Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Watching Oscar’s back as he walked away, Owen’s face twisted through several expressions. In the end, he called Lily.
“Mom, come to the hospital… If you’re not feeling well, get someone to bring you. I don’t care how. I need to see you today.”
Half a month later, the quarantine ward was finally lifted.
Elsie woke up from a deep sleep and realized she wasn’t in the cold laboratory anymore-she was back at the Saunders family estate.
Staring at the familiar ceiling, she suddenly sat up straight, thinking she had to be dreaming.
“Elsie?”
“Elsie!”
Lily and Owen’s voices rang in her ears. Elsie turned toward them in fear, eyes wide.
After a few seconds, she realized she had really escaped that hell. With a loud wail, she threw herself into Owen’s arms. “Owen, I thought I’d never see you again!”
Lily was so startled by the sound of her voice that her face turned pale. “Elsie, your voice…”
Elsie’s voice was hoarse and broken, like an old, decaying bellows-completely devoid of any youthful tone.
Elsie cried out, furious, “They used me for experiments! They cut open my trachea, and that’s why my voice is like this! They’re monsters, Owen, Mom-you have to help me get justice!”
Lily wrapped her in her arms, eyes red with rage. “How could they do this to you? How could they?”
Owen watched the two of them, his expression conflicted. As someone who had also experienced the illness firsthand, he knew that, horrible as Elsie’s situation was, she had actually been lucky.
He gently comforted her, “Elsie, don’t cry. Everyone in our group of patients came out of this with different complications, but we’re the lucky ones. At least we survived, didn’t we?”
There were many others who had it far worse-some would spend the rest of their lives on ventilators.
Both he and Elsie had been among the first wave of infected. Honestly, they owed a lot to Wellinges Pharma.
Hearing his words, Elsie quickly adjusted her tone. Realizing Owen was defending Wyatt, she choked out, “What about Yunice? Did Yunice end up with any complications?”
She and Owen had both been infected-there was no way Yunice had gotten off clean.
She better not be dead. Ideally, she’d be disabled, disfigured, lying in a hospital bed unable to move. Only then would things feel fair!
But Owen smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Yunice was luckier than us. She was the only one in our group who didn’t get infected.”
Elsie froze. Then her eyes filled with a deep resentment and rage. “How is that possible? We all got infected-why didn’t she?!”
Owen had never seen such a twisted, furious expression on Elsie’s face. He hesitated, then said, “She was careful with her protective gear. Maybe she didn’t come into contact with any contaminated sources. Elsie, why are you getting so worked up?”
Rage surged in Elsie’s chest. Her left ear was partially deaf, her voice destroyed, her body covered in surgical scars. She had been ravaged by the disease, left looking like a ghost. Why did Yunice get to walk away untouched?
Why?!
Owen frowned as he watched the contorted look on her face, clearly puzzled.
Elsie was always so kind. She used to care about Yunice more than anyone. Shouldn’t she be happy to hear Yunice was safe?
He reached out and touched her forehead. “Elsie, have you been sick too long? Maybe the stress is getting to you?”
Owen could relate. He’d been irritable too during his recovery.
Feeling his hand on her, Elsie snapped out of it. No-she couldn’t let her hatred for Yunice show. She couldn’t ruin her image.
She still needed Owen on her side.
She swallowed hard, adjusted her emotions, and returned to her usual obedient tone. “Mom, Owen, how did I end up back at the Saunders family estate?”
Owen didn’t know either. Early that morning, Lily had found Elsie’s bedroom door open. When she went in, Elsie was lying in her bed.
Lily had called Owen right away, and he’d arranged for early discharge so he could come home.
Elsie said nervously, “It must’ve been Wyatt. He probably didn’t want anyone to find out what he did to me, so he snuck me back.”
Owen pressed his lips together. “Elsie, don’t say that. Wyatt saved you. Yunice was the one who begged him to help us.”
He sighed. “Yunice might act tough, but deep down, she cares about us. If it weren’t for her, the two of us would be dead.”
Elsie’s eyes turned red. “Owen, how can you defend that devil Wyatt? You’ve been fooled by Yunice. Wyatt used me as a test subject. I was a lab rat to him. The only reason you’re alive is because of me-not Yunice!”
Owen looked at her in shock, clearly disagreeing.
In extreme situations, extreme measures were necessary. Of all people, they should understand that. If they hadn’t taken the risk of experimental treatment, wouldn’t Elsie be dead by now?
Owen simply chalked up Elsie’s reaction to emotional instability. He didn’t take her complaints seriously and said, “Now that you’re home, just focus on recovering. Over time, maybe the complications will heal.”
He stood up as he spoke, telling her to rest.
Lily sat beside Elsie’s bed, her expression full of mixed emotions. The pain in her eyes was real, but all those scars on Elsie’s body made even her own mother feel uncomfortable.
Lily gently suggested, “Don’t overthink things. Just focus on getting better. And maybe… don’t contact Paul for now.”
Men were visual creatures. Even she, as Elsie’s mother, found the wounds unsettling. A man would likely find them even more so.
Elsie didn’t have the energy to leave the house anyway, so she had no choice but to accept it.
Wellinges Pharma had become the center of public scrutiny. It was in financial reports, praised and condemned at the same time, and it was the target of countless online rants.
Releasing an antigen to combat the virus brought both praise and criticism, but their medication was the only viable option, so their stock prices skyrocketed. The company made a fortune.
Yunice had also been released from her glass quarantine room. As soon as the lockdown lifted, the volunteer group chat exploded. Everyone acted like wild cats let out of a cage, full of pent-up energy.
What they really missed, of course, was Yunice’s mansion. They kept begging to see her garden-and if they could get a glimpse of her slim-waisted husband, that would be perfect.
Yunice chewed her breakfast slowly as she glanced at her phone, which wouldn’t stop buzzing.
Wyatt sat across from her, glaring at her phone with clear disapproval.
What was so fascinating on that screen that it made her ignore her food?
Feeling Wyatt’s intense gaze, Yunice looked over and asked, “Are you free today? Some of my friends want to come over. Is that okay?”
“Here?” Wyatt asked, his expression serious.
Yunice nodded and hummed, then took another small bite of her sandwich, chewing calmly.
Wyatt said, “Sure. Let them have fun. If any of your friends like something, they can have it.”
Yunice hesitated. “They also said… they want to meet you…”
Just as she finished her sentence, a housekeeper walked over to say the company had called-something had come up that needed Wyatt’s attention.
Yunice’s face showed a flicker of disappointment. Before Wyatt could say anything, she quickly added, “Go. It’s just them messing around.”
Wyatt looked at her for a moment, then stepped aside to call Jordan.
A few minutes later, he returned. But clearly, the matter at work couldn’t be delayed-he still had to go.