Chapter 50

When Zachary was bailed out, Walter and Melissa were green with envy. "Sandra, when will we get out of here?" Walter asked.

Sandra sniffled, holding back tears. "Dad, I'm sorry, I can't save you…" Her voice broke. Her parents had always protected her growing up, and now she was powerless to help them. The frustration of it all weighed heavily on her.

"How did Zachary get out then?" Melissa asked, her expression tight.

Sandra hesitated before lying. "Well…of course, it was the Foster family that bailed him out."

Walter’s face darkened as he cursed. "Robert is heartless, only saving his own son."

Melissa, looking weary but unnervingly calm, interjected, "Honey, we were all tricked by Amelia. Someone has to take responsibility for this mess."

She pondered, 'Thankfully, Sandra wasn’t at the scene when this all went down. Otherwise, our whole family would be locked up. Right now, the most important thing is to protect her.'

Melissa turned to Sandra and spoke firmly, "Sandra, stop crying and listen to me. From now on, don’t worry about us. Go find Zachary, marry him, and become part of the Foster family."

"Mom…" Sandra’s voice trembled.

"Kidnapping is no small matter," Melissa said, her tone steady. "From now on, you have to look out for yourself."

Sandra was overwhelmed with panic. "But, Mom, what am I supposed to do without you and Dad?" She thought miserably, 'How will I survive without Dad’s money and Mom’s care? I don’t know how to do anything on my own.'

"After clearing the debts, the Edwards family still owns 10% of the company shares. In the future, let Amelia make money for you to spend. Understand?"

Melissa asked with a stern expression.

Walter was stunned. "Hey… Those shares are mine."

"Honey, just give them to Sandra," Melissa said flatly.

Walter loved his youngest daughter, but he loved money even more. For him, he felt secure only when the money was in his own hands.

Melissa pressed on, saying, "We’re going to prison no matter what. What’s the point of holding onto the shares? Isn’t it Amelia who wants the company? Give it to her then. With the Kingsley family’s backing, Edwards Group will grow stronger than it ever could under your control."

She laid it out clearly and quickly. "If you transfer the shares to Sandra, she’ll become the second-largest shareholder of the company. That way, whatever the Kingsley family earns, she’ll get a cut of it."

Walter and Sandra exchanged uncertain looks. Finally, he relented. "Sandra, I’ll temporarily transfer the shares to you. But once I’m out, you’ll give them back to me."

"Of course, Dad," she said quietly.

Wiping away her tears, Sandra turned to Melissa and asked with a bitter tone, "Mom, my shares will still be less than Amelia’s. She’ll definitely bully me…"

Melissa sighed, "There’s no way around it. You’ll just have to put up with it." Though her tone was resolute, her heart ached at the thought of her beloved daughter being wronged. But there was no other choice left to them now.

Melissa’s voice carried weight as she said, "Sandra, listen carefully and don’t forget what I’m about to tell you."

"Okay, Mom, I’m listening," Sandra responded, nodding earnestly.

Melissa said firmly, "From now on, don’t go up against Amelia anymore. If you see her, just go the other way."

"Mom," Sandra shrieked in disbelief. "She ruined our family. Why should I give in to her?"

Melissa sighed deeply, "Because you can’t beat her right now. None of us can. Not even if we all joined forces." Sandra bit her lip in frustration, unable to say a word for a long moment.

Sandra thought bitterly, 'Yes, not even our whole family can handle Amelia. That’s the strength of her backing. If only my Zachary could match up to Landon…'

Melissa’s eyes drifted to Sandra’s stomach as she continued, "What you need to focus on now is marrying Zachary and becoming Mrs. Foster. You must secure your position as the Foster family’s matriarch through your child. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Sandra nodded.

The original plan had been for Amelia to marry Zachary, claim Debra’s inheritance, and then meet her end, paving the way for Sandra to marry Zachary and become part of the Foster family.

But now, Elizabeth’s sudden appearance had thrown Sandra into a panic. Sandra wanted nothing more than to marry Zachary immediately and officially become Mrs. Foster.

