Chapter 417: Coming of Age
"Jasper, what's wrong?" Emma noticed his distraction, her voice laced with concern.
Jasper snapped back to reality, forcing a smile. "It's nothing. Come on, let's head back inside. I'll fix your doll, and then you can tell me all about school today."
He took Ethan and Emma by the hands, leading them toward the main building. His back remained ramrod straight, as if he were already shouldering the weight of protecting them.
Yet his slightly furrowed brow betrayed the turmoil churning within.
He knew some questions would have to be faced eventually.
Questions about Mom. About Dad. About the shattered truth behind this family.
Glancing at Ethan beside him—nearly his own height but still bright-eyed—and little Emma, Jasper felt a flicker of relief. The burden of this family's legacy falls on me, he thought. Ethan, Emma—you two just need to stay happy.
Eldoria. The Estate.
Night had fallen. Emily stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of her study, holding a newly decrypted intelligence report.
The document revealed that Charles had withdrawn from public life, his health shrouded in mystery. Whispers through covert channels suggested his condition was deteriorating, with the Windsor family discreetly seeking medical breakthroughs.
She inhaled deeply, suppressing the complicated emotions threatening to surface. Whether he was ill, whether he was well—it no longer concerned her.
What mattered now was becoming stronger. Then returning. Reclaiming everything that belonged to her. Making those responsible pay in blood.
As for that faint tremor deep in her heart—the one she refused to acknowledge—let it remain buried beneath the inferno of vengeance.
Her cold, beautiful profile reflected in the windowpane merged seamlessly with the view beyond: the eerie garden below, its sinister blooms swaying beneath moonlight, nourished by blood.
Thalassia, Emerald City. Evergreen Hospital.
Inside an internal medicine examination room, Elodie wore her white coat, fingers wrapped around her stethoscope as she questioned the patient before her. Her voice remained gentle. "Have you been staying up late recently? Does the chest tightness occur occasionally, or does it worsen with activity?"
Three years had passed since Emily's disappearance, and Elodie hadn't truly rested since. Guarding Emily's secret—that she was alive and safe in Eldoria—while fending off Daniel's relentless pursuit and managing the hospital's grueling workload had left her utterly exhausted.
She knew Emily was alive. Protected by someone reliable in Eldoria. Living well. Emily had called her once, six months after vanishing—an anonymous call assuring Elodie she was safe, urging her not to worry or tell anyone.
The call had ended abruptly. No location. No explanation. Elodie hadn't even managed to ask a single follow-up question.
She understood Emily too well. If Emily chose secrecy, there was a reason. And Elodie had never been good at lying—she feared Daniel's persistence might force the truth from her lips, ruining Emily's plans. So she'd opted for complete silence, refusing to speak even one unnecessary word to Daniel.
"Dr. Garcia? Dr. Garcia?"
The patient's voice yanked Elodie from her reverie. She blinked, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I zoned out for a moment. Tell me again—besides the chest tightness, are you experiencing any other symptoms?"
After scheduling the patient for a CT scan, Elodie's body went rigid. The next appointment name on her screen made her stomach drop.
Daniel.
Her fingers tightened involuntarily around the stethoscope, knuckles whitening. Daniel. Again.
She knew that name too well. Well enough that hearing it made her chest constrict.
For three years, Daniel had been an inescapable shadow. Initially, he'd stationed himself outside the Garcia Villa daily. Combined with his status as Elodie's fiancé, her father had been thrilled by Daniel's constant visits—welcoming him into their home, even clearing space so they could "nurture their relationship."
Nurture what relationship?!
Eventually, Elodie wised up. She'd wake and immediately flee, sometimes avoiding home altogether.
When Daniel couldn't corner her there, he'd shifted tactics—appearing at the hospital. At first, whenever she spotted him, she'd summon security to escort him out. After multiple ejections, Daniel adapted. No more forcing his way in. Instead, he booked appointments properly, entering her examination room as a legitimate patient.
The door opened softly. Daniel stepped inside wearing a dark casual outfit, hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot—far more haggard than three years prior. The once-celebrated violinist, formerly composed and refined, now appeared consumed by exhaustion and obsession.
He sat in the chair opposite Elodie, but unlike other patients, he didn't volunteer symptoms. Instead, his gaze burned into her—urgent, desperate, with barely concealed pleading. "Elodie."
Elodie forced herself into composure, burying all emotion beneath a professional facade. She picked up her clipboard, tapping her pen lightly against the paper. "Mr. Scott, please describe your symptoms. I'm a doctor. I treat illnesses. Nothing else."
She deliberately avoided his eyes—terrified her gaze might betray secrets, terrified his interrogation might break her resolve to honor Emily's instructions.
Daniel acted as though he hadn't heard. His stare remained locked on her. "I'm not here as a patient. I'm asking you again—where is Emily? Elodie, I know you know. You're her best friend. There's no way she wouldn't tell you."
"I don't know."
The words escaped almost reflexively, harsher than she'd intended. "Mr. Scott, I've told you this countless times. After Emily disappeared, I searched for her just like everyone else. There's been no news. Please stop asking. I have other patients waiting."
"You're lying!" Daniel's voice rose sharply. "Elodie, look at me! Can you honestly say you don't know? Before she vanished, you were the person Emily trusted most. You two contacted each other daily. How could she possibly not tell you where she was going? Are you deliberately hiding this from me? Did Charles order you to keep quiet?"