Chapter 877
"Someone fell!"
A shout echoed through the first floor of the mall.
Star hit the ground hard, her shopping bags scattering across the escalator and the floor.
She lay there, disheveled and in pain, unable to open her eyes. She could feel a crowd gathering around her, gasping and pointing.
Star's whole body ached. She struggled to prop herself up and saw two shopping bags in front of her, their contents spilled out. They were the last items she had bought: a few pieces of lingerie and some skimpy thong stockings.
The stares from the crowd were varied, but even without looking up, Star could feel the judgmental, mocking, and lewd gazes.
Ignoring her pain, Star hurriedly reached out to gather the scattered fabric and hide it under herself. Her face burned with shame and anger as she shouted.
"Get lost, all of you! What are you looking at? There's nothing to see here, get out!"
The crowd had been quietly watching, with a couple of girls about to step forward to help.
But at Star's outburst, the crowd quickly backed away, and a few people started muttering.
"What kind of manners are those, yelling in public like that? Does she think everyone owes her something?"
"Judging by what she bought, she doesn't seem like a decent woman."
"Let's go, she's ruining my shopping mood."
The crowd dispersed, leaving Star on the ground, feeling even more pain.
At the hospital.
Lyra had heard about the scene Star had caused.
Worried that Lillian and Jackson might be upset by it, she gave them some time to sort things out and sent Peggy to eavesdrop near Lillian's room.
Peggy returned shortly, looking hesitant.
Lyra immediately grew anxious and slapped her thigh.
"I knew Star would cause trouble. She was such a good kid when she was young. How did she turn out like this? Jackson went through so much to find her, and instead of being grateful, she can't stand to see Jackson and Lillian have a peaceful day! And Jackson, knowing Lillian doesn't like her, why did he let her come?"
Lyra jumped off the bed, hurriedly putting on her slippers.
Peggy rushed over to help her. "Mrs. Lyra Frane, Mr. Frane, and Mrs. Lillian Frane are fine; they didn't argue. It's my fault, I was just trying to joke with you, but I took it too far."
Peggy spoke anxiously and apologetically. Lyra slowed down at her words.
"Really, no argument? They're fine?"
"They're fine, really. If you don't believe me, you can see for yourself."
Peggy helped Lyra put on her slippers, and Lyra nodded.
"I need to see for myself."
Peggy smiled. "I knew you wouldn't be at ease until you saw it with your own eyes."
Peggy supported Lyra to Lillian's room. Before they even knocked, they heard laughter from inside.
It was Lillian's laughter, mixed with the innocent giggles of a child.
Lyra looked at Peggy in surprise, and Peggy explained.
"It's Logan from the Price family. Mrs. Frane seems to get along well with him, so he stayed."
Lyra's expression shifted, a mix of pain and tenderness flickering in her eyes.
Lyra hadn't known about Logan before.
Seeing Lillian treat Logan so warmly, Lyra felt a complex mix of emotions.
Peggy smiled. "Of course, a child raised around me can't go wrong."
Lyra glanced at her. "You're just flattering me. Lillian has always been good-natured, in every way!"
"Yes, yes," Peggy responded, then opened the door to the room.
Lyra immediately saw Lillian and the baby lying on the bed, head to head.
Lillian was teaching little Logan to crawl. Logan, with his short legs, moved his limbs like a little turtle, his face turning red with effort, looking adorably silly.
Lillian mimicked Logan, kicking her legs and touching her forehead to his.
Logan seemed to think Lillian was playing a game with him. He laughed, flailing his arms and legs, waiting for Lillian to touch foreheads again.
Hearing the door open, Lillian turned and saw Lyra. She quickly tried to sit up.
Lyra smiled. "It's okay, keep playing. It's quite entertaining to watch."
Lillian sat up, smiling. "Grandma, come sit. This is Logan. Logan, say hi to your great-grandma."
She picked up Logan, holding his chubby hand to wave at Lyra.
Jackson was sitting on the couch, his eyes fixed on the pair on the bed, filled with a gentle, focused light.
Seeing Lyra, Jackson stood up to help her.
Lyra didn't even glance at him, her eyes fixed on Logan. She pushed Jackson aside.
"Move, I want to see Logan."
Jackson stepped aside, and Lyra walked to the bed, bending slightly to greet Logan.
"Is your name Logan? Good boy. Lillian, look, Logan is greeting me, he's not shy at all."
Lyra extended her hand, and Logan's chubby little hand grabbed her with a soft touch.
Lyra immediately took a liking to Logan.
She could understand why Lillian liked him so much.
"Isn't he smart? Our Logan is very clever."
Lillian beamed as if her child had been praised, shaking Logan gently. Logan, as if understanding, shyly turned his face into Lillian's shoulder, wiggling his little butt.
"He's really a smart kid. Let me hold him."
Lyra, even more fond of Logan, sat on the bed and reached out, clapping her hands.
The sound caught Logan's attention. He looked at Lyra, then back at Lillian.
Lillian encouraged him. "It's great-grandma. She likes Logan very much."
Logan blinked his big eyes, looking at Lyra. Lyra smiled warmly, and Logan seemed to sense her kindness, tentatively reaching out to her.
Lyra took Logan, playing with him until he giggled.
