Chapter 247 Strange Delivery

Chapter 248 Why Didn’t You Tell Me

Anna screamed and jumped back. The scissors clattered onto the table as something slid out of the box and slowly wriggled across the floor—it was a live snake.

The maid heard the noise and came upstairs. Seeing the snake crawling on the ground, she shrieked in terror.

Anna steadied herself and called security. When security came up and caught the snake, they said it was a rat snake—non-venomous, but pretty big.

Anna thought it was just a prank, nothing to make a fuss about: "Don't tell Ethan."

The maid looked worried: "But..."

"Listen to me."

Ethan had been through too much trouble lately. She didn't want to bother him with this.

The next day, another delivery came.

This time it was an envelope. When she opened it, a bloody mouse skin fell out, still covered with fur, the stench making her gag.

On the third day, it was razor blades.

Thin razor blades were tucked between sheets of paper. Anna didn't notice while flipping through them, and her finger got cut, blood immediately beading up.

The maid helped her find a band-aid while cursing whoever sent the package, her voice trembling.

Anna pressed a tissue to the wound, looking at the items on the table. She already had an answer in her mind.

She didn't make a scene, just reported it to the police and took photos of all the deliveries as evidence.

Over the next week, the deliveries kept coming. Sometimes it was a bloody threatening letter, sometimes a bag of dead bugs, sometimes a stack of secretly taken photos—all of Hopie, at the school gate, downstairs in the neighborhood, playing on the slide with Ethan.

The angles were distant, clearly taken in secret, but very clear.

When Anna saw those photos, her fingers turned white from gripping them.

She didn't tell Ethan.

She knew if Ethan found out, he would immediately have the police use all their resources to investigate, which would tip off whoever was behind this.

But that evening, Ethan found out anyway.

He was helping Anna tidy up and found that stack of photos.

When Anna came out of the bathroom, she saw Ethan sitting on the sofa with the photos and delivery boxes spread out in front of him. His face looked terrible.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked.

Anna dried her hair and was silent for a moment: "A week."

Ethan's Adam's apple bobbed: "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was afraid you'd worry." Anna sat down next to him. "And I didn't want to tip anyone off."

Ethan said nothing. He picked up his phone and called a police officer he knew. They found out quickly.

It was Aurelia.

When the police found the rental apartment, it was already empty. There was half a bowl of instant noodles on the table, the blanket on the bed was thrown back, the window was wide open—she had just left.

When Ethan got the call from the police, he was furious. Aurelia didn't have the skills to do this alone—someone must be helping her.

Here we go again, the enemy in the shadows while they were out in the open.

Ethan was terrified Aurelia might hurt Anna again. He increased security, assigned Anna bodyguards, wouldn't let Anna touch anything from unknown sources, and was extremely careful about food—he ate first, and only after he was fine would Anna eat.

Anna laughed and said he was being too careful. Ethan replied seriously: "Better safe than sorry."

Anna didn't say anything more and let him do as he pleased.

In the morning, when Anna woke up, Ethan had already made breakfast.

Fried eggs, milk, toast, all neatly arranged.

Hopie sat at the dining table, poking holes in her fried egg with a fork, getting yolk all over the plate.

"Mommy! Daddy made sunny-side up eggs today!" Hopie held up her fork with a big smile.

Anna smiled and was about to reach for the toast when Ethan brought the plate to her.

"Let me. The cut on your hand hasn't healed yet."

Anna looked down at her finger. The wound was actually much better. She said it was fine.

Ethan acted like he hadn't heard, took her hand and examined it carefully, then put on a fresh band-aid.

His movements were gentle, applying it neatly.

Hopie watched from the side and suddenly said: "Mommy's hand is hurt, she can't eat by herself. I'm going to feed Mommy!"

Ethan raised an eyebrow: "Get in line, I said it first."

"I said it first!" Hopie jumped down from her chair, ran over to grab a spoon, scooped up some egg, and carefully held it to Anna's mouth. "Mommy, open up, ahhh..."

Anna was amused by her serious expression and opened her mouth to eat the spoonful of egg.

Not to be outdone, Ethan picked up a piece of toast with his fork and held it to Anna's mouth too: "Eat mine."

Hopie got anxious: "Eat mine, Mommy! Mine tastes better!"

"Your egg is getting cold. My toast is freshly toasted."

"It's still good when it's cold!"

The two of them went back and forth, and Anna was caught in the middle, taking bites from left and right, her cheeks puffed out, unable to speak.

She chewed while pushing both their hands away: "Enough, it's not like my hand is broken. Can you two let me eat by myself?"

"No." Ethan and Hopie said in unison.

Anna laughed in exasperation and grabbed a napkin from the table to throw at Ethan.

Ethan dodged to the side, and the napkin hit Hopie on the head.

Hopie dramatically covered her head and collapsed in her chair, shouting: "Mommy, why did you hit me?"

"Sorry, baby, Mommy didn't mean to." Anna scooped up Hopie and apologized.

"Mommy, where do I rank in your heart?" Hopie suddenly asked.

"First, of course."

Anna teased her back: "Where does Mommy rank in your heart?"

Hopie answered very firmly: "First!"

Anna asked: "Then who's second?"

Hopie pointed at Anna's belly. "Baby sister is second."

Ethan asked: "What about me?"

Hopie thought about it and said very seriously: "Daddy is sixth."

"Fourth is Grandpa, Grandma, and Great-grandpa."

"Fifth is the big orange cat at school."

Ethan picked up his coffee with a blank expression: "I can't live like this anymore."

Anna collapsed on the sofa laughing, her stomach hurting from laughter.

Hopie ran over and lay on her belly, pressing her ear against it: "Is baby sister laughing too? I think I heard her laugh."

"She's kicking me." Anna placed Hopie's little hand on her belly. "Feel here, she just moved."

Hopie held her breath and felt carefully for a while, then her eyes widened in delight: "She really moved! Baby sister kicked me again!"

Ethan put down his coffee cup and came over too, placing his large hand on Anna's belly.

He waited for a long time—nothing. He pressed his ear against it to see if he could hear anything. After waiting a while, still nothing.

Hopie said proudly: "Baby sister doesn't like Daddy. Baby sister only likes me."

Ethan frowned and said seriously to Anna's belly: "When you come out, we need to have a talk."