Chapter 353 Approaching the Truth

Chapter 353 Approaching the Truth

"Daniela!"

Justin waved at Daniela.

His face was full of smiles. His slightly chubby figure stood tall and straight. You could tell he must have been handsome when he was young.

Daniela just stood there, looking at this man she shared blood with like a stranger.

"Daniela, it's so good to see you again."

Justin approached Daniela.

"What do you want?"

Daniela put both hands in her pockets and couldn't help but take a step back, coldly keeping her distance from him.

Justin immediately noticed. He dropped the smile from his face and put on a guilty expression instead.

"Daniela, I'm sorry. It was my fault back then. I shouldn't have abandoned you and your mother. I understand if you don't want to forgive me. I'm getting old now, and I just want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Daniela laughed.

It was as if she'd heard a huge joke.

"Make it up? What could you possibly make up to me?"

Daniela asked mockingly.

Justin didn't seem to catch the mockery in her tone. He was still working his own angle.

"Daniela, no matter what, you're my flesh and blood. I'll prove it to you with my actions. I just have one small request—I hope you can give me a chance. Don't shut me out completely, okay?"

He started making demands of Daniela.

Daniela just looked at him without saying anything.

But her gaze was quite powerful. Justin felt guilty. After looking into Daniela's eyes for a moment, he backed down.

"Here's the thing—I'd like to have dinner with you tomorrow. What do you think? You have a younger brother who's a bit younger than you. I want you two to meet. That way, you siblings can look out for each other in the future."

Daniela remembered Martha's words, warning her to stay away from Justin.

But somehow, mysteriously, Daniela smiled and agreed, "Sure."

Seeing Daniela agree, Justin was thrilled.

He rubbed his hands together, looking excited. "Then it's settled. I'll book a place and let you know right away. Daniela, I'm so happy to see you again. I can't believe my daughter has grown up so much and turned out so beautiful."

Justin's calculating old eyes began to look Daniela up and down.

She glanced at Justin expressionlessly. "I have things to do. I'm leaving."

She turned and immediately left Justin's side.

As soon as Daniela left, Justin returned to his Mercedes.

In the back seat sat a glamorous woman.

"Will she agree?"

Caroline asked worriedly.

Justin let out a heavy sigh. "Whether she agrees or not, we have to try. Right now she's our only solution. No matter what it costs, I have to keep Sunny alive."

Early the next morning, while Daniela was still dreaming, Justin's call came through.

"Daniela, I've already sent the restaurant location to your phone. Remember to come early. Your brother is so excited to hear you're coming."

"Got it."

Daniela's response was still flat.

Martha had asked Oliver to help investigate. She didn't know if Oliver could find out the truth.

There's a saying: you can't catch a tiger without entering its den. So she decided to play along and get close to Justin—that way she could find out what he really wanted.

This so-called family dinner was set for noon at the Harold Hotel.

Daniela arrived half an hour later than the agreed time.

As soon as she reached the hotel entrance, she saw Justin waiting there anxiously.

"Daniela, you're finally here. Caroline and your brother have been waiting for you. Let's go to the private room."

Daniela didn't say anything, just followed behind Justin.

When the private room door opened, inside sat a glamorously dressed middle-aged woman. She looked much younger than Martha, her face well-maintained and refined.

"Daniela, come in."

Caroline stood up, her face breaking into a big smile. She pulled out the chair next to her, gesturing for Daniela to sit.

Daniela's gaze swept over Caroline. She didn't accept Caroline's kindness.

Instead, she pulled over a chair at the nearest spot and sat down.

Caroline stood there awkwardly, looking at Justin.

"That's fine. Daniela can sit there."

Justin smoothed things over.

Across from Daniela sat a man whose build didn't match his age at all.

By rights, he wasn't much younger than Daniela.

But he looked too frail. His face was as pale as paper.

His whole body gave off a sickly feeling that made people uncomfortable to look at.

"Sunny, this is your sister Daniela."

Justin introduced Daniela to Sunny.

"Hello, Daniela. I'm Sunny."

The man spoke with a childish voice, like a seven or eight-year-old kid.

At that moment, Daniela became quite certain that Sunny's mental capacity probably wasn't normal.

Sure enough, Justin confirmed it for her.

"Sunny had a serious illness when he was little, so his mental development stopped at age eight."

Daniela didn't say anything, but her gaze at Sunny suddenly became complicated.

This man who had taken away her father's love since childhood, this man who lived a normal life despite being abnormal—she should hate him.

But Daniela couldn't bring herself to hate him.

"Daniela, have some food. I didn't know what you liked, so I just ordered some things."

Caroline stood up, wanting to serve Daniela food.

Just as she was about to put it in Daniela's bowl, Daniela raised her hand to stop her.

"No need. I'll do it myself."

She rejected her again.

This woman who had stolen her mother's husband—Daniela wasn't going to be nice to her.

Caroline froze there. Justin quickly picked up Sunny's bowl. "Serve Sunny instead. Daniela is used to being independent."

She was used to being independent?

When Daniela heard those words, her heart felt like it was being pricked by needles.

She had no father from a very young age. All the other kids had dads, but she didn't. So at school, she was often bullied. People called her a bastard.

She never had a man's arms to act cute in. When she cried from feeling wronged, Martha would only tell her to be strong.

"Daniela, eat."

Sunny speared a shrimp ball with his fork and reached it toward Daniela.

He sat there, seemingly unable to stand up.

From such a distance, he could only hold up the speared shrimp ball. Unless Daniela stood up herself, that shrimp ball couldn't reach Daniela's bowl.

"Sunny, let me do it."

Justin spoke up again.

But Sunny acted as if he hadn't heard. He stubbornly held up that shrimp ball.

"I'll get it for you."

Caroline's eyes darted between Sunny and Daniela.

She was a smart woman who knew not to say too much at this moment.

Daniela stood up.

She held out her bowl, and the shrimp ball dropped into it.

"Good job, Sunny!"

Justin said to Sunny, giving him a thumbs up.

He had just done the simplest thing, yet he got praise from his father.

And her? She had grown up under Martha's criticism, only able to earn occasional praise by proving herself.

She felt terrible inside. She accepted the shrimp ball, but she didn't eat it.

This lunch left Daniela with mixed feelings.

She originally didn't care whether she had a father or not.

But seeing Justin's care for Sunny, she couldn't hide how bad she felt inside.

After the meal, Daniela said she wanted to leave.

"Daniela, I'll walk you out."

Sunny offered to see Daniela off.

Justin immediately lifted Sunny into a wheelchair and pushed him outside.

Sunny suddenly reached out and grabbed Daniela's hand. "Daniela."

He called out in that sweet childlike voice again.

Daniela instinctively pulled her hand away.

Sunny was sick, but his age was what it was. A man in his twenties, no matter how immature he seemed mentally, she couldn't see him as a child.

Fortunately, Sunny didn't seem to mind.

"Get in the car. I'll take you home."

Justin offered to drive Daniela home. She didn't refuse.

"Goodbye, Daniela."

Sunny waved his arms, saying goodbye to her.

Daniela got into Justin's car.

The car headed straight for the hospital. On the way, Daniela didn't speak, and Justin started making small talk with her.

"Sunny was very smart and well-behaved when he was little. If it weren't for that accident, he would never have ended up like this. I often think that if heaven wanted to punish me for what I did wrong back then, it should have targeted me, not let Sunny bear all this. He's innocent."

Daniela didn't want to participate in this topic.

"Daniela, you don't have to forgive me, but you and Sunny are both my children. We're family. Sunny really likes you. I hope you can like him too."