Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Jordan buckled his seat belt and casually asked, “Wyatt, are you going back to Pavilion Hall?” But mid-sentence, Jordan suddenly realized that Yunice was still in the car, so he quickly changed his words, “Ms. Saunders, where are you going? Shall I drop you off first?”
Yunice clutched her bag and said, “No need. Just drop me off where I can catch a ride.”
Jordan looked at Wyatt again, but Wyatt had his fingers pressed to his lips and was staring out the window. He had no intention of insisting that Yunice go with them, nor did he seem to want to take her back to Pavilion Hall.
Yunice glanced at Wyatt. Pavilion Hall-Wyatt’s private residence. Normally, I would have moved in after the wedding. So it wouldn’t have been a big deal to let me stay there before the wedding. But Wyatt hadn’t given tacit permission. Maybe it meant that he hadn’t accepted me yet and didn’t want me to invade his private space. Or maybe someone already lived there. Either way, I didn’t care. I never had any real expectations of Wyatt.
Jordan started the car. Soon they entered the busy downtown area, and the traffic began to thicken. Out of nowhere, Wyatt spoke. “Pull over.” He made a hand gesture. “Give her a ride.”
Yunice understood immediately; he wanted to send me away. She wasn’t clueless. When she heard that, she immediately said, “No need. I can get a cab myself.” Without hesitation, she opened the door and stepped out. At the same time, there was a click from the other side. The driver’s door opened, and Jordan stepped out. He closed the door, flagged down a cab, tossed a few bills into the front seat, and said to the driver, “I got your license plate. Make sure she gets there safe.” Then he turned to Yunice.
“Where to now, Wyatt?”
“Gardison Residence.”
…Jordan’s eyes flickered, then he quietly turned the car around.
Meanwhile, the taxi still hadn’t moved. The driver reminded her, “Seat belt, miss.” Yunice reached over to fasten her seatbelt and looked up. Wyatt’s car was headed in the opposite direction of Pavilion Hall. The cabbie stepped on the gas. Two cars, two paths, quickly disappearing from each other’s view. Yunice pulled her eyes away and looked out at the bright lights of the city.
The driver asked where she was going. But Yunice had no answer at that moment. In a city full of lights, not a single one was lit for me. I wasn’t even married yet, but I was already living like a hollow shell of a marriage. I had no idea how long it would take to escape this relationship or when I would finally have a life that was truly my own.
“Take me to the Northvale Cemetery,” Yunice said. I had thought before I couldn’t take the ashes to Maplevale Estate, not when that is Margaret’s home. So I bought a plot that night, signed the paperwork, and buried Dad’s ashes the next day.
Meanwhile, the Saunders family was in chaos. Lily stood before Will’s disturbed grave with a priest, her face tense. “Priest, can it still be suppressed?”
The priest stroked his beard calmly. “It’s fine. As long as we have the birth details and a drop of blood from a blood relative, we can suppress him no matter where the ashes are.”
“That’s easy!” Lily brightened and pulled Owen over. “Owen, give him some blood so he can set the formation!”
Owen hadn’t slept all night. His face was pale and drawn. He frowned, and seeing Lily so happy only made him more irritated. He pushed her aside and suddenly grabbed the priest by the collar, lifting him off the ground. “You really believe in ghosts and spirits?”
Lily was stunned. She rushed forward and tried to pull him back. “Owen, let go. Don’t be rude to the priest!”
Owen snapped, “There are no ghosts! He’s just a scam artist trying to take your money. I should have him arrested right now!”
The priest’s face changed. He pushed Owen away and ran, shouting as he fled, “How dare you insult me? Just wait! You’re going to be cursed!”
Son
Lily turned pale at this. She quickly told Elsie to go after the priest. Then she turned back, confused, and asked, “Owen, didn’t you already agree with Mom?”
Before she could finish, Owen interrupted. “Ghosts and spirits are just nonsense! And even if they did exist, Dad was our family. Why would he ever hurt us?”
Seeing Owen’s anger, Lily immediately lost her composure. Her eyes reddened as she softened her tone. “I didn’t think it through. He’s your father after all… Owen, take it as my fault. Don’t be angry with me. I’ll keep my fears to myself from now on, and I won’t cause you any more trouble.”
“That’s not what I meant…” Owen’s heart softened. Lily lowered her head and wiped away her tears.
Owen said hesitantly, “I just think that forcing things doesn’t work. If we treat Yunice better, Dad will be at peace and won’t come looking for us.”
Lily looked hurt. “Haven’t we done enough for her? Elsie still hasn’t found a husband, and Yunice has already found someone to marry. Your father gave all his medical knowledge to Yunice. You and your brother never even got a peek. Your father was clearly biased, but now we’re being blamed for not doing enough for Yunice? Aren’t you and Oscar his children, too? After all, Yunice is still a girl. What use is all that medical knowledge to her? If your father had passed it on to you, would the hospital be struggling like it is now?”
Owen frowned, and his face grew darker. Lily wiped away her tears again. “I’m not afraid of your father coming after me. I’m afraid he’s only protecting Yunice and not you two. Ever since she came back, she’s been on the rise while you’ve been on the decline.”
Owen fell silent again, his expression full of conflict. He looked at Lily several times, wanting to speak but hesitating. Lily sensed something was wrong and looked at him with concern.
