A Tale Of Redemption And Passion by Isidore Walsh (Chapters 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)

Chapter 51

Oswald knocked on the door of the president’s office at Regency Group and called out, “Mr. Davidson.”

“Find anything?” Alfred asked in a low voice, not even lifting his head.

Oswald handed over the sheets of paper he was holding to Alfred, saying, “Got everything.”

“Okay. Just put it down for now. I’ll take a look later when I’ve got a moment,” Alfred said.

So, Oswald put those sheets of paper on Alfred’s right side, so he could easily grab them later when he was ready to read.

Oswald saw that the two little mice were placed in a really noticeable spot. Alfred’s wife gave them to him. ‘He must really love her, Oswald thought.

“Don’t look at my mice. I’m not giving them away,” said Alfred.

“You know I could buy hundreds of those at the pet store, right?” asked Oswald.

“Go on then. None of your mice can compare with mine,” answered Alfred.

Oswald felt like Alfred was bragging about the gift his wife gave him while Oswald was still single.

“I remember we are doing business with the Cohen Group,” Alfred said. Without waiting for Oswald to respond, he told him, “Find some targets, make them lose some money, and then let it be known that the Cohen Group has crossed the Regency Group.”

“Got it,” Oswald replied. He was curious but didn’t ask, simply following Alfred’s orders.

“That’s all,” said Alfred.

“I’ll get back to work then. Hey, do you want a short weekend trip with the guys?” Oswald asked before leaving.

“I can’t keep up with you guys anymore. You guys go ahead without me. I don’t want to ruin it for you,” Alfred said, his face showing no emotion.

Oswald saw Alfred tighten his grip on the pen and knew that Alfred was actually not okay with being crippled. But Alfred didn’t want to do the rehab the doctor had suggested. The doctor had said that if Alfred kept up with his rehab, he would be able to walk normally again in a year or two.

“Alfred,” Oswald called him by his name and talked as a friend. “Listen to your doctor and do your rehab. You have a chance to recover, so why not get yourself back on your feet? Think about it. How long has it been since you’ve been out golfing, horseback riding, surfing, hiking with us?” Alfred didn’t say anything, his thin lips pursed tightly.

“You now have a wife and a family, man. Do it for her. She would love you to hold her hand and go shopping with her,” Oswald continued.

Alfred put down his pen and looked up at Oswald for a while. Then, he said, “I can go shopping with her in a wheelchair.’

“Alfred, even though you didn’t tell me who your wife is, I can tell that you love her very much. After all, you wouldn’t have put the mice on your desk.

“Do you want her to be happy? As her husband, you drag her down instead of taking care of her. Will she be happy if you can’t walk and she has to take care of you?” Oswald retorted.

Alfred’s expression shifted. Kate had said that she didn’t mind he was crippled and that she was willing to care for him.

“Think about it, Alfred. I’m going back to work,” said Oswald. He always knew when to stop.

When Oswald left, Alfred picked up the investigation results on the desk. It was about Chris and Kate. After reading it, he tore up a few sheets and threw them into the trash can.

*****

Kyla parked the car in front of a villa at Golden Lake Villas.

She looked behind the car through the rearview mirror to make sure that there were no other vehicles. After that, she put on a sun hat and sunglasses, grabbed her Helmegen bag, pushed open the door, and got out of the car. Walking up to the door of a villa, she looked around before ringing the doorbell. Soon, a maid came.

“Ms. Sutton.” The maid recognized Kyla at a glance, a pleasing smile piling up on her slightly chubby face. “Would you like to drive the car in the driveway?”

“No, I’ll leave soon.” Kyla opened her bag when she walked into the villa and took out a small red box. She handed the box to the maid and said gently, “Jen, I brought you a gift back from my last business trip, and I didn’t even have the time to bring it over to you because I’ve been busy.”

The smile on Jen’s face was even brighter as she reached out for the box and said in surprise, “Oh, thank you, Ms. Weaver. Mr. Cohen is waiting for you inside.”

“Okay, thank you,” said Kyla.

This was Chris’s villa, and it was also where he and Kyla met secretly. It wasn’t like the Cohen family’s villa, with groups of servants. There were only two maids, Jen and Zea. Jen was responsible for cleaning, and Zea was responsible for cooking.

After entering the house and not seeing Chris, Kyla paused slightly and went upstairs. Soon, she arrived at the room on the east side and knocked on the door. “Chris, I’m here,” she said.

Chris didn’t respond to her. Kyla was confused and knocked again.

The door suddenly opened, and then a hand reached out from within to pull Kyla in, and the next second, she was pressed against the door, her lips captured.

After lingering kisses, Chris greedily touched her face, his voice husky, “Kyla, I love you.”

Kyla tilted her head to look at him. After the kiss, she breathed heavily, her eyes out of focus, her body softly leaning against Chris. Chris lowered his head and wanted to kiss her again, but she covered his mouth with her hand.” Chris, I love you, too,” she said.

“Do you really love me?” Chris asked.

Kyla’s eyes were filled with love. “Do you want me to prove it?”

Chris pulled down her hand, covering his mouth, and kissed her lips, complaining, “But you want me to marry Kate. God knows how hard I’ve been acting.”

“Aren’t you enjoying yourself? Kate is now detached and cold to you, so you’re not used to it,” said Kyla.

“I’m only putting on a show for your adoptive parents,” Chris answered.

Kyla didn’t want to talk about this, so she asked, “Where are you hurt? Let me take a look.”

Chris let go of her, showing her his wounds while saying, ” My hands and feet are scratched and bruised, and so is my neck. Those dogs were crazy.

“Although they didn’t bite me too much, they still scratched me when they tore at my clothes. Thank goodness the wounds are not noticeable. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare show up in public.”

Chris touched his face and continued, “If they ever

scratched my face, I would beat them up!” He was quite satisfied with how he looked right now.

Kyla checked his injuries and said heartbreakingly, “What mad dogs! Look what they’ve done to you.”

“It’s Kate!” Chris was still scared when he remembered the scene.

Kate watched him being chased, bitten, and scratched by the dogs, neither saving him nor looking for help. If it weren’t for the Davidson family showing up, he would’ve been toast, either from sheer fright or those dog bites. It was really awful.

Chapter 52

“Did Kate’s dogs attack you?” Kyla’s eyes flashed with anger. “I can’t believe her! First, she slaps you, and now she’s set her dogs on you? I knew the Davidsons could be ruthless, but this is too much. It all makes sense now, this was Kate’s doing!”

“I don’t know who set the dogs on me,” Chris said, struggling to piece things together. “I asked Kate for help, but she just ignored me. If it weren’t for Mr. Davidson, those dogs might have killed me.” After a moment, he added, ” Kyla, I think it was Kate all along… Mr. Davidson probably had no idea.”

“You had no feud with Mr. Davidson. How could he have let the dogs bite you? It must be Kate,” Kyla said hatefully, “She’s competing for favor with me now. She’s my parent’s biological daughter. My mother has already favored her.

“If she comes to the Sutton Group and gains my father’s trust, I am finished. She must have come back for the money of the Sutton family, and deliberately competed with me!”

Chris held Kyla and sat down on the sofa in the room, comforting her, “Kyla, don’t be afraid. Kate can’t compare with you. Even if she enters Sutton Group, with her qualifications, she won’t be trusted.

“You’re the heir your parents have meticulously groomed. Your father would never let Kate take over the company. It’s too important to him. But just to be safe, we need to stick to your plan.”

Chris gently kissed Kyla’s cheek and whispered, “Kyla, we have to make this work. If we fail, we could lose everything, and things will get tough for us. I won’t waver, but my mother will fight against us being together.”

After knowing that Kyla wasn’t the biological daughter of the Sutton family, the Cohen family no longer agreed for Chris to fall in love with her.

“I won’t fail. I’ve been in Sutton Group for so many years. I’m sure I can drive Kate away. Chris, does your mother know that you were bitten by the dogs?” Kyla asked.

“I didn’t let her know. Otherwise, she would cause trouble for the Davidson family. We can’t afford to offend the Davidson family,” Chris replied.

“Except for the Cole family in Sherpsel, no one dares to offend the Davidson family,” Kyla told the truth. She was so scared that her legs trembled when she saw Alfred. Kate was caught by Alfred to be a free nanny and would only end up tragically.

After a while, Kyla glanced at the time, stood up, and said to Chris, “I should go. I have to join my father for a business meeting this afternoon.”

