person would think everyone would want to steal Elias from her.

Suppressing her annoyance, Amanda smiled. “No one is stealing him from you. Let’s go eat something, okay?”

“Go invite Elias too, and I’ll do as you ask.” Rosie was insistent on seeing Elias.

Amanda now understood how irritated one could be after being constantly threatened in order to attain someone else’s aims and thus become less cooperative, but she swallowed her feelings for the sake of her son’s bone marrow transplant. “Rosie, eat something, and I’ll ask your Eli to come.”

“Really? You aren’t lying, are you? My brother keeps lying to me by saying that Eli will come, but he never does. You aren’t lying, right?” Rosie’s eyes widened in a childish expression.

“Of course, Isn’t that your brother? He can prove it.” Amanda glanced at Taylor.

Rosie turned to Taylor. Taylor, is she speaking the truth? Will she really ask Eli to come?”

Taylor, who had been enjoying the show, came over as soon as Rosie talked to him and stroked her head affectionately. “Of course. So, let’s go eat something, alright?”

“Yay! I’ll go eat something now. I will get to see Eli after that. That’s great! I’m going to take a bath and change my clothes afterward since he likes pretty women, and I have to dress up.” Rosie then ran off excitedly into the house.

He looked at his sister’s retreating figure and then at Amanda. “You’re lying to her already when she just arrived home. Let’s see how you’re going to resolve this afterward. Don’t let her throw a tantrum, or I’ll consider it a failure as well.”

Amanda ignored him and went toward the house.

Taylor smiled at how proud she still acted. She’s quite something. How can she still behave so arrogantly in such a situation?

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 291 You Will Be Back Sooner or Later I’ll Be Here

When Elias rushed to the hospital, he could not find Amanda. Aiden’s crying for her made. him even more anxious, and after asking about the situation from Christopher, Elias went to St. Helen. However, he did not gain anything from it since everyone had already come to an agreement with Taylor and wouldn’t give him any information.

“Check the camera footage. I refuse to believe that she will disappear into thin air.” Elias glared at the nursing home before him. The signal from Amanda’s phone had disappeared. from this place, yet the entire staff had denied seeing her.

“Alright, I’ll get to it now. I just feel puzzled as to why she came here alone without calling to inform you. Did she encounter something?” Yacob had his own suspicions.

Elias looked around. It didn’t seem to be a normal nursing home. “We’ll know once we find her.”

Yacob didn’t say anything after that.

At that moment, Elias’ phone rang. He picked it up to see Selina’s number on the screen, which meant it probably was Aiden calling. His cold expression changed instantly.

In the Momsey Residence, Amanda was currently watching over a sleeping Rosie, though her thoughts had already wandered to the hospital. She didn’t know if Aiden was already crying for her, and the thought of it made her tear up involuntarily. Plus, her son was now sick and couldn’t see his mother, which had to make him sad.

Suddenly, Rosie opened her eyes and screamed, “Argh! I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”

Before Amanda could understand what was happening, Rosie abruptly got off the bed and rushed toward Amanda, strangling her with a bloodthirsty expression as if she really wanted. to kill Amanda. Amanda struggled violently but couldn’t push a crazed Rosie away.

“L-Let me g-go!” Amanda tried prying Rosie’s hands away, but the woman held on tightly.

Glaring at her, Rosie gritted out, “Do you want to steal Eli from me? You bitch! You dared to hug him too. Who allowed you to do that? I’ll kill you! He’s mine and mine only!”

Amanda coughed, her face already red from being strangled. At that point, she really felt that she was really about to die from suffocation.

However, the door opened at that moment. Taylor, who had originally intended to see how his sister was, immediately rushed over after seeing this and pulled her away, thus rescuing Amanda.

“Rosie? Rosie! Look at me. It’s okay.”

Taylor pulled Rosie into his arms as she screamed and struggled. However, he kept consoling his raving sister quietly to calm her down while a red-faced Amanda coughed violently. She really had felt like she was about to die and had to stagger out of the room to catch her breath. When she reached the door, she closed it quickly in fear that Rosie would come out raving once again.

Amanda leaned against the wall of the corridor, coughing continuously. She eventually recovered after some time, her color returning to normal though her neck had marks from Rosie’s attempted strangulation, which wouldn’t fade away within the next couple of days.

