Chapter 7

Natania was surprised to learn that Andrew was missing. She froze, not daring to move as the fruit knife sliced a thin gash across her neck. Blood began to seep out, accompanied by a sharp, stinging pain. "Calm down! I don't know where your son is!" However, Rosalie appeared to have lost all sense of reason. The hand gripping the knife trembled faintly. "That's impossible! You're the only one who doesn't like Andy, and you called for so many people to come move your stuff out today. If it wasn't you, then who else could it be?" She truly looked like a mother who had lost her child, her eyes utterly bloodshot. Her voice was hoarse from crying too much, yet she still insisted on saying, "Mrs. Fost, please return Andy to me. He's all that I have!" Then, she tossed aside the fruit knife before falling to her knees in front of Natania with a thump. "Mrs. Fost, Andy is my life!" Finally freed from Rosalie's grip, Natania found the latter's words ironic. She couldn't help but ask, "Return him to you? What does a child adopted from the orphanage have to do with you? Why should I return him to you?" "He's my—" Rosalie paused as though she had blurted something she shouldn't have in her panic. She then started sobbing again. However, this time, it was Natania's turn to be relentless. Her eyes flashed as she deliberately demanded, "He's your, what? Speak up!" "Enough!" Stephen abruptly roared. "Tania, stop being so aggressive." Disbelief flickered through Natania's eyes as she stared dumbly at Stephen. She had grown up together with Stephen, and he had never once been able to bring himself to speak harshly to her. Yet, when she was being held at knifepoint earlier, he hadn't said a single word in her defense. Now, the first time he had ever been so stern with her was because he was protecting his mistress and illegitimate child! All her emotions culminated in that one single word—disappointment. She was thoroughly disappointed in Stephen. Noticing the change in her expression, Stephen realized that he might have crossed the line. He hastily softened his tone. "Tania, I'm not blaming you. Andy has been under her care since he was adopted, so she was just too agitated just now that she—" Natania coldly cut him off, "Stop talking. I don't want to hear it. Stephen, let me say this one more time. I have no idea where your son is. If he's really missing, you should just call the police." Not a hint of emotion could be seen in her eyes. Her sheer calmness had Stephen panicking to the point that he didn't even realize that she had addressed Andrew as his son. At that moment, Stephen's assistant, Nathan Clark, rushed over. "Mr. Fost, we've found him. He was on a truck heading out of the city. Fortunately, they hadn't gone too far yet. Mr. Andrew is on the way back right now." Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, but Natania didn't dare relax just yet. She had indeed hired a few trucks to deliver the items to be auctioned, so this new development no doubt placed the suspicion squarely on her. Marissa, who was sitting on the couch, snorted coldly. "As if it isn't bad enough that you can't bear any children. Now, you aren't even satisfied with the one I delivered right to your doorstep! Are you trying to ensure that the Fost family dies off due to not having an heir?" Her words were beyond harsh and cruel, mercilessly ripping open Natania's old wound and rubbing salt into it. She instinctively turned to look at Stephen. However, he was simply gazing intently at Rosalie, his expression thoughtful. Immediately, a crushing weight seemed to settle on Natania's chest, making her feel like she was suffocating. She let out a self-mocking laugh. "Yes. Back then, I shouldn't have disregarded my own life to save Stephen. I should've just let him die." As she spoke those words, Natania thought she could hear her heart shattering, crumbling into tiny pieces that were beyond mending. Stephen snapped his head around to look at her, only to see grief and sorrow in her gaze. The crimson line on her neck was a startling contrast to her fair skin, causing his heart to ache. "Tania, don't let your anger do the talking." He moved forward to grab her hand, but she coldly rebuffed him by moving away. There was no greater sorrow than a broken heart. Just the thought of how that hand had touched Rosalie's body last night filled Natania with profound disgust. Ignoring him, she bowed her head and tapped away at her phone. She asked Sophia how long it would take her to get here, but for some reason, there was no response. Silence fell upon the living room, broken only by Rosalie's occasional sob. Not long later, Andrew was brought back. The moment he returned, he hid behind Stephen. Pointing a finger at Natania, he cried, "Daddy, it was her! She was the one who sent me away!" Upon hearing that, Marissa jumped to her feet, a stern expression crossing her face. "Natania Wendell, what do you have to say for yourself? Andy is still just a child. Do you think he would lie?" Stephen's gaze wavered slightly, and when they locked eyes, Natania instantly understood what he was thinking. He was suspicious of her.