Chapter 157

Ingrid's face darkened. "Did Bruce tell you why?"

Roxanne felt as if she'd fallen into an abyss. She knelt on the couch, rigid as a robot, and the evening gown in her hand slipped to the floor.

"Joanna Haynes! Joanna Haynes again"

"Her? What did she do?"

Roxanne, suddenly agitated, said, "Her daughter has leukemia!"

"Her daughter has leukemia? What does that have to do with you and Bruce's wedding?"

"Joanna told Bruce he's the girl's father!" Roxanne's eyes widened, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What?" Ingrid was dumbfounded.

"So Bruce is the father of Joanna's three children!"

"I knew it! I knew she wouldn't let go of Bruce so easily. I thought she'd get back at me, but not like this."

Roxanne howled hysterically.

Ingrid, furious, gritted her teeth. "Joanna Haynes is a bitch! I knew she wouldn't let go easily! She hatched an evil plan!" She turned to Shaun. "That's your good daughter. She's always making things difficult for us! She's ruined Roxy's marriage again. Why can't she just die?"

Shaun was at a loss. He'd never had a close father-daughter relationship with Joanna, and consequently felt little for her child.

"Don't be so anxious. Let's assess the situation and discuss it later. Let's go to the hospital and find out what's going on!"

Ingrid, her heart aching with anger, scolded, "How coincidental! Her daughter falls ill just as Roxy and Bruce are getting married! If she wished them well, she wouldn't have created this problem for Bruce. I think she did it on purpose"

Roxanne, distraught, buried her face in her hands and ran out.

"Roxy! Where are you going?"

"Don't worry about me. I need to calm down."

"Roxy, come back! Don't do anything silly! Shaun, if anything happens to Roxy, I won't let you off!" Ingrid ran after her.

Shaun sighed. "What bad luck! Why does our family have such a troublemaker?"

At the Everett mansion, Margaret learned the wedding was canceled.

"What? Bruce and Roxanne's wedding is canceled?"

"Yes."

"Mrs. Margaret, Mr. Everett is the father of Joanna's three children. His youngest daughter has acute leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Mr. Everett has agreed to donate."

Margaret's eyes lit up. "Those three children are Everett family blood?

"Yes, Mrs. Margaret."

Stunned for a moment, she regained her composure. "Take me to the hospital!"

"Mrs. Margaret, you're frail. You won't be able to manage."

"No, I want to see the children!"

Margaret struggled to get up; the nurses helped her into a wheelchair. The butler pushed her out.

"I was right! Those three children are Everett family blood. Joanna is terrible! She kept them from the family!"

The butler comforted her. "Mrs. Margaret, it's great you know! The most important thing is to bring the children back to the Everett family."

"Yes! I thought I'd never have great-grandchildren. This is unexpected happiness!" Margaret's depression lifted; her mental state improved. "Although Joanna is stubborn, she's fertile! Triplets for the Everett family!"

At the hospital, Lilia was in intensive care, prepared for surgery. Bruce looked at her through the window, his sadness overwhelming. This was his child, his daughter! He never expected three children! Joanna had borne him triplets! He felt a mix of happiness and worry. He couldn't imagine how Joanna and the children survived the past four years.

When Bruce agreed to donate bone marrow, Joanna felt relieved. She stood beside him, feeling, for the first time, that Bruce wasn't cold-blooded; he loved his children.

"Lilia, be strong. Mommy loves you!"

Bruce comforted her, tightening his grip on her shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

Joanna looked up, tears in her eyes. "Bruce, thank you for saving Lilia!"

Bruce frowned. "What are you talking about? She's my child! I will save her! You, on the other hand, are unforgivable! How could you raise three children without a father? How dare you hide it from me? If not for Lilia, how long would you have kept it from me? Joanna, you're vicious! Worse than me!" He pressed her against the wall, his eyes bloodshot. He realized Joanna was far more ruthless than he was.

Joanna sobbed.

"Mr. Everett, Mrs. Margaret is here!"

Bruce composed himself and greeted Margaret. She arrived in a wheelchair, with four nurses and her butler.

"Bruce"

"Grandma, why are you here?"

Margaret was anxious. "I'm here to see my great-grandchildren!"

Joanna approached, greeting her softly, "Grandma"

Margaret stared at Joanna, anger in her eyes. "Joanna, look what you've done! Why keep the truth from us? You even used fake evidence to fool me!"

Joanna hesitated. If she told the truth, everyone would think she used the children to keep Bruce. They'd think she had the children to usurp Roxanne's place. In reality, Joanna didn't want Bruce or the Everett family involved.

"Let's focus on saving Lilia. When's the surgery?"

"In a week."

"Can I see Lilia?"

"She's in intensive care. It's not convenient."

Margaret paused. "Transfer her to the Everett family hospital. Get specialists to oversee her care."

"Grandma, there's no need—"

Margaret interrupted. "And where are my two grandsons? I want to see them now!"

Joanna was stunned. Margaret would take the children away. Joanna didn't want the Everett family involved.

"They're my children. No one can take them."

"No one is taking them. They're Everett family blood too. You can't be selfish."

"If Grandma wants to see them, fine. But you can't take them away!"

Margaret scoffed. "Our Everett family blood can't rough it out there." "Butler, get someone to bring the children over!"

"Yes."

"Grandma, you can see them, but you can't take them away!"

"Joanna, think of the bigger picture. Don't prevent the children from returning to the Everett family!" Margaret was determined to bring them home. Her illness seemed to improve with the news of her great-grandchildren.

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