Chapter 910
Oberon handed Jackson a file folder. Jackson took it without a word, not even glancing at it, and then led Lillian out of the study.
They got into the car, and it wasn't until they were on the road that Jackson finally opened the folder.
Seeing the contents, Jackson let out a sarcastic laugh.
Lillian, who had been resting her head on his shoulder, lifted her head slightly to look at him.
"What did Grandpa give you?"
Jackson handed the folder to Lillian. She flipped through a couple of pages, and a hint of derision flashed in her eyes as well.
"Do you think she'll regret it even a little when she sees this?" Lillian asked, looking up at Jackson.
Jackson looked back at her, his lips curling into a sneer.
"Any regret she feels won't be enough to make her regret and give Taylor back to us unconditionally."
Lillian pressed her lips together. "Yeah, you're right. We shouldn't expect anything from someone without a conscience."
But thinking of Taylor, her eyes grew moist.
"Jackson, do you think we'll really be able to find Taylor safely this time?"
Sensing her anxiety, Jackson reached out and held her small, cold hands, which felt like ice.
"Of course we will! Trust me."
Jackson wrapped her hands in his, gently rubbing them to warm her up. He leaned his forehead against hers, a confident smile spreading across his lips.
Lillian, influenced by his confidence, fluttered her eyelashes and felt a bit more hopeful about finding Taylor.
In a thick, nasal voice, she said, "Do you think Taylor will be mad at us? We could have brought him with us to Miracalia. He was already upset when we left."
Although they hadn't done a DNA test yet, all the clues pointed to Logan being Taylor.
Lillian had already started thinking of Logan as Taylor, even referring to him by that name now.
Jackson kissed her forehead. "Yeah, Taylor will probably be mad. When we find him, I'll be with you, and we'll apologize together and make it up to him, okay?"
Lillian nodded, resting her face against Jackson's chest.
"Okay, Taylor loves being with me. He won't stay mad at me for long."
Jackson ran his large hand through her hair, gently massaging her scalp.
He knew she had been through a lot in the past day and night and probably hadn't rested well.
His gentle touch helped soothe her tense nerves.
Jackson's voice was soft as he tried to distract her from her worries. "Should we start redecorating Taylor's room at the Peace Mansion? Do you have any ideas?"
Lillian was genuinely interested in this topic.
She immediately thought of the room Jackson had prepared for Taylor at the Peace Mansion.
It was right across from their master bedroom, and Jackson had decorated it himself.
They had even locked Star in there for a night, scaring him half to death.
Thinking of Star being in that room made Lillian uncomfortable.
She frowned slightly, and Jackson, sensing her thoughts, said gently, "How about we turn the room next to the master bedroom into Taylor's room? We can knock down the wall to make it easier to check on him. This time, you can design the room yourself. How does that sound?"
Jackson wanted to give Lillian something to focus on.
Lillian's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea. Let's knock down the wall. I noticed that Taylor actually likes pink. He doesn't like blue at all. The blue room you decorated before was too cold. I want to design a pink room for Taylor with lots of plush toys."
Jackson smiled. "Are you sure he likes pink?"
He wasn't convinced. Taylor couldn't express his preferences yet. When he grew up, he might not appreciate having a pink room and wearing pink clothes.
But Lillian was adamant.
"Of course! He loves pink! Once, I wore a pink fuzzy pajama set, and he was so happy, tugging at the pom-poms on my pajamas. He almost rolled around on me."
Jackson didn't argue. He wanted to ask if Taylor liked the pom-poms rather than the color. If the pom-poms were blue or white, he might have had the same reaction. But seeing Lillian so excited, he decided to sacrifice Taylor's preferences and potential childhood embarrassment for her happiness.
He nodded. "You have a keen eye. I'm sure Taylor will love the room you design. I'll have the staff measure the room dimensions so you can get started."
Lillian nodded, her mind already buzzing with ideas. She was about to share them with Jackson when she noticed his smug, amused expression and glared at him.
"Wait a minute, are you trying to trick me again? When did I say I would move back to the Peace Mansion with Logan?"
Jackson was cunning. She hadn't agreed to move in with him after finding Taylor. He had taken the opportunity to suggest decorating the Peace Mansion, implying that she would live there with Taylor.
"If you don't like the Peace Mansion, I'll have Terry go through my properties and send you the list. You can choose one you like."
Jackson wasn't fazed by her realization. He smiled indulgently.
Lillian huffed. "I never agreed to that. Once we find Taylor, why can't I stay with him at the Kelly Manor?"
She hadn't forgotten about the troublesome Price family in Miracalia. And Taylor had been living at the Price Mansion for so long. Even if they found him, the Price family would likely cause trouble. She thought living in Seaspring Valley City with Taylor would be nice.
Jackson didn't argue. He just looked at her with a hurt expression. "Lillian, we're finally going to be a family again. I don't want to waste a single day without you and our child. Don't you feel the same?"
His voice was filled with deep affection, and Lillian couldn't help but feel her heart soften. Her nose tingled, and she felt a bittersweet ache in her heart.
Yes, their family of three was finally going to be reunited.
Lillian's resolve wavered, but thinking about the trouble with the Price family, she still huffed.
"We'll talk about it when Taylor is back."
Jackson kissed her slightly reddened nose and murmured, "Soon."
At that moment, the car pulled into the police station.
