Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Owen had been driving so fast because someone had been ramming into him from behind the entire time. That explained why he hadn’t avoided Yunice. He looked frantically toward Yunice lying motionless in the distance, then back at Elsie, who couldn’t move at all. Whoever was after them had to still be nearby. If he went to save Yunice now, Elsie-left alone-
In that instant, the same choice from three years ago returned like a curse. The freezing rain did nothing to cool the fire tearing through Owen’s chest. He wanted to scream out in frustration. Why did life keep backing me into these heart-wrenching decisions? When he’d abandoned Yunice in the fire three years ago, he’d had nightmares for months-visions of Yunice crying and asking him why he didn’t want her anymore.
All these years, he’d asked himself over and over-did I make the wrong choice that night? But leaving Elsie behind now… that was something he couldn’t accept either. Owen looked at Yunice again. He couldn’t make the same choice twice. This time, he had to save Yunice. He believed Elsie would understand. One time each-it’s fair, isn’t it?
He said in a low voice, “Elsie, give me two minutes. Just two minutes! I’ll check on Yunny and come right back!” But just as he started to close the car door, Elsie’s head suddenly slumped sideways; her arm dropped limply. Owen froze in shock; panic smothered his rationality. He forgot all about Yunice still waiting for him-he climbed back into the car, reached out, and felt for Elsie’s breath.
Nothing. His mind went blank. In an instant, he started the engine and slammed the gas pedal down. Lying in the rain, Yunice watched through the blur as Owen left her-again-driving off with Elsie. Three years ago, it had been fire and suffocating heat. She’d watched Owen choose Elsie. Now, three years later, under freezing rain-it was still Elsie.
Yunice let out a breathless laugh, mocking this cheap excuse for sibling love. She couldn’t even tell whether the water on her face was rain or tears. She turned and pushed herself up, struggling to get off the ground. Jordan was still looking for an opening; gunfire was coming from two directions. They were too exposed.
“Now’s our chance!” Jordan shouted excitedly. The barricade up ahead had a gap-they could make it through! He twisted the wheel, and the car sped past Yunice. Yunice’s eyes followed Wyatt’s car; she didn’t call out or cry for help. She knew they were after Wyatt. They wouldn’t bother with her.
And the Vertex did reach the checkpoint-but the problem came when Wyatt looked back. “Stop the car,” Wyatt barked. Jordan, fully focused on escaping, didn’t hear him at all. By the time he realized something was off, Wyatt had already opened the door and jumped out. “What the-” Jordan was stunned. He’s throwing himself out there like a human target?
Sure enough, Yunice saw it immediately-a red laser dot had landed on Wyatt’s body. A red dot sight-only useful at close range. That meant in addition to a long-range sniper, there was a second shooter nearby.
Yunice threw herself over Wyatt the moment danger struck. A gunshot rang out, the red laser beam brushing past them by inches! The sniper in the distance had used an optical scope. There wasn’t even a laser warning. Behind a white curtain, a man locked his sights on Wyatt and muttered coldly, “Say goodbye to this world.”
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a girl’s face suddenly filled the scope. The man was taken aback. Yunice stood beside Wyatt, eyes burning as she tried to find the source of the shot through the heavy rain. She didn’t know which direction the bullet would come from, or that she had already stepped into the enemy’s line of fire.
Bang! Another bullet sliced through the downpour, trailing compressed air in its wake! Both Yunice and Wyatt instinctively shoved each other backward. After a moment of terror, they realized neither of them had been hit. At the same time, the red laser dot vanished.
The Bluetooth earpiece on the ground buzzed violently. Inside, Jensen’s furious voice shouted, “Kingsley! You shot one of ours!” High above, behind the curtain, the man watched as the opposing sniper across the street collapsed. Only then did he re-aim his smoking barrel toward the road. His finger didn’t touch the trigger. He only watched through the scope, observing the scene below.
Jordan drove back and pulled the car in front of Wyatt and Yunice. The two of them leaned on each other as they climbed inside. Once he saw Wyatt’s car leave safely, the man behind the curtain finally lowered his gun. Kingsley Weston slung his McMillan sniper rifle over his shoulder, stepped on a cigarette butt, and walked out. Outside, a car screeched to a halt in front of him.
