Chapter 402 The Children's Dilemma
In an instant, he lunged at Sarah, his demeanor suggesting a reckless determination to take everyone down with him.
"Sarah, beware!" Antonio's voice rang out as he sprang into action, swiftly interposing himself between Sarah and the impending danger.
The police were quick to respond, their hands lifting and a gunshot echoing—"Bang!" The sharp report was followed by a chilling sight: a blade plunging into Antonio's body, his blood staining Sarah's vision crimson...
Jason collapsed, life fleeing from his body in an instant. Antonio, on the other hand, slumped down, his face etched with a strange sense of relief.
Relief that he had managed to intercept Jason in time, and gratitude that the blade had found him instead.
"Antonio!"
"Daddy!"
Sarah and the three children rushed towards Antonio, their faces etched with despair.
Sarah's fingers trembled, her complexion ashen. She stared at the discarded knife, at the bloodied blade, repeating in a whisper, "Antonio, Antonio..."
It was as if she had been robbed of speech, and only his name could stir her numbed senses.
Antonio clutched his wound, his gaze softening as he looked at Sarah, "Sarah, I'm fine. Don't worry..."
"Mummy, don't worry right now, he really is okay." Brian took Sarah's hand, "The knife only grazed him. It's not life-threatening. We need to get him to the hospital quickly to prevent any internal injuries!"
Sarah snapped back to reality, "Yes, we need to get to the hospital."
Seeing Sarah regain her composure, Antonio felt a wave of relief. He glanced at Brian, his gaze filled with a complex mix of emotions.
"Madam Valencia, please take Mr. Valencia to the hospital immediately. We'll handle the situation here. We'll contact you later. Give your statement after he's been treated."
The police hauled away Jason. He hadn't inflicted any fatal injuries, merely fainting from the loss of blood.
Antonio was rushed to the hospital, while Sarah and the children underwent examinations to assess their conditions.
Fortunately, aside from Antonio's slightly dislocated shoulder, the family had escaped major injuries. His shoulder could be easily treated with a simple dressing.
"Brother, are you okay?"
Ethan found Brian sitting alone in the hospital corridor and approached him with concern.
To Ethan, Brian had always been a reliable and composed figure. But he had never seen his brother wear such a grave expression before.
Brian shook his head, "I'm fine."
He paused before adding, "Ethan, I have a question for you."
"Go ahead."
"What do you think of him?"
Ethan pursed his lips, knowing exactly who Brian was referring to.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think he's as bad as we imagined. Harper seems to like him. And mommy too. She moved out but still can't seem to let him go."
Ethan was torn.
He had slowly begun to accept Antonio, but deep down, it felt awkward. Accepting Antonio felt like betraying his brother and disregarding their mother's past suffering.
Brian understood his internal struggle. "You actually like him, don't you?" he probed.
"I didn't say that," Ethan averted his gaze, "but he just saved Mom and us. Has anyone else ever done that for us?"
Brian fell silent.
Indeed, no one else had ever gone to such lengths for them.
With such unwavering determination.
Had the police not intervened with Jason, Antonio might not have escaped with mere injuries. He could have lost his life.
Yet, when Antonio stepped in to block the knife, he did so with such resolve, such bravery, thinking only of protecting their mother.
Could they have misunderstood all along?
Could it be that their mother wasn't swayed by Antonio, but had genuinely forgiven him and wanted to be with him because he was truly a good man?
Brian had never quite understood why someone would forgive another after enduring so much pain.
Today, however, he seemed to be gaining some understanding.
The thought occurred to him: if someone was genuinely prepared to sacrifice their life for you, why wouldn't you choose to be with them?
Brian bit down on his lower lip. If Antonio had truly repented, if he had genuinely earned their mother's forgiveness...
Perhaps he had been too harsh, too unyielding in his judgement.
"Brother, dad is all bandaged up. We're ready to go home," Harper announced, approaching to take the hands of her two brothers. "Our family is finally reunited."
Ethan nodded, a smile playing on his lips, his heart swelling with a happiness he hadn't felt in a long time.
But as Brian heard the word "family," it didn't strike him as discordant, but rather, it left him feeling perplexed.
Sarah emerged, supporting Antonio. His dislocated shoulder was hastily bandaged, but it didn't seem to be causing any major issues.
The rest of his external wounds, they knew, would heal as long as they were treated promptly.
"Mom, dad," Harper called out, rushing over to them. Aware of Antonio's injuries, she refrained from leaping into her father's arms as she usually would. "Let's go home."
Antonio didn't respond immediately as he typically would. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the two identical children standing before him.
"So, can someone finally tell me what exactly is going on here?" he asked.
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