Meanwhile, in a small house on the outskirts of the city, filled with blooming roses, Mrs. Smith looked at her daughter with a complicated gaze. After a long time, she nodded slightly: "Alright, I'll consider what you've said. Both your father and I are reasonable people. Don't worry. As your mother, I will only do what's best for you."
Flora nodded, not saying anything more. Her mother had said she would consider it, so it would be better not to press the matter further.
"My daughter has truly grown up..." Her mother sighed softly, then pointed towards the basement stairs: "Go there and get me a basket for cutting flowers later. It's in the rack."
Without questioning her mother's words, Flora went over there. But as she reached the top of the stairs, a crashing sound echoed behind her. A barrier had fallen, separating her from her mother. She looked at her mother in shock, seeing the calm expression on her face, she realized her mother was the one who had done this.
"Mother...why..." Her mother was trying to restrict her freedom.
She didn't try to deny it, nodding: "I don't want you going out and doing foolish things anymore. The more you run around, the more danger you'll attract. However, I know you truly care for Matthew, and you wouldn't listen to me regardless of what I say. So, I had to resort to this." She knew her daughter would hate her for doing this, but there was no other way: "The basement has everything you need, and Emma will bring food and other things for you every day."
Flora shivered slightly, disbelieving as she looked at the mother who had always loved her: "Mother, don't do this... You can't imprison me here..."
"Don't blame me.
You will understand, I am only trying to protect you." Her mother left those words before walking away, her footsteps fading in the distance.
After a few moments, Emma rushed in.
The young girl's eyes rested on her mistress, a mixture of embarrassment, contrivance, and determination evident in her gaze.
"Andrey?"
"Yes, it's me." Andrey was out of the country, thousands of miles away from Matthew: "I am hiding out here to call you..."
"How is Paul?" Matthew's first reflex was to worry about his daughter.
Andrey replied promptly: "Physically, she's holding up for now, but mentally, she's a bit concerning.
She shows clear signs of anxiety and panic.
I suggest... you be honest with Flora, to let her stay by her daughter's side." The treatment would perhaps be more effective then.
Andrey had always believed that Matthew should be straightforward with Flora.
The current scenario, preventing Flora and her daughter from seeing each other and creating unnecessary misunderstandings, was definitely not the right way.
Matthew's actions, though well-intentioned, were misinterpreted as malicious.
"Mental instability, you say?" Matthew's throat tightened. He pondered for a moment before saying: "She can't come there right now." Her health wouldn't allow it.
She had just been assaulted, suffered a miscarriage, and her mental state wasn't very stable either.
Reluctantly, Andrey nodded: "Then there's no other way, you may have to make the trip yourself."
This was precisely what Matthew was thinking: "I'll fly over tonight.
Is there anything else?" He felt somewhat exhausted.
"There's..." Andrey sighed: "Your daughter wants to talk to you."
The phone was handed over to the frail hands of Paul.
The girl sat in her wheelchair, looking downcast, her usual bright and lively demeanor nowhere in sight.
Knowing that the person on the other end of the line was her father, her eyes flickered for a moment before falling into gloom again.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper: "Daddy, I can't stand up, it hurts so much whenever I move.
Am I going to die? Don't lie to me, tell me the truth."
The girl was very sensitive, already noticing the peculiar behavior of those around her.
Having gone through several painful surgeries and still unable to stand, she started contemplating the worst scenario, her own death.
"Of course not." Matthew tried to keep his voice steady as he comforted his daughter: "You will get better soon.
You still have to go back to see your mother and Charlie, right?"
Her voice through the phone was slightly less melancholic: "Don't lie to me, Daddy!"
"I promise, I won't lie..."
The gates of the mansion opened as Matthew pulled his car into the garage before heading into the living room.
The heavy burdens in his heart made him feel almost breathless.
Just as he reached the living room, a loud argument caught his attention.
His eyebrows furrowed as he glanced at the two figures - one big, one small - glaring at each other: "What's happening?"
His son said nothing, just looked at him with an exasperated expression.
A mirror image of his father, not just in appearance but also in disposition.
His left cheek was visibly red, a clear handprint showing someone had hit him hard.
However, the boy neither cried nor complained about anyone.
It was Selena who spoke: "You're back! Look at this boy, he's so disrespectful, doesn't respect elders at all! He ignores me, doesn't answer when I talk.
He's even been rifling through your economic textbooks, refusing to do his homework!"
"They're my books." The boy looked at his father, his voice steady: "She said I couldn't read those books because I'm just a child and wouldn't understand them."
