Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
To Owen, Oscar was just nitpicking and deliberately making things hard for Elsie, which only made him more determined to protect her. He took Elsie’s hand and left the Saunders home with her.
Oscar lost all appetite. He got up and went straight to the Saunders Hospital. He had no idea that this visit would shake the entire place. Oscar cornered Owen and Elsie at the hospital and, in front of them both, slammed down a thick stack of documents. His chest heaved with rage. “No wonder this hospital’s been in decline. Owen, this is how you’ve been running it?”
He jabbed a finger at Elsie. “What the hell is she? She never studied a single day of medicine, and you let her treat real patients like test subjects! You two have ruined the hospital’s reputation!”
Owen stared in shock at the clean, clear stack of documents, completely stunned. “Oscar… where did you get these? I already destroyed the originals…”
Owen’s heart skipped a beat. If these records were exposed, both his and Elsie’s careers would be over.
Oscar gave a cold, disappointed nod. “So it’s all true.”
Elsie didn’t dare say a word. She couldn’t imagine who else-besides Yunice-would be targeting her like this. But Yunice was already dead.
Owen had no excuse and no explanation. He stayed silent, convinced Oscar wouldn’t actually do anything to him. They were all part of the Saunders family. If one went down, they all did.
Elsie quickly dropped to her knees. “Oscar, Owen, please don’t fight. It’s all my fault. I’ll take the punishment. I’ll kneel here to make up for what I did!”
Oscar ignored her completely. Holding the stack of files, he said coldly to Owen, “These documents are more than enough proof that you’re unfit to run the hospital. Starting today, you’re stepping down. I’m taking over.”
Owen froze. He looked at Oscar again, this time with suspicion. “So this is what all that drama was for? You come back after ten years, pick a fight right away-and it turns out, you’re just here to steal my position.”
He sneered. “Dad said it himself before he passed. The hospital’s mine. The old house goes to Yunice. And all the family’s liquid assets were given to you-for your research. We all agreed to that. Now you’ve burned through your research funds and want to take my livelihood?”
Oscar’s voice turned cold. “You don’t even have basic medical ethics. You’re not qualified to manage a hospital.”
Their voices escalated, the argument drawing Lily downstairs. She begged them to stop yelling. The hospital was Owen’s responsibility. Oscar had no right to interfere.
Oscar and Owen glared at each other. Neither would back down.
That’s when someone arrived at the door. Oscar calmly gathered the evidence and tucked it away. The visitor had come to deliver a wedding invitation.
Owen stared at the bright red envelope in shock. “Wyatt’s getting married? To who?”
The person replied smoothly, “Of course, to a daughter from a prestigious family.”
When they heard Wyatt was remarrying during Yunice’s mourning period-and had the audacity to send an invitation to the Saunders family-the entire room felt slapped in the face. They threw the man out in fury. The wedding was tomorrow. Tradition said the bride and groom shouldn’t see each other beforehand.
Yunice was to depart from the Crawford family estate, as arranged by Carl. She was spending the night there. Victor, as Carl’s godson, was also present and would assist with the ceremony the next day. Gill, acting as the maid of honor, shared the room with Yunice.
Late that night, Yunice’s phone rang-a video call from Wyatt. The background behind him looked like the inside of a car. He was clearly outside.
Yunice glanced at Gill, who was in the bathroom taking a shower, then turned back to Wyatt. “Still working?”
The groom usually had more to handle before the wedding, but not to the point where Wyatt had to do everything himself. Yunice studied the scenery through the car window behind him. Then she got out of bed, walked to the window, and drew back the curtain. From the third floor, she could clearly see a black Maybach parked under the streetlamp in front of the villa.
“You’re outside the Crawford house?”
Wyatt could see her silhouette in the window. “Just making sure you don’t run off.”
“I’m not going to run. Go home,” she said.
Wyatt didn’t reply. After a few seconds, he hung up. Yunice thought he’d listened and left, so she went back to bed early to rest. The ceremony tomorrow would be long and tiring. She needed the energy.
Drifting off to sleep, she vaguely heard the door creak. Gill must’ve stepped out.
Wyatt was standing beside her bed, watching her with interest. Not a sound. Just there. Like a ghost. It scared the life out of her.
She sat up, looked toward the door, then at the closed window, suspicious. “How did you get in?”
Carl wouldn’t have let him sneak in like this. The only possibility was that he climbed in through the window. But they were on the third floor.
Wyatt didn’t answer. He knelt on one knee, looked up at her, and said with amusement, “You’re actually able to sleep tonight?”
Why not? It was all just for show anyway.
Wyatt locked eyes with her, his voice low. “I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Yunice instinctively looked away. Wyatt scooped her into his arms. He was tall enough to lift her effortlessly, making her feel like she was floating. Dizzy, she shouted, “Put me down!”
Wyatt let go. Yunice yelped and wrapped her arms around his neck in panic.
