Chapter 21

The party was being held at the grandest hotel in Abington. Nearly all of the distinguished families had been invited, though none of them had heard about Adeline before abruptly receiving the invitation. Considering the scale of the event, it was obvious the Emersons cared a great deal about their new adopted daughter, and everyone’s curiosity was piqued. They wanted to see what kind of person she was that the Emersons, who had stayed away from the public for some time, were suddenly making a big showing for.

On the day of the party, the guests gathered at the hotel earlier than scheduled, but the Emersons hadn't arrived yet. The guests gathered in small groups to sip their drinks while grumbling about the Emersons’ arrival—the star of the day. Everything was ready, but the Emersons…

“What’s up with Frank today? He invited all of us to introduce us to his new adopted daughter, but we’ve been here for ages. Why haven’t they shown up yet?”

“You took the words right out of my mouth! Shouldn’t the host family be here first? It’s not Frank’s first time organizing an event like this. Why would he make such a folly?”

Sullivan, who was tucked away in a corner, heard the comments. All of a sudden, his eyelids started twitching. He felt a flicker of unease. It was strange that Frank, Cynthia, and Adeline were all missing. He had a feeling something had happened.

Some of the other guests who were close to the Emersons also sensed that something was amiss. “That can’t be. It’s been so long, and yet not a single one of them showed up. Do you think something happened? Why don’t we try to get in touch with them to see if they’re alright?”

“You’re right. Let’s try to contact them first.”

One of the guests fished out his phone. He was just about to call Frank when he saw the breaking news.

“A major car accident occurred on Charlotte Street at noon today. All three passengers in the vehicle, two women and a man, sustained severe injuries and have been taken to the hospital. Based on the preliminary investigation, it has been determined that the accident was caused by a sudden brake malfunction…”

Charlotte Street was right on the way between the Emerson residence and the hotel. That, combined with the details of the passengers in the car, made it clear to everyone that the Emersons were involved in the accident.

Sullivan leaped to his feet. He could hardly think straight. As he rushed out of the hotel, he made a call. “Find out which hospital the three victims of the car accident at noon were taken to and let me know right away.”

He had just gotten into his car when he received the address. After confirming the location, he sped straight to the hospital without hesitation.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at Abington Hospital. After asking around, he found out where the Emersons were and quickly rushed to their room. All three of them had just come out of surgery and were still unconscious, but thankfully, none of their lives were in danger.

Sullivan was relieved to hear that their conditions were stable. At last, he could focus some of his attention on figuring out the cause of the accident. Considering the Emersons’ wealth and status, it went without saying that their cars were always kept in excellent condition. There was no way the brakes would have suddenly malfunctioned unless someone did it on purpose.

Upon realizing the brakes could have been tampered with, Sullivan recalled seeing Isabel coming back from the garage on the day he went to see Adeline. Immediately, he was overwhelmed with regret. It all made sense. Isabel had already acted maliciously toward Adeline five years ago. Now that she had returned, there was no way Isabel would truly sit still and do nothing. Isabel had clearly been avoidant that day. Why didn’t he notice a thing? If he had been more careful and alerted Adeline sooner, perhaps the Emersons wouldn’t have gotten into a car accident.

Apart from regret, Sullivan also felt an unstoppable sense of rage. He had warned Isabel that day, saying that if she hurt Adeline in any way, both he and the Emersons wouldn’t let her get away with it. Obviously, she didn’t heed his words. And thanks to her, all three of the Emersons were in the hospital.

“How dare you, Isabel?”