“Kingsley, how’d you miss?”
Kingsley thought of Yunice barging into his scope. He said flatly, “If my little student gets hurt, who’s gonna bring me cigarettes?”
With that, Kingsley fell silent, his face darkening.
In Wyatt’s car, Yunice was covered in scrapes. Her dress was stained with red and pink patches. Wyatt didn’t dare touch her. Now that the danger had passed, his anger kicked in. “I told you to wait on Riverston Street!”
Jordan tried to ease the tension. “Wyatt, Ms. Saunders was just worried about you…”
Wyatt snapped, “She caused more trouble!”
Jordan chuckled. “Ms. Saunders, Wyatt’s only angry because he cares. He sent you to Riverston Street because he didn’t want you dragged into this.”
Wyatt grabbed whatever was within reach and chucked it at Jordan-a clear warning to shut up. But then there was a dull thud. Yunice collapsed onto the seat. She had passed out. Jordan rushed her to the hospital at top speed. But because of the chaos on Rainier Arc Street, multiple traffic accidents had jammed the hospital full. When Jordan asked, there was only one room left.
“Move! Out of the way!” Owen burst in, cradling Elsie in his arms. He headed straight for the room. “My sister’s unconscious! Help her first!”
Suddenly, a black cane swung in front of him. Owen froze. He looked up to see Wyatt’s cold, sharp eyes. He hesitated for a second, then said, “Mr. Cooper, ladies first. You don’t look that badly hurt. Please let my sister have this one.”
Wyatt stared at him with zero emotion, then stepped aside. Only then did Owen see the bed behind him. Yunice lay there, pale as paper. Even though she was covered with a blanket, the bloody hem of her dress hinted how bad her injuries really were. Owen couldn’t bring himself to argue for the room anymore.
Medical staff arrived and pushed Yunice inside, with Wyatt close behind. Owen looked down at Elsie in his arms, then chased after them. “Mr. Cooper, Elsie is Yunice’s sister. Can’t you let them share the room? If Yunice were awake, she’d agree!”
Wyatt said, “Get lost.”
Jordan shoved Owen and Elsie out together. Owen’s face turned dark. He glanced back at Yunice’s hospital room one last time. Realizing he truly couldn’t get in, he finally gave up and went to wait in the ER line.
Yunice was lucky. She only had a mild concussion and multiple soft tissue injuries. After her wounds were treated, she was wheeled into a regular room to rest. Wyatt wanted to go with her, but Jordan stopped him. “Wyatt, your injury is worse.”
A jagged wound marked Wyatt’s shoulder. His black shirt had hidden the blood, but not the pain. Annoyed, Wyatt grabbed a gauze soaked in disinfectant and pressed it to the wound. “Go guard Yunice’s room.”
Jordan winced just looking at it. “Gordon’s already there. Joe’s on his way too.” Only then did Wyatt let the doctors stitch him up.
Jordan added from the side, “Wyatt, Ms. Saunders wasn’t a burden. Really.”
Wyatt looked at him coldly.
Jordan said, “We only got through because Ms. Saunders crashed through the gate.”
If Yunice hadn’t rammed through the gate, they wouldn’t have been stuck in Owen’s path or gotten hit. Even though Yunice had been down on her luck, the fact that all three of them made it out safely this time was really thanks to her.
Wyatt stayed silent for a long time before finally saying a word, “Reckless.”
Jordan said, “You see true feelings in tough times. Sure, she was reckless, but not everyone has the guts to throw themselves in like that.”
Wyatt fell silent again. After a moment, no one knew what he was imagining, but he let out a low chuckle. By the time Jordan heard the laugh, Wyatt had already lowered his head and hidden his emotions.
Once Wyatt finished treating his wound and went to Yunice’s hospital room, Joe was already there. Joe let out a surprised, “Whoa!” and strode over. “Mr. Cooper, you really are tough as nails. Even two snipers couldn’t take you out!”
Jordan added dryly, “Good thing the car’s bulletproof system held up, but we’ll need a new ride.” Wyatt shot him a glare, but Joe still said loudly, “It’s fine, she’s sleeping like a log. Nothing wakes her.”
