Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Wyatt’s gaze passed straight over him and landed on Yunice. Wyatt beckoned lightly. “Come here.”
Yunice glanced at Owen, then at Wyatt, and without hesitation, she ran toward him. Wyatt sneered at Owen as he reached out and pulled Yunice behind him, shielding her without the slightest disguise.
Owen was stunned, thinking Wyatt had misunderstood. “She’s my sister!” He quickly called out to Yunice, his voice tight with concern. “Yunice, come to me.” As her brother, wasn’t it his responsibility to protect her from someone like Wyatt?
Wyatt’s voice was calm but cutting. “So she can come back to you and get beaten again?” Owen choked, instinctively looking at Yunice. But she kept her head down, refusing to meet his gaze.
Still, Owen felt justified. “What’s wrong with a brother disciplining his sister?” It wasn’t like he would actually hit her. How could Yunice turn her back on him and stand on someone else’s side?
“Sister?” Wyatt sneered, biting down on the word like it was poison. “When your sister was kidnapped, where was this brother of hers?”
Owen froze. His gaze shot first to Elsie, then to Yunice. Both his sisters were standing right here. When had there been a kidnapping! No, wait! Owen’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Yunice. Could it be that in the days she’d disappeared…
Yunice lifted her eyes, standing coldly behind Wyatt, her voice like ice. “I’m self-aware enough not to hide on purpose and make you worry. After all, I know better than anyone that none of you care whether I live or die.”
Owen opened his mouth, but his throat felt tight, almost painful. For a moment, he did not know what to say. His voice trembled slightly. “You… you were really kidnapped? By who?”
Yunice’s frosty gaze fell directly on Elsie. She spoke two words, each one clear and sharp. “Quinton Ford.”
Owen shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to accept. “Stop talking nonsense! Mr. Quinton doesn’t even know you. Why would he kidnap you?”
Yunice’s voice was cold as steel. “Because your dear little sister told Quinton I could recite Father’s medical notes from memory. His greed got the better of him. So he had me kidnapped and tortured, trying to force me to copy them down.”
At her words, Wyatt’s gaze swept over to Yunice, his eyes darkening slightly. Elsie’s face went completely pale. She stepped forward in panic. “That’s not what happened!”
“Owen, you know how badly Mr. Quinton wanted those notes. I only said that to help you maintain your partnership with him!” Elsie’s voice shook as she looked pleadingly at Yunice. “I didn’t know he’d actually kidnap you. If I had known… I never would’ve said it!”
So it was true. Yunice had really been kidnapped.
Owen’s face turned ashen. His eyes reddened, and he looked at Yunice with a pained expression, his voice trembling. “Are you hurt? Did Quinton do anything to you?”
He was frantic, stepping forward as if to pull Yunice out and check her for injuries. But Wyatt deliberately stepped aside, positioning himself just in front of Owen. His mocking gaze made it impossible for anyone to meet his eyes.
Owen swallowed hard, his throat tightening. He did not dare move closer. What troubled him even more was Yunice’s attitude.
Yunice maintained her distance, coldly regarding him. “What’s the point of your fake sympathy now? If it weren’t for Mr. Cooper saving me by chance, by the time you came to look for me, I’d either be dead or mad.”
Her words were like a blade cutting into Owen’s heart. She was blaming him. His eyes reddened further, his chest tightening with guilt. He had dealt with Quinton before and knew the man would never treat Yunice kindly to achieve his goals. Yet, he had allowed her to suffer alone for three days without even bothering to search for her.
Seeing Owen’s agonized expression, Yunice could not help but laugh. “Are you trying to put on an act of guilt? Or do you want me to comfort you, tell you that it’s not your fault?”
Owen froze, his eyes wide, his confusion making him look almost comic. But Yunice remained unmoved. Her expression remained as cold as ice. “Are you angry now? Do you feel hurt because you think I’m trying to read your thoughts?”
Owen gritted his teeth, clearly feeling exactly that. He felt guilty. He was upset for her. Yet, she accused him of merely performing. Did she not have a heart at all?
Yunice sneered, her voice icy. “But haven’t you always done the same to me? When I told you about the suffering I endured in the asylum, you accused me of trying to make everyone feel guilty. When I said I was kidnapped, you accused me of hiding to make everyone anxious…” Her eyes locked onto Owen’s, a malicious smile on her lips. “It turns out that only when the knife is plunged into your heart can you truly feel the pain.”
Owen stumbled backward, his face collapsing in utter defeat. Have I really been treating Yunice like this all along? Could my offhand words truly have hurt her so much? But that was casual wounds. I still care about her.
Yunice seemed to see straight through him. She continued, her voice biting. “You don’t need to feel guilty, though. After all, this isn’t the first time you’ve abandoned me. Remember the gas mask you snatched three years ago! How well is Elsie using it now?”
The sound of Owen’s heart shattering was almost audible in his ears. His face burned with humiliation as he looked first at Wyatt, then at Elsie. It felt like his darkest secrets were being exposed in front of everyone.
He had always considered himself to be fair, giving Yunice enough tolerance and care. Yet, when it came to this, it seemed like anyone could bring it up and pierce him.
Under the collective gaze, Owen felt completely exposed, his guilt and shame overwhelming him. Finally, he steeled himself and said firmly, “Yunny, I’ll make sure to get justice for you regarding your kidnapping!”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode out of the hospital. No one knew what he intended to do, and Yunice could not have cared less. She had no time or energy to worry about people who did not matter.
