Chapter 254 They Have Suffered a Lot
Soren noticed Isaac's cold demeanor, and the excitement in his eyes started to fade away.
Magnus took a step back and quietly set down the gift. He was pretty perceptive and could tell Isaac wasn't into them anymore.
It would be pointless to give Isaac the gift if he wouldn't appreciate it. Nobody liked getting presents from people they didn't like.
Nora cleared her throat and shot Isaac a frosty look.
Isaac's body went rigid. Then, he forced a smile, took the gift from Soren, and patted her head. His whole attitude did a 180.
Magnus was unsure if he should step up and give his gift. Before he could decide, a big hand grabbed the gift from him.
Isaac tried to sound gentle. "Thanks for the gifts."
Soren instantly forgot about Isaac's earlier coldness and beamed with happiness.
Isaac opened the two gifts.
Soren had given him a Barbie doll in a dress.
Isaac's mouth twitched. He thought, 'In all my life, this is the first time I've gotten a Barbie doll as a gift. Soren must've picked it based on what she likes, right?'
"Do you like it?" Soren asked eagerly.
Isaac said, "Yeah, it's really pretty. I like it."
Soren said, "I spent a long time picking it out. This one is the best looking, the most like Mo... Nora!"
She almost called Nora "Mommy" but caught herself just in time. Still, she glanced at Nora nervously.
Nora had warned her that if she wanted to keep living with her, she couldn't call her 'Mommy' in front of others and had to keep her mask on.
Isaac pretended not to notice anything weird, looked at the Barbie doll, and said seriously, "Nora is even prettier."
Soren nodded in agreement. "I think so too!"
Nora felt a bit embarrassed by the compliment.
Then, Isaac opened Magnus's gift.
It was a pen.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. At least it was useful.
"Those gifts are awesome! I really love them," he said.
Magnus and Soren both grinned happily.
Seeing their joy, Nora felt relieved. She got up to clear the table.
Isaac took the plates from her hands. "You go rest. I'll clean up."
Nora said, "Tonight is to thank you. How can I let you do the work?"
Isaac said, "Since it's to thank me, you have to follow my rules. I want you to rest. I can't stand seeing you work."
Seeing how insistent he was, Nora let him wash the dishes and mop the floor.
Isaac chuckled softly. Far from being annoyed, he actually enjoyed the fun of being 'bossed around' by Nora.
Nora let the kids play for a bit before taking them to bathe. After the bath, she lay on the bed with them.
Nora finally got the chance to ask them about how they'd been sold to the mountain village. "Magnus, Soren, do you remember how you ended up in that mountain village?" She softened her voice, trying to make the kids feel safe.
Magnus and Soren's faces immediately showed fear when they heard the question.
Nora quickly hugged them and comforted, "Don't be scared. I'm here. Mommy will protect you. If you're too scared to talk, it's okay. Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up." She felt a deep pang of guilt.
Soren, with a sobbing voice, said, "It's not your fault, Mommy. It was Uncle Mortimer's guy, Alaric. One day, he just took us away, drove us for a long time, and then handed us over to some strange woman. She said we were her kids from then on and took us to that mountain village. When we got to her place, she started searching us, trying to take anything valuable. I saw her take Magnus's phone, so when she wasn't looking, I threw mine into some grass. She didn't find it. After she left, I hid it in a secret spot."
Nora gently rubbed their little heads. She thought, 'Thank goodness Soren was smart enough to hide the phone. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to contact us, and who knows when they would have been rescued.'
Nora choked up and asked, "Did you get bullied over there?"
"Yes!" Soren's tears started flowing. "That woman was so mean. She always made Magnus and me work, and she complained that we couldn't do anything right. She hit us every day and often didn't give us food! Magnus always protected me. When she hit me, Magnus would hold me and not let her hit me. So she got even angrier and hit Magnus harder."
Nora felt a sharp pain in her heart. When she changed their clothes in the morning, she saw the bruises all over their bodies.
How could anyone be so cruel to such small children?
Soren's voice suddenly became low and sad. "I secretly kept the phone but couldn't get through to you, and I couldn't reach Uncle Mortimer either."
"Mommy, why didn't you answer my calls back then?" Soren asked, feeling hurt.
Nora apologized, "I was unconscious for a long time."
Magnus and Soren immediately looked worried. "Mommy, how did you get hurt? Are you better now?"
Nora said, "Don't worry, I'm fine now."
Soren snuggled closer to her. "Was Uncle Mortimer too busy taking care of you to answer our calls?"
Nora's throat tightened, unsure how to respond.
Since Alaric was Mortimer's subordinate, Nora couldn't help but suspect that sending Magnus and Soren away was Mortimer's idea.
But she also understood Magnus and Soren's feelings for Mortimer.
If they knew Mortimer didn't want them and sent them to the mountain village, how heartbroken would they be? But if she kept it from them and they kept thinking well of Mortimer, what if Mortimer tried to harm them again in the future?
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