Chris was reluctant to let Kyla go. He gently pulled her back down, wrapping her in his arms once more. After a moment, he lifted her chin, bringing his lips to hers.

Kyla responded with equal passion, but just as Chris was about to lose control, she playfully pushed him away.

“Chris, I have to go. Have a good rest. I will avenge you,” Kyla said.

As Chris walked Kyla to the door, he said, “Kyla, don’t confront Kate just yet. Your mother is starting to favor her, and it could cause trouble. If your mother sides with Kate and manages to sway your father, it could complicate things for you.”

Kyla wanted to obtain the property of Sutton Group and couldn’t deal with Kate now. She had no choice but to act for the Sutton family.

Taking a few deep breaths, Kyla said, “Okay. Chris, have a good rest at home. I might not have time to accompany you recently. Fortunately, it’s almost the weekend. Saturday is Grace’s birthday. I will go to congratulate her. How about you?”

I’ll go with my mother,” Chris answered.

“See you then,” Kyla said.

“Okay,” Chris replied.

Chris sent Kyla downstairs and out of the villa. Until she drove away and was out of sight, Chris turned and walked back.

Accompanied by James, Kate spent the whole morning familiarizing herself with the environment.

Near noon, James received a phone call. Kate didn’t know it was from Yael. After James received the call, he replied in a low voice and hung up.

“Mrs. Davidson.” After hanging up the phone, James took a few steps forward and called Kate.

“What’s up?” Kate asked.

“Mrs. Davidson, Yael just called and asked me to arrange for someone to send you to Cheval Blanc,” James said respectfully.

Kate’s eyes immediately shone, and she asked delightedly,” James, is Mr. Davidson inviting me to dinner?”

James was fond of Kate about her personality. She expressed her thoughts straightforwardly. He was also fond of Kate about her appetite. She wasn’t choosy about food and always had a good appetite. Furthermore, Kate kept a good figure. It seemed that no matter how much she ate, she wouldn’t put on weight.

“Yael is Mr. Davidson’s bodyguard, and he delivered the message himself. It’s got to be an invitation from Mr. Davidson for dinner,” James said.

Kate smiled and said, “I’ve heard great things about Cheval Blanc. My father mentioned taking my mother and me there for dinner, but Mr. Davidson called me back for a hair treatment instead. I was a bit disappointed, but I didn’t expect him to make it up to me so soon.”

“Mrs. Davidson seems to especially like eating,” James said.

“Exactly. Our mouths were made for eating and talking,” Kate replied with a grin.

James was amused by Kate. “That’s right. I’ll make arrangements for you. Can you walk back by yourself?” “Yes. After walking around so many times, if I can’t walk back by myself, Mr. Davidson will be furious. He was so fierce and always bullied me,” Kate said aggrievedly. James laughed and said, “Actually, Mr. Davidson has been very good to you. For so many years, except for Ms. Davidson, he had never been so nice to any other woman.” Kate thought of the life plan drafted by Alfred for her. “Well, sometimes he’s nice to me.”

‘It would be better if he had a good temper, Kate thought. “After getting along for a while, Mrs. Davidson will find that Mr. Davidson is the best man in Sherpsel.” James had always supported Alfred.

Kate smiled and kept quiet, her thoughts drifting. ‘Alfred has his good points, but he enjoys pushing me around.

‘I guess I brought it on myself trying to take my own life and refusing to marry him in my past life. Honestly, it’s generous of him not to have done worse.

‘And there are times when he even looks out for me. I should be grateful for that, she mused.

Chapter 53

Ryan Garcia, Kyla’s biological brother, stood quietly at the corner of the Sutton Group’s entrance, watching luxury cars glide in and out.

The stark contrast between the lives of the wealthy and his own hit him hard. Here, it seemed that everyone arrived in style, with high-end vehicles serving as tickets to this exclusive world.

Ryan held a photo in his hand. The person in the photo was Kyla standing beside a new car.

Kate told Ryan that the car in the photo belonged to Kyla. But he didn’t have Kyla’s mobile phone number.

Kyla wasn’t willing to return to the Garcia family. Ryan didn’t like Kyla very much…

Even though the Garcia family didn’t raise her, Kyla is Ryan’s biological sister. It wasn’t the fault of the Garcia family that Kyla was swapped. They were also victims. But Kyla didn’t want to contact them.

The scorching sun in the sky was extremely dazzling, hurting Ryan’s skin. Ryan tightly held that photo and kept looking around, waiting for the car in the photo to appear.

Kyla didn’t know that Ryan had come. After saying goodbye to Chris, she went straight back to the company. From afar, she saw some people standing at the company’s entrance, which she was used to seeing.

Although the Sutton Group was inferior to the Regency and Purchas Group, it was still powerful in Sherpsel. Therefore, many people were coming to apply for jobs.

Ryan suddenly rushed out and stood in front of Kyla’s car. Kyla braked urgently.

Kyla was so scared. It took her a while to come to her senses and immediately pushed the car door and got out of the car.

When Kyla saw Ryan, her anger flared. She glared at him and said coldly, “Are you looking to get yourself killed?”

“Sorry, I… I was afraid that if I moved slowly, you would go in.” Ryan quickly apologized. He also knew that his action was very dangerous.

“Why are you here? Are you here to apply for a job? This is the headquarters of the Sutton Group. There are many elites here. It’s not suitable for you. You’d better try other places,” Kyla said.

Kyla knew the Garcia family couldn’t compete with the Sutton Group. Ryan only had a high school diploma and no real advantages, making it nearly impossible for him to land a job at the Sutton Group’s headquarters.

“Don’t expect me to give you special treatment. It’s impossible,” Kyla said with a stern look.

“Kyla… ” Ryan said.

“Don’t call my name. Call me Miss Kyla,” Kyla coldly interrupted, unwilling to hear Ryan call her name. Ryan was furious. Mrs. Garcia had come looking for Kyla secretly but ended up lost, losing her money and phone, and getting hit by a car. Now she was in the hospital, still insisting she wanted to see Kyla.

Ryan had no choice but to track Kyla down. He knew that Kyla had always looked down on the Garcia family for their lack of wealth.

Kate, this adopted daughter, didn’t dislike the Garcia family for being poor. She would go home several times every month and often call them. But Kyla…

“Mom wants to see you,” Ryan said faintly, “When she secretly came to look for you, she had a car accident. Now she is hospitalized but still murmuring your name. If you have time, go to the hospital to see her at the GraceWell Hospital in Sherpsel.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Kyla said, turning back to her car. She pulled out a stack of money from her bag and handed it to Ryan. “This is for you.”

“Tell her that I’m leading a good life now. My parents treat me the same as before. Kate also respects me. Don’t worry about me. If you care about me, live peacefully in your small town.

“If you have economic difficulties, I can help you at any time. However, don’t be insatiable and treat me as your cash machine.”

Ryan, visibly furious, slapped Kyla’s hand away and shouted, “Kyla, I know you look down on us, but Mom had an accident because of you and is in the hospital. And you won’t even go visit her?”

Suddenly, Ryan snatched the stack of money and threw it at Kyla. “Don’t be so superior. We are not short of money!” After Kate returned to the Sutton family, she always sent money and various gifts to the Garcia family. Even if they refused, Kate still insisted on sending them.

Leland and Mrs. Sutton were grateful to the Garcia family for raising Kate and also gave the Garcia family generous rewards. So the Garcia family was indeed not poor now. After throwing the money back at Kyla, Ryan turned and strode away with a stern face.

Kyla looked bad because Ryan’s action was seen by others. She felt embarrassed.

After a moment of silence, Kyla returned to her car and drove into the company. When entering the company, she instructed the security guard, “In the future, when you see Ryan, drive him away. Don’t let him approach the company.” “Yes, Ms. Sutton,” The security guard respectfully replied.

Kyla drove the car into the company.

The furious Ryan stopped a taxi by the roadside. After getting in the taxi, he was still very angry. Thinking of Mrs. Garcia in the hospital now and not being able to see Kyla, Ryan felt sorry for Mrs. Garcia again. He couldn’t help taking out his mobile phone and calling Kate.

Ryan had always favored Kate. For the past twenty years, he had seen Kate as his real sister. It was only now that he realized Kyla, his actual biological sister, was the one who was arrogant and disrespectful.

“Ryan.” Kate was very happy to receive Ryan’s call and smiled.

