Chapter 929 Eden at Loving Arms Orphanage
Behind Antonio, Aaron stood with a group of bodyguards, all decked out in black suits and sunglasses. Their stiff postures and menacing presence made it look like they were ready to stir up some trouble.
The tension in the air was thick, ready to snap at any second.
Ramon's eyes scanned over them without a flicker of emotion. His stone-cold expression finally softened a bit, and after a long pause, he said, "Mr. Valencia, Mr. Diaz isn't here."
"You should know, Mr. Diaz has been in a foul mood lately because of Mr. Valencia... A friend invited him on a cruise, and we have no clue when he'll be back. We can't reach him either."
This news hit Antonio and Sarah like a ton of bricks.
Guadalupe went on a cruise? They really couldn't reach him now!
Were they supposed to chase him down by boat?
That would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Most importantly, what about Eden?!
Did he take her with him?
Sarah's breathing became erratic, her eyes darting around in panic until she finally focused. "I don't care where he is. It's good he's not here. I'm taking my daughter and leaving!"
Ramon's eyes flickered, but he stayed silent.
Antonio roared, "Tell me where my daughter is! Don't give me any crap about not knowing! Do you think my bodyguards behind me will buy that?"
Ramon still kept his head down, saying nothing.
Antonio lunged forward, grabbing Ramon by the collar, his voice icy and sharp. "Cat got your tongue?! If you don't give me a straight answer today, I'll throw you into the ocean to feed the fish!"
The casino's security guards, seeing this, began to close in, ready for a fight.
"Stand down!"
Ramon's stern command made them back off, shifting the balance of power entirely to Antonio's side.
But Ramon didn't seem to care. He just sighed deeply.
"Mr. Valencia, Mr. Diaz has indeed done many things to harm your family. Please believe me, it wasn't his intention. He just..."
Cared too much about Francis.
But that wasn't his place to say.
Ramon looked up at Antonio, speaking heavily, "That child was indeed brought to Avaloria by Mr. Diaz. She should have been dead, but I couldn't bear it and gave her a chance to live... As for the rest, I can't guarantee anything. You'll have to find her yourselves."
Whether she was alive or dead, it was up to fate.
Sarah's heart skipped a beat, and she nearly collapsed, only staying upright with Antonio's support.
Her lips trembled before she could speak, "Tell me, where did you leave her?!"
Ramon thought of Guadalupe, who was now drifting somewhere at sea.
Since the police came that day, Guadalupe had been in a terrible state, completely out of it.
In his mind, the child had been dealt with, so he didn't care anymore.
So... telling them now didn't matter, right?
Consider it a good deed for his boss.
Ramon's eyes darkened. "Loving Arms Orphanage. I left her near Loving Arms Orphanage. I left immediately after. I don't know what happened next, and I can't guarantee anything."
He hadn't taken the child directly to the orphanage, just left her outside. Under those circumstances, whether she survived was a complete unknown.
"Loving Arms Orphanage..."
Sarah murmured the name, clutching Antonio's hand. "Did you hear that? Eden's there. We need to find her! She must miss her mom and dad!"
Her daughter had been gone for almost a month. What was she like now?
Had she gained weight?
Was she drinking milk and sleeping well?
She wanted to run to her and bring her home immediately.
Antonio's face showed excitement, too. He took a deep breath to calm down, then looked at Ramon with a colder gaze. "Tell Guadalupe, we'll settle our score later!"
If it weren't for Guadalupe, Francis wouldn't have gone through so much!
And Eden wouldn't have been displaced!
He released Ramon, tossing him aside like trash.
"Mr. Antonio Valencia, Mrs. Sarah Valencia..."
Ramon adjusted his collar, still composed. "On behalf of Mr. Diaz, I apologize for this matter."
"Apologize?"
Antonio sneered coldly. "Let Guadalupe kneel at Francis's grave first!"
With that, he pulled Sarah towards the exit.
Suddenly, he turned to Aaron, his voice low. "We can't reach Guadalupe now. Take down his casino while we have the chance. Knowing him, I doubt it's just gambling. Investigate thoroughly. If there's any illegal activity, report it to the authorities. If he doesn't die... I'll make sure he pays!"
After all the harm he'd done, an apology was laughable!
Sarah had been in a daze, not fully grasping their conversation. The more she thought about Eden's situation, the more anxious she became, tears streaming down her face.
Antonio opened the car door for her. "Sarah, Eden will be fine. Please don't cry."
"I know, it's just..."
She couldn't help it.
She couldn't imagine what Guadalupe had done to Eden for Ramon to say he gave her a chance to live.
Her daughter...
They hadn't protected her well.
Antonio, seeing her distress, felt his heart tighten. He held her hand. "Stay calm. We'll see her soon."
Forty minutes later, they arrived at Loving Arms Orphanage.
Before the car even stopped, Sarah pushed the door open, almost stumbling in her haste.
Antonio quickly steadied her. "Honey, we're here. Don't rush, okay?"
If she fell, he'd be heartbroken.
Sarah took a deep breath, looking at him. "Okay... Let's go see Eden."
The orphanage looked old and worn, with a peeling sign at the entrance. The yard was empty, giving off a sense of desolation.
After a few knocks, a woman came out.
"Hello, can I help you?"
Antonio nodded politely. "Hello, our daughter went missing. We heard she might have been brought here. Can we ask some questions?"
The woman looked them over but didn't refuse.
"Come in."
As they chatted, the woman revealed she was the orphanage director and had been there for decades, caring for homeless children.
"Can you describe your daughter?"
The question caught them off guard.
Eden had been taken from the incubator, and Sarah had only seen her once in the delivery room.
She hurriedly pulled out a photo from her bag, taken by the doctor. "She was very small when she went missing. She's just a month old now. This is her."
The baby in the photo was tiny and wrinkly.
After so many days, she must have changed.
"Hmm..."
The director thought for a moment. "We did have a baby girl recently, who was very frail. But I'm not sure if she's your child."
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