Chapter 724

Bryan, Harold, and Frederick each carried a snake cage and stuffed them into the trunk. Once everyone was in the car, Mina turned to the driver, Mariah, and said cheerfully, "Auntie Mariah, let's head home now." Bryan leaned forward, peering at Mina with a puzzled expression. "Mina, are we really going home now? Didn’t we just say we were going to buy Jane that toy motorcycle?" Mina’s eyes widened as she smacked her forehead playfully. "Oh! You’re right! Jane, I’m so sorry I totally forgot about your motorcycle! Oops!" She giggled sheepishly. Jane squeezed his sister’s hand gently. "It’s okay, sis. If you don’t feel like going, we can just go home." Though Mina’s smile was as bright as ever, a pang of sadness twisted in her chest. Even when their cruel relatives, the Lewis couple, had mistreated her in the past, he’d never seen her like this forcing cheerfulness like a fragile mask. Mina immediately straightened up, her expression turning earnest. "No way! I want to go! Besides, brother Bryan promised to buy it for you. How could I pass up such a perfect chance to make him pay up?" She winked mischievously. —— At the largest luxury mall in the capital, Mina tugged Jane’s hand, dashing toward the toy store where they’d spotted the lifelike racing motorcycles on their last visit. "Hurry, hurry! The saleslady said these were limited edition. Who knows if they’ll still be there today!" Jane’s short legs scrambled to keep up with her pace, his breath coming in quick puffs. "They’ll still be there, sis! Slow down a little!" By the time he huffed into the store, Mina had already convinced the clerk to bring out the last two remaining models one fiery red, the other sleek white. Perched on the crimson motorcycle, Mina leaned low over the handlebars, striking a pose that was equal parts cool and fearless. The clerk beamed at them. "We’ve got a special mini racetrack for these bikes, if you’d like to try them out!" "Yes!" Mina answered without hesitation. She grabbed Jane, who was still catching his breath, and pulled him over. "You take the white one, I’ll take the red let’s race!" Jane eyed the two motorcycles, then the tiny racetrack that took up half the store but still looked comically small. His face twisted into a mix of amusement and resignation. This motorcycle is basically like a bumper car it can't even go faster than 10 mph. What's the point of racing it? And you can't even bump into others for fun. It's way less thrilling than bumper cars! But, adhering to the principle of spoiling her sister, Jane nodded without hesitation and hopped onto the white motorcycle. She pressed the throttle, ready to zoom down the track. Just then, the shop assistant hurried over with two sets of riding gear and helmets. "Hold on, girls! You need to put on the protective gear first." Mina and Jane obediently let the assistant strap them into the gear. Once suited up, Mina shot straight onto the track, slamming the throttle wide open. Even at a measly 10 mph, she somehow managed to make it look like she was going 180. Jane scrambled after her, her tiny voice pleading, "Sis, wait for me!" But before she could catch up, she watched in horror as Mina’s motorcycle veered off the track and went flying— "Sis—!" "Mina—!" ... *Crash!* The bike toppled over, and Mina hit the ground hard. Jane, Bryan, and Harold immediately sprinted toward her, hearts in their throats. Before they could even get close, though, Mina sprang to her feet, grinning brightly. "Relax, guys! I'm totally fine. A little tumble like that won't hurt me. The bike’s busted, though what a shame." The shop assistant had nearly had a heart attack the moment she saw Mina go flying off the track. She might not have recognized Mina at first, but Jane’s fame was hard to miss she was practically a child star. Initially, seeing them enter the store, he had envisioned making a big sale today and securing a hefty commission for the month. But if Wallace family's precious treasure got hurt, forget about commissions or sales whether he could keep his job or if the store could even remain open would be in question. Hearing Mina's words, he quickly chimed in, "Don't worry, little miss! The motorcycle can be fixed. Are you hurt anywhere? If you're feeling any discomfort, you must tell us!" "I'm fine! Mina can take a fall like a champ!" she declared with exaggerated bravado, then bossily directed Harold and Bryan, "Brother Harold and brother Bryan, , hurry up and pay! Oh, and the clothes and protective gear on me and Jane we're buying those too!" "Sure, we'll buy them," Bryan replied without hesitation, pulling out several cards from his wallet. "Mina, if you wanted this entire store no, this whole mall I'd buy it for you today!" Harold shot him a deadpan look. "Bro, do you even have enough money for that?" Bryan scratched his nose sheepishly and grinned. "Heh, just blowing off some steam! I heard girls cheer up when they go shopping, so I just wanted to make Mina happy." Mina frowned at him. "Bro, who told you I wasn't happy? I’m perfectly happy!" Jane watched as her sister forced an exaggerated smile, as if desperate to prove her cheerfulness, yet the faint redness at the corners of her eyes betrayed her. A lump formed in the little girl's throat. She reached out with her small, delicate hand and gently took her sister's. "Sis, we all know you're happy. Come on, let's go home." Mina strained to keep her lips curved as she looked down at Jane. "Jane, do you not believe me either? I really am happy..." But before she could finish, her voice cracked with unshed tears. Jane felt so heartbroken she could cry too. She turned to her sister, only to find her standing rigidly beside her on the descending escalator, gaze fixed on something in the distance. Rising onto her tiptoes to peer over the railing, Jane followed her sister's line of sight and there, at the jewelry counter on the ground floor, stood Huan, browsing gems with Maia Philip by his side. When she looked back at her sister, tears were already streaming down her face like scattered pearls. Jane didn't know how to comfort her sister and momentarily panicked. Just as the elevator reached the next floor, she quickly took her sister's hand and led her out. Once they stopped, she instinctively wrapped her tiny arms around her sister. Mina seemed to finally release all the emotions she had been holding back, collapsing into sobs on the floor, unable to control herself. Jane's eyes welled up with tears too. Bryan clenched his fists, his face twisted in fury as he growled through gritted teeth, "I'm going down there to beat Huan to a pulp!" But before he could take more than two steps, Mina's voice still choked with tears but firm stopped him. "Brother Bryan, come back. Don’t go!" Bryan's chest heaved with rage, but since Mina forbade him from confronting Huan, he hesitated, unsure what to do. His questioning gaze turned to Harold. Harold's face remained expressionless, but his dark eyes burned with suppressed fury. After taking a slow, deep breath, he finally said to Bryan, "If Mina says don’t go, then we don’t go. Let’s just go home."