Her words made Cristofer feel sorry for her. “That’s complete nonsense! Tell me who said such words to you. I’ll teach him a lesson,” he said.
“My biological father told me this…”
“Who?!” Cristofer was stunned.
“Yesterday, a nurse told me that someone wanted to talk to me on the phone. The man on the other end said he was my biological father,” Christina explained. Cristofer’s expression turned serious.
“I’ve always believed I was Mom’s child, but only yesterday did I find out that’s not true. Dad, I love Mom deeply, and I don’t want to leave her. I know she has spent a lot of money on my treatment. I’ll grow up quickly and work hard to earn money. Can you please tell Mom not to send me back to my biological parents?”
Cristofer gently touched her face and reassured her, “Don’t worry, nobody is going to make your Mom send you away. She loves you dearly and would never do that.”
“But my real father said he wants to take me back,” Christina said, looking worried.
“No way. I won’t allow anyone to take you away,” Cristofer declared firmly.
****
Near the hospital gate, there was a small garden where patients could take a walk. It was morning, and no one else was there.
Estelle was pulled into the garden and struggled for a while before managing to free herself from the person who had covered her mouth and nose. “What are you doing here?!” she asked angrily.
“I’m here for you,” Victor said with a wicked grin. He cornered her with his arms folded and continued, “You hung up on me, didn’t respond to my message, and blocked my number. I was wondering where you went last night. Turns out you came here to see your ex-husband. Don’t you hate him anymore?”
Estelle frowned and wiped her mouth vigorously with her hand, but the strong smell of tobacco still lingered. She thought to herself, ‘You’re a heavy smoker. Otherwise, your hand wouldn’t smell so strongly of cigarettes.’
As Estelle looked at the familiar face, she suddenly realized she could distinguish between Cristofer and Victor. Though they looked alike, their expressions and manners were completely different. Cristofer always acted with dignity and never wore such an unsettling smile that made her uncomfortable.
“Why are you so quiet?” Victor asked. He reached out to touch Estelle’s face, but she quickly moved away.
Victor’s hand paused in the air for a moment before he lowered it. Seeing Estelle turn her face away, he realized he had been too rude. He swiftly adjusted his emotions, wore a gentler expression, and spoke softly, “Are you upset with me? Are you annoyed because I kept calling and texting you? I only did that because I was worried about you. It’s distressing not being able to reach you…”
“Stop,” Estelle couldn’t bear it any longer and interrupted him, “Let’s get to the point. You want me to take you back to the Hans’ Residence, right?”
Victor smirked and replied, “Yes, I’m a descendant of the Hans family. I should return home and reunite with my family.”
“And then? What’s your plan after going back to the Hans family?” Estelle asked while staring at him.
“Then we’ll make our relationship public and be together for the rest of our lives. By the way, let me take you to Mount Cloud to see the Malus Halliana tree. When you see it, all your doubts about me will disappear.”
“You…” Estelle wanted to debunk his lie, but she hesitated momentarily and decided not to challenge him directly.
‘According to Cristofer, Victor is his twin brother and has the right to inherit the Hans family’s properties. He could have returned earlier if he wanted those properties, but he didn’t. Instead, he appeared in our lives a few days ago, pretending to be Mr. Mysterious. There’s a good chance someone is behind his facade. It could be a hidden threat, like a ticking time bomb, ready to cause trouble at any moment. It might be best not to expose Victor’s true identity until we uncover who’s behind him.’
With this in mind, Estelle softened her tone and suggested, “Seeing the Malus Halliana tree can wait. We both have a lot to handle right now. We can visit it after we’ve taken care of everything. What do you think?”
Victor agreed with a smile, saying, “You’re right. We can go after I secure the Hans family’s properties. Let’s head to the Hans’ Residence to see Grandpa now.”
“I… I left something at the Grand Hotel in Hadale City. I need to go back and retrieve it,” Estelle tried to persuade him.
Annoyed, Victor replied, “What did you leave there? Can’t you buy a replacement on the way to the Hans’ Residence?”
“No, it’s very important. I must go back for it now,” Estelle insisted.
Victor looked at her suspiciously and remarked, “Estelle, I suddenly sense that your gaze towards me today is different from before.”
“You’re overthinking it.”
“I feel like you’re being cautious around me. Are you afraid of me? Why?” Victor asked.
Estelle quickly found an excuse, saying, “Because you frightened me last night.”
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder. We were apart for a long time and finally reunited. Is it wrong for me to want to be intimate with you? Estelle, you claim to love me, so why did you resist when I kissed you? Have you fallen for Cristofer again during our act?”
Licking her lips, Estelle replied, “No, I haven’t fallen for him.”
“Estelle, I can’t figure out why you still won’t leave him. Is it because of his looks, wealth, or power? I look just like him, and I’ll be just as rich and powerful soon. Or is it because he’s the father of your children? We can have children in the future, too. Why are you treating me so differently, favoring him so much? You even left me alone in the hotel because of him.”
“I didn’t come to the hospital for Cristofer,” Estelle said calmly.
“Then why are you here?” Victor asked.
Estelle met his gaze and replied, “Because Christina is being moved to the general ward today, and I want to see her.”
“Really?” Victor raised his brow.
“What else would I be here for?” Estelle asked, sounding annoyed.
Victor chuckled and said casually, “Okay, my apologies, I misunderstood you. Let’s go. I’ll accompany you back to the hotel. After you retrieve your belongings, we’ll head to the Hans’ Residence together.” He hailed a taxi and motioned for Estelle to join him inside.
“Sir, please take us to the Grand Hotel in Hadale City,” he told the taxi driver. The hospital wasn’t far from the Grand Hotel, and they arrived at their destination about fifteen minutes later.