Ryan’s anger quickly disappeared without a trace after hearing Kate’s voice.

“Kate, our mother was hit by a car and had to be hospitalized. She underwent surgery and is currently at GraceWell Hospital in Sherpsel,” Ryan said.

Hearing this, Kate asked nervously and anxiously, “Was she hurt badly? How did she get hit by a car? Has the driver who caused the accident been caught? At the GraceWell Hospital? I’ll go there now.”

Ryan originally wanted to prevent her from coming but finally said, “Let’s talk face to face.”

“OK. I’ll be there soon. Wait for me at the hospital entrance,” Kate said.

“Be careful on the road.” Ryan worried that Kate would be so anxious that she would have an accident on the road, so he reminded her.

“Okay, I’ll hang up now and request some time off,” Kate said, preparing to speak with Mr. Davidson.

Chapter 54

After ending the call, Kate immediately called Alfred.

The call rang for a long while before Alfred leisurely answered Kate’s call.

“Mr. Davidson, I want to ask for leave,” Kate said, anxious and unwilling to beat around the bush. “My mom was in a car accident. She’s at the GraceWell Hospital now. I have to go there and take a look.”

Alfred frowned as he looked at Celia, who had just been brought in by his secretary and seated across from him. He said in a low voice, “Your mother was in a car accident?”

He thought, ‘She lies to my face, not even afraid that I’ll expose it.’

“It’s my foster mother. My brother just called to inform me. Mr. Davidson, is that okay? I’ll go to the hospital to see my mother first. If she’s not in serious condition, I’ll rush to the hotel and have a meal with you.”

Alfred thought, ‘So it’s her foster mother. She wasn’t lying.’

“There’s no hurry to eat with me. Go ahead. Tell the driver to take a different route.”

Alfred was not an unreasonable person.

Kate was still loyal to her foster parents and family, and this was a quality that he quite admired.

If Kate were like Kyla, unwilling to even acknowledge her biological parents, he would look down on her.

“You don’t have to rush back to the hotel. Take good care of your foster mother at the hospital. Let me know if you need any help.”

Alfred’s voice was serious and sounded cold, but the intention behind his words warmed Kate’s heart.

“Mr. Davidson, thank you.”

“You didn’t give me the gift today. Make it up to me tonight by doubling your gift, and that’s a token of thanks to me.”

Kate was left speechless.

Just as she was about to say something, Alfred had already hung up.

Kate did not argue with Alfred over this minor matter. Right now, her mind was completely focused on her foster mother.

“Liam, I’m not going to Cheval Blanc anymore,” she said. ” Send me to the GraceWell Hospital.”

“Mr. Davidson has given consent, right?” Liam Nolan asked.

He did hear Kate’s voice when she talked over the phone, but he still had to confirm to avoid offending Alfred. “I’ve requested leave from him.”

“Okay.”

Upon receiving the response, Liam changed lanes at the next intersection, turned, and headed toward the GraceWell Hospital.

After Alfred hung up the call with his newly married wife, he gestured for his secretary to pour a glass of warm water for Celia. After the secretary left, he asked Celia calmly,” Celia, you suddenly come to see me. What brings you to me?”

Being addressed affectionately by Alfred made Celia uncomfortable and uneasy.

She picked up the glass of warm water that the secretary had poured for her and took two gulps to moisten her throat. She then felt that she had gained some courage.

“Mr. Davidson,” she said as she put down the glass and looked straight at Alfred, feeling a bit flustered when she met Alfred’s dark eyes.

Alfred said in a serious voice, “Celia, I’m not a ferocious beast. I don’t bite. You don’t have to be afraid. Just say what you want to say. I won’t hold it against you.”

“Mr. Davidson, I know what Kate did that day was very hurtful to your pride. Kate was wrong, and I didn’t educate my daughter well. I earnestly apologize to you.”

After apologizing sincerely, she continued, “If you’re still angry or hold a grudge, take it out on me. Kate is my daughter, and I feel guilty about her. After she reunited with me, I spoiled her so much that she didn’t know the ways of the world. That’s why she did something that hurt your pride. So, it’s my fault. Mr. Davidson, please spare Kate. She is still young and has a long life ahead of her. I may offend you, but I need to be frank. Letting her spend her whole life this way with you, will really be at a disadvantage. Kate was taken away from me when she was very young, and I owed her a lot. I don’t expect her to be wealthy and have high status. If she can have a life free of harm and trouble, find a man who loves and treats her well, as well as live a modest life, I would be content.”

Alfred pursed his thin lips and quietly listened as Celia pleaded for Kate, begging him to show mercy and let Kate go.

He remained silent. Celia’s lips were dry and her throat parched from speaking. She then picked up the unfinished glass of warm water and drank until the glass was empty. Only then did Alfred say coldly, “Celia, I didn’t force Kate to marry me. It was Kate who forced me to marry her. If I don’t marry her, she will marry me.”

Celia was stunned, feeling as if she were about to land in hot water.

‘Alfred won’t lie,’ she thought. ‘If he puts it this way, that’s the truth then.’

A long while later, Celia asked with difficulty, “Why? Why did Kate do this?”

Alfred’s expression remained cold. “Celia, I don’t care why Kate did this. She bit me and said that it was her mark. And because of that, she said she had to take responsibility for me, so she forced me to marry her. She said she would never regret it. Coincidentally, I needed a wife. Since she was willing to be with me, I married her. It’s my fault and Kate’s for not telling you all about it. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

Alfred felt that it was his fault and Kate’s fault for keeping this from their parents.

“Kate…”

Celia was unsure of what else she could say, thinking, ‘I thought it was Alfred who forced Kate to get married to him so that he could take revenge on her. Unexpectedly, it’s Kate who forced Alfred to marry her.’

“Do your parents know about it?”

The background and complexity of the Davidson family came to her mind. She then felt both heartache for Kate and anger that Kate kept such an important matter from her.

‘No wonder Kate asked me to reject the Cohen family’s marriage proposal, she thought. ‘So that’s the reason… “I haven’t told them yet.”

“If they find out, they’ll definitely… hate Kate.”

Celia felt heartache for the situation Kate would have to face.

Even though the Davidson family initially wanted to form a marital alliance with the Sutton family, Celia understood that the Davidson family’s decision was made out of necessity rather than preference. She thought, ‘If Alfred hadn’t been… there’s no way the Davidson family would have chosen Kate. They’re just taking advantage of the fact that Kate grew up in the countryside, and they don’t take the Sutton family seriously.’

Alfred was silent.

He might not know about others, but he was aware that his mother hated Kate.

“Mr. Davidson, I don’t know why Kate did this, but since she has gotten married to you, she’s your wife. You have to protect her. Whether a woman can gain a foothold in her husband’s family after marriage often depends on her husband’s attitude.”

‘If Alfred is willing to protect Kate, no matter how much the Davidson family hates Kate, Kate will still be fine in the Davidson family’s home,’ Celia thought.

Since it was Kate’s decision, Celia knew that the two of them would not get a divorce, at least not for now.

Alfred made a promise to his mother-in-law. “Celia, don’t worry about this. As long as Kate is still my wife, I will protect her every single day.”

With his assurance, Celia felt much more at ease.

Only then did she remember the phone conversation between Kate and Alfred. She asked, “What did Kate say on the phone earlier? Her mom got into a car accident?”

“It’s her foster mother. She got into a car accident and is currently hospitalized at the GraceWell Hospital.”

Alfred thought, ‘Should I go and take a look? The Garcia family raised Kate well. At least her temperament is to my liking. From both a sentimental and a rational perspective, I believe I should go to the hospital and take a look. But given my status, if I were to show up at the hospital, I would easily attract attention. It’s a place for saving lives and treating injuries. I don’t want to draw attention there.

Chapter 55

Upon arriving at the GraceWell Hospital in Sherpsel, Kate immediately pushed open the door and got out after Liam parked the car.

Liam called out to Kate and asked, “Mrs. Davidson, do I have to wait for you?”

Kate replied without hesitation, “It’s okay. You can go back first.”

Since her foster mother was hospitalized, she definitely had to stay in the hospital to take care of her. In any case, she had asked for leave from Alfred.

“Okay,” Liam replied.

Kate turned around and ran toward the inpatient department. As she ran, she took out her phone, wanting to call Ryan.

Unexpectedly, she bumped into Elijah, who came out of the inpatient department.

Elijah was surrounded by a group of bodyguards. His expression was cold, and he walked briskly as if he were in a hurry.