Elsie stood awkwardly in place. She had planned to chase after Owen, but upon hearing Yunice bring up the past, she knew if she went after him now, Owen would just take out his anger on her. So, she hesitated and stopped.
At that moment, she noticed the figure of a wheelchair turning the corner of the hall, and a thought struck her. “Yunice, Paul is really in a lot of pain. Please, just give the medicine back to me!” Elsie’s voice was filled with emotion, her performance so convincing it almost seemed real.
Since it was a performance, there had to be someone watching. Yunice turned her head and, just as expected, saw the wheelchair stopped at the corner of the hall. Paul was gripping the armrests tightly, his face contorted with righteous indignation.
Elsie continued her act, her voice full of drama. “Yunice, it’s all my fault. I’ll even kneel to you!” She dropped to her knees as though to beg.
Yunice did not stop her, and neither did Wyatt. Only Paul, seething with anger, controlled the wheelchair, wheeling himself forward. “Elsie, don’t kneel to her!” Paul growled, his anger evident.
Elsie quickly straightened up, and the moment she saw Paul, her tears flowed freely, as though a dam had broken. “Paul, I have to kneel, or Yunice won’t give me back the medicine!”
Paul narrowed his eyes. “What medicine?”
Elsie sobbed. “The medicine that can cure your leg pain. I made it myself, but Yunice…”
Listening to Elsie’s accusations and then looking at Wyatt standing in front of Yunice, Paul understood everything. His lips trembled with fury, and he spat out, “Wyatt, you’re truly vicious! You won’t even let Yunice give me the medicine, just so I can suffer more!”
He had assumed that Yunice had taken the medicine from Elsie to please him, only to be threatened by Wyatt in the process.
The Daughter in the Shadows
Paul was filled with righteous indignation. “Yunice, don’t be afraid of him. Come to my side, and I’ll see he dares to lay a finger on you!”
Yunice was speechless. She had always known Paul to be a fool, but she hadn’t realized he could be this naive. No wonder Elsie had him wrapped around her finger. She shot him a cold glance, and for a brief moment, the air grew heavy with awkwardness.
Paul flushed red, his gaze fixed on her. It was only now that he realized it wasn’t Wyatt’s doing. It was simply because Yunice did not want to get involved with him. Seeing the hurt and disappointment on Paul’s face, Yunice found it rather amusing. Had they lived in a past life as goldfish, with memories lasting only seven seconds?
Every time she showed the slightest dissatisfaction, they thought she was being unreasonable and ungrateful. As if they were the ones who were wronged.
Yunice decided to remind him. “Paul, when you deliberately left the cigarette in my room, you must have known what consequences that would bring, right?”
Paul froze. That day, he had acted in a fit of anger, trying to trip Yunice up. If Owen found his cigarette, he would definitely think that Yunice was misbehaving and trying to seduce Paul. That way, Owen would punish her. But after throwing it, he regretted it. He did not even know why he had done it. He was supposed to marry Elsie, so why did his mind keep getting disturbed by Yunice? Like any man, his pride just could not stand Yunice’s elevation of Wyatt.
After nothing had happened, Paul assumed the matter was over. But then Yunice continued, “I’ve already returned that cigarette to Elsie.”
Paul’s face heated up, as though he had been caught in a scandal. He could not bring himself to look at Elsie. Elsie, on the other hand, suddenly seemed to realize something. “So, the cigarette I found in my clothes that day was really left by you!”
Yunice smiled mockingly. Paul was completely confused. What are they talking about? Elsie’s eyes filled with tears; her voice filled with grievance. “Paul, it was her who caused this. She put your cigarette in my clothes, and that’s why Owen scolded…”
After a moment, Paul finally had a moment of clarity. He was shocked as he looked at Yunice, disbelief in his eyes. “So, it was you who set this up, to force Owen to push me into marriage?”
Yungre’s tone was sharp. “You and Elsie are in love, and you’re determined to marry her. How could this be considered forcing a marriage? Have you never actually thought about marrying her!”
Elsie looked anxiously at Paul, who suddenly averted his gaze. “Yunice, stop trying to sow discord!”
Seeing the disdain on Yunice’s face, Paul’s grip on the armrests of the wheelchair tightened to the point of cracking. He had thought that Yunice still cared about him. But to his surprise, she had schemed against him, pushing him toward another woman. Had she really come to despise me so much? His hand slowly relaxed, and with a defeated sigh, he resigned himself to the truth. “Even if you hadn’t pushed me, I would have married Elsie. Did you think I needed you to meddle?”
But he was not willing to let it end there. He turned to defend Elsie. “I won’t hold this against you, but you need to return what you took from Elsie!”
Yunice raised an eyebrow. “What did I take from her?”
Elsie answered, “The medicine I used to treat Paul’s leg injuries.”
Though Elsie was not sure if Yunice had it, she knew Yunice could definitely make it. After all, there were no cameras in this hallway. Who would know if Yunice had been wrongly accused? If she could not hand over the medicine, she would just have to make it again. And once she did, it would be the perfect remedy for Paul’s injury. By then, Paul would only remember that the medicine had been begged for by Elsie, while Yunice would be the one causing him pain.
Paul glared at Yunice, his voice icy, “Give it back to her.” Elsie wouldn’t lie. If she said Yunice took it, then Yunice must have taken it.
Yunice sneered at Elsie. “You’re saying that you made the medicine for leg injuries?”
Elsie nodded. “It’s a family recipe passed down in the Saunders family. It’s not your exclusive property. You’re not the only one allowed to make it.”
The more she tried to emphasize it, the more insecure she seemed. How afraid was Elsie that I could do it better than she could?