Louis and I were bewildered by her remark. “Do you recognize me then?”
Summer nodded. “Yes, you catch bad guys.”
I quickly realized that she probably saw Louis in the news because, at times, I would pay special attention to K City’s happenings when I watched the evening news, so naturally, Louis would appear then.
Summer had an excellent memory, so it wasn’t unusual for her to remember him.
Holding on to Summer, I said, “Summer, let’s be polite and call grandpa.”
Summer lifted her head again to look at Louis. “Grandpa, could you help me catch bad guys?”
Louis bent down slightly and said, “Who is the bad guy you need me to catch?”
Summer thought about it for a while and answered, “The bad guy in Mr. Johnson’s hotel always scolds my mommy. She also calls me a bastard.”
Children were pure in nature. I had brought Summer to the hotel for housekeeping before because I was worried about leaving her alone at home. We would occasionally bump into Joyce, and she would even curse at children.
I thought that Summer wouldn’t remember such a minor detail, so I wasn’t expecting her to expose Joyce under such circumstances.
I smiled as I held on to Summer. “Summer, grandpa is here for dinner today, not for work. So catching bad guys would have to wait. I’m going to give you a small task. Why don’t you and Michael bring grandpa to the back and see what he likes and bring those back?”
Summer nodded. “Sure, mommy!”
She paused briefly as if she remembered something and tugged Louis. “Grandpa, let’s go. The grapes Mommy grew around the fence are ripe now. Let’s pluck them.”
Summer had forgotten all about catching bad guys and was already tugging Louis to the back.
Colin noticed my unusual mood. “You’re Louis Stanhope’s daughter?”
How should I explain this?
“Four years ago, he acknowledged me as his daughter by fate. So yeah, I’m his daughter.”
He went silent and didn’t pursue further.
The optimal relationship between people was by maintaining a polite distance and not probe for one’s secrets.
Mid-way through dinner, the doorbell rang.
Being the active little girl Summer was, she ran to get the door once she heard the bell rang. I got up and followed her.
Summer’s words reached me before I could understand the situation. “Mommy, there is a bad guy outside our door!”
I jumped in shock and rushed towards Summer. I saw Joyce barging in with red, puffy eyes and a haggard look.
Before I could react, Joyce dashed towards me. She held on to me and knelt.
She sobbed. “Sienna, it is all my fault. My father is innocent, so do whatever you want to me, but please let me father go.”
Hearing her words, I was able to guess what happened. Louis was efficient in his work, and there weren’t many who would doubt his decisions.
I thought the investigation would take place the next morning since Louis had just arrived at R Province.
Just a few hours had passed, and Joyce was on her knees begging in front of me.
I pursed my lips while I removed her hand and took a few steps back to keep my distance from her. “Ms. Newton, I think you’re mistaken. Why are you on your knees begging me for help here? This is not a church or temple.”
Hearing the commotion, Louis and Colin came to see.
They were baffled at Joyce’s appearance, then frowned at her behavior.
Joyce surprisingly recognized Louis despite not watching the news often. She came up to him and sobbed. “Mr. Stanhope, please let me father go. He was just an average person. He has always been an honest man and followed the law strictly. It was me who caused trouble. I shouldn’t have behaved arrogantly.
“Please, it is all my fault. If you’re taking revenge on me by abusing your power, please don’t involve my father. Mr. Stanhope, you’re a person with high status. I know you’re not afraid of anyone, but we’re different. All these years, my father had abided by the law. He had never done anything bad. He was only a petty official. Every step forward was difficult for him. He couldn’t win against you.”
These words imply that we’re abusing our power to oppress others.
Her words angered Louis, who had always been a principled and honest person, and he ignored her.
He looked at me instead. Obviously, he wanted to know her identity.
Biting my lips, I responded, “She’s the only daughter of Stanley Newton.”
Louis’ expression darkened as he fell silent.
I said to the calm and composed Colin, “Carry on eating with the kids and Uncle Louis. I’ll handle this.”
Colin glanced at me but did not say much. After muttering something to Louis, he brought the two kids inside.
As an esteemed official, there were things that Louis could not say openly. He looked at me briefly, then followed suit, leaving behind Joyce and myself.
Not wanting to speak rashly, I remained indifferent while looking for a place to sit.
Joyce’s expression was awful. She probably felt frustrated at not being taken seriously despite making a big fuss for a long time.
She pulled herself together and looked at me. “Sienna, what do you want me to do?”
With a faint smile, I chose my words carefully. “Had it not been for the men standing behind me at this moment, it would have been me begging for your mercy now, right?”
She had it all planned out when she found two sturdy men to give me a hard time. Thankfully, I escaped death and avoided the tragedy of being chucked away as a corpse in a deserted area.
Undeniably, the relationship between humans is extremely important. It can help save a life or get even with another person for a private grudge.
Suppressing her rage, she looked at me. “What are you going to do?”
Smiling, I said, “Nothing.” I pursed my lips. “I’ve done all that I could. The rest is up to your father. If he’s innocent, no one can press any charges on him. Otherwise, he’ll be in trouble. I’ve recorded every single word you said to Mr. Stanhope. From a legal perspective, the way you’ve alleged him for misusing his power for personal gains is regarded as defamatory statements. I hope things won’t look too embarrassing for you when we meet in court.”
“You…” she huffed. “Sienna, you’re despicable!”
Staring at my gorgeous garden in full bloom, I was not in the mood to argue with her because that would affect my quality of life. Hence, I simply replied, “Ms. Newton, you should leave now. Staying here doesn’t help and it will put your father in jail.”
Even the silliest person on earth would weigh both pros and cons to avoid any disadvantages. She didn’t know the people around me back then. Therefore, she couldn’t care less about what I did or said to her.
Now that she knows, she’ll surely think hard before she acts. After Joyce’s departure, I stayed in the yard and sunk into deep thoughts.
I’ve stolen four years’ worth of time. With all of them turning up at the same time, I’m afraid it’s hard to seek peace.
Louis was picked up by his assistant after dinner whereas Colin left with Michael.
Without her playmate, Summer went to bed early.
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.
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