Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Wyatt invited both women to eat the late-night meal together. His phone buzzed several more times during the meal, but he ignored it.
The two bodyguards, now thoroughly disgraced, stood nearby with pale faces and stiff postures, nervously watching Wyatt for any sign of fury. They had failed to stop Yunice from crashing into a tree. This was on them.
Yunice said softly, “It all happened so suddenly! They didn’t have time to react. Please don’t punish them.”
Wyatt didn’t reply-he just helped her to a few dishes in silence. After a few minutes, he got up and made an excuse to step out. The two black-suited bodyguards immediately followed him, their faces drawn like men walking to their executions.
Once they were gone, Yunice slowly put down her fork and glanced at Elianna, who was still eating. Her tone was cool. “Nothing you want to say?”
Elianna looked relaxed, almost smug. “You thought I’d rat you out, huh? Don’t worry-I’m not that stupid.”
“Wyatt trusts you more than anything. Even if I told the truth, one word from you and I’d be the one getting blamed.”
She snorted inwardly. Go on, be smug while you can. Just wait until Nora wakes up. Then you’ll learn what real favoritism looks like.
Yunice studied her for a moment, then looked away. As long as Elianna kept her mouth shut, that was enough.
Just then, Yunice’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and answered, “Victor…”
“You’re at the hospital?”
“Okay. Where are you? I’ll come get you.”
Elianna perked up her ears, listening in.
Yunice stood and said, “If Wyatt comes back, tell him I went to meet a friend.”
Meanwhile, Wyatt stood outside, his expression grim as he questioned the two bodyguards. “What did Yunice do today? What exactly happened?”
In his mind, Yunice was always calm and collected. And the site of the crash had no other vehicles in sight. Why would she crash into a tree on her own?
The guards, stiff with nerves, answered carefully, “Ms. Yunice and Ms. Elianna visited the Saunders family. They stayed for about half an hour. When they came out, she didn’t look well… maybe she was emotionally overwhelmed.”
Wyatt frowned. The Saunders family?
She must’ve been upset about Oscar.
Now that Elsie was gone and her body cremated, the chain of evidence was weak. Without new suspects, Oscar was going to carry this blame to the end.
No wonder Yunice was distressed.
He’d have to cheer her up.
“Victor.”
Yunice found him waiting quietly in the corridor. He still carried that soft, scholarly aura as he smiled lightly. “What happened this time? Why are you at the hospital again?”
Yunice smiled sheepishly. “Just a minor scratch. Victor overreacted-it’s nothing serious.”
Victor’s eyes twinkled with something unreadable. “He’s so concerned, and yet… why couldn’t he come?”
“He had something to deal with.”
Victor smiled faintly and didn’t press. Instead, he looked down and handed her a small box. “No more games… Here, rhino horn. I hope you still need it.”
The moment Yunice saw what was inside, her eyes lit up.
“You actually found it!”
Victor smiled. “It’s rare, yes-but not impossible to get if you’re determined enough.”
Yunice couldn’t help but feel like his words held a deeper meaning.
Victor, still smiling, added, “Go ahead. Use it to save whoever you want.”
Just as she reached out to take it-
A familiar voice called out behind her, light and teasing: “Nuonuo, why didn’t you bring me along to meet your friend?”
Yunice turned around. Wyatt was strolling toward them casually, eyes locked on Victor with a sardonic gleam. He was always like this around Victor-like the moment they locked eyes, he turned hostile.
Yunice quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “Wyatt, Victor’s here because I asked him to bring me something. Don’t always be at odds with him.”
Wyatt’s gaze swept to the wooden box in her hands, then he lifted his own identical box with a raised brow. “He gave you one-but is his better than mine?”
Yunice’s expression was complicated.
Who compares gifts right in front of someone like that?
Before she could speak, Victor stepped into the fray. Still smiling, he said, “Gifts aren’t about value-they’re about whether they reach the heart.”
Wyatt’s lips quirked into a cool smile. “And you’re that sure yours did?”
, One Heart
“Open it and have a look,” Wyatt said, ignoring Victor.
Yanice’s expression shifted slightly. His confidence intrigued her-what had he given her that made him so certain it would win her favor over Victor?
Her hand hovered over Wyatt’s box. A quiet weight settled in her chest.
This was a delicate moment. No matter what Wyatt had brought, she had to be diplomatic. Disappointing either man would cost her.
Victor had clearly gone to great lengths to procure the rhino horn. She couldn’t afford to let his effort feel overlooked.
But Wyatt was making it a direct challenge-he wouldn’t let her brush it off.
So Yanice complied and opened the box.
Victor kept a neutral face, but his eyes flicked toward it. He was curious too, even if he believed nothing Wyatt could offer would beat what he’d brought.
After all, Yunice needed rhino horn most right now.
“Rhino horn?” Yunice’s voice held a flicker of genuine surprise.
Victor’s brow furrowed. His gaze turned slightly strange as he looked down at the box in Wyatt’s hand. Inside was, unmistakably, a rhino horn.
Wyatt looked satisfied. “Happy with it? Didn’t you say just a few days ago that you needed rhino horn to help your friend?”
But the expression on both Yunice and Victor’s faces wasn’t quite what Wyatt had expected.
Sharp as ever, Wyatt immediately sensed something was off. His smile faded slightly. Then, without a word, he lifted the lid of Victor’s box.
Inside was another rhino horn-nearly identical.
His eyes widened for two seconds before his expression cooled, jaw tightening.
Yunice tensed.
Then Wyatt curled his lips. “So you asked Victor for one too. Guess mine was a bit redundant.”
Before Yunice could speak, Victor smoothly cut in. “Don’t sell yourself short, Mr. Wyatt. Since you knew she needed rhino horn, she must’ve told you about it personally. I only got here first.”