Chapter 16

VERONICA I made haste to George's office, where he and Aunt Lucy were already in discussion. Upon my arrival, Aunt Lucy warmly embraced me... "Oh my sweet, I'm so glad seeing you." She said with a soft smile. Many years ago, following the tragic deaths of my parents, which left me orphaned, our family faced bankruptcy. All my relatives abandoned me, except for Aunt Lucy, my governess since childhood, who cared for me as if I were her own child. She is the only person I have remained in contact with since leaving Wolfe Mansion. "I am doing well, Aunt Lucy." I reciprocated her embrace as we settled beside George's desk. "How is my little princessi?" she inquired about Cadence. "She is doing splendidly; I hope you will be able to visit her soon." "I shall, my dear. I miss her very much as well." she replied, gently squeezing my hand. "I trust you are aware of the situation. What course of action do you wish to pursue?" Her gentle expression shifted to one of concern. A wave of sadness washed over me as fear gradually overcame me. The property belonged to our family before our bankruptcy. It was the Granger family farmhouse, where I hold countless cherished memories with my parents. Since the loss of our assets, I have deeply missed that place. Following my divorce, I returned to Yorkshire and cherished childhood memories resurfaced. While I may not have been able to bring my son, I hoped my daughter could experience the same joyful childhood I had and create happy memories of her own. However, the plot already had a different owner, which hurt me a lot. I worked harder and used my savings to regain the plot. The previous owner was a kind elderly gentleman who lived alone in the farmhouse. I spoke with him about purchasing the property, and he generously sold it to me for a significantly reduced price. I am deeply appreciative of his kindness and understanding concerning my childhood memories. What I especially cherished was that the previous owner left the house untouched, which was incredibly meaningful to me as my mother had personally decorated the entire place. I've maintained the property, renovating only the older sections. I also required a trustworthy individual to oversee the premises during my absence, and when I approached Aunt Lucy, she kindly consented. However, a large development company recently approached me with a proposal to build a resort, requiring the acquisition of the land where my farmhouse is located. They offered us a large sum of money, but even if they gave me the world, I would not let go of the land. I turned to George, "what to do now?" I asked. He sighed, "Perhaps we could try speaking with them and see if we can reach an understanding, Vero. However, I fear they may not agree, as your land seems to be integral to their project." "They possess considerable power, Vero. Are you certain you wish to oppose them? Would such a struggle be worthwhile?" "It is, George," I stated firmly. "That place is very dear to me; it holds cherished memories of my parents and reflects my mother's loving care." Tears welled in my eyes as I continued. "I can not bear to part with it. Please take whatever steps are necessary, and I will speak with them. If they still disagree, I will fight for it," I said resolutely. These rich people are selfish. They would do anything to attain power and in the name of business. I've had my fair share of experience of such people in my life, thanks to the Wolfes'. "Certainly, let me see what I can do," George reassured me. "I suggest you both head home now." He then turned to Aunt Lucy and said, "Aunt Lucy, please let me know if they attempt to contact you again." She nodded in agreement, "I will." Later, we both left his office and went our separate ways after a final embrace. .......... The entire day was hectic, and I was tired. However, the thought of visiting my son again with Cadence kept me going... In the evening, I picked up Cadence from Zaya's home and proceeded promptly to Christian's place. When I pulled my car into the driveway, I bumped into Christian and his assistant. Christian arched a brow at me, and I immediately replied, "I'm here to see Zeon. I promised him I'd visit with Cadence this evening. I'll leave soon; don't worry." "Hmm, suit yourself." He said coldly before getting inside. Sighing inwardly, I followed them without a word and went directly to Zeon's room. Thankfully, I didn't meet Celine on the way. I have no wish to ruin my mood; I'm already tired. Though I don't think her attention would divert toward me in any way from Christian... During my visit to Zeon's room, I found him seated on his bed, attentively watching something on his phone. Upon noticing our arrival, his face brightened. Cadence also slipped from my grasp and eagerly went to him. "bwothew! Bwothew!" She exclaimed as they both hugged each other. He then embraced me as