After a while, Logan yawned and reached for Lillian.
Lillian took him, and Logan rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes and falling asleep instantly.
Lillian patted Logan's back, smiling.
"How did he fall asleep laughing?"
Lyra chuckled too, lowering her voice. "Babies are like that. This little kid really depends on you."
Watching Lillian with Logan nestled peacefully in her arms, Lyra's eyes showed a mix of pain and nostalgia.
She stood up and whispered to Jackson, "Take Logan and hold him. Lillian must be tired from holding him all the time."
Jackson was used to his grandmother's orders and had long accepted his place in the family hierarchy.
First came Lillian, then he, and now even little Logan was ahead of him.
But Jackson was genuinely concerned about Lillian getting tired, so he stepped forward and bent down to take Logan.
Lillian softly said, "It's okay."
"Let him hold the baby. It's good practice for him. He'll need it in the future," Lyra added.
Lillian felt like Lyra's words were hinting at something, and when she looked up, she met Jackson's gaze.
There was a smile and warmth in Jackson's eyes.
Lillian rolled her eyes at him but didn't stop him from taking the baby.
Jackson took Logan, and Lillian advised, "Hold him and gently pat his back. Once he's deeply asleep, you can put him down."
Jackson nodded. "Got it."
Lyra watched the two of them, feeling a mix of bitterness and relief. She nodded and said to Lillian, "Let the baby sleep quietly. I'll head back now."
Lillian got off the bed and escorted Lyra to the door.
Back in her room, Lyra sat on her bed for a long time before sighing to Peggy.
"If only this child were Taylor. Looking at him, I feel like I'm seeing Jackson as a child again."
Peggy, who had been with the Frane family for a long time and had helped raise Jackson, agreed.
"His features do resemble Mr. Frane's a bit, but he's much more cheerful."
When Jackson was a child, his mother, Daisy, had postpartum depression and nearly smothered him. She didn't show him much affection, so Jackson rarely smiled.
"Yes, Logan is more endearing than Jackson was. But unfortunately..."
Peggy understood Lyra's thoughts and comforted her.
"Mr. Frane and Mrs. Lillian Frane are still young. Seeing how they are now, you don't need to worry about not having great-grandchildren in the future. You'll probably have more than you can handle."
Lyra smiled, the gloom in her heart lifting a bit. She nodded.
"You're right. But seeing Logan today made me nostalgic for Jackson's childhood. When we get back, find all the old photos and videos of Jackson for me. I want to watch them with Lillian."
Peggy readily agreed.
In the emergency room.
Star had fallen down the stairs and couldn't get up. It was the mall staff who helped her into the ambulance.
The doctor treated her wounds and ran some tests. Fortunately, she only had some superficial injuries, no fractures or internal injuries.
Star reported the incident to the police, and the mall cooperated by providing surveillance footage.
The footage showed someone rushing from behind, bumping into Star and causing her to fall down the escalator.
However, the person was looking at their phone and walking quickly.
It seemed like an accidental collision. More importantly, the man wore a hoodie and large headphones, keeping his head down the entire time.
The cameras didn't capture his full face, and after the incident, he seemed panicked and fled down another escalator.
In the end, the police could only classify it as an accident and promised to continue looking for the person.
The mall agreed to cover Star's medical expenses, but she didn't care about the money.
After the police and mall staff left, Star sat in her wheelchair, screaming in anger and throwing things in a fit of rage.
The servant pushing her didn't dare make a sound. Dominic arrived, his face stern.
"Enough! I sent you to visit the patient, and you went shopping instead! You can't do anything right!"
Star, pale-faced, stopped her tantrum and explained.
"Dad, I confirmed it. Lillian really won't wake up. Even the nurses said so."
After leaving the room, she had overheard two nurses talking.
"She's so young and beautiful, and she has a man who loves her. It's such a pity she won't wake up from her brain injury."
"She was underwater for too long. It's a miracle she was even saved. The chances of her waking up are slim."
Star had been nervous, feeling something was off when she pinched Lillian. But hearing this, she felt completely reassured.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, Dad. Lillian has a deathly aura about her. Besides, if she were faking it, Jackson wouldn't leave Logan at the hospital. This way, I can visit the hospital every day to see the baby. He wouldn't risk being exposed."
Dominic thought she made sense and, seeing her confident expression, nodded.
"If she's not waking up, then focus on recovering. Don't rush back to the hospital."
Star wanted to visit the hospital every day to stay in Jackson's sight.
But she had fallen down the escalator, her face bruised and swollen, looking terrible.
She nodded. "Okay, I'll listen to you, Dad."
Dominic nodded. By then, the servant had wheeled Star outside the emergency building.
Two cars pulled up, and Dominic said to Star, "I have things to do. You go home first."
He got into the front car, which drove off.
An hour later, Dominic's car arrived at a secluded hillside.
He got out and entered a dense forest. Deep inside, a slender figure had been waiting.
Hearing footsteps crunching on leaves, the figure turned, revealing a pale, sickly face.
It was Ruby.
She looked at Dominic and got straight to the point.
"Did you see her?"
"Yes."
Ruby had been unable to see Lillian, feeling uneasy.
Hearing that Star had seen her, Ruby immediately perked up.
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