It was far too terrifying, and the thought of experiencing this for ten days gave Amanda the urge to leave. Rosie wasn’t just delirious but would also harm others. Plus, she was so strong that Amanda couldn’t push her away at all. What if Rosie does it again and Taylor does not show up in time? Will I be killed just like that?

If that happened, Rosie was still considered mentally unsound and didn’t have to bear any responsibility according to the law. Am I going to die so meaninglessly? It’s not worth it! Amanda. might be able to find a suitable donor, but if she died just like that, it wouldn’t be worth the risk.

She straightened up and turned around, preparing to leave.

She had just arrived at the stairwell when Taylor came out of the bedroom and laughed after seeing her. “Giving up already? You can’t even last one night, huh?”

Amanda paused upon hearing that. “Why didn’t you tell me that your sister was this mentally unsound? She’s not just insane, but she might even kill someone. Plus, she doesn’t have to bear any responsibility for it. That’s why I want to leave!”

With that, she hurried downstairs.

Meanwhile, Taylor sauntered toward the banister and leaned against it, watching her. “Your don’t want your son to have a bone marrow transplant, eh? Are you just going to leave? Are you going to spend more time looking for a donor? You might not be able to find one, though.”

Amanda looked up at his mocking expression and snorted coldly. “If I get killed by your sister within the next ten days, that transplant would be delayed even longer. My son needs me. I cannot die, much less at the hands of people like you.”

At that, she headed downstairs without a backward glance.

People like us? Her words infuriated Taylor. What does she mean by that?

As Amanda arrived at the ground floor and left without any hesitation, he called out after her. “You will be back sooner or later. I’ll be here. I’m the most convenient option for your son to have his bone marrow transplant, so I’ll be waiting”

His arrogant tone gave her the urge to head back and hit him, but she missed her son very much and eagerly wanted to head to the hospital to check on him.

Taylor’s smile faded as he stared at the deserted living room after she had gone.

She will be back, right? Right?”

He really hoped Amanda would return because he wanted to see her begging him on her knees. He wanted to take revenge on Elias and hurt him. But what if Amanda doesn’t come back! I can’t kidnap her, can I?

He became conflicted. If she didn’t come back, he wouldn’t get his satisfaction from revenge and could never torment Elias. Taylor punched the banister angrily, unable to express his rage in another way.

His sister’s howling came from the bedroom behind him at that very moment, which only made his heart ache. He would never let Elias live peacefully. He would make Elias experience the feeling of watching his loved ones suffer while unable to do anything.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 292 I Knew You Would Come Back

After leaving the Momsey Residence, Amanda wasted no time and hailed a cab to rush to the hospital.

Upon her arrival, she discovered an empty ward, save for Aiden sleeping there alone. Shouldn’t Selina be by his side during this critical time?

With a frown, Amanda entered the ward and walked up to the side of the bed. As she looked. at her son’s pale face, her heart instantly tightened.

Taking a seat, she gently held Aiden’s tiny hand and brought it close to her face.

Suddenly, the boy slowly opened his eyes and recognized his mother. Then, he happily sat up and eagerly threw himself into her warm embrace while wrapping his arms tightly around her neck. “Mommy, where did you go? I’ve been searching for you for so long. Mommy!”

He clutched onto her tightly as if afraid that his mother might vanish in the blink of an eye. Amanda’s eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn’t hold them back.

Holding her baby close, she murmured, “I had to go out to take care of something, my sweet boy. Have you been good and taken your medicine? By the way, where is Miss Selina? Did Daddy come to visit you?”

As Amanda had been gone the entire afternoon, she anxiously hoped that Elias hadn’t noticed her absence yet.

Aiden held onto her tightly. “Miss Selina promised to make me something delicious. Daddy went to find you because I was missing you…”

His voice choked with sadness, and he looked utterly pitiful.

With a heart filled with anguish, Amanda gazed down at her son. “Baby, what’s wrong? I am here now.”

Aiden’s voice trembled as he said, “When my nose started bleeding earlier, I really needed. you, Mommy. You weren’t here, so Daddy went to find you. He told me that if he found you, both of you would come back together.”

A heavy silence hung in the air as Amanda absorbed his words.

It became clear that Elias had discovered her absence and was desperately searching for her since he couldn’t reach her.

