Chapter 138

Walter never imagined in his wildest dreams that he would be granted an audience with the head of the Zuckerberg family of Lunova. And in prison, of all places! Walter stammered, “M–Mr. Zuckerberg…” He stared at the handsome man behind the bulletproof glass, nervously wringing his hands. With an icy expression, Daniel’s every movement radiated an oppressive, aristocratic authority. “Speak. What happened to my mother after she arrived in Pinecrest?” Walter groaned inwardly and said, “I swear I never mistreated her. If I hadn’t taken her in, she would’ve been at the mercy of those street thugs long ago.”

“Fine, you’ll be rewarded,” Daniel said. “Go on, I want every detail.” Walter was lost for words. He thought, ‘What am I supposed to say? Am I supposed to say I was after Debra’s looks and money?‘ “Considering you raised Amy, I won’t go too hard on you. But if you dare lie…” Walter trembled at Daniel’s threat. He grimaced and said, “Amy isn’t my biological child. Debra was already pregnant when I met her.” “She’s not yours?” Daniel was stunned. “Then, who is Amy’s biological father?” “I don’t know. Debra wasn’t in her right mind. I asked her so many times, but she just couldn’t answer.” Walter cautiously analyzed, “Since you’re from Lunova and Pinecrest is so far away, maybe she was taken advantage of during the journey.” ‘Come to think of it, that didn’t really add up,‘ Walter thought. ‘If someone had really taken advantage of Debra, why didn’t they steal all her priceless treasures too?‘ The same thought had occurred to Daniel. Daniel fixed his piercing gaze on Walter and changed his line of questioning. “How did she die?” “She–she died of illness,” Walter mumbled guiltily, lowering his gaze to avoid Daniel’s eyes. His palms were so sweaty that the phone receiver kept slipping from his grasp. He had to adjust his grip several times before he could hold it steady. Daniel’s sharp gaze caught every nervous twitch Walter made. The air around him grew heavy with menace as he shot to his feet and roared through the bulletproof glass, “Tell me the truth!” Despite his lean frame, Daniel’s overwhelming presence made Walter feel utterly crushed. Terrified, Walter looked up at him. “I’m telling the truth.” Daniel’s thin lips curled into a predatory smile. “So, Sandra is your only child, right? Do you know where she is now?” Walter’s eyes widened in alarm. “W–What are you going to do?”

“Zachary is dead. The Foster family is hunting Sandra down all over the world for revenge. If I have her sent back from Ursizcan…” “No, you can’t!” Walter frantically cut in, interrupting Daniel, his whole body trembling with anxiety. Before leaving Norava, Sandra visited Walter in prison. She told him she had a miscarriage. After she had taken revenge on Zachary, she would flee to Dreicean with a fortune. And when Walter and Melissa were released from prison, she promised to take them both to live with her in Dreicean. Later, Walter heard that Sandra took vengeance by castrating Zachary. Just a few days later, Zachary died. Walter couldn’t even begin to imagine what might happen. He thought, ‘Pamela might appear refined and educated, but she’s capable of anything, if she ever finds Sandra….‘ “Mr. Zuckerberg, Sandra is innocent. I’m begging you, please don’t look for her,” Walter pleaded. “Yes, I made my fortune by selling Debra’s belongings, but Amy has already punished me. “I have nothing left now. Amy took over my company, my wife is in prison, and my daughter is on the run. Isn’t that enough punishment? “At least I made sure Debra lived comfortably for four or five years. She was happy then.” Walter finally broke down in tears, his voice cracking with emotion.

Daniel listened, his heart aching as the anger within him slowly gave way to sorrow. He thought, ‘How could someone like Walter ever deserve the Hughes family’s heiress, the most beautiful and accomplished socialite in Lunova back then? ‘But Walter is also right. If he hadn’t taken her in, my mother might have been even worse off.‘ “Mr. Zuckerberg, please, I’m begging you. Don’t hurt my daughter, please.” Walter set down the receiver and began banging his head repeatedly against the table. The guards watching over him had to step in and terminate the meeting. Daniel stared at Walter’s hunched figure and asked one last question, “What other belongings of hers remain?” “There’s nothing left,” Walter replied in a trembling voice. Years ago, to erase all traces of Debra, he burned everything connected to her. Except for Amelia. Because before she died, Debra left Amelia an antique tiara worth 70 million dollars. Now, he was consumed by bitter regret. He never should have been tempted by that 70 million dollars and let Amelia live. Prison was the least of his worries. If Daniel ever uncovered the truth behind Debra’s death, he would be as good as dead. When pushed to the brink, the will to survive overrode all else. That was exactly where Walter was now. All he wanted was to survive. Thus, he hadn’t told the whole truth. He thought anxiously, ‘Please let Daniel believe me and stop digging any deeper…‘ In the surveillance room next door, Landon and Amelia caught every word of the conversation clearly. “He’s lying. My mother didn’t die of illness,” Amelia said, her eyes red at the corners, her heart filled with both hatred and bitterness. Amelia thought to herself, “Walter is right. He did show some kindness to Mom. Otherwise, she would have suffered even more, and I wouldn’t even be here. But Walter killed Mom!‘ “Diana told me that Debra had moments of clarity before she died, and even got into an argument with Walter. That might be why he silenced her for good,” Landon analyzed. “Kindness is kindness, and debt is debt. They can’t cancel each other out.” Amelia bit her lower lip so hard it nearly bled. “Even if he looked after us for a few years, that fortune was more than enough to repay his kindness. Besides…” Debra might have lost her mind, but she was still a virtuous and breathtakingly beautiful woman. Walter had it all–he was with Debra, took her money, and walked away the biggest winner. However, he wasn’t content and wouldn’t stop until Debra was dead. “I can never forgive him.” Amelia shut her eyes tightly, her face contorted in anguish. Landon said, “You don’t have to forgive him. Whatever you and your mother owed him was settled long ago." “But what he owes me can never be repaid.” “You should be thankful he’s not your biological father. Otherwise, it’d be much harder for us to deal with him.” Amelia nodded vigorously as Landon comforted her with a smile. Before, she had felt constrained by the supposed blood ties, but that burden was gone now. She swore to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. Daniel pushed open the door, his face shadowed with grief. “Amy.” Amelia whispered, “Brother…” Daniel said reassuringly, “I’ll look into your background. You don’t need to worry.” “No need.” Amelia declined Daniel’s offer. She thought, ‘I’m content with having a mother. I don’t need a father. Let everything end here. Whether my grandparents choose to accept me into the family is their decision. It makes no difference to me.‘ “Amy?” Daniel was taken aback. He thought, ‘Doesn’t she want to know who her biological father is?‘ Amelia said, “Walter lied. Mom actually regained consciousness before she died, but then suddenly fell gravely ill and was gone within days. If she hadn’t left me that will, you probably wouldn’t even be seeing me right now.” “Was Walter behind it?” Daniel gasped in shock.