"Do you understand them?" Not waiting for his son's reply, Matthew continued: "I want to check your progress." He knew his son was a genius, and had let him access those complex textbooks early on, but recently, he hadn't had time to closely monitor his son's learning progress.
This was a good opportunity to do a bit of checking.
He picked out a few questions to ask his son, from simple to complex.
The boy answered swiftly, nearly flawlessly, and some parts even matched the professional textbooks perfectly.
Selena was dumbfounded: "How... how could this be..." In front of her was clearly just a boy, yet his intelligence was frightening.
Matthew, after examining his son, turned to the woman sitting next to him, his voice steady: "Which hand did you use to slap my son? This one... right?"
Without asking, based on the mark on his son's face, he knew which hand Selena had used to hit the boy.
He grasped her wrist tightly, causing her to wince in pain, her eyes brimming with tears: "You... let go! It hurts!"
"This is a warning for you." Matthew looked at her, his voice cold: "If you dare touch my son again, it will be far worse than this!" With that, he roughly pushed her, causing her to tumble onto the sofa.
He immediately left.
He didn't have the patience to deal with Selena and listen to her nonsensical prattling.
Her debt, like that of the White family, he would claim back piece by piece.
Meanwhile, in a small house adorned with many rose bushes on the outskirts of the city, Mrs. Smith regarded her daughter with complex eyes. After a long pause, she gave a slight nod: "Alright, I will consider your words.
Neither your father nor I am unreasonable. Be at ease.
As your mother, I will only do what's best for you."
Flora nodded without further comment.
Her mother had said she would consider it, and it wouldn't be wise to keep pushing.
"My daughter has truly grown up..." Her mother sighed softly, then pointed to the basement stairs: "Go over there and get me the basket so I can trim the flowers later. It's hanging there."
Unsuspecting, Flora headed in that direction.
Just as she reached the top of the stairs, a loud noise came from behind.
A barrier appeared as if falling from the sky, separating her from her mother.
She looked at her mother in surprise, noticing her calm demeanor, she realized her mother was responsible for this.
"Mother... why...?" Her mother was curtailing her freedom.
Unapologetic, she nodded: "I don't want you outside doing foolish things. The more you run around, the more danger you'll bring upon yourself. But I know you truly care for Matthew, and no matter what I say you won't listen, so I had to resort to this measure." She knew her daughter would hate her for this, but there was no other choice: "The basement has all the necessities, and Emma will bring you food and other things every day."
Flora trembled slightly, unbelievingly looking at the mother she always loved: "Mother, don't... You can't keep me here..."
"Don't blame me.
One day, you'll understand that I just want to protect you." Leaving her with those words, her mother walked away, her footsteps fading.
A few minutes later, Emma rushed over.
Her eyes showed embarrassment, reluctance, and determination.
Matthew's subordinate hesitated, seemingly wary of something, but eventually spoke up: "Boss, you should calm down a bit, be careful not to agitate the situation. We've come this far, we need to be even more cautious. About Selena..."
"I understand." Matthew nodded: "It's just that she hit the kid, so I..." His failure to control his anger was his mistake.
"Boss, sit down and collect yourself. I will go in and talk to her, find a reasonable explanation."
Matthew nodded.
His subordinate hurried into the mansion, indeed finding Selena sitting in one corner, grimacing in pain.
Seeing him enter, she thought it was Matthew and quickly looked up.
She was surprised to see someone else: "Where's Matthew?"
"Don't be angry at the boss, Miss White.
He... His current mood isn't good, Miss Flora had an unfortunate accident, losing a lot of blood, and she couldn't save the child." The newcomer put a hand in his pocket, quietly pressing a small button while continuing to speak: "He lost control of his temper for a moment.
As you know, we tend to be less restrained with those we're close to."
His words were suggestive.
Selena seemed to be convinced.
Moreover, hearing about Flora's miscarriage, her mood immediately improved.
"Are you serious? That wretched woman had a miscarriage! I knew it, she wouldn't have a happy ending! Matthew certainly won't let her and Patrick off!" Selena spoke joyfully, without a filter.
She completely forgot that those around Matthew had never mentioned Patrick to her.
"Do you really believe that they shouldn't be left alone, Miss White?"
"Of course!" Selena nodded eagerly: "Just thinking about how Flora hurt him, I can't stand it... If only I could always be by his side, he wouldn't be fooled by that woman..."
Their conversation was recorded in its entirety and sent to Matthew.
A few simple sentences, but the information contained therein was quite necessary.
He encrypted the recording and saved it in a folder already filled with similar encrypted files.
After completing this task, he shut down his computer, left the room, and headed towards the room where Selena was.