Chapter 9
Magnus’s face darkened as he beat Eli in anger, but the stubborn child didn’t even cry out.
He decided to take Eli home first and let him bond with Odessa.
When Odessa saw Eli, her smile froze.
She had only pretended to agree to raise Eli to force Sierra away-she never expected him to actually be brought back.
“Dessa, Eli will be living with us from now on. I’ll have him call you Mom.”
She looked stunned, thinking she’d misheard. After a pause, she asked, “Sierra agreed to this?”
Magnus held her close. “She’s gone, but I’ll find her. From now on, you’ll live on the east side of the city, she’ll be on the west-no
interference.”
“She did give birth to Eli for me, and she lost her mother in New York. I can’t abandon her.”
“Don’t worry, Dessa. The position of Mrs. Everhart is yours alone-that will never change!”
Though Odessa was seething inside, she forced a smile and agreed.
“Eli, I’m your mommy now. Be good and call me Mommy.”
Eli kept his eyes downcast, recoiling like he’d been shocked when she reached to touch him.
“You’re not! You’re a bad woman!”
“Eli!” Magnus shouted sharply.
Odessa feigned hurt. “Eli won’t accept me as his mother. Perhaps… I’m not qualified to be a mother…”
Those words hit Magnus’s sore spot. He grabbed Eli, forcing him to call her Mom.
“I won’t! I have a mommy! She’s a murderer!”
“You!” Magnus raised his hand high, but Eli’s expression was exactly like Sierra’s that day.
He couldn’t bring himself to strike.
“Eli, the lady isn’t a murderer… Your grandmother fell and died by accident.”
Eli charged at Odessa like an enraged bull calf.
“Ah!” Odessa clutched her stomach and fell. “Magnus, my stomach hurts!”
Finally, that slap landed on Eli’s face. Magnus locked him in the attic to reflect.
The next day, Odessa looked at Eli cowering behind the door.
“You look just like that whore mother of yours. Let’s see how tough you really are!”
Playing the role of a vicious stepmother, she had horrific, bloody violent films projected on loop in the attic for Eli to watch.
Screams echoed continuously from the attic, making even the maids feel sorry for him.
15:26
But Odessa sipped her bird’s nest soup as if nothing was happening.
Only at night did she allow a maid to bring Eli some food.
Whether from yesterday’s trauma or Magnus’s harsh beating, Eli developed a high fever that night, becoming delirious.
A maid knocked frantically at her door, looking anxious. “Madam… the young master has a high fever! 104 degrees!”
She frowned, sneering disdainfully. “Do I look like a doctor to you? Idiot!”
“But the driver is on leave… Should we call an ambulance?”
Soon her red lips curved upward-she had a new idea.
“Bring him to my room. I’ll take care of him. He must be missing his mommy!”
The maid hesitated, but faced with Odessa’s fierce glare, she didn’t dare refuse.
Odessa covered Eli with thick blankets and mixed a large dose of sleeping pills into his fever medicine.
“Hmph! Sierra, just wait to regret this. If the fever doesn’t kill him, it’ll turn him into an idiot.”
She ordered no one to enter the room, then went downstairs to swim in the hot spring pool, feeling pleased.
But soon, the roar of a Ferrari echoed through the courtyard.
Odessa in the pool cursed under her breath and rushed back to the room.
“Eli!”
After finishing an international conference call, Magnus had received news of Eli’s fever and raced back to the estate.
Pushing open the door, he found Odessa changing Eli’s towel, sweat beading anxiously on her forehead.
“Magnus, Eli has a fever and just vomited all over the bed. I feel so bad for him!”
“It’s okay! I’ll take him to the hospital now. Thank you for taking care of him, Dessa!”
“I’ll come with you!”
Magnus carried Eli as they rushed to the emergency room.
Fortunately, they’d arrived in time. After the fever injection, he was fine, but Eli remained unconscious.
The doctor said it was likely a febrile seizure. To prevent complications like convulsions, someone should stay to watch him.
Odessa volunteered. “Magnus, let me stay the night to care for him.”
“Won’t that be too hard on you? I’ll have the maid stay.”
“No need. He’s your child, which makes him my child. I’d feel better caring for him personally. You go back!”
Magnus wanted to stay, but he had an important meeting in the morning that he couldn’t miss.
After giving instructions, he left.
“Febrile seizure? Then don’t wake up at all!”
Odessa wrapped her hands around the small, fragile neck, tightening her grip. Eli began struggling violently.
Chapter
“Mommy… Grandma…” Eli cried out in pain.
“Yes! You’ll see Grandma soon. Be good, Eli!”
Bang.
The hospital room door was kicked open, and Odessa reflexively released her grip.
