Anastasia crossed her arms while sneering, exuding apathy. âIâve come bearing news, Naori. Itâs about your daughter.â
âWhat?! What about Erica? Has she done anything wrong?â Naomi turned glum.
âYour daughter is charged with attempted murder.â
âImpossible! My Erica doesnât have the guts to do that. How dare she kill a human when she canât even kill an animal? Donât slander my daughter, Anastasia Tillman. You're bullying her behind my back, arenât you?!â Naomi blew a fuse.
âYou're right, she didnât dare to murder in the past, but you've fattened up her ambition and courage so much that she can do anything for money now.â Anastasia snorted disdainfully.
âAnastasia, Ericaâs still your sister, no matter what she has done. Please forgive her, seeing that both of you have Francisâ blood running in your veins.â Naomi thought kinship could persuade Anastasia to overlook Ericaâs faults.
However, the frost beneath Anastasiaâs eyes only thickened after she heard Naomiâs plea. âI do have good news for you, though.
My dad has regained consciousness.â
âWhat?! Francis has regained consciousness?! Thatâs great; Iâve missed him so much!â Naomi instantly feigned adoration.
Naomi had thought it through. If Francis had regained consciousness, he would definitely forgive her for even manipulating his will, seeing that they shared a daughter, or at least she thought So.
âBut my dad doesnât want to see you, much less forgive you for what you've done. Donât get too excited just yet.â Anastasia crushed her hopes unambiguously.
Naomi turned grim in response.
âAnastasia, you've said nothing but. terrible things about me to your father, havenât you? But donât go thinking you can drive a wedge between us. Besides, Erica is Francisâ daughter too! He won't sit back and watch me go to jail.â
Anastasia was so livid that she was beginning to sneer. How could Naomi continue to act so unapologetically?
âNaomi, are you sure you're right to call Erica my fatherâs daughter?â Anastasia decided to drop the bomb on her.
Naomi panicked in response and shrieked, âHow dare you, Anastasia. You can hate Erica, but | wonât allow you to question her parentage!â
âThen do you know who your daughter attempted to murder?â
âWho?â Panic filled Naomiâs eyes. âMrs. Wanda Garner. Erica first tried to kill her by pushing her off a cliff into the sea. But because Mrs. Garner survived, Erica allied with a man to wound her with a machete, Wanna guess his name?
Newman. Patrick Newman. Iâm sure youâre familiar with it.â Anastasia smirked as she fixed her gaze on Naomi.
Naomi, seated on her chair, suddenly jolted and nearly fell over. Luckily she held a tight grip on the table. âI donât know any Patrick Newman.â
âErica has nothing to do with the Tillman Family. Sheâs your daughter with Patrick Newman. Mrs. Garner discovered his identity when he went to Tillman Residence a month ago, and Erica, worried that her parentage would be exposed, lured Mrs. Garner to the coast and mercilessly pushed her down. After Mrs. Garner was saved, Erica then sought help from her birth father, Patrick.
They lured Mrs. Garner to an abandoned warehouse this time and made another murder attempt. Mrs. Garner has already pressed charges, so you'll have company very soon.â
Naomi began heaving upon hearing Anastasiaâs words. Shrieked dramatically, she seemed to be left with no choice. âSpare my daughter, Anastasia! I'll kneel. Please, spare Erica...â
âYou married my father with a daughter that has no blood relation to him whatsoever and used my blood to trick my father into thinking Erica is indeed a descendent of the Tillman Family. All these years, your daughter was treated with nothing but love and affection while I-thereâs nothing any one of you can do to salvage all that Iâve lost. | want to see you pay the price for your wickedness.â
With that, Anastasia turned and left, leaving Naomi to hold a death grip on the bars and scream, âSpare my daughter, Anastasia!
Sheâs still so young... Please have mercy on her, please, | beg of you...â
Anastasia sneered to herself. Spare Erica? Never.
The police successfully tracked Erica to a high-end restaurant. She was enjoying a plate of perfectly cooked steak like she was still a socialite until the police walked in, where she turned fearful, causing the cutleries in her hands to slip and drop onto the floor.