Chapter 20

Bryce had been diagnosed with late-stage cancer. By the time they caught it, it was terminal. He’d agreed to take on the case only because of Aurora. If not for him, Fryer’s last two years would have been far more painful. Toby, a specialist in this field, agreed. “You don’t have to thank me, Professor Reed. You helped me out too. And besides, it’s my responsibility as a doctor.”

“But the Klein family hasn’t exactly made it easy for you,” Aurora turned her head slightly to look at him, her sharp, intelligent eyes showing a trace of guilt. Rosalie and Ryan were notoriously difficult. They acted like entitled bullies, constantly interfering with treatment and questioning the medical team’s abilities.

Toby chuckled. “Families get emotional. It’s part of the job. I try not to take it personally.”

“Still, I appreciate it. When will he wake up?”

“Once he’s awake, I’ll let you know.”

“He’ll need a couple more days. We’ll monitor him and make sure he’s stable before moving him out of the ICU.”

Aurora nodded slightly.

Just then, her phone buzzed again in her pocket. She frowned and took it out. It was the same unknown number from earlier. Mora wasn’t one to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers, but this number had called her three times in just a few minutes. After hesitating for a moment, she finally answered.

“Hello? Who’s this?” Her voice was calm and cool, carrying a quiet intensity.

At first, there was silence. Just as she was about to hang up, she heard faint, muffled sobs. Amora paused for a moment, her thumb hovering over the end button. Then, she asked again, her voice firm, “Hello? Who is this? Is this Bash?”

The sobbing grew louder.

“Bash? What’s wrong? Are you crying? Did something happen?” Amora’s tone softened with concern.

Sebastian’s voice cracked as he cried harder: “Aurora, can you come back? Please, save Mom… Dad’s beating her again. He locked the door, and they won’t let me in. Grandma wants help, too. Aurora, he always hits her so badly. Please. Please come save her.”

Aurora’s heart clenched as she tightened her grip on the phone. “What did you just say? Is Ryan hitting Mom again? I thought he promised Grandpa he’d stop!”

“He hasn’t stopped. When Grandpa’s not here, he still does it. He locks the door so that no one can see! Please, Aurora, I’m scared.”

“Bash, listen to me. Where are you right now? I’ll come to you.”

“I’m outside the neighborhood. I borrowed someone’s phone…”

“Stay right there. I’m on my way,” Aurora reassured him.

Aurora ended the call and turned to Toby. “I’m sorry to leave so abruptly, Dr. Kennedy. Please keep me updated if my grandfather’s condition changes.”

Toby nodded reassuringly. “Don’t worry. Go handle your business. I’ll call you if there’s any news!”

With a grateful nod, Aurora spun on her heel and hurried out. Aurora hailed a cab straight to Klein Manor.

True to Sebastian’s word, she found him standing near the security booth, shivering under the pouring rain. His thin clothes were soaked through, clinging to his small, trembling frame. Tears streamed down his face, and his wide eyes were filled with fear and worry.

“Aurora!” The moment he saw Aurora, Sebastian ran straight into her arms.

“It’s alright. Don’t be scared. Let’s go back,” Aurora said firmly, stroking his wet hair.

She was deeply concerned.

She had seen Ryan’s violent outbursts before. He had held back somewhat in the early days, especially when Ausra was there to shield Wendy. But one time, when Aurora wasn’t around, Ryan went too far. After that incident, she confronted Bryce, who managed to keep Ryan in check.

Now, with Bryce bedridden, Ryan was reverting to his true nature—no, he had gotten worse.

Sebastian sniffled and nodded, tugging at Aurora’s hand to lead her back to the house. “We have to hurry.”

Inside Klein Manor, Rosalie and Ryan were calmly having dinner in the dining room, acting as if nothing was wrong. Upstairs, Wendy lay battered and bruised.

Midway through their meal, Rosalie wiped her mouth and said, “Next time, try not to hit her in front of the boy. Handle your business behind closed doors.”

“That woman can’t even raise a kid properly,” Ryan grumbled. “You’d better spend more time with Sebastian, Mom. I don’t want him turning into another traitor.”

Ryan still didn’t think he had done anything wrong. Wendy was just a trophy wife. The fact that she got to enjoy all this wealth and luxury was already more than enough. The Quigley family had hit the jackpot with this kind of luck.

Rosalie sighed impatiently. “I’ve got enough on my plate with your father’s condition. Besides, he’s your kid. Maybe if you spent less time with that woman outside, you’d be a better father. The Klein family cares about our reputation. If you can’t handle things properly, you’d better lay low. You’re not a damn teenager anymore.”

Although Rosalie had slowly accepted Ryan’s choices over the years, she had originally worked with Bryce to bring Wendy into the family, so she had always been more cautious.

Chapter 20

Ryan’s expression darkened, showing his displeasure. “You’ve been keeping an eye on everything about me and Sally, haven’t you? If you and Dad hadn’t pressured me into marrying Wendy back then, none of this would’ve happened.”

Hearing this, Rosalie felt a little guilty. After thinking for a moment, she replied, “Your dad was only doing it for your own good. Sally is a lot older than you, and she always treats both me and your dad like we’re beneath her—acting like she’s too good for us. She’s tough to deal with!”

“If it weren’t for you helping her behind the scenes the entire time, she probably wouldn’t have gotten as far as she has. How much of the resources at Vencchi did you give her anyway? I’m not concerned about your personal matters, but don’t damage the interests of the Klein family or Vencchi. Also, is Wendy okay upstairs?”

Rosalie spoke with a hint of frustration.

“She’s fine. If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll be praying that Whitney recovers quickly; otherwise, tonight will be the least of her problems.”

At that, Rosalie frowned, her displeasure obvious.

“That ungrateful Elaine really hasn’t learned her lesson! And now that Jordan is interested in her, the pressure on us is really starting to mount! If something happens to Whitney, we can’t let her off easy. You need to teach her a lesson, or she’ll keep thinking she can do whatever she wants and forget where she came from!”

Just then, Aurora and Sebastian stormed in, going quickly upstairs without saying a word. Their sudden appearance shocked everyone.

“Mr. Sebastian, Ms. Heed… you can’t go up there!”

The maids tried to stop them, but the pair had already disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

“You go inform Mrs. Klein Senior and Mr. Klein now!”

“Alright!”