Finally, Owen couldn’t keep it in. “Mom, do you hate Yunice? Are you afraid she’ll have a better life than us?”
Lily froze, her hand clutching the handkerchief that hung in the air. She hadn’t expected Owen to ask such a question.
Just as she opened her mouth to answer, Owen cut her off. “Don’t be in such a hurry to deny it. Let me ask you, if Elsie and I were both in danger, who would you save first?”
“I would save both of you. You’re both my children…”
“You can only save one. The other will die.” Owen pushed again.
Lily’s eyes turned red. She said tearfully, “How could you ask a mother such a cruel question? I’d rather die myself than let anything happen to either of you!”
Owen’s voice was hoarse. “So the truth is… you can’t choose.”
Lily was frozen.
“But that day you chose without hesitation to cut off Yunice’s finger to save Elsie.” Owen’s eyebrows knitted together, a deep sadness in his voice. “Mom, you don’t really love Yunice.”
Lily opened her mouth, stunned and hurt, unable to speak.
Owen continued, “You even thought of using this absurd method to cut off Yunice’s happiness by suppressing Dad. After I left Dad’s grave last night, I couldn’t sleep at all. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dad staring at me, as if I’d disappointed him! I believe you see me like that. The way I treat Yunice… isn’t it all because of you? She was going to call the police on you. What was I supposed to do but stop her? And Elsie’s hands, they were carefully raised for surgery. Your hands were already injured and can’t operate anymore. Do you want Elsie to end up like you?”
Owen couldn’t argue with that, but his voice trailed off… “But Yunice’s hands were meant for surgery, too. Dad said she was more talented in medicine than me and Oscar.”
Lily was speechless for a moment. But she quickly came up with another excuse. “I had no choice at the time. But what about you? You drugged your own sister and let her get attacked. Did someone force you to do that too?”
Owen’s pupils constricted, and he went stiff as a stone. The tighter the bond, the deeper the wound when the knife strikes. Lily straightened her back. Her once tearful and pitiful face had now changed to one of righteousness. At that moment, she stood on the moral high ground.
Owen stammered, “I… I did it for her own good…”
Lily replied with gentle understanding, “I understand. We both had good intentions. We just had different ways of protecting her. How could that be wrong? Yunice is young and impulsive. As her family, aren’t we all just trying to set her on the right path?”
Owen lowered his head slowly, confused again. Perhaps I had misunderstood Mom. If she hadn’t acted quickly that day, who knew what Yunice might have done to Elsie? If anything had happened to Elsie, Yunice would have ended up in jail. Owen was sure of that and looked up to apologize to Lily. “Mom, I’m sorry. I wronged you.”
Lily wiped away her tears and smiled with satisfaction. Just then, Owen received a phone call from Elsie. Whatever she said, it obviously shocked him. “What?”
He hung up and didn’t even look at the cemetery. His expression became serious. “Mom, we have to go home.”
At the Saunders residence, Giana had been waiting at the door since early morning. As soon as Owen and Elsie got out of the car, she ran over to report, “Quinton came by with a bunch of presents. He doesn’t look like he’s here to cause trouble.”
Last time, Quinton had kidnapped Yunice, and Owen had beaten him up, only to end up in the police station himself. Afterward, both sides ended the business relationship on bad terms. Now he suddenly shows up with gifts?
Elsie’s eyes lit up with excitement. “He must regret ending our partnership!”
Owen wasn’t so sure. Quinton had no shortage of business associates. Would he really humble himself just for a deal? However, besides that, he had no reason to come.
Owen gave instructions, “Even if he regrets it, we can’t agree so easily. He has to know that the Saunders family has pride.”
Elsie nodded. “Exactly! Just tell him that we’ve already found a new partner. If he wants to work with us again, he’ll have to offer better terms.”
Lily looked at them both, so determined and confident, and nodded in agreement. They entered the house to find Quinton indeed inside, along with a spread of neatly arranged gifts. Exactly ten boxes, no more, no less. All left wide open on the table, as if he was afraid no one would notice how sincere he was.
Elsie’s eyes sparkled. Forget about the other luxury items; just the emerald-green jadeite bracelet and the premium ginseng were enough to win her heart.
Owen’s face turned cold. “Giana, who let a kidnapper into our house? Take his things and show him the door!”
Quinton put his hand on the gift boxes and sneered. “Is that all you have, Mr. Owen?”
Seeing that only confirmed to Owen that Quinton needed something from them. Sure enough, Quinton said casually, “I don’t see Ms. Saunders around.”
Elsie was about to respond, thinking he meant her, but Quinton looked at her and added, “I meant the real Ms. Saunders.”
Elsie’s face flushed with embarrassment, her eyes reddened with sorrow as she looked to Owen for support. Owen immediately stood up for her. “Don’t act like you know our family. She is my biological sister. She is the real Ms. Saunders.”
Quinton scoffed and tugged at his suit. What a waste of time talking to these idiots. “I heard Yunice was getting married. These are my wedding presents for her. Please pass them on.” With that, Quinton got up and turned to leave.
Owen waited a moment, but when he saw that Quinton had no intention of staying, he jumped up. “You came all this way just for that?”