<b>Chapter </b><b>269 </b>


    In the dead of night, Gloria was fast asleep.


    After checking the surroundings onest time, Brooke finally closed her eyes beside the bed.


    Suddenly, a sh of cold steel made Brooke snap awake. She instinctively seized the attacker’s wrist.


    ng!


    The dagger hit the floor with a crisp, ringing sound.


    The sound rang out especially loud in the stillness of the night.


    Gloria jolted awake, staring in shock at the intruder. “Lucia?”


    “Long time no see, Aunt Gloria,” Lucia Ger replied,pletely unfazed even though she was pinned down.


    “Lucia, what are you doing here? You…” Gloria picked up the dagger from the floor. “Did youe to kill me?”


    “Landon has taken my mom and my brother!” Lucia’s beautiful face was full of hatred.


    Gloria felt a chill run down her spine under Lucia’s intense re.


    “Aunt Gloria, don’t you want to know about the child–mmph!” Lucia tried to say, but her mouth was suddenly covered.


    Brooke grabbed Lucia’s wrist with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, dragging her straight out of the hospital room.


    “Mmmph!” Lucia thrashed wildly, but she was no match for Brooke.


    If she kept fighting, her arm was about to snap!


    ‘Damn it! I haven’t even said what I came here for!‘ Lúcia cursed inwardly.


    Gloria, still confused, scrambled out of bed and hurried after them. “Brooke, that’s Lucia. Don’t hurt her…”


    Two bodyguardsy unconscious at the door. Brooke kicked one of them awake. “Keep an eye on Mrs. Kingsley.”


    “Yes!” The bodyguard wiped cold sweat from his forehead.


    ‘God, we actually got taken down by a girl! Mrs. Kingsley almost got hurt!‘ they thought.


    They could already picture Landon’s wrath…


    “Listen, she’s my niece,” Gloria protested, trying to push past them.


    “Mrs. Kingsley, she’s an attacker,” the bodyguard said. “We’ll let Mr. Kingsley know right away.”


    Gloria froze, a deep sadness washing over her<i>. </i>


    ‘<b>So</b>, Lucia really came to kill me,‘ she thought.


    After Ka disappeared, Gloria had treated Lucia like her own daughter, showering her with love and <b>care</b>,


    But then, Lucia came to her in the dead of night with a knife, trying to


    ‘Why? What could possibly make her do this?‘ Gloria wondered.


    will her…


    “Mrs. Kingsley, please rest. We won’t let anything else happen,” the bodyguards assured her.


    But how could Gloria possibly sleep?


    She stared out into the dark night beyond the window, lost in mncholy, and there was no way she could fall asleep again.


    With a firm grip on Lucia’s wrist, Brooke dragged her to a quiet corner before finally letting go of her mouth.


    Lucia spat on the ground. “You’re the dog of the Kingsley family! Landon sent you to keep an eye on Aunt Gloria, <b>didn’t </b>


    he?”


    “That’s right. Mr. Kingsley saw thising a mile away,” Brooke replied coldly. “Miss Ger, do you want to see your brother and mother, or would you rather go have a little talk with the cops?”


    Neither of those was a good choice.


    Lucia snapped, “I want to see Aunt Gloria!”


    “You’re not worthy,” Brooke snorted. “The Kingsley family has cut ties with the Ger family. Gloria isn’t your aunt


    anymore.”


    “Blood is blood. Even if you break the bones, the tendons are still connected. You’re just an outsider. What would you know?” Lucia sneered. “And besides, about that child…”


    “Jeffrey is also under our control. You know that,” Brooke interrupted.


    Lucia fell silent.


    She had been to the sanatorium, but since she couldn’t get Jeffrey out, she came to the hospital to find Gloria.


    “Your mother and brother have left for home. Miss Ger, don’t try this again,” Brooke warned.


    Brooke finally let Lucia go and returned to the hospital room.


    Not long after, Landon rushed in. “Mom, are you okay?”


    “Landon, what do they want?” Gloria asked, sounding troubled.


    “Money. They want to trade that child for Kingsley Group,” Landon replied.


    “Where’s the kid?” Gloria asked.


    “I’ve kept him safe,” Landon replied.


    Gloria let out a sigh of relief, but her voice was heavy with regret. “It’s my fault I didn’t <b>protect </b>Ka well enough, Hone of this would have happened otherwise.”


    Landon stayed silent.


    “If Mom ever found out that kid was actually Dad and Aunt Shelby’s illegitimate child, what would happen<b>?</b><b>‘ </b><b>he </b><b>wondered </b>


    “Tuff didn’t me Ka because of that child, did he?” Gloria asked, her voice full of worry.


    On their wedding day, a random love child nobody knew about suddenly popped up. That’d freak anyone <b>out</b>.