When Kate bumped into him, he didn’t move, but his bodyguards stepped forward and pushed her away.

Caught off guard, Kate lost her balance and fell backward. In her panic, she reached out and grabbed a strap, clinging to it like a drowning person grasping a lifeline.

With the help of the strap, Kate managed to steady herself. When she recovered from her panic, she met a gloomy and handsome face, and she blinked.

This face and those attractive eyes looked familiar to her, but she could not remember where she had seen Elijah before.

Elijah was seething with anger, thinking, ‘In front of so many people, my tie was grabbed tightly by this damn woman, almost strangling me.’

But when he saw the face of the woman in front of him, his expression changed drastically. He grabbed Kate’s collar and pulled her closer, staring at her intently with his blue eyes.

Kate thought, ‘What’s going on?’

The next moment, the man in front of her pinched her face hard.

Kate was in pain. She slapped Elijah’s hand away.

Not only did she slap Elijah’s hand away, but she also pinched Elijah’s face hard, thinking, ‘How dare he pinch me! Hmph, does he think he’s Mr. Davidson, pinching me as he pleases?’

Elijah muttered, “The sensation is real. I’m not dreaming.” ‘Dreaming?’ Kate thought.

She quickly took two steps back, looking at Elijah warily and asking, “What are you trying to do?”

Elijah’s gaze landed on her stomach.

Kate was puzzled. She followed his gaze and looked downward, thinking, ‘What’s wrong with my stomach? I’m not fat and don’t have a beer belly. Why is this man looking at my stomach then?’

“Where’s the baby?” Elijah asked.

‘The baby?’ Kate thought, shuddering all over.

Thinking of a possibility, she looked at Elijah in disbelief.

She thought, ‘This man just said that it wasn’t a dream and that the sensation of pinching me was real. He’s even staring at my stomach and asking about Rowena. Could he be the man who took away my virginity in the phase of my life before I traveled back in time?’

“Kate,” Ryan called out as he walked out of the ward. He came out to wait for Kate, but unexpectedly, she had already arrived.

“Ryan,” Kate said, looking as if she met her savior when she saw Ryan. She quickly bypassed Elijah, who was staring at her intently and ran toward Ryan.

Ryan saw his sister’s pale face. He then looked at Elijah and others, asking, “Kate, what’s wrong? Did they bully you?” Ryan clenched his fists as he asked. ‘If Kate said they did, I would immediately let off steam for Kate, he thought. Kate grabbed Ryan’s arm and dragged him away. As they walked, she said, “Ryan, it’s nothing. They didn’t bully me. I ran too fast and bumped into him. I got a bit flustered because there were so many of them.”

Ryan didn’t believe it, thinking, ‘Kate is not a timid person, especially since she has learned kickboxing and boxing. A few burly men may not be her match. Relying on her fighting skills to protect herself, she has always been bold. There’s no way she would turn pale from fear after bumping into a few people.’

“Ryan, how’s Mom? Where was she hit?”

Kate changed the subject to stop Ryan from asking further.

Her mind was in a chaotic state.

Before she traveled back in time, she had always thought that Rowena was Chris’s daughter. When she found out the truth, Rowena was about to die.

Even until their deaths, Kate did not know who Rowena’s biological father was.

After traveling back in time, she would still feel heart-wrenching pain when her daughter came to mind. The more pain she felt, the more she hated Kyla and Chris.

Knowing that she was still no match for Kyla and Chris, she made a strong effort to suppress her hatred. God knew how hard it was for her to restrain her hatred.

She had never considered finding out who Rowena’s biological father was.

This was because she had traveled back in time.

After traveling back in time, she did not fall for Kyla and Chris’s tricks. She did not end up getting pregnant out of wedlock either. So, she escaped the tragic end that befell her and her daughter.

“Mom missed that person. Without our knowledge, she sneaked into the city to look for her, wanting to secretly meet her for a short while. She’s not familiar with that place. Unexpectedly, not only did she lose her phone, but she was also hit by a car and seriously injured. Fortunately, she was sent to the hospital in time and underwent surgery. The doctor said she had passed the critical period.”

“Mom wanted to see Kyla?”

Kate was shocked at first but soon felt relieved.

Even if Kyla did not return to the Garcia family’s home, it would not erase the fact that she was the biological daughter of the Garcia family.

Kate thought it was natural for her foster parents to want to see their biological daughter.

“If Mom wants to see Kyla, she should let me know. I’ll pick her up, and then she can see Kyla every day. There’s no need to be sneaky.”

Ryan was silent for a moment before saying, “Mom doesn’t want to disturb your current life. Your biological mother doesn’t want us to see you often either. Even more so, that person didn’t want to see us. That’s why Mom secretly went to see her. But Mom didn’t manage to see her and even got hit by a car. While she was lying on the hospital bed, she was still muttering that person’s name. It hurt me to see Mom like that, so I went to meet that person.” Kate asked as she walked, “Is Kyla in Mom’s ward now?” In Kate’s view, Kyla’s biological mother had gotten into a car accident and was quite seriously injured, so Kyla would come to see her, even if she did not want to return to the Garcia family’s home.

“She doesn’t want to see us, so there’s no way she would be in Mom’s ward,” Ryan said self-deprecatingly, his words filled with dissatisfaction toward Kyla.

He told Kate everything that had happened when he went to see Kyla.

“She’s actually so heartless!” Kate said.

She thought, ‘Kyla’s mother got into a car accident, and she doesn’t even care about it. She is not even willing to see her once.’

Recalling that her parents had died under Kyla’s scheme in the phase of her life before she traveled back in time, Kate felt that this was Kyla’s true nature. She thought, ‘Kyla even has no qualms about harming her foster parents, who raised her and have never mistreated her. So, there’s no way she would care about the life and death of her biological mother, whom she has never lived with.’

“Kate, when you see Mom later, don’t tell her about this. Just say Kyla is on a business trip and isn’t in Sherpsel. Otherwise, Mom will be upset, and it won’t be good for her recovery.”

Ryan reminded his sister to tell a white lie, and she complied reluctantly.

Someone she regarded as a biological mother was treated with such contempt by Kyla, so this deepened her resentment toward Kyla.

When Kate and Ryan returned to the ward, they saw Kyla walking over from another direction.

Kyla even brought along Vita, who was carrying a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a basket of fruit in the other.

The basket of fruit was quite heavy. Vita struggled to carry it, and Kyla did not help. Instead, she let Vita follow her like an annoying follower as Vita carried the basket of fruit and the bouquet with difficulty.

Chapter 56

When Kyla saw Kate and Ryan, she stopped and asked Ryan with a look of concern, “How is she doing?”

She couldn’t bring herself to say “Mom”.

This was because she grew up in the Sutton family’s home. She had gotten used to calling Celia “Mom”.

As for her biological mother, she only met her once.

“Mom’s inside,” Ryan said. “Go in and you’ll know how she’s doing.”

Kyla eventually came, so Ryan’s attitude toward her improved a bit.

Kate glanced at Kyla twice, thinking, ‘Ryan said Kyla didn’t want to come and see Mom, but now she’s here.’

Kate could not shake off the feeling that Kyla was being insincere.

Regardless of whether Kyla was sincere or not, Kate reckoned that her foster mother would definitely be happy now that Kyla was here.

“Kate, let’s go in together,” Kyla said.

She held Kate’s hand affectionately, pushed the door open, and entered with her.

Anna Garcia was lying on the bed with her eyes closed and her face pale. The device to monitor her blood pressure was on the left side of the bed, and her right hand was on an IV drip.

“Mom,” Kate called out in heartache as soon as she saw her foster mother. She broke free from Kyla’s hand and sat on the edge of the bed.

Hearing a familiar voice, Anna opened her eyes. Upon noticing that it was Kate, she forced a weak smile and said,

“Kate, is that you? I’m not seeing things, right?”

“Mom, it’s me,” Kate said. “I’m here to see you.”

She then turned to Kyla, who was standing beside her, and said, “Talk to Mom.”

Only then did Anna see her biological daughter standing beside Kate. Her eyes lit up right away.

She looked at Kyla expectantly, hoping that Kyla would call her “Mom”.

However, Kyla met her gaze with a calm expression, showing no emotion.

If she had to force herself to call Anna “Mom”, that meant she despised Anna.