Instinctively, Amanda held Aiden tightly in her arms. He looked into her eyes and asked,

“Mommy, are you sad? Why are you crying?”

“I am fine, sweetheart. It’s just that my eyes feel a bit uncomfortable. How about you? Do you feel

any discomfort anywhere? If something doesn’t feel right, you have to let the nurse know, okay?” Amanda carefully inspected her son’s body for any signs of injury.

For the time being, everything seemed fine. However, suddenly…

“Cough… Ugh!” Aiden began coughing violently and vomited a mouthful of blood, splattering it across Amanda’s clothes and face.

She was dumbfounded.

It wasn’t until she heard his cries of pain that she snapped back to reality. Hastily, she tried to comfort him by saying, “Aiden, I’m here! Don’t cry.”

“Boohoo… Mommy, I don’t feel well…” Aiden continued crying while clutching onto her, his tiny mouth stained with blood.

Tears welled up in Amanda’s eyes as fear gripped her. Still sobbing uncontrollably, she hurriedly grabbed tissues to wipe her son down.

Yet, at this very moment, Aiden expelled yet another mouthful of blood.

Amanda felt a surge of panic, and she was unsure of what to do. All she could do was quickly seek out the doctor and nurses for help.

She urgently pressed the call button and shouted, “Doctor! Nurse! Please come quickly!”

After a while, the doctor and nurses arrived at the ward and swiftly escorted her outside to wait.

The distressed cries of her baby from inside pierced her heart like needles, yet she couldn’t do anything.

If a suitable bone marrow match couldn’t be found, Aiden would continue to suffer, and his condition would only worsen.

In the silent hallway, Amanda stood in front of the ward and couldn’t hold back her tears.

How much more could her precious child endure?

Time seemed to blur as she remained stationed outside the ward. Eventually, the door opened, and the doctor and nurses emerged. With a grave tone, the doctor said. “This is the reality of the situation, and there’s no other way. Make sure the child takes medication. punctually every day and cooperates with the treatment. The best course of action is to secure a bone marrow transplant as soon as possible.”

Amanda lowered her head, and her gaze fell upon the tears that had pooled on the floor.

With a determined resolve, she wiped away her tears and stepped into the ward. There, she saw Aiden lying on the bed, peacefully asleep but visibly drained.

“Mommy, I coughed up blood again just now…” Aiden extended his hand toward her.

Amanda walked over and gently held his tiny hand as she tried to calm her emotions. “It’s alright, my dear.”

“Mommy, you’re lying to me again. Am I sick? Is that why I have to stay in the hospital?” Aiden’s words hung heavy in the air.

Amanda fell into silence, unsure of how to respond.

It had come to this point where even her three-year-old son could perceive the truth.

Finally, she nodded. “Yes, the doctor said you have to stay in the hospital for a few more days, but you’ll be able to go home soon.”

“Mommy, being sick doesn’t feel good.” Aiden’s once lively and adorable voice now carried a frailty that pierced Amanda’s heart with even greater intensity.

She held back her tears and said, “Aiden, be good and wait here for Miss Selina and Daddy. I need to talk to the doctor about something, okay?”

“Mommy, how long will you be gone? I want you to sleep with me tonight.” Aiden looked panicked, as if fearing that Amanda wouldn’t return..

“I’ll be back very soon,” she a*sured him. Although it pained her to tell yet another lie, there was no other choice.

Amanda could only steel herself and let go of Aiden’s little hand. Without a backward glance, she left the hospital.

She had made up her mind and left.

Amanda hailed a cab and headed straight to the Momsey Residence. As she sat in the rear seat, tears streamed down her face without restraint. An overwhelming sense of helplessness and sadness engulfed her.

Why did they force her into such a desperate situation?

The Momsey Residence.
Taylor sat on the couch, surprised by the news of Amanda’s return.

He had never expected her to return, and a sneer of disdain immediately crossed his face.

Without sparing him a single glance, Amanda entered the living room and headed directly. upstairs to Rosie’s bedroom.

Taylor watched her miserable figure and mocked, “Didn’t you proudly declare that you would never come back? Why have you returned now? Did you finally realize that this is the easiest way out?”

Amanda paused for a moment before turning to glance at him. “You better keep your word. or I’ll make sure to exact revenge on you later.”

