Chapter 423

Twenty years ago, on a summer afternoon amid a raging storm.

A little girl, clinging to a sliver of hope, knocked on the grand doors of the Bishop family home. She was led inside, only to be locked in the small east wing. Through the window, she saw not only the pouring rain but also the warm lights of the main house, where a little princess was surrounded by people, blowing out her birthday candles.

It was her birthday, too.

She strained to see if her father was among the faces in the crowd.

But she didn’t know what he looked like, so she studied each person carefully. She saw an old gentleman with white hair looking lovingly at the princess, a lavishly dressed woman by his side, a portly man behind them, another elegantly dressed woman, and two children…

One was a boy, so clean-cut and handsome with his rosy lips that he was prettier than a girl.

The other was a much smaller girl, likely the boy’s sister, wearing a puffy dress and two pigtails, looking adorable with her chubby, cherubic cheeks.

The little girl locked in the dark room was cold and hungry. She wished desperately that her father would come, hold her, and tell her, “Don’t be afraid. Daddy’s here. Daddy will help you save your mom.”

But her father never came. Instead, his wife appeared, staring at her with disgust, with a venomous glare that seemed to wish her dead.

She said her father wouldn’t acknowledge her, that she would only tarnish the Bishop family name. Then she ordered a servant to throw her out.

Perhaps not wanting to disturb the guests in the main house, the servant dragged her to the backyard, opened the back gate, and tossed her out.

She clung to the gate, crying and begging them to let her see her father. Her mother was waiting for him to save her.

She cried for a long time until the gate opened again. This time, it was the little princess. She threw a piece of cake on the ground, telling her to lick it up like a dog.

Then the princess went back inside, seemingly leaving the gate unlocked…

The little girl, heartbroken, turned to leave but accidentally dropped a hair tie. Her mother had made it by hand, adorned with peonies. There was only one pair in the world.

One was still in the little girl’s braid; the other lay on the ground. The adorable little girl from the party saw it and, out of curiosity, stepped outside to pick it up. And then…

The great tree, battered by the storm, suddenly fell.

Penelope didn’t know how she left the Bishop family home or how she gor to the hospitaler mind was complete blank, desperately needing something to fill the void.

Then she saw Theodore, leaning against the hospital entrance, smoking. He was still in the same clothes, scorched and reeking of smoke But he didn’t look..

einet

disheveled instead he radiated a dangerous edge that made passersby give him a wide berth.

“You already know who I am, don’t you?” she asked.

He had seen the peony hair tie in the box when she opened it. He knew in that moment.

Theodore didn’t look at her, just took a long drag from his cigarette.

“I need to stay at the hospital for the next couple of days. You should go home.”

“The police have been here, haven’t they?”

“I don’t want to talk right now.”

“The person your mother meant to hit was me.”

“She’s just having a psychotic episode.”

“No, she wanted to kill me to avenge Lorraine.”

Theodore crushed the cigarette and finally looked at Penelope, his brow furrowed.

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!”

“Do you also think I killed Lorraine?”

“Enough!” he roared at her.

Penelope gave a bitter smile. “So you all think I’m the one who killed Lorraine.”

If she hadn’t gone to the Bishop if hadn’t

Dome that day, if they hadn

own her out the back gate, if she hadn’t dropped that hair tie