Clinging to Wyatt, Yunice looked downwards, realizing she was sitting in his arms; her toes were half a meter off the floor. As Yunice lifted her head, she realized Wyatt was looking at her, like a predator eyeing its prey. Beneath his aggressiveness lay a sense of thrill.
In a defensive tone, Yunice asked, “What are you trying to do?”
In a cheerful tone, Wyatt replied, “I remember Mr. Carl kept a few bottles of top-tier red wine for you. Don’t you intend on bringing them out to delight Mr. Carl?”
Yunice frowned, and as she was about to speak, Wyatt pressed his fingertip against her lips, a silent command.
Wyatt continued, “If you were to marry me, he would be delighted.”
Unimpressed, Yunice looked away, but then, as if she had realized something, she came close to his collar. The smell of henbane… vanished. Yunice thought in shock as she looked towards Wyatt and asked, “Have you regulated your body?”
Once the henbane’s venom is removed, the symptoms of nerve paralysis will subside. Wyatt won’t be a cripple anymore. He did climb in through the window, Yunice thought.
Tilting his head, and with his smiling gaze still locked on Yunice, Wyatt said, “Can’t you tell how much the wedding ceremony tomorrow means to me?”
Wyatt did regulate his body; he doesn’t want to be a cripple anymore. Pushing against his chest and trying to get down, Yunice said, “You should get going.”
Wyatt was not satisfied with her response. He cased his arms back, and Yunice was left sitting in his embrace. Footsteps could be heard outside the door. Yunice clenched her fingers in unease. Wyatt felt the subtle movement through his clothes, making him restless.
Seeing that Yunice never once looked at him, Wyatt said, holding his temper, “After marriage, you are to live with me in Pavillion Hall. Don’t make me go and ask Carl for you. I am taking those bottles of red wine for you.”
Upon finishing his words by her ear, Wyatt put her back in her bed as he pulled the blanket over and lay it over her. Just as Wyatt left through the window, Gill pushed the door and entered the room. She noticed that the window was left open as she walked over to close it.
This time, Yunice truly couldn’t fall asleep.
The next day, Silverburgh City was crowded with cars. Certain road sections were even cordoned off; only those with an invitation card could proceed. With the invitation card from the Powell family, Owen barely managed to drive his premium car onto the restricted road.
Taking a short stop at the intersection, Owen realized that the cars passing by his intersection were all premium cars that cost at least 1.1 million dollars. On the other hand, his car only cost him 410000 dollars, putting him in a shabby state.
Premium cars were observed heading in two opposite directions. Owen overheard the personnel on duty nearby talking. “This was the first time Silverburgh City had held so many wedding ceremonies. The Powell and Cooper families were marrying off their sons, while the Kendall and Crawford families were marrying off their daughters. Such a rare sight to see the elite families of Silverburgh City gathering together.”
The Crawford family? Lily and Elsie, sitting in the passenger seat, thought as they showed puzzled looks on their faces. The Crawford family name is not common in Silverburgh. Among the elite families, Carl is the only one who bears the Crawford family name. How come they never knew that Carl was marrying off his daughter?
Lily made a phone call to Freya, the butler of the Crawford family. Freya said, “That’s right. Mr. Crawford is marrying off his honorary daughter today. If Madam Lily is free today, you are welcome to visit Obelisk Hotel with your family members. But of course, if you are not available, Mr. Crawford won’t mind at all.”
Upon hanging up the phone, Lily said in an upset tone, “I can’t believe Carl didn’t mention something important like this to me. Do you guys think he is holding something against me?”
Elsie said, “No such thing. Mr. Carl must have known that we would be going to the Powell mansion today. Maybe he’s just afraid that you’ll get worn out from keeping up with both sides. After all, it is only his honorary daughter’s wedding ceremony. Perhaps Mr. Carl doesn’t consider it important, so he never informs us.”
Lily always wanted Elsie to foster a good relationship with Carl’s honorary daughter. How could she miss out on this opportunity for a secret observation during the wedding?
Elsie had the same idea, as she said, “Owen, let’s not visit the Powell mansion. It’s going to upset us anyway. Why don’t we visit Mr. Carl and get some wedding favors from him?”
Thus, Owen changed course as he headed in the opposite direction from the Powell mansion. The wedding banquet hosted by the Powell family and the Cooper family was in two opposite directions. The two parties were bound to encounter each other after the wedding processions.
Families came into sight. Paul was dressed in a white suit, while Taylor held a bouquet. On the other hand, Wyatt was dressed in a black suit with a subtle design. Yunice was sitting beside him, wearing a bridal veil that barely covered her face.
Paul cast a cold gaze on Yunice. As he saw Yunice in her wedding suit, he… his view of Yunice was blocked. …into a daze. Only until Wyatt leaned his body…
Through the car window, Wyatt said to Paul, in a cheerful tone, “Let’s just leave the bouquet as it is. Neither of us wants to wish each other blessings, after all.”