Chapter 516 Humiliate
"What am I doing?" she whispered to herself, barely audible. "We're divorced. We're practically strangers now." The realization made her chest tighten.
Lucas stirred in her arms, his little face nuzzling her shoulder, mumbling, "Daddy."
Just as she turned to leave, a sudden loud noise erupted from the villa, followed by the sharp sound of shattering glass.
Lucas woke up with a start in her arms, his small hands frantically clutching at her collar. "Daddy! Daddy!"
His cries were filled with fear. Emma's heart clenched tightly, as if gripped by an invisible hand, and she instinctively took a few steps forward.
Through the half-open iron gate, she saw the scene in the garden and her breath caught.
George was kneeling on the cobblestone path, his white shirt smeared with dirt and grass. His usually immaculate hair was disheveled, with strands sticking to his sweaty face.
His eyes were vacant, gray pupils unfocused, and his hands were desperately searching for something on the cold ground.
His long fingers were cut by shards of glass, with beads of blood glistening dark red in the moonlight.
"Mr. Russell, looking for this?" A man in a sharp suit stood nearby, dangling a colorful shell pendant, a malicious smile on his face.
"I heard your ex-wife gave this to you?" He deliberately waved the shell in front of George's eyes. "What's a blind man doing with this? Might as well throw it away."
Another man in casual clothes kicked away the cane George had just reached. The metal cane rolled across the ground, making a harsh noise.
"The mighty CEO of Russell Group, crawling on the ground like a beggar. What a sight!" His laughter echoed sharply in the quiet garden. "If the media got a shot of this, it'd be front-page news tomorrow."
George's face remained expressionless, stubbornly continuing his search.
His knees were scraped by the rough cobblestones, with blood seeping through his light-colored pants, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, mechanically repeating his movements.
"Give me back the shell." His voice was hoarse yet calm, like the sea before a storm. "That was a gift from my wife. Your filthy hands don't deserve to touch it."
Though spoken softly, his words carried an undeniable firmness.
"Still hung up on your ex-wife?" The suited man crouched down, waving the shell in front of George's eyes, knowing he couldn't see it.
"I heard your ex-wife is taking your kid abroad? What a pity. Your son probably doesn't recognize his blind dad anymore."
George suddenly lunged, accurately aiming for the source of the voice.
But he missed, crashing heavily to the ground, his forehead hitting the stone steps and immediately bleeding. The two men laughed even harder.
"George, look at you now! Remember how you treated us back then? Now you can't even stand properly!"
Emma stood outside the gate, her legs feeling like they were filled with lead, unable to move.
Lucas suddenly struggled to get down. "Daddy! Daddy!" His cries startled the men in the yard.
The suited man dropped the shell in surprise.
George's body stiffened, slowly turning towards the sound. His vacant eyes suddenly seemed to focus. "Lucas?"
His voice trembled uncontrollably. "Is that Lucas?"
Emma couldn't hold back any longer. She pushed open the gate and rushed in. Kneeling in front of George, her trembling hands tried to help him up, but he grabbed her wrist the moment she touched him.
"This scent," George's voice was as light as a feather. "Is it Emma?"
His fingers brushed her cheek, freezing when they felt her cold tears. His usually sharp eyes were now filled with tears, yet still unfocused.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Stuart." He released her hand in a panic, stumbling backward. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this."
Emma looked at his disheveled state, hearing him call her "Ms. Stuart," and her heart felt like it was being torn apart.
The once proud and invincible George was now humbly apologizing in front of her.
She bent down to pick up the shell from the ground, her tears falling onto its cracks.
The two men who had been bullying George had already slipped away, leaving the three of them alone in the yard.
Lucas threw himself into George's arms, his small hands touching the wound on his forehead, crying uncontrollably. "Daddy, does it hurt? I'll blow on it to make it better."
George's fingers trembled violently as he carefully felt Lucas' small face.
When his fingertips touched the child's wet tears, he froze. His voice was so hoarse it was barely recognizable.
"Lucas, how are you here? Who brought you?" His once eagle-sharp eyes were now empty, stubbornly looking towards the direction of the sound.
Lucas sobbed, his small hands gripping George's collar tightly, his little body shaking with his cries.
"Daddy, I don't want to leave! Don't make me go! Those bad men hurt you, I want to protect you! I'll chase them away!"
The child's voice was filled with unprecedented determination and stubbornness, as if he wanted to use his small body to build a shield for his father.
Emma stood aside, watching the father and son embrace, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand.
She slowly reached out to help George up, but he jerked away the moment her fingers were about to touch his shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" George's voice suddenly turned cold and hard, frantically moving backward until his back hit the cold stone pillar.
His breathing was rapid and unsteady, but he forced himself to speak in the coldest tone. "You shouldn't be here. Leave immediately."
"George..." Emma's voice was choked with sobs, barely able to form coherent words.
She looked at the man who was once proud as a king, now in such a pitiful state, and tears flowed uncontrollably. "What's wrong with your eyes?"
"I'm fine!" He practically shouted the words, his empty eyes stubbornly staring at a point in the void, as if trying to prove he could see.
"It's just temporary vision loss. The doctor said it'll get better soon. You should go back to Sunterra. That's where you belong."
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