Chapter 898
He raised his hand and gently stroked Jennifer’s head, his face softening with a gentle smile. “I would never cut off his hand. I am not a bad person. I just want you to understand that even if both of you are handcuffed together, it’s actually quite simple to separate you if needed.”
“Daddy, are you really not going to cut Felix’s hand?” Jennifer blinked her eyes.
“No,” Jonathan replied with a fatherly warmth, gazing affectionately at his daughter. It seemed that having a daughter who resembled Rosalie was helping him heal the regrets of not knowing Rosalie when she was younger. “Jen, just know that if you truly like Felix, you can tell me. You don’t need to resort to such methods.” “If I tell you, can you make sure Felix doesn’t leave?”
“As long as it’s a reasonable request, I’ll agree,” Jonathan responded in a gentle tone. His smile softened. “You’re my daughter, and I want the best for you. As for Felix, if you truly like him, he can stay.”
Jonathan stated nonchalantly, and Jennifer’s face lit up with a smile. She leaned in and affectionately kissed her father’s cheek. “Daddy, you’re really kind.”
“I hope to make your wishes come true,” Jonathan said tenderly as he caressed his daughter’s little head. Then, he added, “It’s getting late. You should go to sleep. I’ll stay with you and tell you a bedtime story.” “Okay,” Jennifer answered.
Jonathan picked up the fairy tale book Jennifer had been reading earlier and began to tell a story. Before long, Jennifer had drifted off to sleep.
Jonathan watched his daughter sleep, his face filled with tenderness. However, as his gaze shifted to the slumbering figure of Felix beside her, his eyes turned icy, devoid of any tenderness.
Jonathan stood up, turned off the light, and left the room.
Inside the bedroom, darkness shrouded everything, and only a slender sliver of moonlight filtered through the window, casting a faint glow.
Felix, who had initially closed his eyes, now had them open. His little face was pallid, and his body tense. He hadn’t really been asleep; he had been awake the whole time. He had a nagging feeling that Jonathan’s words weren’t meant for Jennifer. They were meant for him.
He recalled seeing Jonathan on TV before. Yvette had once pointed at Jonathan and said, “Felix, do you know who he is? His name is Jonathan Youngblood, and he’s the most formidable man in Strico, the most merciless executioner. If he decides to target someone, he never shows mercy, like a demon…”
Yvette had spoken those words with a face contorted by fear and dread, emotions he could understand.
Felix had only seen demons in TV shows and movies, terrifying creatures that tore people apart, their mouths dripping with blood.
“Is Jen’s dad… Is Jonathan a demon? If Jen hadn’t confessed that she likes me, would he have really cut off my hand?” Felix pondered.
Although Felix had always been a composed child, he was only 5 years old and couldn’t help but feel fear. His body trembled uncontrollably.
Yet, when he gazed down at his own hand, a thought crossed his mind. “If I lost this hand, would I be unable to play the piano in the future?” he thought.
Playing the piano wasn’t something he particularly loved; he had simply picked it up naturally. His teacher had identified him as a piano prodigy but pointed out his lack of emotional expression, playing more like a machine.
He had never considered what it would be like if he couldn’t play the piano in the future. However, now he was starting to feel a reluctance.
“IfI couldn’t play the piano, would Jen… stop liking me?” he wondered.
He still wanted to play the piano for her.
172
0917
Meanwhile, the Youngblood family had kept the news blocked, and Lillian remained unaware that Rosalie had found the child, let alone that the child had been kidnapped, and Rosalie had almost lost her life.
Lillian tried to call Rosalie, but couldn’t get through. In her desperation, she dialed Jonathan’s number, and that’s when she learned about everything.
Consequently, Lillian hastily took a leave from work and rushed to the hospital where Rosalie was staying. “Rosalie, your hand…” As soon as she saw Rosalie’s bandaged hand, Lillian’s breath immediately hitched.
And when she discovered that Rosalie’s hand would require surgery in a few days, with a low chance of success, Lillian sharply inhaled in shock.
“What if… the surgery fails…”
“It would mean I won’t be able to use these hands for anything anymore. However, even if my hands are no longer functional, I still have my mouth and feet, and there are plenty of voice-controlled functions available nowadays. Even without hands, I can still do many things,” Rosalie replied with a casual smile. “Don’t worry so much. It’s not as bad as you think.”
“Not… as bad?” Lillian murmured quietly.
Yet, Lillian realized that Rosalie needed reassurance more than excessive worrying at this moment. So she smiled and said, “The surgery will definitely succeed! I believe that once the surgery is successful, we’ll drink, play games, sing karaoke, and have a great time!”
“Okay!” Rosalie responded with a smile.
“Wait… Let’s skip the drinking.” Lillian suddenly remembered the incident where she had drunk and ended up in bed with Callum. She quickly changed her statement. “Let’s just play games and sing karaoke. Alcohol isn’t a good idea. We should drink less.”
Rosalie chuckled. “What, are you afraid of getting drunk?”
Lillian gave a dry laugh and swiftly changed the subject. “By the way, when I called Jonathan earlier, he mentioned that the child named Zeki is the one you lost. I-It’s quite a coincidence!”
“Yes, it’s quite a coincidence.” Rosalie marveled at the mysterious workings of fate. She hadn’t expected that the child she had helped in the past would turn out to be her own son.
“But is the child open to bonding with you and Jonathan now? He doesn’t seem very people-friendly,” Lillian asked.
Rosalie shook her head. “Not yet, but I believe that one day, he’ll come around.”
Lillian was about to respond when a sudden wave of nausea washed over her. She hurriedly got up, dashed to the bathroom in the ward, and began retching over the sink.
Rosalie, lying in her hospital bed, could only hear the sounds of vomiting from the bathroom.
After a while, Lillian emerged from the bathroom, looking somewhat pale and sounding tired. “I’m sorry, I’ve
been feeling unwell these past few days. I can’t eat much, and I keep throwing up. I’ll get some gastric medicine later.”
