Chapter 31: The Line Between Blood and Love
Worried that Yunice might be holding a grudge, Lily stood up and gently sat beside her bed. “I haven’t been sleeping well these past few days. I keep dreaming about your father…” As she spoke, she placed Yunice’s hand in her own, her eyes red-rimmed. “If only there was something of his left behind for me to remember him by.”
“Mom, didn’t you give your blessing when the rose tree Father left you was cut down?” Yunice looked at her sincerely.
Lily faltered under that gaze. For a moment, she actually felt guilty. “I know you’re upset,” she said quickly, “but when you become a mother one day, you’ll understand. A child’s safety is more important than anything. I had no choice.”
“The book really isn’t with me,” Yunice replied.
Then, without warning, she leaned forward and rested her head against Lily’s chest. “Mom, if you miss Dad, just hold me. I’m part of what he left behind, too.”
Lily had never hugged her before. The moment Yunice pressed close, she clearly felt Lily instinctively try to push her away. A parent’s love for their child runs deep, but even as a daughter, that love had never been given to her. Even hearts grow crooked—how could fairness exist?
The hug lasted only a few seconds before Lily stood up, clearly uncomfortable. “I’ll ask your brothers later. Maybe one of them has the book.”
Yunice smiled and softly hummed in acknowledgment, showing no hint of hurt.
Lily bit her lip, her face clouded with unease as she left the room. Seeing her expression, Giana assumed Yunice must’ve said something harsh. But Lily shook her head and muttered, conflicted, “I just wonder am I too cold toward Yunny? But…” She glanced at Giana, her voice tight with disgust. “I want to treat her like a daughter, but every time she gets close, I just feel so disgusted, so irritated I can’t help wanting her to stay far away…”
She let out a long sigh, her face full of regret. “If only Elsie and Yunice had been switched. If Elsie were the real Saunders daughter, and Yunice had stayed in that mountain village, I wouldn’t be in this awkward position.”
The door wasn’t fully shut. A sliver of Yunice’s clothes peeked through the gap—unnoticed. She stood there, leaning silently against the wall, listening to her mother’s words of rejection, words that sharp should’ve made her furious. But they didn’t. She simply tilted her head back, resting it against the wall, her face blank and exhausted as she stared up at the ceiling. Her father’s love had been enough. As for a mother… she’d never had one. So what was there to lose? It was just a beautiful childhood dream—shattered, nothing more.
Later that night, Owen got a call for an emergency case. Driving out through the wrought-iron gates of the Saunders estate, he had barely turned onto the asphalt when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure by the roadside.
Owen frowned. What was she doing out this late? He turned the wheel and began following her.
Inside the taxi, Yunice kept checking the time, her expression tense, eyes fixed on the passing streets. She didn’t notice she was being followed. Eventually, the cab pulled to a stop. Yunice jumped out and ran to knock on the back gate of a house.
Owen’s car stopped at a distance. He leaned forward to see more clearly. The Johnson family. That was the family his mother had arranged for Yunice to marry into. He looked back toward her. She was knocking at the Johnsons’ rear gate. A housekeeper opened a small gap in the door. Yunice slipped inside.
Seeing this, Owen’s heart warmed. So she hadn’t meant it when she said she wouldn’t help Elsie. She was just being stubborn, trying to get more attention. Deep down, she still cared about the family. She couldn’t bear the thought of their father’s hospital being dragged through the mud. She was here to plead on their behalf.
“Since she’s being sensible, I’ll go easier on her when I get back,” he thought. “No need to hold it against her.” With that, Owen drove away from the Johnsons’ house, in good spirits, waiting for tomorrow’s good news.
“This way, Ms. Saunders!” A Johnson family maid rushed over at a jog. Yunice clutched her shoulder bag and ran so fast she nearly passed the maid. But the quick pace left her breathless and cramping. She pressed a hand to her side and said nothing, forcing herself to keep running.
At last, they reached the back courtyard. The maid flung the door open and stepped aside, urgently motioning. “Ms. Saunders, quick—go in!”
Yunice stepped over the threshold. Before she could even make out what was happening inside, she heard crying. “What do we do? Is the old lady dying?”
Yunice hurried past the folding screen. The moment she entered, everyone inside turned to look at her.