“Rest assured. I’m far more reliable than that scumbag, Elias. As I’ve mentioned, every minute of the ten days is crucial, and not a single second can be spared. If not, I won’t hesitate to break my promise, ” Taylor commented coldly.

With trepidation, Amanda approached the door to Rosie’s bedroom. The fear lingered. within her as she was reminded of the memories of being choked.

After mentally preparing herself, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Watching Amanda enter the bedroom and close the door right before his eyes, Taylor slowly rose from the couch and slipped his hands into his pockets. A cold snort escaped his lips as he muttered to himself, “I knew you would come back. There’s no escaping it. You have to return and serve my sister obediently.”

Meanwhile, Elias tirelessly conducted an extensive search for Amanda, but she remained elusive, leaving no traces behind. With no other option left, he reluctantly returned to the hospital to be by his son’s side.

Upon his arrival at the ward, Selina was diligently feeding Aiden soup. The little one was relatively well-behaved, obediently sipping spoonsful under her attentive care.

 

[Muhindi Wa Kuchoma]

Chapter 293 Being Particular Despite Going Mad

“Daddy!” Aiden exclaimed happily upon spotting Elias.

A flicker of tenderness softened Elias’ cold and handsome face as he approached the bed and gently patted his son’s head. “Good boy. Finish your soup first, and then we can talk.”

With that, Selina patiently fed another small bowl of soup to Aiden until he finished it. Once done, she picked up the thermos and left, granting them some precious alone time.

“Daddy, Mommy came to visit me just now,” Aiden said earnestly. “She said she’ll be back soon to keep me company.”

Elias immediately frowned upon hearing that. “Your mommy came back? Where is she now?”

Having searched every nook and cranny without finding Amanda, and with her phone remaining unreachable, he was surprised to learn that she had come to the hospital. What is Amanda doing? Why did she turn off her phone, sneak into the hospital, and then vanish without a trace? What on earth is she up to?

During this critical moment, Elias was already at his wits’ end, and the thought of something happening to Amanda threatened to push him over the edge.

However, upon hearing Aiden’s words about Amanda’s visit, he felt a sense of relief. At the very least, it indicated that Amanda wasn’t in immediate danger.

He shook his head. “I don’t know. Mommy said she wanted to talk to the doctor about something and promised to come back soon, but she hasn’t returned yet. Daddy, do you think she is lying to me?”

“How could that be? Your mommy would never lie to you. Just wait here for a moment. I will go find the doctor,” Elias replied.

“Daddy, I want you and Mommy to stay with me.” Aiden held tightly onto his hand.

Elias gazed down at his son’s upturned face and smiled reassuringly. “Okay. Be a good boy and wait for me.”

Walking out of the ward, he coincidentally ran into Selina, who had just returned. “Stay by Aiden’s side, and don’t leave even for a moment,” he instructed.

“Yes, Mr. Winters,” Selina responded dutifully.

Elias arrived at the doctor’s office and knocked on the door.

“Please come in, came the response.

As he entered, Christopher promptly rose from his seat. “Mr. Winters, what can I do for you?”

“Dr. Smith, I heard that Amanda was at the hospital earlier. Did you happen to see her?” Elias inquired.

“No, I didn’t see her. The nurse on duty mentioned that she arrived at the hospital, spent some time in the ward, and then left,” Christopher replied.

Elias furrowed his brows. Did she leave again? Why did she come back only to leave? Where could she have gone?

Exiting the office, he dialed Amanda’s phone number once again, but it remained. unreachable.

The uncertainty only compounded as he realized he was also unable to locate the donor who had suddenly changed their mind. He was left wondering if Amanda had found the person. or if there were other circumstances at play.

At this moment, Yacob rushed to the hospital, panting as he approached Elias. After regaining his composure, he reported, “I’ve checked it. The surveillance at that nursing home. has been tampered with. There is no footage available, and they claim it’s due to maintenance. I suspect Miss Bailey did visit the place and may have gone missing there. Otherwise, it’s too much of a coincidence for the surveillance to suddenly malfunction.”

It became clear that they needed to investigate the nursing home further, as it held potential. clues to Amanda’s whereabouts.

Elias’ foremost concern revolved around whether Amanda had been deceived or abducted. by the supposed bone marrow donor. He worried that someone might be taking advantage. of her vulnerable state to extort more money.