"Alright, go back now. Don’t keep Zachary waiting," Melissa instructed, finally exhaling in relief. Her lifelong goal was for her daughter to marry into a wealthy family and enjoy a life of luxury.

'As for Amelia,' Melissa mused, 'I’ll let her have her moment for now. I mean, how long can Landon, practically a living corpse, protect her? Once Henry seizes control of the family, Amelia will be knocked back down to nothing.'

Sandra hesitated before saying, "Mom, I’ll do as you say. I’m leaving now…"

Melissa nodded. "Alright, go."

After watching Sandra leave, Melissa turned to comfort Walter, who looked utterly defeated, "We need to stay alive, Honey. Only by staying alive do we have a chance."

He let out a heavy sigh and said bitterly, "I should’ve smothered Amelia the moment she was born."

Melissa sighed as well, "Well, who would’ve thought Debra would suddenly regain her senses and make that ridiculous will?"

'No matter how meticulously I planned, I still made one wrong move. Is this how it was meant to be?' she wondered.

Meanwhile, Sandra walked out of the police station, her face streaked with tears. Zachary was leaning dejectedly against his Ferrari, and Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen.

"Zachary," Sandra whimpered as she threw herself into his arms. "Zachary, from now on, you’re all I have."

Zachary patted her back gently and spoke softly, "Don’t cry. I’ll protect you."

"Zachary, can I…can I go home with you? I–I’m too scared to go back to Edwards Villa," Sandra said between sobs.

Zachary didn’t answer immediately. His brows furrowed, and his silence sent a chill through Sandra’s heart. Desperate, she added, "Zachary, the doctor said I might be having a boy."

"Really?" Zachary’s expression lit up with joy, all his previous gloom vanishing.

Sandra nodded. "Yes, but the pregnancy isn’t very stable. The doctor said I need to be careful."

Zachary thought for a moment before finally agreeing, "Let’s go home."

"Okay." Sandra wiped away her tears and smiled as she got into the car with Zachary.

The Ferrari still carried Elizabeth’s perfume scent, which made Sandra feel a bit nauseous. She asked, "Zachary, is this car that old woman’s?"

Zachary frowned, wondering to himself, 'Old woman? How can you be so rude?' Then, he said, "Don’t address her like that again. I only got bailed out this time because of her help."

Sandra replied, "Oh, okay." Internally, she was seething with hatred but didn’t dare let it show on her face. After all, she no longer had her parents to protect her.

As they were just leaving the police station, Landon received a notification on his phone. The message read: [Mr. Kingsley, Zachary was bailed out by Elizabeth. Walter is willing to sign over the shares, and the paperwork can be completed tomorrow.]

He was half-asleep when the screen lit up. Amelia noticed the light and leaned over to read the message from Aaron. The moment she finished reading it, her expression darkened as she realized that Zachary had been bailed out.

Landon opened his eyes, coldly stared at Amelia, and questioned inwardly, 'Did you just peek at my phone?' He grumbled inwardly, 'This woman is getting bolder by the day. She even dares to snoop through my phone now.'

But Amelia kept her gaze locked on him and asked directly, "You agreed to this?"

Landon didn’t deny it and replied in his mind, 'Elizabeth wants Zachary.'

"He’s my enemy, for heaven’s sake." Amelia’s voice rose in anger.

Landon scoffed inwardly, 'And what does that have to do with me? If you’ve got what it takes, go stop Elizabeth yourself!'

"You…" Amelia’s chest heaved with frustration, her teeth clenched in fury. "Landon, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"

Landon ignored her and used his only functioning left hand to snatch the phone back. He thought with relief, 'Thank goodness, the screen was locked. She only saw that one message.'

Landon’s strong, muscular fingers moved swiftly, deleting the entire chat history with Aaron. Landon had to ensure Amelia remained unaware of the investigation into her and Lanny’s connection.

"Landon, I know you’re smart, but don’t underestimate me," Amelia snapped before grabbing her bag and storming out.

'Do you really want Sandra to marry Zachary?' Landon asked in his mind.

Amelia paused and turned back. "What do you mean by that?"