Chapter 620

Liora thought Werner had discovered she’d secretly given birth to a child. Panicked, she didn’t dare answer the call. Little did she know, Werner feigned that Yorick had been diagnosed with liver cancer. Liora immediately called Werner back.

Werner said, “I called you countless times, but you wouldn’t pick up. Yet the moment I mention Yorick, you immediately get anxious. Just as I thought—you still care about him.”

“Enough with the nonsense. Is it true Yorick was diagnosed with liver cancer? That’s impossible. Are you lying to me?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know. When you left, you specifically told me Yorick wasn’t in good health and asked me to take care of him. I thought you’d known all along.”

Liora grimaced in pain, her heart constricting with agony. Words failed her completely.

“Hey? Liora, are you still there?”

Liora hung up in a daze, barely aware of what she was doing. The baby’s sudden wail snapped Liora back to reality. She clutched Sanford tightly to her chest, her body wracked with silent sobs.

Yorick was dying. At that moment, Liora was convinced that Yorick’s cancer was caused by that drink. Irene was to blame, but so was she. She wished it were her dying instead of his. She just wanted Yorick to live.

But she promised Irene and Yorick that she would never set foot in Nareigh again, not for the rest of her life. She couldn’t break her promise. Staring at the hungry baby boy in her arms, Liora broke down in tears. She named him Sanford.

Liora went a step further, making a reckless decision. She secretly embezzled 3 million dollars from Onlyora Group and wired it all to Irene without authorization.

She said she happened to learn by chance that Yorick had cancer, and wished that he could get proper treatment.

Irene took Liora’s money and said coldly, “From now on, we are worlds apart. Whatever happens to Yorick has absolutely nothing to do with you, Liora.”

Liora’s unauthorized embezzlement sabotaged Onlyora Group’s IPO plans. Adding to that, Liora’s mind became entirely consumed by Sanford. She found herself constantly pining for Yorick and had no heart left to manage Onlyora Group.

Her father, heartbroken by her failures, passed away from illness not long after. With his death, Onlyora Group completely withered away under her management.

Once a privileged heiress, Liora was reduced to hiding her identity in Shaville, confined to her family’s last remaining property, where she single-handedly raised Sanford.

As Sanford grew older, his curiosity and confusion about his father’s identity only deepened. Whenever the topic came up, Liora would just clam up.

Little did Liora realize that her silence and secrecy would bring so much misunderstanding and needless conflict into Sanford’s life.

“Sanford,” Liora murmured, her story finally told, her gaze fixed intently on him. “This is the truth of it. I don’t know if you can handle it. In this life, you’re the one I’ve wronged the most. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

Tears welled and swirled in Sanford’s eyes as he kept his fists clenched tight. He said nothing. All he managed was, “I need some quiet time alone.”

“Sanford!” Liora’s gaze lingered on her son’s retreating figure, her voice trembling as he walked further and further away.

Jonathan also turned to leave.

Jonathan was Yorick’s son by blood, while Sanford believed he was. Liora gazed slowly at Irene and said, “Both children are innocent. They’re both victims in this.”

1/3

Chapter 620

Irene sighed deeply. “The only thing I truly regret in this life is my impulsive attempt to take your life. If Yorick hadn’t stopped me in time, I can’t even imagine what would have become of us all.”

She would’ve definitely ended up in prison, leaving Jonathan to grow up motherless. And if Yorick still ended up with liver cancer later, Jonathan would still lose him. Her family would have been completely shattered.

Liora wiped away her tears and said softly, “We all made mistakes. I shouldn’t have been so obsessed with Yorick back then. And I shouldn’t have brought Sanford into this world. All I’ve ever wanted is for him to live a happy and carefree life.”

But what was done couldn’t be undone.

Jonathan sought out Benny for a drink.

As a seasoned lawyer, Benny listened intently as Jonathan recounted the complicated history between his parents. He couldn’t help but feel deeply moved by what he heard.

Benny had always assumed Jonathan came from a much simpler family background, but now he realized that every family had its own cross to bear.

“All I can say is, your dad truly loved your mom. Even on his deathbed, he was still thinking about her, worried she might face legal trouble. Wow, now that’s real devotion.” Benny took a sip of his drink and continued.

“Look, it’s been decades already. Liora, the intended victim, never pressed charges. And your father, even though he had the recording, chose not to pursue it either. At this point, you really just have to let it go.

“When the victim herself isn’t pressing charges, you can’t just throw your own mother under the bus and air this out in public for the sake of justice. That would tarnish the Lynn family’s reputation and your company’s image.”

Jonathan kept drinking, leaving Benny to wonder if his words were actually sinking in. “About those 3 million dollars—your mom accepted money from Liora, was there any written agreement at the time documenting it as a voluntary gift?

“I’m just worried Liora might suddenly turn around and accuse Irene of extortion. We’re talking about 3 million dollars here. Hey, where are you going?”

Before Benny could even finish his sentence, Jonathan had already turned on his heel and strode out. He immediately reached out to Sanford by phone. “Come meet me at Horizonlead Group’s Legal Department. I need to talk to you.”

Sanford was drunk and in no condition to see anyone. By the time Sanford finally sobered up and made his way to see Jonathan, it was already the next day.

Sanford sat across from Jonathan in his office, glancing around. “The other day, when Mom and I had just gotten back, we passed by your company. She even commented on how impressive it looked.”

With a complex look in his eyes, Jonathan handed Sanford a copy of the drafted contract.

“What’s this?” Sanford asked, a puzzled frown on his face.

Jonathan explained that Irene accepted three million dollars from Liora. She shouldn’t have taken that money. And now, he’d repay the debt on her behalf. “With interest, I’ll pay you 10 million dollars.”

Sanford froze for a second. “Let it go. I was the one who publicly reported Irene for embezzling Liora’s 3 million dollars back then. Just consider it a false accusation on my part.”

Jonathan insisted, “Let’s put aside the past grievances between our mothers for now. By all accounts, my mom shouldn’t’ve taken that money back then. It was your grandfather’s life savings.”

Sanford’s eyes instantly welled up. He knew perfectly well that Jonathan had no obligation to offer him this compensation, and he could have been ruthless and self–serving. Yet Jonathan chose to repay the debt.

Inu,

Chapter 620

“Sign the contract,” Jonathan urged, sliding the papers across the desk toward Sanford when he noticed his hesitation to pick up the pen.