well. "Mom, you came!" I kissed his head. "Of course, I promised you, after all." My two children played together, had dinner together, as I watched them lovingly... But they say— good time flies faster. And they said it true... When two hours passed, none of us realized it, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for our departure. Their spirits were low upon hearing the news. Feeling disheartened myself, I sat before my son and said, "It's alright, we're not far away, and you can always video call us," while trying to hide my own disappointment. Cadence, imitating me, hugged his thighs because of her short height and nodded back and forth. "bwothew videwo call!" With a smile, he quickly went to the bedside table, retrieved a box from the drawer, and then shyly presented the wrapped gift to Cadence, saying, "A small gift for Cadence." My daughter's eyes lit up with delight. She loves receiving gifts, and she was especially pleased to discover it was a box of her favourite candies.. I find it endearing to watch my son, who shyly averts his gaze, as he says, "I noticed these candies the other day, and thought... she might enjoy them." "Cadece lwove candy!" She exclaimed, hugging his thighs again, "Cadece lwove bwothew!" I gently kissed both of his cheeks and expressed my appreciation, saying, "That's so sweet of you, my love." I gently gathered Cadence into my arms and rose to my feet, "Shall we depart now?" Both of them slowly nodded. I know they don't want to, and neither do I, but— we have to. As we turned to leave the room, my gaze met Christian's deep blue eyes. His indifferent stare made me a little nervous. I wondered if he was here to ask us to leave. Well, we were already departing anyway. So, without averting my gaze, I said, "We're leaving now; you don't have to ask," and slowly walked past him with one last glance at my son. On our way out, Zeon followed us outside to my car. This time, I saw Celine, but she only threw me a disgusted look and walked away, which was so unlike her, but I'm honestly grateful. As I settled Cadence into her car seat, I gave my son one last kiss before getting behind the wheel. Turning the car around, I saw Christian standing at the entrance, watching us intently. He may have been waiting for Zeon; otherwise, why would he be there, right? Without further hesitation, I began driving home, a part of my heart remaining with my son. On my way home, my phone unexpectedly rang; it was George. Connecting my Bluetooth headset, I received his call: "Hey, Georgie." "I've visited you, aren't you home..." His voice was subdued by the loud honking of a car behind us. With a frown, I slightly moved my car to let it pass. "Yeah, sorry, what were you saying?" I asked. "Are you outside?" He asked. "Hmm, returning home. What happened?" "It's about your plot, Vero," he said solemnly. I frowned, "Hmm, and?" "Well, it turns out your personal fight has been upgraded to a professional one; the company that wanted your plot is—" A sudden, loud honking interrupted him, causing my daughter to gasp in her sleep. I frowned, checking the rearview mirror to observe a black vehicle tailing us. I pulled over, and it cautiously drew alongside. "What's wrong?" Boomed Geo's voice in my ear. "Nothing, just an impulsive driver," I replied. "So, you were saying?" I said, noticing the car beside mine. My brows furrowed. What's going on? What is the driver trying to do? "Well, I was saying about the company trying to acquire your land," he said. "Oh, hmm. Did you find out who they are?" I asked, still noticing the car. It was suspicious. "Hmm, it's was— European State Empire." Upon hearing those words, I was startled and momentarily immobile. I gasped, "What?" To make matters worse, the adjacent car honked loudly again and then collided with my vehicle. I gasped as my car swerved unexpectedly. George's alarmed shout and Cadence's frightened cry filled the air as I struggled to regain control, only to be pushed further off course by another vehicle. My attention was divided between my daughter and the vehicle. I was confused at the unfolding events when a second, forceful collision interrupted my thoughts. The car violently veered, impacting a large rock, resulting in my head striking the steering wheel that left me in a daze. As darkness encroached upon my vision, I still managed to lean back and hold my daughter. She was visibly shaken, and I heard George's distressed screams over the phone... I don't know what to do! Before I could fully comprehend the situation, the door to my side was nearly forced open, revealing a dark figure next to me. "No!" I gasped, holding my crying daughter close. But I was already defeated by fate. I could only catch a fleeting glimpse of the figure before feeling a severely painful touch on my neck, which sent a cold shiver down my spine as I was engulfed into a grave darkness.