Chapter 448 Patricia Learns of Her Son's Death at Hunter's Hands
As confusion washed over Patricia, the cries from the room grew louder. Martin, alerted by the crying, emerged from the room, cradling the child in his arms. Patricia rushed over and gently took the baby from Martin. The infant fell silent once in Patricia's embrace, gazing up at her with big, teary eyes.
Patricia's heart melted instantly. Despite the time apart, she recognized her daughter, Maria, in an instant. The resemblance was uncanny. Maria was like a miniature version of herself.
Maria, curious and wide-eyed, observed Patricia for a moment before bursting into joyful giggles.
Patricia settled on the couch, placing Maria on her lap, supporting her back with one hand while playfully engaging her with the other, their tiny fingers intertwined. Charles, Fannie, and Randy eagerly joined in, playfully interacting with Maria.
Fannie, with a beaming grin, exclaimed, "Mom, Maria has grown so much. She was just a tiny bundle when she arrived, and now look how much bigger she is," demonstrating the size with her hands.
Patricia erupted in hearty laughter at their playful antics.
By that time, Martin adeptly prepared a bottle of milk and handed it over to Patricia. She took the bottle and began to feed Maria, asking Martin, "How's our little boy doing? Is he still staying with the grandparents?"
There was a subtle shift in Martin's expression.
Charles, Fannie, and Randy all wore perplexed expressions. Since earlier in the day, their mother had mentioned the 'little boy several times.
A little boy? Since when? Weren't there only two siblings? Maria and...
Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Langley emerged, dressed and ready for the day, their eyes reddening with emotion at the sight of Patricia feeding her child on the couch.
"Patricia! You're finally back! We've been so worried since Martin told us about the accident. How have you been holding up? It must have been tough," Mr. Langley said with genuine concern.
Patricia, not wanting to cause them any further worry, shook her head. "I'm fine, really. I made some new friends too."
The Langleys nodded with visible relief. "That's wonderful to hear. Now that you're back, it feels like our home is complete again."
"Thanks," Patricia said, her gaze drifting toward the direction from which the elders had come. "Gramps, Gran, hasn't the little one woken up yet? Is he still in his room?"
There was a moment of confusion for Mr. and Mrs. Langley. It took them a moment to process her words.
The living room fell silent suddenly, all eyes fixated on her.
Something felt off to Patricia. "Why are you all looking at me like that? Is... is the little one sick? Or is he not at home?"
Mrs. Langley's expression registered surprise, but before she could respond, Martin interjected, "Patricia, the milk's all gone!"
Patricia glanced down to find the bottle empty.
Maria was still smacking her lips with a milk mustache adorning her face.
Hastily, Patricia removed the bottle and grabbed a napkin from the coffee table, gently wiping away the leftover dribble from Maria's mouth.
Maria, now full and content, chuckled with delight. Her eyes crinkled, adorable beyond words.
However, Patricia's sense of urgency remained. She looked up at Martin, her voice tinged with concern, "Martin, please, tell me, what's wrong with the little one? Is he sick or not feeling well"
An uneasy feeling began to gnaw at her. She dreaded the possibility that her child might be facing a congenital illness, similar to Randy's condition. Pregnancy could have weakened her immune system due to emotional stress or poor nutrition, potentially leading to underlying health problems.
The three kids, driven by curiosity, maintained a hushed silence, their eyes imploring Martin to share the truth. Sensing that something was amiss, Mr. and Mrs. Langley refrained from asking their questions, fearing they might say something wrong.
Martin realized he could no longer keep the secret. Patricia was back home, and the truth was inevitable. He clenched his fists, summoning his willpower, and uttered slowly, "He... he was killed by Hunter."
"What?" Patricia felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
Her mind went blank.
Not just her, but the three kids and Mr. and Mrs. Langley were dumbfounded too.
Fannie held back, but eventually, she couldn't contain her curiosity and asked, "Daddy, do we have another brother?"
Her question snapped Patricia back to reality. Still in disbelief, she fixed her gaze on Martin, taking a moment to regain her composure before tremblingly demanding, "What did you say? Say it again."
Worried that the shock might be too much for her to handle, Martin sat beside her, took her hand, and gently elaborated, "When they brought Maria back, she was alone. I always assumed you had the other child with you... until the day we rescued you. Hunter confessed that he had killed the other one."
Every time Martin reflected on the child Hunter had taken from them, he harbored immense regret for showing Hunter mercy in the past.
That mercy had wrought a devastating toll.
The three kids gasped in shock upon hearing Martin's revelation. They took some time to absorb the information, and as thoughts of their lost brother, whom they had never met, filled their minds, tears welled up in their eyes.
"How could this be? I... I never even got to see my brother..."
Mr. and Mrs. Langley cried openly, their anger evident in their trembling voices.
"My great-grandson... he never even got to meet his family before that monster took him? Worse than animals, not even a newborn was spared."
Martin had steeled himself for Patricia's emotional breakdown, for her tears, but she remained eerily calm—almost frighteningly so. Her unusual composure sent shivers down his spine, and he clutched her hand tighter.
"Patricia, don't worry, I swear I'll avenge our child! This time, I'll ensure he has nowhere to lay his head, never to rise again."
Patricia remained unresponsive, her gaze fixed straight ahead as if her soul had been stripped away.
Panic surged within Martin. He gently caressed Patricia's face, pleading, "Patricia, don't scare me! I kept it from you because I was afraid you couldn't handle it."
His words appeared to pass through Patricia unheard. A buzzing filled her ears, akin to a swarm of bees, loud and chaotic.
Silent and unresponsive, Patricia's lack of reaction only intensified Martin's desperation and fear. As he prepared to speak again, Patricia abruptly thrust their daughter Maria into his arms.
Startled, Martin exclaimed, "Patricia, where are you going?"
Patricia, seemingly oblivious to his words, walked back to her room, slammed the door with a bang, and lay down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her face.
It had to be a dream. There was no other explanation. How could the child she had fought so hard to keep be dead?
It was impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Once the dream ended, her child would return to her.
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