The Heiress Revived from the Ashes
Chapter 203 A Light in the Dark
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Finished
At the Brooker’s Villa, the warm light spilled through the windows onto the garden path, softening the night.
Kate looked at Lauren with a loving expression, “Lauric, you’re not well, you should go back to sleep soon.”
Lauren gently shook her head, “Madam Kate, I’ll wait a bit longer for Mr. Brooker.”
Hearing this, Kate’s heart swelled with joy, and her gaze inadvertently fell on the ring on Lauren’s middle finger. Her smile brightened, and her wrinkled face was flush with happiness.
The ring was special, a keepsake from Felix’s mother. Felix had cherished it for years.
As a child, he wore it on a string around his neck, and as he grew up, he wore it on his pinky finger, never parting with it.
Now, he had given this precious ring to Lauren, a clear sign that he truly saw a future with her, a life to be shared.
“I’ll head upstairs then; don’t stay up too late,” Kate advised with a smile.
Lauren nodded obediently, watching Kate ascend the stairs. She then settled quietly on the living room sofa, her thoughts drifting back to her days at the Bennetts.
Back then, she would come home from school to a dark living room, the cold air seeming to swallow her whole.
Standing alone in the darkness, the chill spread slowly through her heart, the feeling of being neglected by her family, forgotten by the world, was something she could never forget.
Later, it was Marilyn who left the light on for her, a beacon of warmth in the darkness, one of the few comforts she had at the Bennetts. Having experienced the cold indifference of a family–less life, Lauren cherished the warmth she felt in the Brooker family even more.
She wanted to wait for Mr. Brooker, like she was waiting for her fifteen–year–old self, braving the snow to get home.
Time ticked by, and the villa was silent except for the ticking of the clock in the living room.
Lauren, tired from sitting, lay down on the sofa. Her health was poor, and fatigue came easily; soon, she drifted off to sleep.
She curled up slightly on the sofa, as if seeking more security in that position.
When Felix returned, he found the petite Lauren asleep on the sofa.
Scanning the living room and seeing neither his grandmother nor Anna, he assumed they had already gone to bed.
Was she staying up just for me? A trace of softness flickered across Felix’s usually stern face at the sight of her.
He stepped lightly over to her, then bent down and gently lifted her, cradling her back and legs. He carried her upstairs with long strides, laid her on the bed, and carefully pulled the blanket over her, all the while taking care not to wake her.
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Chapter 203 A Light in the Dark
Finished
“Ms. Bennett, sweet dreams, Felix whispered softly in the quiet room, his voice carrying a tenderness he himself might not have recognized.
After speaking, he walked out, closing the door gently behind him.
Instead of going to his bedroom, Felix headed straight to his study. He sat at his desk, turned on the desk lamp, and the soft light illuminated his deep features.
He began working through a stack of documents, the only sound the scratching of his pen across the paper.
About fifteen minutes later, a ringtone broke the silence of the study,
“Hello,”
“Mr. Brooker, I saw Lucas,” Josh’s voice came through the phone.
After dropping Felix off at home, Josh had driven back to his place.
On the way, he stopped to buy cigarettes and heard faint groaning sounds.
Driven by curiosity, he followed the sounds to an alley. Under the dim streetlight, he found Lucas bloodied and in extreme misery on the ground.
Lucas‘ words to Lauren at the hospital earlier in the day had already been relayed to Felix by Gael, and Josh, having been there, was aware too.
Now seeing Lucas beaten half to death, he called Felix to seek his opinion.
After a moment, Felix’s voice came back coldly, “Take him to the hospital. Make sure he doesn’t die, but don’t let him live well either.”
Josh shuddered at the reply, hesitating before asking, “So you mean to keep him barely alive?”
Felix’s lips curled into a cold smile, devoid of warmth, “Since his legs are already useless, there’s no need to keep them. Amputate them.”
Chills ran down Josh’s spine, the cold seeping from his feet to his head.
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