Chapter 712

Jane wasn't very familiar with Leila. In her vague memories, that indistinct figure had inherited the fine genes of the orphanage director—gentle and beautiful. Now, as Jane looked at Wang Leila standing before her, dressed in a cheongsam, she was still as graceful and lovely as ever. But her eyes were hollow, like a lifeless porcelain doll. In her arms, she cradled a delicate little girl, her skin as fair as carved jade. The child bore some resemblance to Veronica, yet was even prettier. The moment Felicity got into the car and saw Katalina, she burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs. "I don’t want Grandma! I want Daddy... I want to go to Daddy..." Leila held the struggling, distraught girl tightly in her arms, her expression blank for a long moment. Then, turning to Katalina, she asked woodenly, "Mom, did he sign?" "He did. The money’s here too." Katalina quickly pulled out the agreement and the check from her bag both taken from the Brown family and handed them to Leila. Leila didn’t even glance at the check. Her eyes fixed on Cayden’s signature on the agreement, silent tears streaming down her face. Then, the quiet weeping grew louder. Finally, she passed Felicity to Katalina, buried her face in her knees, and sobbed uncontrollably. Katalina’s eyes reddened as well. But three-year-old Felicity, seeing her mother cry, suddenly stopped her own wailing. She reached out toward Leila, her tiny voice soft and sweet. "Mommy, don’t cry. Smile. Felicity doesn’t want Daddy anymore... Felicity only wants Mommy..." Leila took Felicity back into her arms, quickly wiping away her tears. Forcing a smile, she whispered, "Okay, Mommy won’t cry. Mommy will smile." Katalina grasped her daughter’s hand tightly. "We’ll never come back to this place again. Let’s just go home and live our lives in peace." But a sharp glint flashed in Leila’s eyes as she said firmly, "Mom, I *will* come back. Veronica didn’t die for nothing." "Alright," Katalina replied without hesitation. "Next time, I’ll still come with you." Leila gazed out the car window with a distant look in her eyes. "Maybe next time, I can send him to prison too!" Though she didn’t name him outright, both Katalina and Jane knew she was talking about Cayden. According to Katalina’s earlier confrontation with Cayden, he had not only concealed his marital status from Leila but had also lied about his identity and age. He had even used forged documents to register their marriage. Faking identities and bigamy these were all crimes! Before, Jane had wondered why the orphanage director, despite having solid evidence, hadn’t immediately sent Cayden to jail. Now she understood Leila still couldn’t bring herself to do it. For some reason, hearing Leila’s words made Jane think of Huan. Unable to help herself, she muttered in her tiny, childish voice, "Damn scumbag!" Though her voice was soft, Mina, sitting beside her, heard it clearly and nodded vigorously in agreement. Leaning in, Mina whispered conspiratorially, "Jane, should we think of another way to teach that scumbag a lesson? Watching the director slap him was satisfying, but it’s not enough! "Hey, remember that itching powder you used last time to teach that roommate Haittie a lesson for Auntie Dora? I think it worked pretty well. Maybe we should use it on Cayden and that nasty old Camillie too? "Oh, and Rory—ugh, even though she didn’t say anything today, her eyes were as venomous as a snake’s. "And Aaliyah..." Mina paused mid-sentence. "Actually, forget about Aaliyah. She’s pregnant, and carrying that big belly must be exhausting enough." While Mina was busy plotting, Jane’s eye twitched slightly. Sure, teaching the Brown family a lesson wasn’t a problem. But if her sister found out that the "damn scumbag" she’d just cursed was actually Huan, would she still be so eager to dish out punishment? Jane saw Katalina, Leila, and Felicity off at the airport, watching them board the plane before returning to the car with her older siblings. Mina couldn’t hold back any longer. "Jane, what do you think of my idea for teaching those Brown family scumbags a lesson? Does Grandpa still have any of that itching powder left? If not, what ingredients do we need to make more? I’ll go buy them!" Harold shot her a disdainful look. "Do you even have money?" Mina puffed out her chest proudly. "Of course I do! I still have three hundred dollar left from the New Year’s money my brothers gave me!" Harold rolled his eyes. "You’re bragging about having three hundred dollar left? Between our brothers, cousins, Grandpa, and Grandpa on Mom’s side, you got tens of thousands in red envelopes, and now you’re down to three hundred? Not to mention all the money you’ve spent of mine!" Mina’s confidence instantly deflated. She fidgeted with her slender fingers. "I had to buy dissection tools, materials, feed for my little pets, and supplies for experiments—it all costs money! Didn’t you say you’d support my studies as long as my grades improved?" Harold sighed silently. Every child was a money-devouring monster. Seeing his silence, Mina perked up again. "Jane, I’m almost out of mice and rabbits. Let’s go check out the pet market!" Before Jane could respond, Bryan chimed in. "Not a bad idea. After dealing with that trash at the Brown family, we could use some fresh scenery. A trip to the pet market would be a nice change of pace." Without giving Jane or Harold a chance to object, Bryan turned to the driver, Mariah. "Auntie Mariah, could you take us to the nearest pet market?" As soon as they arrived, Mina eagerly pushed the car door open. "Let’s go! Time to shop for some cuties!" Jane’s eyes flickered as she caught sight of a golden-haired, blue-eyed figure outside the window. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Huan—the last person she wanted to run into right now. Seeing her sister already stepping out of the car, Jane quickly grabbed her arm and yanked her back inside. "Sis, this place looks dirty, and they don’t have a good selection. Let’s go to a different pet market!" Mina, bewildered, craned her neck to peer outside. "But Jane, I’ve been here before it’s clean! Plus, they have the cheapest mice and rabbits..." She tugged at Jane, trying to pull her out, just as Huan and Maia walked past the car. Jane flinched in alarm. She cupped her sister’s face with both hands, pouting stubbornly. "I don’t care, Sis! I don’t want to go to this market today, and neither can you!"