Chapter 159
He hesitated , then finally forced himself to say , “ Has Aria’s household registration been transferred back home yet ? ”
Zoe’s fork slipped from her hand and clattered onto the table .
In that moment , everyone’s face was clouded with profound sorrow , even Luke , usually so outspoken , fell silent , merely casting Nathan a complicated glance
Nathan realized something significant had happened in this family that he knew nothing about .
He didn’t say another word . After dinner , he found Silvia and quietly asked what had happened .
Silvia’s eyes filled with tears in an instant . “ Nathan … I’m so sorry . ”
Nathan quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe her tears . “ What are you sorry for ? You haven’t done anything wrong to me . ”
Silvia tried to hold back her sobs , her words coming in broken fragments as she told him what had happened that day . Still , it was enough for Nathan to understand .
His eyes widened with disbelief .
“ I went to see her and saw the scars on her back . Nathan , my biological parents nearly got her killed more than once . She has been missing for ten years , and no one knows what kind of hell she went through . ”
Nathan let out a bitter laugh , tears streaming down uncontrollably . “ How could that be ? She’s so strong . She even took down a dozen bodyguards . No way … I’ll go ask Caleb . ”
Nathan rushed out of the room and saw that Luke’s door was slightly ajar . Instinctively , he pushed it open and called , “ Uncle Luke . ”
Luke seemed to be watching something on his computer . He snapped it shut in a panic , but in that split second , Nathan caught sight of a little girl on the
screen .
“ Who was that little girl ? ” Nathan demanded sharply .
Luke’s expression turned complicated as he grabbed Nathan’s hand , stopping him from reaching the mouse . “ Don’t look at that . ”
“ Is that Aria ? Was that her as a child ? Why can’t I see ? ”
Nathan didn’t care about respect anymore. He shoved Luke’s hand aside and reopened the computer , only to see a gaunt little girl staring back from the
screen .
Luke let out a heavy sigh , his mood weighed down . “ I was the one who welcomed Aria least in this family . Even after the abuse came to light , I suspected Alice helped Aria fabricate a sob story . ”
He continued , “ Later , I secretly sent someone to investigate and obtained photos of Aria from her childhood . That reminded me of something , so I dug up this video . Years ago , I stumbled upon this livestream on an app . Nathan , if I’d called the police back then , if I’d used the Saxon family’s influence to help her , could we have brought Aria home sooner ? “ ,
Luke hadn’t slept properly for days , regretting that he ever investigated , regretting that he recorded this video and kept it until now .
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He should just keep being the “ bad uncle “ . That way , he wouldn’t have to feel guilty .
After watching the video , Nathan felt as if his heart was being pounded over and over again . He dropped to his knees , finally unable to hold back his sobs .
se she didn’t stand
‘ What a pathetic fool I’ve been ! ‘ Nathan thought bitterly . ‘ I distanced myself from Aria just because she seemed cold to me , just up for me when I was punished by the family . Over such a petty thing , I shut my sister out for good , treating her with nothing bu
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‘ Did I break her heart back then ? ‘
She fought tooth and nail to survive and return home , only to be met with suspicion and wariness instead of the love and care the deserved
“ What about Henry ? And that couple ? ” Nathan looked up , his eyes burning with hatred .
Luke let out a heavy sigh . “ They’re all behind bars . ”
Not even a sliver of a chance remained for them to make amends .
On the day of the charity auction gala , Aria arrived at the Grand Metropolis Hotel in a simple trench coat . She handed over her invitation and walked inside .
Her understated trench coat stood in stark contrast to the venue’s opulent decor , making her the center of attention the moment she appeared .
As soon as Aria appeared , Zoe immediately stood up , wanting to go to her , but Logan stopped her . “ Zoe .”
Her eyes stung with unshed tears as she silently sat back down .
Caleb had warned them . If anyone disturbed Aria , he would sever ties with the Saxon family and wouldn’t take over the Saxon – Group.
Joseph was shaken by the ultimatum , but Logan and Zoe knew they no longer had the courage to beg their daughter for forgiveness .
They simply didn’t deserve it .
Aria found her seat , sat down , and started scrolling through her phone .
Another wave of murmurs swept through the crowd . Aria kept her head down , but caught a sudden gasp .
“ Wait , are Owen and Aria seriously wearing matching outfits ? ”
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