Anna was about the same age as Celia. Due to her years of hard work and her lack of skill in maintaining her appearance, she looked twenty years older than Celia. She had gray hair and wrinkles, so she could not compare to a high-class lady who lived a life of luxury and comfort like Celia.

Kyla turned her head and called out, “Vita.”

“Ms. Sutton,” Vita said.

She then quickly went forward and put down the basket of fruit before handing the bouquet to Kyla.

Upon taking the bouquet, Kyla placed it beside Anna and said, “I bought you a bouquet of flowers. I hope you like them. I also bought a basket of fruit. Once you get better, ask them to wash the fruit for you to eat.”

With that said, she opened her handbag again and took out a stack of money. It was more than what she had given. Ryan.

She placed the stack of money on Anna’s blanket. Looking at Anna’s wrinkled face, she spoke. Although her voice was gentle, there was little emotion.

“Here’s four thousand dollars for you to buy some nutritious food in the future. Don’t be too frugal. If it’s not enough, let me know, and I’ll get you more.”

Not hearing her biological daughter call her “Mom”, Anna’s eyes were filled with disappointment. However, she forced a smile and said, “Kyla, I’m very happy that you’re willing to come and see me. I don’t want your money. Take it back.”

She then said to Ryan, “Ryan, take the money and return it to your sister.”

The driver who hit her had paid the medical fees, and the insurance company had compensated her. The driver also promised to compensate her another sum of money in addition to the insurance company’s compensation. She was not short of money for treatment fees in the future. What she wanted was that her biological daughter would call her “Mom”.

Ryan immediately picked up the four thousand dollars on the blanket and returned it to Kyla.

Kyla did not take it. She said indifferently, “I’m busy with work and can’t stay by your bed to look after you. I can only give you some money. If you don’t accept it, I’ll feel uneasy. You want to see me upset, huh?”

She took the money and placed it back on Anna’s blanket before saying, “Kate, I have to go back to attend a meeting. Stay here and spend more time with her.”

With that said, she left quickly with Vita.

Kyla did not want to see her biological mother at all. It was only because Celia thought Kyla was unaware and called to tell her that she rushed over to see Anna, lest Celia think she was too cold-hearted.

Kate ran out and called out to her, “Kyla!”

Kyla turned around.

“Kyla, that’s your biological mother. She got into a car accident when she came to see you. Since you’re here to see her, can’t you stay for a few more minutes? No matter how busy you are with work, it can’t compare to Mom.” Kyla gestured for Vita to wait for her downstairs.

After Vita left, Kyla walked up to Kate and smiled radiantly and sweetly, making Kate have a strong urge to slap her. Kate thought, ‘Her mother was in a car accident and is seriously injured, yet she can still smile so radiantly.

“Aren’t you around to keep her company? Kate, you call her’ Mom’ so affectionately. You two have a deep bond. She was the one who raised you. You’re the one who should be with her the most. Although she’s my biological mother, she has never raised me. I really can’t bring myself to call her “Mom”. In my heart, my mother has always been Celia.” She thought, ‘Kate comes back to snatch Celia from me and snatch everything that belongs to me. Someone like Kate should return to a woman like Anna.’

Kyla adjusted Kate’s clothes and said, “Kate, keep your mom company. I’ll leave now. Contact me if you need any help.”

With that said, she turned around, raised her head high, and left.

Kate was expressionless as she watched Kyla leave.

After a moment, she composed herself and turned to head back to the ward.

“Hello. Excuse me.”

A deep voice came through suddenly.

Kate turned her head and saw two men in black.

She raised her eyebrows and asked warily, “What’s the matter?”

“Hello, Miss Sutton. We’re the Purchas family’s bodyguards. Our master would like to see you. Please come with us.”

‘The Purchas family’s bodyguards?’ Kate thought.

Then, she said doubtfully, “I’m not familiar with your master. Why does he want to see me?”

“Miss Sutton, you bumped into our master just now and even grabbed his tie. You should apologize to him, right? Please come with us. He said we should be polite before resorting to force. I believe you don’t want us to use force, right?”

When their master heard the name “Kate”, he realized that Kate was the real daughter that the Sutton family had acknowledged a year ago.

Then, he ordered his men to sort out Kate’s information as quickly as possible before instructing them to invite Kate over.

Kate’s expression changed drastically upon hearing what the Purchas family’s bodyguard said.

‘The man I bumped into earlier is Elijah, the head of the Purchas family, she thought. ‘How come it’s Elijah?’

In the phase of her life, before she traveled back in time, she had met Elijah a few times, but the two of them did not even speak to each other, let alone have a bond.

She only remembered Elijah’s attractive eyes.

‘Is Elijah the biological father of my daughter?’ she thought. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I won’t go with you now. Go back and tell your master that I can come another day to apologize.” Kate refused to go with the Purchas family’s bodyguards. She could not bring herself to leave her injured foster mother now. Confronted with Rowena’s biological father from the period of her life before she traveled back in time, she felt overwhelmed and wasn’t sure how to face him.

‘How did I end up sleeping with Elijah before I went back in time?’ she thought. ‘I have no recollection of it at all. Since Elijah took away my virginity, why did he not show any sign of anything unusual whenever we met at parties after I married into the Cohen family? There are just too many mysteries.’

“Miss Sutton, our master wants to see you now. Please come with us.”

The attitude of the Purchas family’s bodyguards changed from polite to unyielding.

Chapter 57

“Sorry, I can’t go now,” Kate said, refusing once again to follow the Purchas family’s bodyguards.

“Miss Sutton, don’t blame us for being rude then,” one of the Purchas family’s bodyguards said as he tried to forcibly take Kate away.

Kate instinctively fought back. The Purchas family’s bodyguards probably did not expect Kate to do that.

In their eyes, Kate was a delicate woman.

Even if Kate made a move, they did not take her resistance seriously until one of them was thrown over her shoulder and fell to the ground.

Lying on the ground, the bodyguard felt like he was seeing stars. His waist and hips hit the floor, and pain spread throughout his limbs.

The other bodyguard looked at Kate in shock.

Kate clapped and said, “I’ll say it one more time. I’m not able to go and apologize to your master now. When I have time another day, I’ll bring a generous gift to apologize.” After helping his companion up, the bodyguard’s attitude softened a lot. He said politely, “Miss Sutton, our master is very busy and finds it hard to make time to see someone. It’s rare for him to make time to see you, so please don’t disappoint him.”

“My mother got into a car accident. How can I leave now? You have parents too. If it were you, would you be willing to leave?”

The two bodyguards were left speechless.

The bodyguard who was thrown over Kate’s shoulder took out his phone and called Elijah. After Elijah answered the call, he told Elijah that Kate refused to go with them. He also emphasized that Kate knew fighting skills, effortlessly throwing him over her shoulder. Her skills were quite impressive, and she had a lot of strength.

Elijah had recently received Kate’s information on his phone, and he knew that Kate had learned boxing and kickboxing. He thought Kate had learned showy moves that looked impressive but were considered ineffective in real combat. Unexpectedly, she was able to take down his bodyguards. After hearing the bodyguard’s words, Elijah said nothing. He hung up right away.

The bodyguard did not understand his intention. After being hung up, he did not dare to leave.

Kate wanted to enter the ward, and the Purchas family’s bodyguards no longer obstructed her.

They stood guard outside the ward.

A few minutes later, Elijah appeared at the doorway of the ward surrounded by other bodyguards.

“Mr. Purchas,” the two bodyguards guarding the doorway of the ward called out respectfully.

Elijah signaled one of the bodyguards to knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Ryan asked as he walked over to open the door. Upon opening the door, he saw a row of men in black standing at the doorway. ‘Isn’t the man in the lead the one Kate said she bumped into?’ he thought.

“Excuse me, who are you looking for?” he asked.

“I’m looking for Kate,” Elijah said in a serious voice. “Please ask her to come out.”

“Sir, who are you? Why are you looking for Kate?”

Elijah’s attractive eyes glinted. His voice remained serious as he said, “She bumped into me just now and almost strangled me. She didn’t apologize.”

Ryan hesitated for a while before saying, “Oh, I’ll ask her to come out and apologize to you.”

Kate had long seen Elijah standing at the doorway.

She did not expect Elijah to personally look for her.

‘Did he recognize me?’ she thought. ‘But Elijah didn’t even have any recollections of my look in that phase of my life before I traveled back in time. There’s no way he would recognize me now. Even more so, he wouldn’t know about Rowena. After all, I’ve traveled back in time, and Rowena appeared at the point of my life before I experienced time travel.’

