“No! Daddy, don’t you want me? I won’t make any noise. I will be quiet. Please Daddy, don’t drive me away.”
Beryl interrupted her father.
Hearing the little girl’s aggrieved voice, I couldn’t help but raise my head and glare at Rufus. “No. Beryl will stay here with you!”
Stumped, Rufus stuttered, “Alright, alright. If you have no problem with it.”
The anger welled up inside of me, and I let out a snort directed at Rufus while clenching my teeth. Just how did this evil man manage to win over the heart of his daughter?
And Beryl… After she lost her memory, she had become extremely attached to Rufus-a man she had never met before! Why?
I couldn’t help but feel envious as I watched Beryl settle in Rufus’ embrace and sweetly call him “Daddy.” Before she lost her memory, Beryl wasn’t quite so dependent and clingy to me.
But look at her now… She followed Rufus everywhere.
I’d like for her to be really attached to me, too.
Now that she lost her memory, I had to endear myself to her.
My envy was eating me alive.
I scratched my hair and felt restless. I even wanted to punch Rufus.
Just then, someone outside reported that Laura had arrived.
I quickly collected myself, straightened up my back in my seat, and forced myself into an Alpha poise and demeanor.
Rufus glanced at me, looking confused as if he thought I had lost my mind.
I raised my chin proudly and looked down at him. “What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a beautiful woman like me before?”
Rufus sneered and turned around with Beryl in his arms, deliberately blocking my daughter with his body and not letting me see her.
Damn it! He was just shamelessly taking advantage of the whole situation!
Crystal’s POV
Laura caught sight of me as soon as she walked in. We exchanged glances for a brief second. And although I was wearing a mask now, she knew it was me.
Rufus asked in surprise, “Mother. What brings you here?”
“I heard that you saved a little girl, so I came to have a look.” Laura had not lost any of her grace. Her tone was calm and deliberate, so that no one could infer real her thoughts and emotions.
As she spoke, she pretended to glance at Beryl and raised her eyebrows. “So… is she the little girl?”
Her voice was quite calm, but I could feel the flutter of excitement in her eyes. She almost had trouble keeping a smile from spreading across her face, and she was definitely ready to reach out and hug Beryl.
“Yes, her name is Beryl.” Rufus held Beryl and didn’t move because the little girl was standing on his lap, with her hands around his neck. Beryl’s chubby cheeks stiffened as she eyed Laura with suspicion.
Laura chuckled and joined Rufus on the couch. She gave Beryl a long, hard stare before declaring, “She seems to be quite terrified of strangers.”
“Yes, she was injured. It’s probably just her stress response.” After saying that, Rufus lifted his chin in my direction and continued, “She is the little girl’s mother, Crystal, the Alpha of the border pack.”
Laura pretended to be unfamiliar with me and just smiled politely. “I remember meeting you briefly when Ethan handed you the appointment letter. I don’t think you were hiding your face behind a mask back then.”
“I was unfortunately disfigured when I fought with the vampires a few years back. Since then, I have been wearing a mask all the time. But it’s not a problem. Just as the king said, appearance doesn’t mean anything, but strength does.” I told Laura the excuse I said to Rufus. I pretended to be sincere, and obviously, Laura and I were a great team.
Laura sighed with a pitiful look and responded, “There is always a silver lining even in one’s darkest days. You were injured, but you survived. And right now, the border pack is flourishing thanks to your leadership. As far as I’m concerned, I believe that it will soon become one of the strongest packs in our country.”
With half a smile, I responded confidently, “Definitely. That has always been my lifelong wish.”
Rufus sat aside and listened to us quietly. He didn’t say a word, but he kept his eyes on me, which made me sweat profusely.
“Rufus, since you have found the girl’s mother, why are you still holding her?” It was then that Laura shifted gears and turned to question Rufus.
Before Rufus could say anything, Beryl spoke first. She held his head and then pressed her cute cheek against his handsome face, looking both funny and lovely. “Beryl won’t leave Daddy.”
Rufus’ handsome face was slightly distorted by Beryl’s squeeze. It was rare to see him so embarrassed, so I couldn’t help giggling. Immediately, Rufus’ icy gaze swept over me, causing me to immediately put on a straight face.
“Beryl’s head was badly injured and it seems she’s lost part of her memory. She mistook me for her father and refused to leave,” Rufus explained in a cold voice. He obviously felt helpless because of Beryl’s behavior. He tried to be calm, but Beryl was just too much for him to handle. Perhaps Beryl was destined from birth to torment Rufus.
Rufus’ comments lit up a spark in Laura’s eyes. “How did that happen?”
Although it was posed as a question, I could tell that Laura was overjoyed.
“Maybe it was because I was the last person she saw before she passed out,” Rufus answered helplessly. He then let out a sigh, still holding Beryl in his arms.
“Okay, I see. Then just leave her here for the time being!”
The light in Laura’s eyes alerted me instantly.
Crystal’s POV
Sure enough, Laura pretended to feel helpless and said, “Beryl doesn’t remember her mother right now, so it’s best to keep her here until she gets better. Otherwise, she will be scared.”
Quickly, I butt in and said, “I’m afraid King Rufus is too busy to take care of my daughter.”
If Beryl did stay here with him, I would be expected to make frequent visits. And knowing how sharp Rufus was, he would soon find out about the truth of our past if I made even the smallest mistake.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I will help take care of her. There haven’t been any children here in a long time. It’s strange, but I somehow feel a connection with this kid. So please just agree to leave her here with me, okay?” Laura looked at Beryl with a gentle smile.
It had been five years and Laura had now finally seen her grandchild in person. Naturally, she was filled with joy and affection.
Ethan’s death had been devastating for Laura. If Beryl could make her feel better, that would make me happy too.
I just hoped that Beryl could warm up to me soon so that I could take her back to the border pack as soon as possible. Otherwise, things might spiral out of my control.
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