Chapter 321 Why Is It Always Him Who Gets Hurt
Sam was fed up with being labeled the bad guy all the time. He needed to clear this mess up.
'Hey, I'm not the bad guy here!' Sam thought to himself.
Susanna's face turned icy at his words. "Never met, never will. Lillian, let's go."
"Okay, Mommy," Lillian said, all sweet and obedient. But as they walked away, she sneakily stomped on Sam's foot.
Sam's eyes went wide. "You too?"
"I don't want you to be my dad anymore."
Lillian's anger was clear, and she was dead set on finding a new dad.
With a determined look, Lillian turned back and waved at Aaron with a big smile. "Bye, Uncle Aaron!"
Aaron's lips twitched into a small smile. "See you."
He watched them leave, suddenly wondering if Susanna hadn't had that accident four years ago, would their child be this age now?
Lillian was exactly four years old; was it just a coincidence?
A wild thought popped into Aaron's head, and he quickly stepped forward. "Wait a sec."
Lillian turned back, curious.
Susanna saw Aaron catching up. Even though she was still mad at Sam, she softened a bit towards Aaron since he helped find Lillian. "What's up?" she asked.
Aaron looked at her. "What's your name?"
Susanna raised an eyebrow, realizing he wanted to know more about her. With a playful flick of her golden hair, she replied, "They call me Beauty. Catch you later!"
With that, Susanna took Lillian's hand and walked away gracefully. As they left, Lillian couldn't help but sneak a glance back at Aaron and give a little wave. "See," she whispered to herself, "I told you my mom's name is Beauty, no lies there!"
Hearing Susanna's answer, Aaron's lips curved slightly. The more she dodged, the weirder it seemed!
Sam limped up, asking, "Aaron, how'd it go? Is she Susanna or not?"
Aaron looked at Sam. "You seriously don't know her?"
"I swear I don't. How could I have a kid this old? You know what I was dealing with four years ago. My life in Novaria was a mess, and there's no way this kid is mine."
Aaron thought for a moment and nodded. The timing of Lillian's age was just too perfect.
As they both looked at the stormy sky outside, Aaron asked, "How long's this storm gonna last?"
Tyler answered, "Probably two more days."
"Perfect." Aaron saw an opportunity. If the storm shut down the airport, she couldn't leave Radiant Valley.
Sam hesitated. "But she came here in a helicopter during the storm. What if she just leaves?"
"She won't. She's got a kid with her; she wouldn't risk it," Aaron said firmly.
"True. So, we still have a shot at figuring out who she really is."
Aaron's lips curved slightly. "Find out which room she's in."
Since they couldn't get her info, they could at least find out where she was staying!
Back at the hotel suite, Aaron's eyes instinctively went to the sofa. Usually, Lillian would be there, chilling on the sofa, a familiar and comforting sight.
But this time, it was Vivian lounging on the sofa, throwing off the whole vibe in the room.
Vivian had already changed into regular clothes and nervously asked, "Did you find the kid?"
Sam chimed in, "Yeah, her mom took her back." He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for himself, remembering how Lillian had stomped on his foot earlier.
Vivian looked a bit on edge. She glanced at Aaron's face and then at Sam. "Did she say anything?"
Aaron's tone was sharp. "What are you worried she might say?"
"Aaron, you got me wrong. With how much that mom and daughter look alike, we all wanna know if that woman is Susanna, so I asked," Vivian explained, sounding anxious, worried about what Lillian might've said. Seeing Aaron's cold reaction, she felt the need to clear things up.
Aaron snapped, "This isn't your business."
Vivian didn't back down. "Aaron, as part of the Abbott family, I wanna help figure out what happened to Maria."
"Get out!" Aaron suddenly lost it, his eyes blazing.
Vivian was taken aback. She didn't think bringing this up would make Aaron so mad.
Clearly, seeing a woman who looked like Susanna had shaken Aaron. Even after four years, the memory of Susanna still haunted him, stirring up deep emotions.
Sam quickly stood up to calm things down. "Vivian, it's late. You should go rest."
Vivian bit her lip in frustration but eventually left the room.
Sam looked helplessly at the fuming Aaron and asked, "Why are you so mad? Weren't you planning to stay here to find out if she's Susanna?"
Aaron walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of red wine. He hadn't had a drink in the past two days because Lillian was around.
"Aaron, pour me a glass too."
"Do it yourself."
Aaron took his wine glass and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. The sky outside was dark and stormy, with no ships in sight.
Sam walked over to Aaron and said, "Hey, there's still time. I get that Vivian might've said the wrong thing. It's likely Susanna was framed all those years ago."
Hearing this, Aaron tilted his head back and downed his wine.
"Tonight's auction is crucial for us. Don't screw it up!" Sam stressed.
Aaron gripped his glass tightly. "You don't need to remind me."
"What's that thing on your wrist? After all these years, I never thought you had such a hobby."
Aaron looked down at the pink smartwatch on his wrist, thinking of Lillian, and a faint smile appeared. "It's a gift from your daughter."
Sam felt a pang of jealousy. "Even though she's not my daughter, she gives you gifts and not me? I just don't get it!"
"If you can't figure it out, maybe you should take a look at yourself," Aaron shot back.
Sam retorted, "Take a look at myself? I'm way better than your."
Aaron touched the smartwatch, feeling a strange, indescribable sensation.
Meanwhile, in another room, Susanna sat on the sofa, listening to Lillian excitedly recount her adventures, her chubby hands gesturing wildly.
On the computer, six cameras were open, showing Susanna's six brothers.
When they heard Lillian had been found, they immediately urged her to start a video call so they could see Lillian.
