Chapter 170: Ghosts of the Past

Sienna finally showed a glimmer of life in her tired eyes. “Really? Did you manage to convince Mr. James today?”

Merry shifted uncomfortably. Well… technically, the man had passed out drunk. That counted as handling the situation, right?

Summer kept her expression perfectly neutral as she nodded in agreement. For the first time in months, Madam Laurett’s face lit up with genuine hope.

After some light conversation about Mr. Natalie’s condition and recovery schedule, Summer volunteered to buy dinner for everyone.

The fluorescent lights hummed ominously overhead as Summer turned a corner near the hospital’s administrative wing and froze mid-step. Three uniformed officers were escorting a shackled woman in standard prison garb. The prisoner’s greasy, unkempt hair hung limply around her sallow face, her hollow eyes staring blankly ahead.

Clatter! The stack of takeout containers slipped from Summer’s suddenly numb fingers and hit the linoleum with a loud crash. At the sound, the woman’s head snapped up with animal-like alertness. Their eyes met across the sterile hospital corridor.

Yolanda!

Even through the prison pallor and the deep wrinkles of hard years, Summer instantly recognized the woman who had raised her, now glaring back at her with unadulterated…

Summer’s hands shook a little. I thought I would never see her again in my life.

One of the officers pushed Yolanda forward when she stubbornly refused to move. “Move it! We don’t have all day!”

Only when the skeletal figure disappeared around the far corner did Summer remember to breathe again. Her thoughts, however, gradually returned to the year when she was recognized back into the Stewart family.

On her way to her part-time job, Summer was accidentally hit by a luxury car. She picked herself up from where a black luxury sedan had grazed her bicycle. Her knees stung through her ripped jeans. The door of the luxury car opened, revealing an elderly woman with silver hair leaning on a cane, Holly Stanton, who would later be revealed as Summer’s biological grandmother.

With grandmotherly concern shining in her eyes, Madam Holly insisted on personally taking Summer to the hospital for a thorough examination. Before Summer could respond, the car’s rear door flew open violently. Margaret emerged like an angry princess in her haute couture gown, her disdainful gaze sweeping over Summer’s fallen form.

“Grandmother, these commoners are always faking injuries for money,” she sneered, adjusting her diamond bracelet impatiently. “Just throw some rash at her and let’s go! My debutante ball starts in an hour!”

Summer would later discover Yolanda’s carefully hidden album. Its pages filled with grainy photographs of a girl growing up—surveillance shots taken from afar, newspaper clippings carefully cut out—all documenting the girl’s privileged life.

Chapter 170: Ghosts of the Past

In the hospital, during their conversation in the examination room, Summer learned several disconcerting coincidences. She shared not only Margaret’s exact birthday but also her extremely rare Rh-null blood type. These revelations planted the first seeds of doubt in Summer’s mind about her…

Years later, when Summer finally gathered the courage to share her suspicions with Miatamoly, the elderly woman didn’t dismiss her claims. Instead, she arranged for DNA testing that confirmed Summer was the true Stewart heiress.

One day, Yolanda discovered the test results in Summer’s bag. Something inside the woman snapped. Summer would never…

Yeslanda’s eyes had bulged with madness as she locked all the doors, her hands shaking violently as she grabbed a… all would before let you take Margaret’s place! Yolanda had screamed, referring to her biological daughter who had been posing as Margaret all these years.

Omy Wadim Yally’s timely arrival with armed guards prevented the murder. Afterwards, using all her influence, the woman not only secured Summer’s position as the true Stewart heiress but also ensured Yolanda faced justice.

Summer approached a passing doctor, her voice barely above a whisper. “This prisoner… why is she here?”

The doctor used his clipboard without looking up. “Yolanda? Diagnosed with early-stage colon cancer. She will be accompanying her… [The sentence is incomplete and unclear. Consider revising the original source material for clarity]. He finally looked at Summer’s pale face. “I heard that, with good behavior credits, she’ll probably be out on parole in a few months.”

Returning to the hospital. Merry frowned at Summer’s empty hands. “I thought you went to get something…”

“I had forgotten,” Summer’s voice sounded distant, like she was speaking through a thick fog.

Sienna immediately touched her arm, sensing something was wrong. “We’ll just order takeout. You look exhausted. You…” Merry should go home and rest.

Merry declined the ride; she had prior plans for the evening. Before leaving, Summer gave Sienna some reassurance. “Sienna, focus on taking care of Mr. Natelle for now. Don’t worry about Aspira, Murry, and I have everything under control.”

Back on Ravenshire Boulevari, the house was silent and dim. Only the moonlight outside the floor-to-ceiling window hung high in the air, a faint cool light…

Summer did not turn on the lights, [The sentence is incomplete and unclear. Consider revising the original source material for clarity] and walked straight to the wine rack. The wine rack in the living room was a large, striking design, filled with dozens of bottles of expensive foreign wine, red wine.