In the same visitation room as before, Ruby was brought in by two officers. She looked even more haggard than the last time Lillian had seen her, as if she had aged another five or six years.
Her eye sockets and cheeks were sunken, and there was an abnormal puffiness around her eyes.
Lillian almost didn't recognize her at first glance.
It wasn't until Ruby sat down across from them and spoke in her usual hateful tone that Lillian knew it was her.
"What? Couldn't find your son, so you're finally ready to compromise? Did you bring the letter of forgiveness? If not, I don't have time to waste with you."
Lillian felt a surge of anger seeing Ruby's shameless and smug expression. She wanted to slap her.
Especially thinking that if it weren't for Ruby, she wouldn't have missed out on her relationship with Ophelia, wouldn't have been separated from her family for so many years, wouldn't have experienced the pain of losing a child, and perhaps wouldn't have had such a tumultuous relationship with Jackson, missing out on their baby's most vulnerable years.
Lillian was filled with hatred and anger, unable to remain calm.
She retorted coldly, "Ruby, do you need a mirror to see what you look like now? Your eyes are so puffy; your kidneys must be failing. Shouldn't you be the one worried?"
Ruby instinctively raised her hand to touch her eyes, but was stopped by her handcuffs.
She placed her hands back on her lap and looked at Lillian and Jackson.
"Are you here today to agree to my terms?"
Ruby's gaze fell on Lillian's face.
She noticed that Lillian didn't look well either. Although her eyes weren't puffy, they were red and swollen, with visible blood vessels, indicating she had cried a lot before coming.
Lillian's face was filled with resentment and agitation. She slammed the table and was about to stand up, but Jackson stopped her, calming her down.
"Lillian, don't get angry with her. It's not worth it. The important thing now is to find our Taylor."
They had planned this before coming in, pretending to agree to Ruby's terms.
Lillian would play the angry and unwilling role, while Jackson would be the voice of reason.
Lillian's eyes reddened, and she bit her lip, holding back her emotions. She looked at Ruby and said, "Ruby, you win. But we need to confirm that Taylor is alive. We need to video call him before we agree to your terms."
Ruby felt a sense of relief. She knew that holding this final card, she always had a chance to turn things around.
"Compared to my life, the life of the Frane and Kelly family heir is much more valuable. Congratulations on making the right decision."
Ruby glanced at Jackson, who had been so resolute before, showing no signs of compromise.
But she knew that for their child, they would agree to anything, no matter how unwilling they were.
"Enough talk. We need to confirm Taylor's safety right now. Ruby, do you think we would believe you just based on your words? How can you prove that Taylor is safe and in your custody?"
Ruby chuckled, "No rush. I've changed my mind."
Lillian's brow furrowed. "Ruby, don't push your luck!"
Ruby smirked, "I want you to arrange for me to be released on medical grounds immediately. I want to leave here. You need to find a way to get me out of the country. The moment I safely land abroad, your son will be returned to you. Otherwise, no deal."
Lillian's chest heaved with anger at Ruby's shamelessness. She knew Ruby would keep raising her demands. Last time, she wanted a lighter sentence. Now, she wanted to leave the country.
Jackson's voice was deep, "That's impossible, Ruby. You've committed multiple crimes, and the evidence is solid. You can't escape justice. We can only promise to hire the best lawyer to defend you and get you a lighter sentence."
Ruby sneered, "Impossible? Mr. Frane, Ms. Kelly, are you trying to fool me? With the power of your families, you could overturn the conviction of a death row inmate, let alone someone like me who's still awaiting trial. It might take some effort, but it's doable. It seems you haven't thought this through. Or maybe you don't care that much about your child. If that's the case, there's nothing more to discuss."
Ruby stood up as if to leave.
Lillian, panicking, stood up and said urgently, "No! We will do anything to find Taylor. Don't hurt him. Sit down, and we'll talk."
Ruby turned to see Jackson holding Lillian, who was clearly emotional and on the verge of breaking down. She buried her face in Jackson's shoulder, unable to hold back her tears.
Jackson patted Lillian's trembling shoulder, looking at Ruby with a mix of suppressed anger and reluctant compromise. He said in a low voice, "We came with sincerity. You can take a look at this first."
Jackson opened the file folder and pulled out a document, pushing it towards Ruby.
Ruby's eyes lit up as she read it. The document was a medical report showing a kidney match between her and someone named Valencia. Attached was a signed agreement from Valencia, volunteering to donate a kidney to Ruby. This meant she had a suitable kidney for surgery.
"This matching report is dated two years ago?" Ruby looked at the date on the document, surprised. Two years ago, her kidneys hadn't shown signs of failure. How could there be a matching report and donation agreement?
Lillian, seeing Ruby's confusion, spoke mockingly. "This was prepared by my grandfather two years ago. Do you not understand why?"
It was because Oberon had been concerned about Ruby's health. Because Oberon had already lost a daughter due to this, he was worried Ruby might suddenly experience kidney failure and not have a suitable donor in time.
"My grandfather never stopped looking for a match for you after you donated a kidney to my mother. He wanted to return your kidney and ensure your health. Ruby, how did you repay him and my grandmother?"
Lillian's questions were sharp, and Ruby's hands trembled as she held the document. Her expression was complex, her face pale. Even her own parents hadn't planned or cared for her like this. But Oberon had...
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