Chapter 897



Kallie nodded, feeling much calmer now. Sophie’s birthday party had been a bit of a disaster, and Kallie felt terrible about it. But Sophie refused to have another party.

Elma woke up soon after arriving at the hospital. The doctor said she would be okay but needed to stay for a while for further observation. They would need to talk to a specialist to see if Lacey was right about what caused Elma’s collapse.

Calvin and Sophie stayed with Elma at the hospital. They were in a VIP room, as big as a suite in a fancy hotel, giving them plenty of space and privacy. To help Elma feel better, Sophie brought many of her birthday presents to the hospital. The two kids excitedly tore into the wrapping paper.

Soon, they came to the big black box that Lacey had given Sophie. Elma scowled.

“It’s from the awful woman who said I wasn’t my mom’s real daughter!” she exclaimed. “How dare she!”

“We should just throw her gift away,” Sophie said, shoving the box away.

But as Sophie pushed the box, they heard a clicking noise.

The three children exchanged curious glances.

“Should we open it?” Calvin asked. “I’m curious what she gave you.”

Sophie shook her head, worried. “Maybe not,” she said. “That woman is bad news. Who knows what she might have done to that gift?”

Calvin carefully moved the box away from Elma and Sophie.

“If you’re worried about it, then we definitely need to open it,” Calvin suggested. “If she did something to it, I’ll make sure she goes to jail and can’t say those things about you anymore. I’ll open it. You two stay back.”

“Calvin, maybe we should let the bodyguard open it,” Sophie said.

But Calvin was too quick. He opened the box before anyone could stop him.

Sophie, ever the protective older sister, instinctively pulled Elma close, shielding her with her own body. But nothing happened. No explosions, no hidden traps, no sinister surprises.

Calvin cautiously lifted the lid, and a few glittering fragments tumbled out. Inside, nestled amongst the fragments, lay a treasure trove of valuables. Sparkling jade ornaments, shimmering gemstones, and intricate jewelry sets winked at them from the velvet lining. Each piece seemed to be part of a carefully curated set, designed to complement the others.

Even though they were just kids, they weren’t clueless. They’d seen enough jewelry in their lives to know that these pieces were the real deal, worth a small fortune.

Calvin’s jaw dropped. “Holy crap! Why would she give Sophie all this stuff? It’s insane!”

Sophie was equally bewildered. Most of the jewelry was clearly designed for an adult, not a young girl like her.

Nestled amongst the glittering gems, two gold pieces caught their eye. Calvin gingerly lifted them out of the box and held them up to the light, where they shimmered with a warm, golden glow.

They were amulets, intricately crafted, and clearly meant to ward off evil. The kind of thing little kids wore for protection.

Upon closer inspection, they noticed delicate inscriptions etched into the gold. Sophie gasped. “These are just like the amulet I had when I was little!”

And the inscriptions? They were none other than Calvin’s and Elma’s names.

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