Chapter 287 The Eve of the Storm
When they got to the hospital, after checking her out, they found Jenny was totally fine.
The little one woke up, rubbed her eyes, and asked Juniper, "Mom, why are we at the hospital?"
Juniper hugged her tight, her mind racing, and asked, "Do you feel okay?"
Jenny shook her head and sighed. "I'm just a bit sleepy. Mom, did I sleep for a long time?"
Juniper held her small shoulders, noticing how calm Jenny was, with no sign of fear from the kidnapping.
At first, Juniper thought the kid was too scared to react, so she tried to comfort her, "Jenny, with Mom and Dad here, you don't need to be afraid."
"Mom, I'm not scared. Am I sick? Dad, why are you looking at me like that? Do I have a serious illness?" Jenny's eyes widened, and she opened her small mouth in disbelief.
Magnus rubbed her head and said calmly, "You fainted and scared your mom. But now everything's fine."
Seeing that Jenny didn't remember the kidnapping, Juniper decided not to tell her to avoid any trauma.
Back at Christopher's mansion, Jenny watched cartoons as if nothing had happened. Juniper felt a bit relieved to see her so lively, but lingering doubts crept in.
Juniper asked gently, "Jenny, do you really not remember anything?"
Jenny was munching on an apple, looking carefree. "Remember what? Mom, you've been acting weird today. Do you have a fever?"
The little one reached out her hand to touch Juniper's forehead, then pressed her own against it. It wasn't hot.
Magnus came in and pulled Juniper away. "It's fine. Let her play by herself for a while."
Juniper looked at Jenny a few more times, still worried, and reminded, "Jenny, don't run around anymore, okay?"
Jenny nodded vigorously. "OK! Mom, I'll be good! Don't worry!"
Magnus hugged Juniper and took her to the next room.
He pressed Juniper's shoulders, making her sit on the edge of the bed, and looked down at her, saying, "Jenny wasn't scared, but you are still shaken."
How could Juniper not be afraid?
A person was kidnapped right at the entrance of Christopher's Mansion. How could the Shadow Syndicate's power have seeped in so deeply? It was terrifying!
She trembled as she grasped Magnus's wrist, her eyes red with emotion. "Why is the Shadow Syndicate targeting us? Just because they want to get SY?"
Magnus stared at her without speaking for a long time.
He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his embrace, his large hand stroking her back, and said in a deep voice, "They want to take over SY and Windsor Group, becoming the actual controlling force behind these two groups. This way, they can monopolize many resources and the economy. Juniper, I don't want you and Jenny to get involved. I've seen too much of human evil. Sometimes, being locked in an ivory tower is a blessing."
His life had been harsh, drifting since childhood, enduring many hardships with his adoptive father Joseph. These hardships were not just economic and material but also the exclusion and cold stares from others.
When a person was down and out, there were no people offering help, only those who kicked them.
When Joseph worked as a driver for the Beaumont family, he was always humble.
What impressed Magnus most was his seventeen birthday.
Joseph had bought a birthday cake, asking him to wait until he finished work to go home together.
It was a private party.
Alexander was getting all the attention from some big shots in X City, drinking like there was no tomorrow and having a blast.
High-ranking officials often had deep schemes and strong control desires.
When drunk, they inevitably reveal some of their pretentious yet poor tastes.
Back then, Alexander wasn't the governor yet, just in charge of a district.
The group buttered him up, "In the next election, it's definitely gonna be Governor Beaumont. You'll climb the ladder for sure."
Alexander waved it off, pretending to be humble. "The list isn't out yet, Mr. Campbell, you're jumping the gun."
Douglas Campbell poured a glass of wine, leaned in close, and laid it on thick. "Governor Beaumont, don't forget us when you move up."
At the table, the group started egging him on, pulling Alexander to stand in the middle.
"Come on, help Governor Beaumont onto the table!" someone shouted.
"We can't do it alone, we need someone to be a step. You, come here!" The guy pointed at the teenager standing in the corner with a birthday cake, hanging with the waiters.
That was seventeen-year-old Magnus, young but full of pride and arrogance.
He didn't budge, and the guy's voice got louder, "I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?"
Joseph, who was standing by, quickly stepped forward, smiling at the group. "Mr. Campbell, I'm a driver. I'm used to being a step. That's my son, he doesn't get it. He's just a kid, don't hold it against him!"
Saying this, Joseph knelt in front of the table, bending his back low, his face buried, trembling as he knelt on the ground.
With the help of the crowd, Alexander, wearing leather shoes, stepped on Joseph's bent back.
Then, Alexander got on the table, and the banquet hall erupted in cheers, the atmosphere lively.
No one paid attention to the driver Joseph, who was kneeling on the ground as a step.
Joseph's face turned red. He supported himself on the ground, trying to stand up, but because of a lumbar disease, he strained his back, his face contorted in pain.
Alexander's step was heavy.
Magnus strode forward and helped Joseph up. "Dad, are you okay?"
Joseph held his waist, clearly in pain, but forced a difficult and stiff smile, comforting him, "I'm fine. They should be finishing soon. I'll take Mr. Beaumont home, and then we can go home. I'll make you some pasta."
That night, when they got home.
Magnus, still fuming, said to Joseph, "Dad, you should quit. Resign."
Joseph, however, smiled indifferently, saying he was too young and proud, and added, "I'm old. If I quit and look for another job, who would want me? Even if I find one, it won't pay as much as Mr. Beaumont. Magnus, I am destined to be a slave, and I've accepted it. But you're different. You're smart and ambitious. You'll achieve great things, and when you do, I won't have to be a slave anymore. By then, Mr. Beaumont will be the one stepping on me."
He joked, trying to smooth out the wrinkles in Magnus's heart.
But Magnus, after experiencing the world's coldness, hoped that Juniper and Jenny wouldn't have to endure the storms outside, living a peaceful and joyful life.
He stood while Juniper sat.
Magnus's large hand held the back of her head, and Juniper buried her face in his chest, her arms around his waist.
Magnus closed his eyes and, for the last time, urged her, "Juniper, take Jenny to Solara. Once the Shadow Syndicate takes action, they won't stop. I can't guarantee that Jenny won't be kidnapped again."
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