Chapter 933



I’m the reason you’re still breathing, and yet, this is the thanks I get? It appears your mom skipped some crucial lessons on gratitude.”

Color rising in her cheeks, Elma clenched her fists at her sides.

“Never bring my mom into this! Yes, I owe you for saving me, but kidnapping me? That’s a whole different arena.

It’s not just wrong.

It’s criminal.

Go ahead and kill me if you dare, or step aside so I can call the police on you.”

Lacey smirked at Elma’s fiery defiance, feeling a twinge of jealousy.

She knew all too well how Jake doted endlessly on his little princess, Elma, who was drenched in love and affection, particularly even more so in Kallie’s care.

A hint of bitterness flickered across Lacey’s face.

Sometimes, life was nothing but a cruel, unbalanced game.

While some were showered with opportunities and love from the cradle, others, like herself, had to claw their way through life’s scraps, never tasting the sweetness of such adoration.

Lost in her bitter reflections, Lacey almost missed Elma’s dash for freedom.

Reacting swiftly, Lacey lunged forward, grabbing Elma’s wrist with an iron grip.

“And where do you think you’re going? I’ve already told you, this is your father’s place.

I’m merely the messenger, here to reunite you with him.”

Elma froze, her resolve wavering for a heartbeat, and then resumed her struggle, her voice trembling with conviction.

“No, I refuse to meet him! I don’t want to see the man who’s nothing more than a scoundrel, having wounded my mom deeply.

I’d rather vanish than face him!”

“Is that the story your mom fed you about me?”

From behind came a commanding voice, low and brimming with authority.

Elma suddenly ceased her struggles.

Lifting her gaze, she met Jake’s stern expression, a flicker of fear crossing her features.

Memories of her childhood bubbled to the surface.

In those days at the Morgan family estate, Jake had always been icy with Cara, yet he showed kindness to her, never once revealing a harsh demeanor.

Bound by blood, Jake had showered Elma with all his patience and affection.

Years had passed, however, blurring Elma’s memory of Jake’s face.

Throughout that time, she had deeply missed him, often envisioning his return.

Yet, after a three-year wait, the news about Jake’s eventual return had only dashed their hopes.

Kallie remained silent, but the sorrow and disillusionment were apparent to her kids.

Thus, Sophie, the most astute and observant among them, took it upon herself to delve into the past events, with Calvin’s adept hacking skills aiding her quest for truth.

Confronted with Jake’s disloyalty toward their mother, Elma wrestled with conflicting feelings of love and resentment toward him.

Though fear gripped her, she refused to let it show, forcing her features into a mask of defiance.

Her voice, however, betrayed her with its unsteady quiver.

“I… I didn’t say anything wrong.”

Jake knelt down, bringing himself to Elma’s level.

His expression was serious as he asked, “Elma, who am I to you?”

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