Kate was a little flustered, and she was truly panicking. Ryan turned his head and called out to his sister, “Kate.” He then realized that his sister, who accompanied his mother by the bedside earlier, had disappeared.

“Kate,” he said, raising his voice.

Anna said weakly, “Kate said her stomach wasn’t feeling well and went to the bathroom. Ryan, apologize to that gentleman on behalf of Kate.”

Anna naturally heard what Elijah said.

She thought, ‘Kate was in the wrong for not apologizing after bumping into someone. It’s justifiable that that guy comes to demand an apology.’

Elijah looked past Ryan and saw Anna lying on the bed. He pursed his lips and suddenly walked into the ward.

Ryan could not stop him even if he wanted to. The Purchas family’s bodyguards were all tall and mighty. With just a nudge from each of them, they pushed Ryan aside.

“Hello, Ma’am,” Elijah said to Anna, his attitude fairly decent. Anna said weakly, “Sir, my daughter didn’t apologize to you for bumping into you. I’m really sorry. When she comes out of the bathroom later, I’ll get her to apologize to you.”

“Well actually, Ma’am, I came to see Kate because I just want to ask one thing.”

‘Demanding Kate to apologize is just an excuse, he thought.

Anna exchanged glances with her son. Ryan asked on behalf of her mother, “What do you want to ask, Sir?”

Elijah turned his head and stared at the bathroom door, thinking, ‘Kate is hiding in the bathroom. Is she feeling guilty? We’ve slept together. Was the child she carried mine?’

He wanted to know if it was real or just a dream.

Elijah, who appeared in the hospital today, inexplicably had the same dream as Alfred recently.

He thought there was something wrong with his nerves and scheduled an appointment with a specialist to treat him.

The difference was that Alfred dreamed of getting physical with a woman whose facial features could not be seen clearly, while Elijah dreamed of himself sitting in front of a bed and looking at a drunk woman lying on it. Then, he bent down and kissed the woman with one of his hands resting on her collar. After that, the scene changed, and he noticed that the woman he kissed earlier had a large belly.

The woman in his dream was clearly Kate.

Because there were only two scenes in the dream, and they did not form a logical sequence, he thought it was a dream. It was only when Kate bumped into him earlier that he realized that the woman in his dream was real, and that woman was the biological daughter that the Sutton family found, no less.

Elijah was shocked by this fact.

After he recovered from his shock, he wanted to know if it was a dream or a reality.

After all, he once had a brain tumor and underwent surgery. He suspected that it was very likely that he had temporary memory loss, forgetting some important things, even though his attending doctor said the surgery back then was very successful and would not leave any aftereffects.

Retracting his gaze, Elijah asked Anna in a serious voice, Ma’am, has Kate ever been pregnant? Where’s the baby?”

Anna was left speechless.

She was so angry that she wanted to sit up and throw this extraordinarily handsome man out.

However, she was now covered in injuries and had just barely escaped death. She did not have the strength to sit up and chase him away.

‘Fortunately, Ryan will handle it for me,’ she thought.

Ryan was so enraged that he grabbed Elijah’s collar impulsively.

The Purchas family’s bodyguards rushed forward, but Elijah waved. The bodyguards then stepped back.

Ryan’s fist did not land on Elijah’s face as Elijah grabbed his fist.

“Mr. Garcia, I only want an answer,” Elijah said. “If I’ve offended you, I’m willing to apologize.”

He then shook off Ryan’s hand and said indifferently, “I don’t want to resort to violence. If it comes to that, you’d be the one at a disadvantage.”

‘If I really did sleep with Kate and have a child with her, I.. will take responsibility, he thought. ‘Even if I don’t marry her, I will provide for her and the child for life.’

Ryan glanced at the bodyguards of the Purchas family and said angrily, “I don’t know who you heard this nonsense from to hurl mud at Kate. Kate is a pure young lady. She doesn’t even have a committed relationship with a boyfriend. There’s no way she would get pregnant and have a child. Tell me. Who told you that? I’ll go and settle the score with that person. I’m going to beat the shit out of that person!”

Chapter 58

Elijah hesitated for a while before saying, “No one told me. I just… might have misunderstood. Mr. Garcia, sorry for bothering you.”

He had gotten someone to investigate Kate’s background and only found out that she had a relationship in college, but it lasted less than six months. After that, she did not get into a relationship until she returned to the Sutton family’s home and fell in love at first sight with Chris.

For a while, Kate was quite popular because several families wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Sutton family simultaneously, including his archrival, Alfred.

Elijah knew Alfred well. He thought, ‘He will never take the initiative to form a marriage alliance with the Sutton family. It’s probably Olivia’s idea, right?’

In any case, the result of his investigation was that Kate did not get pregnant out of wedlock.

Elijah turned around and left.

One of the Purchas family’s bodyguards went forward, placed a stack of money beside Anna’s bed, and said in a serious voice, “This is a small token from our master.”

Anna opened her mouth to speak, but that bodyguard had already quickly caught up with Elijah and disappeared from the ward in the blink of an eye.

“Hey, come back and make things clear,” Ryan said. “Jeez, what a weird situation.”

He picked up the stack of money and was about to chase after Elijah.

Kate came out of the bathroom and called out to Ryan, who was about to chase after Elijah, saying, “Ryan, don’t chase after him. He’s Elijah, the head of the Purchas family. Lording it over people has always been the way he rolls. He doesn’t tolerate any resistance.”

Ryan thought, ‘He’s truly worthy of being Alfred’s archrival. They have the same personality and are equally capable. It’s just that the ways they roll are similar. Two alphas can’t get along, which is why they become enemies. Of course, Mr. Davidson firmly holds the top spot, and Elijah can’t surpass him.’

“Kate, did you hear what he said while you were in the bathroom?” Ryan said. “Even if he’s the head of the Purchas family, he can’t hurl mud at you like this. You don’t even have a serious boyfriend, and he actually asked if you’ve ever been pregnant.”

Ryan threw the stack of money onto the bedside table and continued, “Does he think having some damn money gives him the right to hurl mud at others like this?”

Kate was not angry. Ryan immediately became nervous and asked carefully, “Kate, tell me. Did you really… get pregnant out of wedlock? Does this have to do with the head of the Purchas family?”

After Elijah left, Ryan finally realized what had happened.

‘That guy wasn’t trying to get Kate to apologize,’ he thought. ‘Instead, he wanted to find out what happened to the baby Kate was carrying.’

Kate said, “Ryan, that’s ridiculous. If I had a child, I would definitely have let you guys know.”

Ryan carefully examined Kate’s expression and felt that she was not lying. He then breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

The sound of someone knocking on the door came again.

Kate was inexplicably nervous, fearing that Elijah had returned.

She was clueless about Elijah, just like she was clueless about Alfred.

All she knew was that the two young CEOs of Sherpsel were both cunning and could cause trouble to people quietly.

Ryan went to open the door.

Kate was prepared to slip into the bathroom at any moment.

Standing at the doorway was one of Alfred’s personal bodyguards, Yael.

Yael was carrying a lot of supplements in one hand and a basket of fruit in the other.

Ryan looked Yael up and down and asked with cautious puzzlement, “Hello, may I ask who you’re looking for?”

Yael looked at Kate, who stepped out at the right moment and explained, “Ryan, he’s… someone I’m familiar with. He knows Mom got into a car accident, so he came to visit.”

Ryan did not quite believe it.

Yael handed the items to Ryan.

Then, he took out his phone and searched for something before showing the phone to Kate.

Kate took a look. It was a heroic image of her throwing the Purchas family’s bodyguard over her shoulder.

‘How come Yael managed to take a photo of me throwing the Purchas family’s bodyguard over my shoulder?’ she thought.

She quickly looked behind Yael but did not see Alfred.

Yael retracted his hand and said coldly, “Mr. Davidson said he wants to hear you explain in person.”

With that said, he nodded at Ryan, turned around, and strode away.

Kate’s expression changed slightly, and she thought, ‘Did Alfred come to the hospital? When did that happen? He’s really elusive! What’s worse, he didn’t help me when he saw me being pestered by the Purchas family’s bodyguards. Instead, he took a picture of my heroic side and wanted an explanation. What am I supposed to explain? Explain what’s going on between me and Elijah, right? This is giving me a headache. I didn’t check the horoscope today. Everything’s going wrong. Not only did I provoke someone I shouldn’t have provoked, but now Alfred is misunderstanding me too.’ Anna and Ryan seemed to have noticed something. Since Kate did not take the initiative to say anything, they did not ask further.