Seeing Wyatt sit down at Yunice’s bedside, Jordan and Gordon quietly stepped out of the room on their own. Joe was just about to leave too, when Wyatt stopped him. “I’ve got something for you to do.”
Lily was the first to wake up. When she opened her eyes, the room was empty. Carl and Freya were talking in the hallway.
Freya frowned. “Yunice and Wyatt both came to the hospital. Yunice still hasn’t woken up.” She couldn’t understand why Carl had left Yunice alone in such a dangerous situation.
Money and power could cloud a person’s judgment, making them overlook the risks behind it all. The bigger Wyatt’s business got, the more enemies he would attract. And in times like that, his family would be the ones most at risk. If Yunice wanted to marry Wyatt, she had to be strong enough to handle that danger. That was why Carl hadn’t stopped her.
Freya said again, “By the way, there’s Elsie too. I heard she was brought to the hospital…”
“What happened to Elsie?” Lily yanked open the door, looking at them with a worried face.
Freya frowned. Is this woman eavesdropping? Then something clicked, and she said deliberately, “We were just talking about Yunice getting into a car accident. She’s at this hospital too. Madam Lily, would you like to go check on her?”
Lily froze for a second, then replied with something completely off-topic. “Where’s Owen? I want to see Owen…”
Freya rolled her eyes, while Lily drifted back into the room, distracted, grabbing her phone to call Owen.
Owen arrived quickly. He greeted Carl first before hurrying to comfort Lily. “Mom, Elsie just had some tests done. The doctor said she was just badly shaken. She’ll be fine after some sleep.”
Lily finally relaxed, then turned and noticed Carl was frowning in their direction. She quickly pretended to be concerned. “What about Yunny? Mr. Carl said Yunice came to the hospital too?”
Owen froze. A flash of memory struck him: Yunice flying through the air after being hit, lying in the rain. His expression tensed, and he said reflexively, “Yunny? I didn’t see her. Wasn’t she with Wyatt? Why would she be at the hospital?” He glanced nervously at Carl.
The accident on Rainier Arc Street had been a mess. No one should’ve seen that he was the one who hit Yunice. As long as he didn’t say anything, no one would ever know. Owen knew it was wrong, but admitting it wouldn’t change anything. It would only damage Carl’s impression of him. Wyatt was capable. He’d take care of Yunice.
Putting aside Carl’s dislike for Elsie, Owen asked, “Mr. Carl, we don’t know who Elsie crossed, but someone tried to have her killed! You’ve got connections. Can you help me look into it?”
Lily looked like she was baring her soul. “Elsie may not have come from a good background, but I watched her grow up. If something terrible happens to her, the whole Saunders family will be heartbroken.”
Tears rolled down Lily’s face, falling to the ground like heavy drops. She looked like she might drop to her knees at any second.
Freya watched Owen and Lily coldly, feeling indignant for Yunice. She had just said Yunice was hospitalized, but neither of them-her brother or her mother-had shown the slightest concern. Yet they were falling over themselves to worry about a child born out of wedlock. No wonder Yunice had been so easily tricked by a man-she came from a family starved of love.
Carl actually agreed to Owen’s request against all odds. “Just wait for news,” he said. Owen and Lily both let out a relieved breath, their faces full of surprise and joy.
As soon as Carl and Freya left, Lily couldn’t wait another second. She got out of bed and rushed with Owen to see Elsie. Little did they know, Carl hadn’t left at all. He was standing just around the corner, watching everything unfold from the hallway. His face darkened. After a long silence, he said coldly, “So this is how they treat the person Will cared about the most.” Freya looked at him and finally let out a breath of relief. Thank goodness her boss was smart enough not to be fooled by Lily and Elsie.
Carl stubbed out his cigarette on the smooth stones inside the trash can and said in a low voice, “Go look into what happened on Rainier Arc Street.”
“Not even one of them died?” Jackson had just finished his birthday banquet, still wearing his formal clothes, when he got the bad news. “They couldn’t even kill one woman? Useless! All of you are useless!” Jackson grabbed whatever he could and threw it at Jensen.
Jensen ended up with lumps all over his head, but he could only kneel and explain, “Everything was going according to plan, but our signal got jammed. The blockade team received the wrong orders, which opened a gap and let them escape…”