Chapter 723: He Has Never Forgotten Her All These Years

Only the Augustine family deceives others. Bounty knew everything, but remained silent.

"Bounty, you…" Lily whispered, fear etched on her face. If Bounty revealed their secret to Alpha, she and the entire Midas family would be destroyed.

"Sister-in-law, rest assured," Bounty replied. "I haven't told my brother, and I won't. Anabelle is unworthy of his love."

"I've overlooked your actions for years, primarily because of Marvin. I cherish him deeply. This is your greatest contribution to the Augustine family. For Marvin's sake, I will protect you and your ancestors—as long as you remain silent and cease your manipulative behavior."

Bounty genuinely loves her nephew, Marvin. He and Lily have been estranged since childhood; Alpha, seemingly unfavoring Lily, largely ignored his youngest son. Through difficult times, Marvin offered Bounty unwavering support.

Bounty vividly recalls a nightmarish episode: awakening drenched in sweat, consumed by grief over her deceased son. Alone in the darkness, she wept uncontrollably. Then, the door creaked open. Young Marvin, barefoot, climbed onto her bed, wrapped his arms around her, and softly patted her back, whispering, "Why are you crying? Are you hurt? I'll blow on it, and it won't hurt anymore…"

That night, Marvin provided the solace she desperately needed. Thereafter, Bounty kept Marvin close.

Bounty recognized Lily the day she overheard Lily and her father conversing at the hospital. Compared to the remarkably accomplished Anabelle, Lily was wholly inadequate as a shield. Anabelle's son, Elvis, possessed exceptional business acumen, perfectly mirroring Alpha and the Augustine family's legacy.

Initially, Bounty held low expectations for Marvin, but he surprised her. Close to Elvis since childhood, Marvin eschewed business, instead cultivating a remarkable talent for medicine. By eighteen, he was Imperial's foremost surgeon. Bounty, capable of motherhood, wholeheartedly embraced Marvin as her own child and took immense pride in his achievements.

Marvin's personality was unique, unlike either Alpha or Lily, yet strikingly reminiscent of Anabelle—cool and composed. Bounty has long known about Anabelle and Marcus's relationship but concealed it due to her profound hatred for Anabelle.

Lily’s body grew cold. She realized Bounty had never truly respected or loved her. Bounty's initial deception was only now becoming fully clear. However, the thought of Marvin calmed her. Three years prior, Olive had taken Marvin from Imperial. Now, he was a world-renowned medical genius, head of the Academy of Sciences, and Academic Augustine—a remarkable achievement at twenty-seven.

Lily straightened, remembering her son was her greatest strength.

Lily, unfazed by Bounty's revelation of their connection, refocused. "Bounty, I did this for Alpha. I love him. Now that Anabelle's returned, we must stop her. Our objective remains unchanged."

Bounty remained silent.

Confused, Lily pressed, "Bounty, what's wrong? Don't you hate Anabelle?"

Bounty had always vehemently despised Anabelle, once creating a public scene in front of Alpha. Yet, her attitude had recently shifted.

Lily sensed a significant change.

After a pause, Bounty confessed, "I promised Olive. I'll give her time."

Olive? Olive Hart?

Lily froze. Olive's reappearance explained Bounty's transformation.

Lily and Olive had clashed before; she knew Olive's manipulative nature and deceptive charm. Bounty, however, held a deep affection for Olive.

Olive's interference in Augustine family affairs was unexpected. Despite saving Marvin's life three years earlier, Lily still disliked her.

At twenty-seven, Marvin's attractiveness attracted many suitors, but he remained uninterested, having never dated. Bounty, the Augustine family, and Lily all knew Marvin had never forgotten Olive.

"Bounty, what did Olive say?" Lily asked.

"She believes something about the past is amiss and will help me uncover the truth, but I must be patient," Bounty replied, gazing out at the night. "I've been considering this: if Anabelle loved my brother, why did she sleep with… Rory? It's contradictory…"

Overcome with painful memories, Bounty closed her eyes. "But what I saw with my own eyes cannot be false. My child is gone…"

Bounty’s head throbbed. Lily watched in terror as events unfolded, seemingly veering towards the truth, casting even Bounty's involvement into doubt.