‘Kate is now the heiress of the Sutton family, which is a wealthy family, they thought. ‘Kate has entered the upper-class society. Naturally, the people she comes into contact with are the big shots of Sherpsel. Her circle is different from ours. Even if we were to ask, we wouldn’t understand. Even more so, we wouldn’t be able to help Kate.’

Kate took care of her foster mother in the hospital for an entire day.

It was not until evening when Anna kept asking her to leave that she had no choice but to leave.

Ryan walked her downstairs and said, “Kate, don’t blame Mom for urging you to leave. She’s doing it for your own good. Now that you’ve reunited with your biological parents, you shouldn’t keep coming back to us. Otherwise, your biological parents will be jealous and think you’re not close to them.”

He thought, ‘They will also blame the Garcia family for not letting go.’

After Kate returned to the Sutton family’s home, Celia once personally came to Ryan’s house and told his parents that she hoped the Garcia family would reduce contact with Kate in the future lest her relationship with Kate was affected.

In the past year, unless Kate took the initiative to return to the Garcia family’s home, they would not initiate contact with Kate.

“Ryan, my biological mom is also kind,” Kate said. “She won’t overthink things. Go back and tell Mom that in my heart, she and my biological mother are both my moms. I’m the luckiest person in the world. I have two dads and two moms who all dote on me.’

During the phase of her life, before she traveled back in time, Kate had a stronger emotional attachment to her foster parents.

After all, she was raised by the Garcia family until she was twenty-five years old. Their bond was especially deep.

Presently, she would strive to be fair. Whether it was her foster mother or her biological mother, they were both her mothers. She would show them affection and respect.

“Alright, I’ll tell Mom.”

After walking Kate out of the inpatient department, Ryan asked, “Did you drive here yourself or take a taxi?”

“Our chauffeur drove me here.”

Alfred was dissatisfied with her driving, thinking that she drove extremely fast. He removed all the tires on her BMW car, not allowing her to drive anymore.

Now, she had no choice but to get James to arrange a car for her whenever she went.

This was the treatment for a distinguished lady, but Kate didn’t like it.

She still preferred to control the steering wheel herself, able to speed up when she wanted or drive slowly if she chose.

“Kate.”

Ryan stopped and looked at her, saying gently, “If you encounter any difficulties in the future, you can tell me. Although I don’t have a powerful background, I have brute force. If anyone bullies you, tell me. I’ll help you let off steam.”

Kate smiled and said, “Ryan, as long as I don’t want to be bullied, no one can bully me.”

‘I can even take down the Purchas family’s bodyguards, she thought. ‘Before I traveled back in time, I was completely dominated by Chris because I loved him.’

“Ryan, go back and take care of Mom. I’ll come back tomorrow to take over from you.”

“Okay,” Ryan said. He then gave Kate a few reminders before turning around and heading back to the ward.

When she could no longer see Ryan, she turned around. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Alfred, who was being slowly wheeled toward her by Yael.

Chapter 59

Kate was stunned for a moment before she quickly walked up to Alfred and said, “Mr. Davidson, how come you are here?”

Alfred looked at her coldly, his thin lips pursed tightly.

“Mr. Davidson, let me wheel you.”

Kate was used to his indifference. She calmly moved to stand behind Alfred. Without needing to be told, Yael stepped aside, letting Kate wheel Alfred.

“Go home,” Alfred said coldly.

“Okay.” Kate then wheeled him to turn in a different direction and headed toward the parking lot.

A few minutes later, Alfred said, “Kate.”

“Mr. Davidson.”

Kate tilted her head and looked at the man beside her. Her pretty face was filled with a sweet smile.

Alfred, whose handsome face was as cold as ice, was at a loss of how to react.

He had already displayed his coldness to the extreme, yet Kate maintained a warm and cheerful demeanor. She was not as frightened as other people.

She remembered that in the beginning, she was also very afraid of him. When he glared at her, she would instantly be terrified.

His blue eyes locked onto Kate’s smiling, pretty face.

Alfred knew that Kate was a pearl covered in dust. One day, she would shine with the most dazzling light.

He wanted to keep her brilliance all to himself. He didn’t want other men to see her beauty.

“Mr. Davidson, what do you want to say?” Kate asked with a smile, “Go ahead. I’m all ears.”

After a moment of silence, Alfred suddenly moved closer.

His movements were agile and forceful as he pressed Kate against the car seat.

Kate found him very heavy. She instinctively tried to push him away, but he grabbed her hands and pressed them against her sides.

Although Alfred’s legs were crippled, Kate was no match for him in terms of wrist strength.

Kate softened her voice, deliberately sounding delicate as she called out to him softly, “Mr. Davidson.” Her soft voice was like a huge rock that was thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

When his handsome face approached, Kate could smell his scent. She found it pleasant, and it gave her a sense of familiarity.

Before they shared a bed, she had already felt a sense of familiarity from his scent.

“Mr. Davidson, you want to kiss me, huh?”

Alfred was left speechless, thinking, ‘Shameless!’

Kate smiled and raised her chin slightly. “Although I lost our marriage certificate, it can’t erase the fact that we’re legally married. If you want to kiss me, you’re welcome anytime. By the way, Mr. Davidson, your skills are poor. You really need to practice more. As your wife, I’m happy to practice with you, and it’s absolutely free of charge.”

“Kate, can you have some dignity?” Alfred said in a low and hoarse voice. “Are you seducing me?”

“You’re the one pressing against me. The person who gets so close to me and looks at me affectionately while silently swallowing saliva is also you. With this posture and this scene, anyone who sees will think you’re the one trying to seduce me.”

The driver thought, ‘See no inappropriate thing. See no inappropriate thing.’

Alfred suddenly let go of Kate.

When it came to shamelessness, Kate would be second to none.

Before Alfred sat properly, Kate gave him a taste of his own medicine, pressing him against the car seat.

Then, she rudely grabbed his face with both hands and quickly sealed his lips with a kiss before he could push her away.

‘It’s fine if the stud doesn’t kiss me,’ she thought. ‘I’ll just kiss him instead.’

Alfred raised his hand and pushed her.

Of course, he did not use enough strength.

He failed to push Kate away, who once again kissed him forcefully.

Alfred narrowed his blue eyes and looked at the pretty face that was so close. He muttered inwardly, ‘I won’t respond. I won’t respond.’

But when she playfully traced his lips, his indifference crumbled.

After the kiss, Kate touched Alfred’s handsome face twice. Satisfied, she sat back in her seat and said, “Mr. Davidson, remember to look for me if you want to practice next time. I love this kind of practice and am available whenever you need to practice.”

Alfred thought, ‘God, please send down a lightning bolt to strike this shameless woman.’

“Mr. Davidson.”

A certain shameless woman rested her head on Alfred’s shoulder and asked, “When did you go to the hospital?” Alfred endured it again and again. In the end, he did not push her away, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder.

Hearing her question, he said coldly, “When you threw the Purchas family’s bodyguard over your shoulder.”

“You watched the whole fight between me and the bodyguard?”

“Yeah, “Alfred replied softly.

“Mr. Davidson, you know I’m usually very gentle and kind. You know my background thoroughly, so I’m really not a rough person. It’s just that they went overboard. I just threw him gently as a last resort.”

Alfred was left speechless, thinking, ‘Just throwing him gently? That throw left the Purchas family’s bodyguard on the floor for a long while, unable to get up. That reaction didn’t seem like it was caused by a gentle throw. Her background…

What frustrated Alfred the most was this matter.

He thought, ‘I’ve clearly asked someone to check her background thoroughly. After spending time with her, I realize she’s like a book still being serialized with new updates every day. The content of the updates is different. I don’t know how unexpected she truly is until I read the final chapter.’

“Also, Mr. Davidson, I’m your wife after all. How could you hide in a corner and watch the show while I was being bullied, not stepping in to help me seek justice? Oh, I’m really upset. I’m so upset. Mr. Davidson, when we get home, I want to eat with you as compensation for your inaction.”

Alfred sneered. “Who can bully someone like you who throws people over the shoulder at the drop of a hat?”

Kate was at a loss for words.

She then said, “Mr. Davidson-“

Alfred trembled and warned her, “Don’t call me using that tone.”

