Chapter 98 The Truth Emerges

Chapter 98 The Truth Emerges

The call ended, leaving only the dial tone buzzing in his ear.

Wilder slumped against the wall, staring at the jumping lines on the monitors in the hospital room, feeling utterly drained.

On one side was Katya, his flesh and blood. On the other hand, the family who'd raised him.

The weight pulling at both ends left him breathless.

Wilder hung up and looked at Bodhi's pale face through the window, then finally walked into the room alone.

Charles was sitting beside the bed, adjusting Bodhi's blanket. When he saw Wilder come in, he glanced up.

"Everything okay?"

Wilder shook his head, his voice rough.

"Yeah, Charles. All good."

Charles didn't push it, just gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

The two men sat vigil by the bedside until visiting hours were almost over, when the door creaked open.

Olivia walked in carrying a thermos, fresh from Celestial University. Her eyes were still a little red.

"Mr. Green, I wanted to check on you."

Charles had texted her.

Ever since their night at the hunting cabin, things between them had definitely warmed up.

Bodhi's tired eyes lit up as he tried to sit up.

"Olivia's here... please, have a seat."

Olivia set down the thermos and gently pressed his shoulder back. "Just rest. I brought some porridge—want to try some?"

She watched him manage about half a bowl and chatted with him for a bit.

The whole time, whenever Olivia remembered what Zoey had told her, she felt this ache in her chest.

She couldn't even look Charles in the eye.

After a while, darkness fell outside.

Olivia got up to leave.

"Mr. Green, I've got work at the studio. I'll swing by again in a few days."

"Have Charles give you a ride home."

Bodhi suddenly spoke up, shooting Wilder a pointed look.

"Wilder can hang back and keep me company. We need to talk."

Charles got the hint, picking up Olivia's bag.

"Come on, I'll drive you."

The moment they left the room, the warmth drained from Bodhi's face. He turned to study Wilder.

"You went to the airport today?"

Wilder froze, his head jerking up.

"Dad, how'd you know?"

"You think I've lost my marbles?"

Bodhi coughed a couple of times, but his eyes stayed sharp.

"I never canceled Katya's overseas credit card."

"She bought a plane ticket yesterday and touched down in Harmony City at ten this morning. The transaction records don't lie."

Wilder's mouth opened, but no words came.

He'd had no idea that Bodhi had been quietly monitoring Katya all this time.

"She's my daughter."

Bodhi sighed, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

"No matter how screwed up she gets, how can I just stop caring?"

"But that attitude of hers... that's all your mother's doing."

"You two came from the same womb—how can you be so different?"

He looked at Wilder with regret in his eyes.

"Sending you to live with your grandmother was the smartest thing I ever did."

"Otherwise they would've corrupted you years ago."

"Dad, I don't hold it against you."

Wilder said quietly.

"Katya... she's just too stubborn for her own good."

"You've done so much for her over the years. She remembers—she's just too proud to say it."

Bodhi shook his head, his eyes growing wet.

"I've screwed over too many people in my life."

"Your mother, Katya..."

"But that's on me. Can't blame anyone else."

He gripped Wilder's hand, his strength suddenly fierce.

"But Katya cannot touch Charles. Not happening! The kid's done nothing wrong—lost his mom when he was little, and I was a lousy father to him..."

"He cannot be destroyed. You hear me?"

"I get it, Dad."

Wilder nodded firmly.

"I'll keep tabs on Katya."

Olivia had just gotten back from the hospital and was at her studio, tweaking the library design on her computer.

Suddenly, the office door flew open.

Her assistant jumped up, rushing to block the way.

"Ma'am, you can't just..."

The figure in the doorway was wrapped in an oversized black windbreaker, hood pulled down low, a mask covering most of her face—just a pair of bloodshot eyes visible, locked on Olivia behind the desk.

She was shaking all over, like she'd been dragged out of freezing water.

The bottom of her windbreaker was caked with mud. She'd clearly run here.

"Let her in."

Olivia's voice was strained.

Even bundled up like that, those eyes—wild with terror but somehow familiar—told her exactly who this was.

The assistant hesitated but stepped aside, shutting the door behind her.

Once they were alone, the figure ripped off her mask and hood, revealing a gaunt, hollow face—it was Mia, missing for days.

Her cheek showed a nasty purple bruise, her hair was a tangled mess, and her lips were cracked and bleeding.

"Olivia..."

Mia's voice cracked the second she spoke, tears pouring down like a broken dam.

"I got away..."

Olivia rushed over to steady her, finding her hands ice-cold, fingertips still shaking.

"I've been searching everywhere for you! Even the cops had nothing!"

"Are you hurt? Mia!"

She poured a cup of hot water and pressed it into her hands, face creased with worry.

"Here, sit down. Just breathe. Take your time."

"Where'd you escape from? Where the hell have you been?"

Mia clutched the cup, her fingertips burning red but refusing to let go, like she was drawing life from that little bit of warmth.

She took several shaky breaths before speaking in broken pieces.

"Noah... he locked me up in some warehouse out in the sticks..."

Her voice shook, terror still haunting her eyes.

"After you showed up at the factory that day and he missed you, he took it out on me. Said I was worthless..."

"Then he got obsessed with something else, started going out drinking every night, and the guys watching me got sloppy..."

"Last night he came back wasted, and the guard dozed off, so I managed to pry open a window and bolt..."

As she talked, she kept pulling at the oversized windbreaker, trying to disappear inside it.

"I couldn't go home, couldn't go to the hospital..."

"I kept thinking, and you're the only one who can help me..."

Suddenly, she pulled something wrapped in layers of plastic bags from inside her coat.

With trembling hands, she held it out to Olivia.

"This... you have to keep this safe..."

Unwrapping the plastic revealed a small flash drive.

Mia's fingernails were still crusted with dirt, her grip on the drive so tight her knuckles went white.

"I copied this off Noah's backup phone when he wasn't looking..."

"It's got his text records of dealing drugs, and... and recordings of him and Selene plotting how to get rid of you..."

Fresh tears spilled over, mixing fear with a flicker of relief.

"I should've given this to you ages ago..."

"This is the proof I've been sitting on all this time. I was just too chicken, too scared of them..."

"But I never thought that even when I was helping them cover their tracks, they'd still come after me!"