Jackson had been waiting for Niamh’s return, so he was not in the mood to have his meal.
At that moment, he seemed to know that Niamh was almost back home and was waiting at the entrance.
“Mommy, you’re back.” The little kid held her hand while his eyes looked worried.
Niamh looked around the hall. “Your dad hasn’t come back home yet?”
Jackson shook his head. “Nope, Lillian isn’t home as well.”
Niamh then quickly booted up her phone.
She realized that when her phone was switched off, Kendrick had not given her a call nor sent her a message.
Suddenly, she felt insecure and quickly dialed Kendrick’s number. However, at that moment, the unknown foreign number was calling her once again.
Niamh answered the call and questioned, “Who the hell are you?!”
Niamh asked straightforwardly, and the lady on the other end of the call giggled. “Eveline Montgomery, you don’t have to be so eager to know who I am. Soon, we’ll meet up.”
“I don’t want to meet with someone who hides in a dark corner and sneers. Stop calling,” Niamh warned her, and when she was about to hang up, the lady voiced out once again.
“You don’t wish to meet up with me, but I’m looking forward to our encounter. Well, as a gift for our encounter, just think of your muted daughter who’s lying in the hospital with her life still in a critical phase.”
“What did you say? What do you mean?!” Niamh suddenly thought of something. “Did you order someone to kidnap my daughter?”
“You’re right, it’s me.” The lady quickly admitted it. “But don’t you worry, Eveline. I’ll never lay a finger on you. Instead, I want you to be safe and healthy to witness how I torture those around you and make you suffer!”
After the lady blurted out her last comment, the call was hung up abruptly.
Niamh called back, but no one answered.
She could make out from the woman’s tone that she bore a grudge against her.
She tried to recall all the women she had made enemies out of but could not figure out who was it. That was because she had never heard that voice before, but again, that underhanded and cruel method seemed rather familiar.
Thinking back to the lady’s comment about Lillian’s life being in a critical phase sent chills down Niamh’s spine. Her heart was pumping erratically.
She called Kendrick while walking eagerly to the garage.
Jackson wanted to tag along but was worried he would add on to Niamh’s burden if he were to follow.
He thought for a moment and chose not to follow. As such, he could only look on as Niamh drove away.
Kendrick was guarding Lillian by the bedside. Suddenly, he received a call from Niamh. He glanced at the little kid who was sound asleep and sneaked out of the ward. He took out his phone, only to realize that Niamh had sent him a message two hours ago. He had not noticed it at all.
He closed the door of the ward and answered the call. “Nia.”
“Kendrick, are you at the hospital? Did something happen to Lillian?” Niamh sounded anxious.
Kendrick figured that perhaps it was Fabian who told her everything about Lillian. He replied apologetically, “I’m sorry, Nia. I didn’t do my best to protect our daughter.”
Niamh felt a pinch in her heart. She did not wish to pin the blame on him. Instead, she comforted him. “I know you’ve done your very best to protect Lillian. Don’t blame yourself. Wait for me, I’ll be there soon.”
After hanging up the call, Niamh sped up and hurried to the hospital.
After meeting up with Kendrick, she glanced at the bed where Lillian was lying unconscious.
Niamh rushed to the bedside and reached out to touch the little girl’s pale doll-like face. “Lillian.”
Heartbroken, she lowered her head and kissed the little face.
Kendrick stood at the end of the bed, feeling terrible and blaming himself even more.
He spun around to leave as he felt that he had lost his courage to face his little girl.
Niamh heard Kendrick’s footsteps that were leaving the scene and could guess what this man was thinking about currently.
She looked at the unconscious little girl, feeling anxious. Then, she left the ward.
After exiting the ward, Niamh did not see Kendrick around. Subconsciously, she walked down the corridor when suddenly, she heard something being smashed at the stairwell.
She felt her heart sink, and with all her might, she pushed the heavy door open. “Kendrick!”
Following the lights along the corridor, Niamh saw a man punching the wall.
She felt a sense of pain coursing through her heart. She sprinted over to where he was and stopped him. She held onto him tightly, saying, “What are you doing, Kendrick?! Don’t harm yourself like that! Don’t!”
Kendrick frowned, his eyes growing red.
