Jessica Mason’s cheek throbbed with pain, and instinctively she raised her hand, wanting to slap Timmy Monroe in return.
But what no one expected was that Ian Keane pushed Timmy away.
Jessica turned pale with fright, but her slap didn’t land on Ian Keane’s face: "Young Master Ian... I... I didn’t mean to hit you..."
Ian Keane gave Jessica a cruel smile, "I don’t want to hear your excuses. Before my daddy comes back, pack your things and get out..."
"Young Master Ian..."
"Do you want to leave with her too?"
Ian Keane’s gaze fell on Auntie Chamberlain. Though he was only six years old, his fierce eyes were exactly like Leon Keane’s. Once he decided something, no one could argue.
Auntie Chamberlain was frightened, too scared to say another word.
Jessica cried. She didn’t want to leave; President Kane had only just taken a liking to her. How could she leave now?
She blamed that little wild child, Timmy Monroe. If it weren’t for him, Young Master Ian wouldn’t be treating her this way today. Sob, sob, sob...
Ian Keane took Timmy Monroe into the room and got a cold bottle of mineral water for him to apply to his face.
"Brother, thank you." Timmy accepted the cold mineral water, using it as a cold compress on his small face, which had reddened from Jessica’s slap.
Ian Keane didn’t say anything, wearing a cold expression. He might not say it out loud, but he clearly understood in his heart that Timmy was his little brother. Even if they fought or argued, no one else was allowed to hurt him.
They remained silent for a while.
Timmy thought about his own mistakes and apologized to Ian Keane, "I’m sorry, brother. I shouldn’t have said you don’t have a mommy."
Ian Keane paused, "You don’t have to apologize. We’re even now."
Ian Keane wouldn’t apologize to Timmy Monroe either.
An apology would mean compromise. He wouldn’t compromise, not about Timmy’s mommy entering the Kane family.
"Brother, my mommy is really wonderful. She’s the best and kindest mommy in the world."
Ian Keane frowned. What was the point of telling him this? No matter how good she was, she wasn’t his mommy. He refused to like someone else’s mommy.
"Brother, how about this! Let’s switch roles. I can lend you my mommy for a few days! So you can also feel a mommy’s warmth."
"I don’t need it," Ian Keane coldly refused.
"Brother, Timmy has never had a daddy since he was little. Mommy raised Timmy with so much hardship. If only Timmy had a daddy as amazing as Uncle Kane, like you do."
Ian Keane wanted to tell Timmy that his daddy was also his daddy. But when he saw the longing in Timmy’s face for fatherly love, Ian Keane felt a pang of emotion, like he had never experienced a mommy’s affection himself.
He actually yearned for it too...
"Alright, I’ll switch with you."
"Brother, you agreed? Yay!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novelꜰire.net
Timmy cheered with delight, only to have Ian Keane cover his mouth suddenly.
"Little brother, quieter. Don’t let anyone find out," Ian Keane whispered into Timmy’s ear.
Timmy’s eyes widened in surprise, looking eagerly at Ian Keane: "Brother, what did you call me? You called me little brother..."
Ian Keane frowned. Was there a problem calling him little brother? Why was he so happy? He was his little brother, after all.
The next day arrived.
Ivana Monroe insisted on being discharged from the hospital. The cuts on her back weren’t deep, just superficial with a long scar forming. Now that it had scabbed over, a few days at home would heal it completely once the scab fell off.
Leon Keane couldn’t dissuade Ivana, so he had to help her with the discharge procedures.
The police contacted her, asking her to come over.
Leon drove Ivana to the police station, and there they were met with two familiar faces, Jean Shaw and Michelle Monroe.
Ivana’s pupils contracted sharply, and she clenched her fingers.
Jean Shaw saw Ivana and immediately began cursing, "Ivana, you little slut, you couldn’t behave yourself, messing around outside, getting kidnapped by bad people. What does that have to do with us?"
"Do you want to accuse us, saying that we mother and daughter paid to have you kidnapped? Do you even find those words ridiculous? Us paying to have you kidnapped to extort money from ourselves?"
"Sister, one must act with conscience. You know best how you caught the attention of the captors. My mother and I are innocent."
Michelle Monroe looked very aggrieved, pitiful and innocent.
Ivana sneered, "What goes around comes around, Jean Shaw, Michelle Monroe, your retribution is coming."
Ivana watched the approaching officer. It seemed she hadn’t had the chance to tell the police that the serial killer clown who kidnapped her was suspected to have been hired by Jean Shaw and Michelle Monroe.
"Are you the victim, Miss Monroe? Hello, I’m Officer Thorne." Tobias Thorne reached out to Ivana, only to withdraw his hand awkwardly when faced with Leon Keane’s cold glare.
"Hello, Officer Thorne," Ivana nodded politely.
Tobias Thorne took Ivana to a private office to tell her that the clown was a serial killer who had previously murdered twelve young women aged between sixteen and twenty-five before Ivana.
Ivana was the only one to survive the clown’s grasp.
Tobias Thorne also informed Ivana that although the clown had been sentenced to death, capturing the mastermind who ordered the clown wasn’t easy, as the clown, suffering from a split personality, mentioned numerous names during severe interrogation, including officials from Ravenswood and Jean Shaw’s mother and daughter.
Evidence of conflict between Ivana and Jean Shaw, and Michelle Monroe was found, indicating strong suspicion on Jean Shaw’s mother and daughter, which was why they were called in today.
However, they claimed ignorance, seemingly unaware that Ivana had been taken by a murderer to be tortured live on stream.
Ivana felt somewhat disheartened; despite all the evils done by Jean Shaw’s mother and daughter, was there really no way to bring them to justice?
Ivana left the police station, and Jean Shaw’s mother and daughter were also released.
Jean Shaw suddenly took off her shoe and rushed at Ivana, hitting her in the face with the sole.
Leon Keane shielded Ivana, grabbing Jean Shaw’s wrist, and said in a low voice, "At the police station entrance, you still want to attack? I can have you sent in right now."
Michelle Monroe came over, pulling at Jean Shaw, "Mom, don’t be angry. Put your shoes on. It’s not worth ruining your health over this woman."
Jean Shaw, in pain, gritted her teeth and pulled her hand back, putting on her shoe while cursing Leon Keane and Ivana, "Leon Keane, don’t think you’re a hero saving a damsel in distress. What you saved is garbage that’s been used by countless men, worn-out goods. Otherwise, how else could she afford to raise a bastard abroad these past six years by selling herself beneath?"
Ivana suddenly broke free from Leon’s arms and slapped Jean Shaw hard across the face.
She spoke coldly, "You can curse me, insult me, but you cannot insult my son. For every word you spit out, I will return a slap."