A sudden realization struck him, and he turned to Yacob. “Find out which psychiatric hospital Rosie Momsey is in. Is it the same one?”

Yacob appeared puzzled upon hearing that. “The donor this time is a woman. It doesn’t seem to have any connection to Taylor Momsey. Why should we investigate Rosie?”

He couldn’t quite comprehend the reasoning behind it.

However, Elias had a chilling suspicion forming in his mind. If his hunch was accurate, Amanda might be in Taylor’s clutches at that very moment.

“Just get it done! No more questions!” Elias exclaimed impatiently.

“Yes, understood!” Yacob replied hastily before turning to leave. As Elias closed his overwhelming sense of exhaustion settled between his brows.

At the Momsey Residence, Amanda was overwhelmed with exhaustion and desperately craved a moment of rest. However, a dilemma arose as Rosie occupied the only bed in the room.

The thought of sharing a bed with Rosie was out of the question. What if Rosie suddenly succumbed to madness and strangled her to death?

With that thought in mind, Amanda approached a nearby single couch and settled herself to get some rest.

She lay down for barely three seconds before Rosie, who was lying on the bed, slowly opened her eyes. “Maria, I want to take a bath. I want to wear beautiful clothes. I want to see Eli.”

Amanda found herself speechless.

Despite Rosie’s descent into lunacy, Elias remained the focal point of her thoughts. It was as if her love for him had seeped deep into her very bones.

After gathering herself, Amanda rose from the couch and approached the bed. Facing Rosie, who was lying there, she said, “Get up. I’ll take you for a bath.”

Rosie complied without resistance, getting up from the bed and slipping on her shoes. Following Amanda’s lead, she obediently made her way to the bathroom.

After Amanda adjusted the water temperature, she helped Rosie undress. As Rosie’s clothes. came off, Amanda was taken aback by the multitude of self-inflicted scars on her arms. It became apparent that Rosie had a history of harming herself.

Amanda guided Rosie into the bathtub, absentmindedly tending to her needs. However, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of her son at the hospital.

“Maria, didn’t you say Eli would come to see me? When will he arrive? Which dress should I wear to meet him?” Rosie’s expression turned bashful, as if she was deeply in love.

The predicament now surfaced.

Who is Maria? Perhaps it’s Rosie’s former maid who used to attend to her.

Amanda didn’t press for more information. It was futile to expect coherent answers from someone in a state of lunacy. All she could do was offer reassurance. “Miss Rosie, you look beautiful in anything you wear. Eli will like it, no matter what.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Rosie slapped her across the face.

Enraged, Amanda demanded, “Why did you hit me?”

She felt an overwhelming urge to retaliate, but she suppressed it for the sake of Aiden’s impending bone marrow transplant. Holding back her fury, she reminded herself to stay. focused on the bigger picture.

“Who permitted you to call him Eli? That’s my exclusive title for him. No one else is allowed to address him that way! Who are you to call him that?” Rosie retorted.

Amanda found herself at a loss for words. Rosie’s madness had reached its zenith, and reasoning with her seemed futile.

“I’m sorry, Miss Rosie.” Amanda refused to engage in an argument with the deranged woman. She just wanted to get through these ten days as swiftly as possible.

Even if Rosie hadn’t descended into madness, Elias would never be interested in her because of her terrible temperament..

The man was known for his notoriously short temper, and he wouldn’t tolerate such arrogance in his presence.

“It’s good to know your mistakes. And one more thing!” Rosie’s voice took on a threatening. tone as she added, “When Eli arrives later, you are forbidden to even glance at him. If you dare, I’ll gouge out your eyeballs! Do you understand?”

Amanda had no choice but to accept defeat. She maintained her silence, simply nodding in acknowledgment.

“Miss Rosie, it’s time to come out now. You’re done bathing.” Amanda made several attempts to coax Rosie out of the bathroom, feeling the urge to pull her out. Taking care of this unpredictable and volatile woman had become an immense challenge for Amanda.

However, Rosie appeared dissatisfied and complained, “I’ve only been in for a few minutes. I’m going to meet Eli later, so make sure to wash me properly! Add some milk to the bathwater. I want my skin to absorb all the nourishment and become fair and supple!”

Amanda found herself utterly speechless. She’s gone mad, and yet, she’s still being particular over such trivial matters.