Chapter 13
The atmosphere in the Dalton residence was so heavy that it was almost suffocating.
lan and Henty stood in the center of the living room, their faces pale, pain and regret filling their eyes.
Anna and Christopher sat on the couch, hands clasped and knuckles white, still unable to recover from the shock.
“Let’s go ask Aunt Rose!” lan said suddenly. “She must know where Ruby is!”
Henry nodded. “Yes. Let’s go now.”
Just as they were about to leave, Cecelia rushed forward suddenly and blocked their way. Her face was deathly pale, and she sounded panicked as she cried, “Don’t… Don’t go! Ruby took the money and left, which means she doesn’t intend to come back! Why do you insist on looking for her? Let me be your daughter! I can be a good sister too!”
Ian’s face turned cold. “Cecelia, stop this nonsense,” he said, his anger barely restrained. “Ruby is my sister, my parents‘ biological daughter! You can’t take her place!”
Cecelia began crying. Her voice bordered on hysteria. “But you raised me all these years! I’m the one who’s been by your side, not Ruby! She’s just some pathetic pauper who grew up in the middle of nowhere!”
Ian raised his hand and gave her a resounding slap.
Cecelia stumbled and fell to the ground. Her cheek swelled up instantly.
“Shut up, Cecelia!” lan never imagined that she could say something so cruel. His family had spoiled her and given her everything she wanted all these years, but he could never allow her to insult his sister like that.
Unable to hold in his anger any longer, he yelled, “The kindness we showed you all these years was because we thought of you as Ruby’s substitute! We’ve found her now, so you have no right to stop us from doing anything!”
Cecelia covered her face as tears fell from her eyes. “You… How can you do this to me?” she cried in despair.
Henry looked at her impatiently. “Cecelia, you know how important Ruby is to us,” he said coldly. “Why do you keep stopping us?”
Then, he turned to Ian and said, “Let’s go. Don’t waste any more time.”
They left the villa and rushed over to the Spencer residence.
Cecelia was left where she was, sitting on the ground. She watched them leave. Malice glinted in her eyes as she whispered, “You… You’ll never find her…”
Over at the Spencer residence, Rose was having tea in her living room when she saw her son and the Daltons rushing in. She was surprised. “What happened? Why are you here?”
Ian stepped forward, his voice filled with urgency. “Aunt Rose, Ruby… Ruby is my sister! Did you know that?”
Rose’s grasp slipped. Her teacup fell to the floor and shattered, tea spilling everywhere.
Her face turned pale. “What?” she asked in disbelief. “Ruby Lynch is your daughter? Your real daughter?”
Christophet nodded. “Yes. We just found out. Do you know where she went? She took your money and left, but did she tell you where she was going? We need to find her!”
Rose’s face turned impossibly whiter. “I don’t know,” she said, panicked. “I don’t know. When we signed the agreement, Ruby just said that she would go somewhere where we wouldn’t be able to find her.”
“Where we wouldn’t be able to find her…” Henry repeated, his face white. “Is this her punishment for us? She never wants us to find her.”
A pained look flashed in lan’s eyes. “She should’ve told us!” he said hysterically. “Why didn’t she tell us? Why does she have to torture us like this?”
Rose was silent for a moment. Then, she remembered something and got to her feet hurriedly. “Wait–before she left, Ruby left something to me. She said if anyone came asking for her, I should give thern this.”
