Chapter 453
Chapter 452 Wash Away the Years
Chapter 452 Wash Away the Years
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As Waylon spoke, his eyes reddened. Though Natalie was already a mother of two, she had never gone through what her parents had; yet she could still feel their pain deep in her heart.
“Dad, I’ll get a towel and wash mom’s face.”
“Alright.”
Waylon nodded. Natalie went to the bathroom, filled a basin with warm water, and used a damp towel to gently wipe Ruby’s face and hands; then she carefully smoothed out her mother’s hair.
Ruby must have been a beauty once–but the years of grief over her lost child, and the endless, relapse of her illness, had left faint traces of age and exhaustion on her face.
Looking at her mother’s delicate features, Natalie whispered, “Mom, I’m home. We may have lost over twenty years together, but we still have many more ahead of us. If you really love me, you have to get better. All the motherly love I missed out on–you have to make it up to me, double.”
Ruby’s fingers twitched slightly, but her eyes stayed closed.
Both Waylon and Natalie knew she was awake; she just didn’t know how to face the daughter in front of her.
Natalie didn’t press her. She sighed softly and took Ruby’s hand in hers.
The doctor arrived quickly. When Flynn led him into the room and saw Ruby’s condition, he froze for a moment.
He looked as if he wanted to say something, but Waylon gave him a subtle shake of the head.
Flynn immediately fell silent.
After examining Ruby, the doctor determined that her injuries were only superficial and prescribed some medication. As for her depression, there wasn’t much he could say–such an illness required time and patience. Ruby had battled it for over two decades, with constant relapses and no real recovery.
Any story about a kidnapped child, or the death of one, could trigger her raw nerves in an instant.
The Stone family had long grown used to that.
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8:33 Thu, Oct 16
Chapter 452 Wash Away the Years
Once the doctor left, Natalic personally applied the medicine to Ruby’s wounds.
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Throughout it all, Ruby’s tears flowed continuously, even though she never opened her eyes.
She felt too ashamed to face her daughter; Natalie didn’t push her.
When she finished tending to her, she noticed Ruby’s breathing had evened out–she must have fallen asleep.
Natalie tucked her in and quietly straightened the room before slipping out.
Waylon sat alone in the living room.
The once commanding businessman now looked tired and worn; his back was slightly hunched, and Natalie could even see strands of white in his hair.
He was only in his early fifties, yet in that moment, he looked so much older.
Natalie knew he carried an enormous weight–Ruby’s long illness had been draining enough, and on top of that, he still had to manage the entire Stone family.
She sat down beside him.
“Dad,” she said softly, “tell me the truth. What’s really going on with our family?”
Waylon blinked in surprise at her question.
Flynn returned after seeing the doctor out and quietly sat next to Natalie without saying a word.
Waylon looked at his daughter with a small smile. “What makes you ask that all of a sudden?”
Natalie lowered her voice. “Dad, I’m not stupid. If what happened more than twenty years ago -the baby switch–was an accident, then how do you explain what happened at the police station? I was kidnapped and taken to Ocevaris; are you saying that was an accident too? I don’t think Rachel planned that. She wanted me dead, that much was obvious. When Anna kidnapped me, her goal was to kill me; if Jensen hadn’t taken that knife for me, I probably would’ve been seriously hurt–or worse.”
She paused, then continued, “Since Anna didn’t manage to kill me and was captured right after by Baron’s men, she never had the chance to find out I was still alive; that means she couldn’t have arranged another kidnapping at the station. So I’m more inclined to believe Rachel knew nothing about that incident–though that doesn’t rule out her connection to whoever was behind it.” ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ.net
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Chapter 452 Wash Away the Years
Waylon said nothing, only watched Natalie with quiet admiration.
Flynn paused too, then urged gently, “Go on, Natalie.”
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Natalie felt a little embarrassed under the way the two of them were looking at her–so full of pride and amazement. Come on, it’s just basic reasoning; anyone could figure this out.
Still, their admiration felt nice.
She gave a faint, almost wistful smile before continuing.
“After I was taken to Ocevaris, I found out there was going to be an auction–one where women from all over the world were being sold. Beth told me those auctions only happen once a year, and this year’s had already come and gone. So the fact that they were hosting another one, and inviting powerful people from Ocean City and beyond, couldn’t be a coincidence. Something bigger was at play. I don’t know what it is yet, but I can’t shake the feeling that it’s tied to our family–or more specifically, that it was targeting the Stone family itself.”
8:33 Thu, Oct 16