    Good thing the Prescott family didn’t look into it too much, or the whole wedding could’ve blown up right then <b>and </b>there.


    ‘Honestly, how could Shelby bring that kid and mess up Ka’s wedding like that?‘ Gloria thought.


    “Mom, Tuff wouldn’t do that,” Landon said with a small smile, not offering any more exnation.


    “That’s good. Tuff’s pretty understanding. We should give Ka some more engagement gifts. We can’t let her feel like she’s not good enough for the Prescott family,” Gloria said.


    Landon nodded. “Mom, I’ll take care of it. You should get some rest.”


    “Mm,” Gloria murmured.


    Comforted by her son, she finally drifted off to sleep again.


    Outside the hospital room, Joyce, making her rounds, caught every word of their conversation.


    ‘So, besides Landen, Ka actually has a mystery love child too?‘ Joyce thought to herself.


    ‘With her life being such a mess, how could she ever be good enough for Tuff?‘ she scoffed inwardly.


    Joyce quickly typed out a message, sent it, then immediately deleted it from her phone.


    Shelby and Marvin were finally brought back to the Ger family.


    But at the same time, the Ger family was under surveince by Landon’s men–they weren’t allowed to leave until Gloria fully recovered.


    Tristan sat under the sweet osmanthus tree in the courtyard, chain–smoking restlessly, his mood dark and irritable.


    “You old fool, what did you tell Landon?” Shelby snapped at him. Just looking at him so pathetic makes me sick,‘ <b>she </b>thought bitterly.


    Without a second thought, she hurled her handbag at him.


    It hit him square in the face.


    He was smoking when the bag smacked him right in the face, knocking his lit cigarette off course. The burning <b>tip </b>seared the corner of his mouth, leaving a bright red mark.


    “Shelby, you should be d Landon didn’t go all out on us,” Tristan said quietly, fixing his gaze <b>on </b><b>his </b><b>wife</b>.


    <b>2/5 </b>


    Chapter <b>269 </b>


    <b>She </b><b>was </b>the <b>woman </b>he’d once loved with all his heart.


    But the more he looked at her, the more like a stranger she seemed.


    All those sweet nothings and vows of eternal love–they were all gone, wiped out by Shelby’s <b>ambition</b>.


    “Him?” Shelby let out a coldugh. “He’s no saint. Trust me.”


    “Dad, if Landon hadn’t been throwing his weight around, everyone would already know who Jeffrey <b>really </b><b>is</b><b>, </b>Marvin <b>said</b><b>, </b>stepping up and pretending to help Tristan.


    Tristan looked at his son, tears suddenly welling up in his eyes. “Marvin, let’s end this now<b>.” </b>


    “Dad, what are you talking about?” Marvin withdrew his hand.


    Tristan nearly lost his bnce and almost fell to the ground.


    “Back then, Isaac wouldn’t let anyone manipte him. And now, Landon is even less likely to let you use <b>a </b><b>child </b><b>to </b>threaten him. Just let it go! Let’s live our own lives. We’re not short on money…” Tristan said.


    “Enough!” Marvin snapped, cutting Tristan off.


    “It’s because you never had any ambition that Mom started thinking about other options. And now you want to hold <b>me </b>


    back too?”


    “Marvin, you’re all going down the wrong path…” Tristan tried to reason with him.


    “Wrong path? I’m fighting for my own future, for the Ger family! How is that wrong<b>?</b>” Marvin shot back.


    Marvin stood his ground,ing on strong and refusing to back down.


    Tristan stared at him for a long time, then trudged back to his room, lookingpletely beaten down.


    ‘I can’t do a damn thing about this family anymore. Let them have at it,‘ he thought, utterly defeated.


    Suddenly, Shelby seemed to catch on. She raised her voice and demanded, “Did Landone to you? Did you tell him. everything?”


    Tristan didn’t answer. He didn’t even look back. His dejected figure disappeared behind the door.


    Shelby stomped her foot in frustration. “So that’s why Landon suddenly let us go. Your dad told him everything.”


    “Mom, it doesn’t matter. They were going to find out sooner orter anyway,” Marvin said, ncing at his watch <b>with </b><b>a </b>smug grin. “By now, Lucia should have pulled it off.”


    “Marvin!” Lucia called out.


    She was shoved into the room, nearly losing her footing before she managed to steady herself.


    “How did it go?” Shelby asked anxiously


    Lucia made a face. “I didn’t hurt Aunt Gloria.”


    2236 SOL ZAUG


    “What about the stuff? Did you get it on her?” Marvin asked..


    “Yeah,” Lucia replied.


    “Good,” Marvin said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.


    He’d known from the start that trying to kill Gloria was pointless, but as long as that stuff was on her, <b>he’d </b><b>have </b><b>everything </b>right where he wanted it.