He thought, ‘It gives me goosebumps all over.’

“Doesn’t it sound nice? It’s endearing. Don’t all men like this kind of tone? Mr. Davidson, I accidentally bumped into the head of the Purchas family and forgot to apologize. He’s petty. He actually got someone to chase after me and ask me to apologize. Fine. I did bump into someone, so I should apologize. It’s my fault for not apologizing. I truly hadn’t seen the head of the Purchas family until today.”

She thought, ‘Well, I have seen him before, but that was before I traveled back in time. After traveling back in time, I really hadn’t met Elijah until today.

Kate believed that she was not lying.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I’ll stay loyal to my husband, regardless of his circumstances. I’m completely devoted, and I’ll never cheat on you.”

Listening to her explanation, the icy expression on Alfred’s face softened slightly.

He said indifferently, “I know Elijah. He wouldn’t send someone to look for you just because you bumped into him. There must be something about you that attracted him, which is why he did that.”

Kate said shamelessly and narcissistically, “He must have been attracted to me because I’m young and beautiful.”

Alfred was momentarily left speechless before he said, Kate, can you be more serious?”

“I’m being serious. If I weren’t being serious, I would behave like I did just now.”

Kate smiled, leaving Alfred feeling both love and frustration toward her, as well as a sense of helplessness.

‘She’s getting more and more outrageous, and it’s all

because I’ve indulged her, Alfred thought. ‘We’ve only been married briefly, and I’m already losing control. What the hell!’

Chapter 60

Ring, ring, ring…

Kate’s phone rang.

She took out her phone and glanced at the caller ID. Then, she said to Alfred, “It’s my mom.”

Alfred said coldly, “I didn’t ask who was calling.”

Kate smiled. “I like to be honest in front of you.” Alfred snorted, thinking, ‘If I believe her, I’m a fool.’ Kate leaned close to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Only then did she answer her mother’s call. Her mother had called her several times today.

Alfred really wanted to push this shameless woman away, but he held back. He silently chanted inwardly, ‘I’m a man. I have to be magnanimous.’

“Mom,” Kate said.

“Kate, are you still at the hospital?” Celia asked.

After learning about Anna’s accident, Celia called Kyla, hoping that Kyla would go to the hospital to take care of Anna so that Kate could come back. After all, Anna was Kyla’s biological mother.

The relationship between Celia and Kate had finally improved by leaps and bounds. These days, Kate would even act endearingly toward her. Celia admitted she was afraid that Kate’s bond with Anna would become very deep.

“Not anymore. I’m on my way back to the Davidson family’s home. Mom, what’s wrong?”

Kate knew very well that her mother did not want her to get too close to her foster mother, but that was her foster mother who had raised her and let her receive the best education. She could not bring herself to cut ties with her foster mother.

“It’s nothing. I’m just asking. You’re on your way back to the Davidson family’s home… When can you come back and have a meal with me?”

Kate felt extremely guilty, and she quickly said, “Mom, I’ll go back tomorrow.”

As she spoke, she moved the phone away from her ear and covered it with one hand. She then asked Alfred softly, “Mr. Davidson, I have freedom, right?”

Alfred said coldly, “I’m not tying your feet.”

Kate smiled and quickly kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Alfred pushed her, warning her with his eyes that if she took advantage of him again, he would throw her out of the car.

Kate stuck out her tongue playfully. She then said to Celia on the other end of the line, “Mom, I’ll go back for lunch tomorrow.”

‘Kyla won’t return home at noon, she thought. ‘This way, I can avoid eating at the same table as that woman, lest my appetite is affected.”

Guessing that Alfred was by Kate’s side, Celia did not

speak for long. After giving Kate a few reminders, she hung up.

*****

A red Ferrari sports car pulled up in front of the main store of Aura Supreme.

When the manager saw the sports car, she personally came out of the store to welcome the patron.

Grace took off her black sunglasses and got out of the car.

“Miss Weaver,” the store manager greeted Grace with a beaming smile.

Grace was about to enter the store, but she suddenly stopped and asked with cautious puzzlement, “Miss Wilson, when were you transferred to the main store? Aren’t you in charge of the branch in East City?”

As Ruby Wilson welcomed Grace into the store, she explained, “Recently, Ms. Sowle made a personnel transfer. Other than one staff member, the manager and the other staff members in the main store were all fired. Ms. Sowle then transferred me here.”

Grace was puzzled. “Fire them all? What did they do wrong?”

She often came to Aura Supreme to order gowns and had a deep impression of the manager of the main store. She was also used to that manager’s service. ‘It’s only been a few days since I last came, and they’ve replaced everyone. already,’ she thought.

Ruby said apologetically, “Miss Weaver, this was Ms. Sowle’s decision. I’m not very clear on the details either. I heard it was because they slighted the customers.”

“Oh,” Grace replied. She did not ask further.

Whenever Grace came to Aura Supreme, Belinda would personally attend to her if she was around.

Today was no exception.

Belinda, who was informed about Grace’s arrival, quickly took the elevator down to the first floor.

“Grace,” she called out.

As soon as Belinda stepped out of the elevator, she walked over with a smile.

She gestured for Ruby to attend to the other customers while she brought Grace to the second floor.

“Belinda, are all the gowns I ordered ready? My birthday is coming up soon.”

Saturday was Grace’s birthday. The birthday party that the Weaver family prepared for her was especially grand.

The guests were all prominent figures in the upper-class society of Sherpsel.

“They’ve long been ready. I wanted to deliver them to you personally, but you said you wanted to come and collect them yourself, so I have no choice but to ask you to make a trip here.”

Belinda led her to several gowns and said with a smile,” Grace, these are the gowns you ordered. Take a look and see if there are any issues. If there are issues, I’ll make urgent adjustments for you.”

Grace walked around a few sets of gowns and said in satisfaction, “I personally chose these gowns, and you completed them yourself. I trust you. There are definitely no issues.”

“Thank you.”

Belinda took a gown off the mannequin and handed it to Grace. “Try it on.”

Grace took the gown, but she was not in a hurry to try it on. Instead, she asked, “Belinda, I heard from Miss Wilson that you replaced the store manager and the other employees in your main store. What’s the reason?”

“They slighted a customer, and Mr. Davidson happened to see it. He said the quality of the employees in my store was poor, so I fired them all.”

At the mention of Alfred, Grace frowned. “Mr. Davidson has never liked to meddle in other people’s business. Which customer did they slight that made him interfere? How distinguished is that customer?”

Grace thought, ‘In the entire Sherpsel, other than Cynthia, who else can compare to me? Alfred doesn’t even spare me a nice expression. Who exactly could make Mr. Davidson meddle in other people’s business?’

Belinda smiled and said, “Well, she can’t be considered distinguished. She returned from the countryside. People can dress up as elegantly as they want, but if they lack substance, it won’t make a difference.”

“Kate?” Grace said, her expression changing slightly.

Noticing the change in Grace’s expression, the feeling of being pleased in Belinda’s eyes grew even more pronounced.

Alfred’s treatment of Kate was particularly special, making Belinda jealous.

Alfred was disabled and impotent. Belinda no longer wished that she could get married to Alfred. Even so, she was still envious because Kate attracted Alfred’s attention and received incredibly special treatment from him.

However, she did not dare to lay a hand on Kate.

Before figuring out how special Alfred would treat Kate, Belinda would not act rashly.

But it didn’t stop her from using someone else to deal with Kate, and Grace was the perfect weapon for that.

The Weaver family’s status in Sherpsel was second only to the Davidson family, and the two families had business dealings. Grace had many brothers, all of whom doted on her. Even if Grace did something that was out of line, Alfred would turn a blind eye, given that the two families had business dealings.

The fact that Grace’s brothers would protect her made Alfred even more inclined to ignore it when Grace went overboard.

“That bumpkin,” Grace said through gritted teeth. “I heard from Kyla that she has started to reveal her true colors recently, fighting with Kyla for favor. How dare she fight for a favor? Over the years, it’s Kyla who has been taking care of Leland and his wife. What has Kate done? Is she worthy of fighting with Kyla for a favor?”

Belinda smiled without saying anything. That was the Sutton family’s business. She chose not to comment.

Grace and Kyla were good friends. Even though she knew that Kyla was not the Sutton family’s biological daughter, she treated Kyla the same as before. Naturally, she sided with Kyla, and she saw Kate as a bitch who came back to snatch everything from Kyla.

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