“I caused Lillian to suffer from a serious injury. All these years, what have I given to this child? I’m not worthy of being her father!” Kendrick blamed himself.
“Perhaps people like me should have just dropped dead for good. Last time, I harmed you and made you suffer so much. Now, I’ve harmed our daughter. I’m not even a human!”
Kendrick hated himself. He raised his fist again and drove it straight to the wall, ignoring the pain that came flooding a second after.
“Don’t bother about me, Nia. Please stop loving someone like me, a cold-hearted man who never appreciates his beloved wife and daughter. I don’t deserve to have you guys. You and the kids should find a reliable man and forget about me.”
Niamh raised her gaze as soon as he was done talking.
Her eyes went red. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face. “Do you have any idea what you’re babbling on about? Kendrick Waldburg, are you still trying to break my heart up to this date? In my entire life, except for you, who else can I fall in love with?! You tell me, what should I do to completely forget about you? Tell me!”
Niamh shouted while feeling heartbroken. It was as if there were millions of ants biting on her heart.
Kendrick tilted his face. He felt ashamed to face Niamh after hearing her words.
Niamh fixed her gaze upon the man before her who was choking silently. “Talk, Kendrick. Tell me, what should I do?”
As soon as she was done speaking, Kendrick suddenly got down on his knees.
“I’m sorry, Nia. Why am I always doing things that will hurt you? Why…”
Niamh could not bear to see him breaking down.
She suppressed the urge to cry because she knew Kendrick was enduring tremendous pressure within him.
She squatted, and in her eyes was no longer a sharp ray. There was only passion and concern in them as she said, “Look at me, Kendrick.”
Niamh held his face like she was comforting a kid. She spoke to the man with utter patience, “I know you’re very concerned about Lillian. No one’s going to blame you, and you need not blame yourself. Lillian will not blame you as well.”
“Even though Lillian is still young, she’ll still understand. You’re her only father. I know that you must have a reason for treating Lillian coldly ever since you came back. However, I hope that you won’t be so cold to her again after she wakes up.
“Kendrick, we’re one family, a very close one. No matter what’s going to happen in the future, we should not be separated again, alright?”
Kendrick could not help but choke as tears came streaming down his face.
“Nia.” He hugged her tightly. “We’ll never be apart, never again.”
“Alright,” Niamh answered Kendrick’s promise, her eyes filling with tears.
She had never seen Kendrick fall apart. Perhaps back when he thought she was dead, he had also been like this as well. However, after witnessing it for herself, she could feel an intense pain deep in her heart.
Kendrick and Niamh went back to Lillian’s room. She was still sound asleep.
Kendrick got Niamh to go back home first while he would remain to guard Lillian.
Niamh did not want Kendrick to overwork himself, but she wanted to head home to get some daily necessities. Besides, she had to make a trip to the laboratory.
In the shortest time, she made her way to Glendale’s laboratory and gave one of the two reagents that Adam gave her to be researched.
She did not trust Ryan or Adam. Hence, she needed to check for herself whether it was safe to be used.
On the next day, Niamh took all the daily necessities and headed to the hospital. Just when she reached the parking lot, she received a call from the laboratory.
She answered the call while walking to the elevator. Suddenly, a lady with a slim figure seemed to pass by Niamh on purpose and even knocked into her shoulder.
“I’m sorry.” The lady turned around to apologize. There was a big pair of sunglasses that covered her face. However, the moment she spoke, Niamh immediately came to a realization.
“It’s you?!”
Niamh could recognize the voice. It was the same person who had been provoking her over the phone these days, the woman who said that Lillian was Niamh’s mute daughter!
After being recognized, the lady seemed as if she had come well prepared. She curled her red lips and smirked. “Eveline, I said we’ll soon meet each other. Aren’t you surprised?”
Niamh could not make out who the voice belonged to, but that evil smirk reminded her of someone.
“Are you there, Miss Montgomery?” The researcher’s curious voice was heard over the phone.
Niamh thought of taking off the lady’s sunglasses, but her thoughts were suddenly disrupted.
“I’m sorry. I’m still all ears,” Niamh quickly replied. However, the next time she raised her head, she realized the lady was missing. There was only a special scent that smelled rather special.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.