Chapter 272

Chapter 272

When the car stopped outside the iron gate of the Smith family villa, it was already getting dark.

Bradley turned off the engine and looked over at Elaine in the passenger seat. "I won't go in—don't want to make things more complicated. You'll handle it better on your own. Call me if anything comes up."

Elaine nodded gratefully. "Okay, thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Bradley smiled. "Go ahead, I'll wait here for you."

Elaine got out of the car and walked toward the familiar building.

She rang the doorbell.

After a moment, the door opened.

But it wasn't the housekeeper standing at the door—it was Emily.

Emily was wearing loungewear, her long hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders, holding a glass of warm water, looking every bit the lady of the house.

The moment she saw Elaine, she was clearly stunned, but quickly adjusted her expression, her lips curling into an ambiguous smile.

"Out so soon? I thought once you went into a place like that, you'd be stuck there for at least a year or so."

Elaine looked at her coldly. "Sorry to disappoint you. I didn't do anything wrong, so naturally I could get out."

Emily laughed lightly, leaning against the doorframe, deliberately blocking most of the entrance. "It's all over the internet—everyone's saying you're suspected of colluding with foreign organizations. Oh, and I heard your mother's car accident back then wasn't really an accident either? This is really... runs in the family, doesn't it?"

Elaine's eyes suddenly turned cold. She stepped forward, almost face to face with Emily. "Move."

"This is Arthur's house. You're an outsider—you think you can just walk in whenever you want?"

Emily didn't back down, deliberately raising her voice. "The child is doing just fine here. You disappeared for half a month without a word—who knows what you were up to? Now you just get out and want to take the child away? I think you should prove your innocence to the police first."

Elaine didn't want to waste any more words with her. She suddenly pushed aside Emily's arm blocking the doorframe and squeezed her way inside.

"You!"

Emily stumbled from the push, spilling some water from her cup. She immediately put on a wronged expression. "Elaine, this is trespassing!"

Elaine walked inside without looking back, her eyes quickly scanning the empty living room. "Vera? Vera, where are you? Mommy's back!"

Her voice echoed through the spacious villa, but got no response.

Usually at this time, if Vera were home, she would have run out the moment she heard her voice.

Panic began to spread in her heart.

Ignoring Emily's bluffing shouts behind her, she rushed upstairs.

She knew every corner of this house too well and ran straight to her daughter's room.

Pushing open the door, she saw toys neatly arranged on the shelves, the bed made, the window half-open, but the room was empty.

"Vera?"

Elaine called out uneasily.

Just then, she noticed a small figure curled up in the shadows of the corner, back to the door, completely still.

Elaine's breath caught.

"Vera?"

She called softly, her voice so gentle it could almost melt.

The small figure trembled sharply.

Elaine quickly walked over and crouched down beside her daughter.

In the light coming through the doorway, she saw Vera wearing her favorite pink bunny pajamas, her hair a bit messy, her small shoulders shaking.

"Vera, it's Mommy."

Elaine reached out and gently touched her daughter's shoulder.

Vera slowly turned around.

When she saw Elaine's face, her previously dim eyes instantly filled with tears. As if finally confirming something, she suddenly burst into loud sobs and threw her arms around Elaine.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

She cried her heart out, her hands tightly clutching Elaine's neck, her small body trembling violently in her embrace, tears instantly soaking Elaine's clothes.

"Mommy, where did you go... they all said you didn't want me anymore... said you were a bad person... waaah... Mommy..."

Elaine held her daughter tightly, her eyes instantly reddening.

"I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry..."

Elaine patted her daughter's back over and over, her voice choked. "Mommy's back, Mommy didn't abandon you, Mommy will never abandon you..."

She kissed her daughter's hair. The heart that had been suspended for half a month finally settled, yet was wrung with pain by her daughter's heartbroken crying.

She held her sobbing daughter tightly, stroking her back over and over, her voice gentle. "Mommy's here, Vera don't cry, Mommy won't leave, really won't leave..."

Vera's crying gradually subsided a bit, but she was still sobbing, her small hands clutching Elaine's clothes and refusing to let go.

Just then, a small figure appeared in the doorway.

Julius stood there, wearing cartoon pajamas, his small face showing a complicated expression.

He looked at Vera crying her eyes out, then at Elaine holding her sister. His lips moved as if wanting to say something, but he awkwardly turned his head away.

"Why... why is she crying?"

Julius muttered quietly, but his eyes couldn't help glancing at Vera. "So noisy."

Elaine looked up, her gaze calmly falling on Julius.

Julius felt uncomfortable under her gaze and instinctively took half a step back.

Elaine withdrew her gaze and lowered her head to gently wipe the tears from her daughter's face. "Vera, be good. Let's go home, okay?"

Vera nodded hard, her small hands still clutching Elaine.

Elaine stood up holding her daughter and walked straight toward the door, as if she hadn't seen Julius standing there at all.

"You..."

Julius froze.

He watched Elaine holding Vera, about to leave without even looking at him. A sense of being abandoned instantly seized him.

Just as Elaine was about to pass by him with Vera, Julius suddenly rushed forward and spread his arms to block her way.

"Where are you taking her?"

Elaine stopped and looked down at him, her voice calm. "I'm taking Vera home."

"Then... then what about me?"

Julius looked up at her, his eyes already glistening with tears. "You're only taking her? You're not taking me?"

Elaine was silent for two seconds, then said flatly, "Don't you like staying here? Emily will take care of you."

Julius's small face went pale, then flushed red. "You... you're playing favorites! You only love Vera! You don't love me at all!"

He shouted, emotions that had been building up for so long suddenly exploding. "Why? Vera and I are both your children! Why are you so good to her, but to me... to me you're like a stranger! I hate you!"

Elaine looked at her son's reddened eyes. Her heart wasn't completely unmoved, but it was quickly covered by something colder.

"Not all children deserve the same love from their mother."

Elaine's voice remained calm. "Love is mutual. Vera deserves it, but you..."