Chapter 24
“Are you really a friend of my mom’s? How’s she doing now? Is she okay in prison? I miss her so much…” Thinking of her mom, a flicker of tears well up in Lillian’s eyes.
It seemed she already knew her mother had been imprisoned. This was something Sally hadn’t expected. Lillian knew even more than she had thought.
Before coming here, Sally had been busy thinking up how to cover for Sienna. After all, the story went that when the mother was arrested, the child had no clue. Probably that lie came from the child’s father.
“Your mom’s doing alright,” Sally said gently. “She entrusted you to me. From now on, you’ll live with me, okay? I’ll treat you just like my own daughter…”
Sally wasn’t sure if Lillian would agree to go with her. But she offered her sincerest promise–a lifeline from a friend and a stranger alike.
After a hesitant pause, Lillian finally nodded. “If you really are Mom’s friend, then I’m willing to go with you. I don’t like it here. They bully me all the time. I don’t want to stay anymore.”
“Don’t worry, Lillian. I’ll go through the proper application to take you out of here.”
Sally gently reached out and stroked Lillian’s soft hair, the tenderness clear in her eyes. Lillian’s gaze flickered away, her words caught on her lips.
“Lillian, is there something else you want to say?” asked Sally.
“Um…” Lillian lowered her eyelids, avoiding Sally’s eyes. She fidgeted, shy and unsure. “If I mess up things…will you hit me?”
Her words struck a painful chord in Sally’s heart. Though this was their first meeting, Lillian’s reaction showed how harshly she’d been treated before–by her father and those around her.
Poor kid. It reminded Sally of herself. She knew that when you were weak, no one ever took you seriously. They spit on you, lashed out with insults, even beat you down.
And this wasn’t something she’d only experienced behind bars.
Without thinking, Sally pulled the child into her arms. “I won’t do that. Don’t be afraid.”
Lillian’s voice grew steady. “Okay. As long as you don’t hit me and you give me something to eat, I’ll go with you.”
Sally took her hand and led her toward the director’s office. She explained the situation in detail, then started the adoption paperwork.
Since she was a friend of the child’s mother and had all the necessary documents, the process wasn’t complicated. Within a single afternoon, everything was settled.
The director arranged for Lillian to be cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes, then personally saw the child off.
“Mrs. Zale, Lillian is a good girl,” said the director. “I hope you two will get along well.”
“We will. Thank you,” Sally nodded.
She kept an eye on the surroundings as she left the orphanage with Lillian. Only after confirming there were no watchers nearby did she help the child into the car.
The next evening, Abigail came over to Sally’s place to welcome Lillian.
Sally cooked dinner herself, unsure what Lillian liked to eat, so she made some dishes that Nick used to love.
After dinner, they sat on the couch chatting, the atmosphere warm and cozy. Lillian was a bit shy and showed signs of mild autism, not much of a talker. But with gentle coaxing, she gradually opened up.
After putting Lillian to bed, Sally and Abigail sat on the balcony, sipping drinks, and enjoying the summer breeze.
1/2
Chapter 24
But just then, Abigail’s phone rang. She pulled out her phone, and a message popped up. Her expression froze when she saw the message.
“Howard’s been hospitalized? Did you know?” she asked Sally.
At those words, Sally’s brows knitted tightly. She really hadn’t heard anything yet.
Abigail quickly handed over the phone. Howard had been rushed to the hospital last night for sudden chest pains. After emergency treatment, his condition had stabilized but he remained admitted.
Such a big event–yet no one in the Zale family had told her, Sally thought.
Not Jaxon, which was understandable given their distant relationship.
But neither Brad nor Lauren had informed her either. Apparently, they never really considered her “one of them.”
“So what will you do? Go see him?” Abigail’s voice cut through her thoughts.
Sally quickly turned, meeting Abigail’s curious gaze.
Few people knew that Sally was a skilled traditional medicine practitioner–everything she knew was from her grandfather. Besides being a renowned scholar of classics, he was a master healer.
Since she was seven, she had studied herbs and acupuncture under him, especially excelling in herbal remedies and acupuncture techniques.
She was already somewhat familiar with Howard’s condition–she had even treated him with acupuncture before.
“I’ll visit him at the hospital tomorrow,” Sally said, her face serious. “Among all the Zale family, he’s been the only one kind to
me.”
“That’s good,” Abigail nodded. “It’s the weekend, and I don’t have work. I’ll watch Lillian for you.”
“Thank you, Abigail.”
Meanwhile, at the hospital parking lot, Jaxon slid into the driver’s seat just as Caleb’s voice rang out.
“Mr. Zale, I’ve already consulted the attending physician about Howard’s condition,” reported Caleb. “He said traditional medicine would be the best course of treatment. They mentioned a specialist–a top–tier medicine master–who could greatly relieve Howard’s symptoms.”
“Who’s the master?” Jaxon pressed on.
“Her name’s Skya–a female traditional medicine doctor,” said Caleb. “Her master was very powerful, but the master’s name isn’t well known in the circles. He probably retired years ago or has passed away, leaving only the disciple, Skya.”
Jaxon let out a sigh. “Then find her.”
“But Skya has disappeared from the scene for three years now. Nobody knows where she is. Like that crystalware master Hazel, she’s vanished without a trace…”
Three years? Jaxon rubbed his forehead, feeling fate was playing a cruel joke. Why did every person he sought just vanish into
thin air?
