Chapter 381 Come Home
At that instant, despair and regret washed over Olivia. Her intention to aid Sierra’s escape from the Camerons stemmed from a desire to shield her from further hardship and provide financial stability.
Little did she foresee that her actions would inadvertently plunge Sierra into yet another ordeal. Had she foreseen this outcome, she would have rather seen Sierra wed into the Zimmers.
In this moment of confusion, Olivia grappled with the weight of her decisions. She couldn’t fathom how her life had spiraled so drastically, or how her children found themselves in such dire straits.
“Ronald, please… Sierra must have been manipulated by someone. We can’t just stand idly by while her life falls apart!”
Olivia’s pleas persisted, but Ronald seemed consumed by other concerns.
“Alright, that’s enough! The investigation team is coming to scrutinize our family. Do you really think things will get better for you?” Madam Cameron snapped, her patience worn thin by Olivia’s tears.
Olivia winced, feeling the ache in her chest intensify as she sank into a chair.
Meanwhile, Vanessa gently guided the still-weak Joseph downstairs. Despite his gradual recovery, Joseph’s movements remained strained. However, he was now able to articulate his thoughts.
“Dad… Sierra probably… got set up…”
He couldn’t speak too well. Though he didn’t feel that strongly toward Sierra as his sister, she was still family. After the hardships he’d gone through, he could put himself in her shoes.
Ronald cast a brief glance at his son, who spoke with unwavering conviction, but chose to keep his own counsel.
As Joseph descended the stairs, he pressed on, “Dad, the key is Maggie… If she decides to let go of the accusations and holds off legal action, maybe we can salvage something after things settle down.”
“Our family is in disarray as it is, and Sierra’s actions have only made things worse. Do you expect us to mop up after her?” Master Cameron’s tone, though tempered for his grandson’s sake, conveyed his exasperation.
Joseph pondered briefly before proposing, “Perhaps we could argue Sierra’s mental illness to both safeguard her and discredit her accusations.”
“No chance,” Noah interjected, shaking his head. “The stakes are too high now. Altering her statement won’t make a difference.”
Joseph was a bit slow to catch up. Ronald, frustrated by his son’s lack of understanding, closed his eyes in irritation.
Joseph had his own guess deep down, but he lagged far behind Nathael.
Who can lend us a hand?
Maggie got out of bed, finding Nathael in the study on a call.
She sneaked up behind him, hoping to startle him with a hug. But Nathael sensed her approach and gently covered her hand with his, unruffled.
“Okay, I’ll talk to her,” Nathael said, ending the call.
He turned to pull Maggie into a hug, murmuring, “Hungry?”
Maggie declined with a shake of her head, likely still groggy from oversleeping.
“Caught wind of the Cameron saga?” Nathael cut to the chase.
“Yep, saw it. And you’re behind it,” Maggie affirmed, locking eyes with him confidently.
“Just the way things roll with people. Even when you’re doing good, there’s always room for accusations, especially when mistakes creep in,” Nathael said, gently placing her on the desk, his hands bracing on either side, leaning in to inspect her face.
He scrutinized her cheeks, noting the faded swelling and lingering traces of blood.
“My mom caught wind of the news and had this idea that if things weren’t smooth sailing between you and the Camerons, it could be a chance to break free and carve out a new path,” Nathael said softly.
Maggie was taken aback, surprised by Clara’s proactive thinking.
“I never spilled the beans about your link with the Adams, so she might’ve jumped to conclusions, thinking you might need some backup down the road,” Nathael elaborated.
Maggie stayed silent until Nathael prompted again, “Nana, are you thinking about reconnecting with your biological parents? Or have you got something else brewing?”
That question silenced Maggie again.
Two years.
If I can’t live beyond that, should I even go back to the Adams? I’ll just torture my folks with my death again.
Ericko can probably deal with it, but what about Fiona? She’s already ill as is. And Madam Adam has always been concerned about me. How will they take my death?
If I’m going to die anyway, it’d be better if they never found me.
How am I supposed to tell Nathael all that, though?
“I gotta talk to my brother,” Maggie said, stalling, hoping that after a couple of days post-breakup, he’d lose interest or be too lazy to chase after her.
“Sure, we’ll get Ericko on the line later,” Nathael suggested, sensing her reluctance and dropping the subject.
“In the coming days, Ronald might still come sniffing around. He’ll probably be suspicious. If he tries to reach out, just brush him off,” Nathael advised.
“Got it,” Maggie replied, but in her mind, she entertained the idea that if Ronald did want to see her, she might probably do it.
Come Home
Putting aside her desire to confront them head-on, she also harbored a curiosity about the source of their poison. Even if she confronted them directly, she still wanted to see what Ronald was up to and what schemes he was brewing.
After breakfast, Nathael went into two online meetings.
As Maggie chatted with Lucas, she multitasked, gathering and condensing intel on the Cameron Group from the web, urging him to delve into specific news items.
After all, Lucas was a top-tier hacker, making sleuthing a breeze for him compared to others.
As she sifted through these leads, Maggie wracked her brain, attempting to unearth any useful tidbits from her past life.
Just then, Ericko’s call chimed in.
Maggie glanced at her phone absentmindedly, aware of the reason for his call, yet uncertain about broaching the subject…
It’s infuriating!
The Camerons should suffer a far worse fate than death. It’ll only be too merciful to kill them swiftly.
After some time, Maggie finally answered the phone. “Ericko.”
“I’ve been teaming up with Nathael on the Cameron Group takeover. In under two weeks, Ronald’s sector should be teetering on bankruptcy. Dealing with Noah’s a tad tricky. His front-facing businesses and profits are meager, and he’s totally separate from Ronald.
Basically, Master Cameron and Ronald are prepping for this day too. So, Noah’s ventures are kept separate from Ronald’s to give the Camerons a fighting chance.”
“Noah’s always been slippery. His businesses aren’t exactly cash cows, mostly just catering to Ronald, and they won’t hold up to scrutiny. He’s got quite a few skeletons hiding in the closet,” Maggie murmured.
Ericko paused before speaking softly, “Nana, come back home.”