Chapter 733

The moment Jane locked eyes with Rory, she caught a fleeting glimpse of resentment in the other woman's gaze. She'd already overheard the hospital staff buzzing about how everyone trapped in the elevator had been successfully rescued. While others were murmuring prayers of relief, Rory was grinding her teeth in frustration. After all the effort and money she'd poured into orchestrating that flawless elevator malfunction, those two little brats Jane and Mina had still managed to escape unscathed! Jane quietly noted Rory's bitter expression. As she followed John and Frederick toward the elevator doors, her tiny feet instinctively shuffled backward, her heart still fluttering with residual fear. She reached for her sister's hand, about to ask if she dared to ride the elevator again, when. Both Frederick and John simultaneously stretched out their arms to pick her up, speaking in rare unison: "We haven't exercised in ages. Let's take the stairs today good for fitness." Before the words fully left their mouths, Frederick had already swooped in, scooping Jane into his arms. John briefly considered wrestling her back but then thought of Mina. Carrying both girls down fourteen flights alone would be no easy feat. Fine, he decided. Let Frederick be the pack mule this time. With that thought, his irritation eased slightly. He turned and lifted Mina, heading downstairs with her in his arms. "Jane, what's on your mind?" Frederick murmured softly near her ear as he carried her. The little girl craned her neck, staring down the now-empty hallway where Rory had disappeared. "Brother Frederick," she said solemnly, "I don't think that elevator accident was just bad luck." Then she recounted everything from discovering Rory's secret with her sister to their recent confrontation laying out the whole story for Frederick. Frederick gently ruffled Jane's hair. "Need any help?" Jane shook her head vigorously, her confidence shining through. "No need, Brother Frederick. Don't worry about me I can handle this little problem myself!" Her beautiful large eyes narrowed slightly, a dangerous glint flashing within them. If Rory was truly behind the elevator incident... She'd make sure to teach that woman a lesson personally only then would her anger be satisfied. —— Rory stormed into Aaliyah's hospital room with a dark expression. Aaliyah sat blankly on the bed, staring out the window. The sight only fueled Rory's irritation. Her voice dripped with impatience as she snapped, "Mom, what's the point of moping around like this all day? "So what if Grandma took my brother right after he was born? Dad hasn't divorced you, has he? As long as he doesn't, everything in this family will still belong to us you, me, and my brother." Aaliyah's gaze dimmed further. "But your father hasn't even come to see me once since I was hospitalized." A flicker of mockery passed through Rory's eyes. "Mom, don't tell me you're still naive enough to think Dad loves you? Remember what you told me when you pushed me to cling to Huan? That nothing else matters for a woman only holding onto money really counts." Her tone softened as she sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around Aaliyah's. "Mom, think about me and my brother. If you collapse just because of Dad's neglect, what will happen to us? Do you really want to abandon us and leave us at the mercy of those vixens he keeps outside?" Aaliyah's expression shifted, a spark of determination gradually returning to her eyes. She straightened up and grasped Rory's hands. "You're right, Rory. I still have you and your brother. I need to protect you both!" Thinking of the son she had brought into this world after enduring unimaginable pain only to have him snatched away by that old hag after a single glance Aaliyah's eyes burned with fury. And then there was that divorce agreement Cayden had the audacity to send over via his assistant. The mere thought of it made her blood boil. She would never let that wretched old woman or Cayden have their way! A glint flickered in Rory's eyes as she suddenly slid off Aaliyah's hospital bed and dropped to her knees before her, her face etched with sorrow. "Mom, I'm sorry," she choked out. "From now on, take good care of my little brother. You two must live well... because I might not be able to stay with you anymore." Aaliyah had just undergone a C-section, her wound still throbbing with pain. But seeing her daughter like this, she couldn't care less about her own suffering. She struggled to get up, reaching out to pull Rory to her feet. "Rory, whatever it is, just talk to me properly. What’s going on? Why are you doing this?" The moment she spoke, two crystal-clear tears rolled down Rory’s cheeks and shattered against the floor. Aaliyah’s heart ached even more at the sight. "Rory, what happened? Tell me, please!" "Mom!" Rory threw her arms around Aaliyah, sobbing uncontrollably. "Yesterday, Ainara met me at the café... and everything we said was overheard by Jane and Mina. Just now, I ran into them outside the ward. They’re blackmailing me with it! They said they’d make sure I get sent to juvenile detention first, then prison that I’d never see the light of day again!" "What?!" Aaliyah froze as if struck by lightning. Rory didn’t even bother wiping her tears, her face streaked with misery. "They even know about... the car accident we arranged to kill Ainara." "I...I wanted to handle this myself earlier. I tampered with the elevator, hoping they'd fall to their deaths. But who knew they'd be so damn lucky and survive?" "The Wallace family is too powerful. They'll uncover the truth sooner or later." "Mom, I've made up my mind. I'm going to turn myself in soon. I'll tell the police everything how Arielle died, Ainara's car accident, and today's elevator 'accident.'" "Mom, I'm sorry. I won't be able to stay by your side anymore, or watch my little brother grow up..." Rory's voice cracked as she dissolved into uncontrollable sobs. Yet Aaliyah, surprisingly, steadied herself. She reached out and pulled her daughter up. "Rory, don't panic. Let's think this through. There must be another way..." A flash of ruthlessness flickered in Rory's tear-filled eyes as she discreetly pinched the tender flesh of her thigh, forcing fresh tears to spill. Shaking her head, she whimpered, "Mom, there's no way out. None. If the Wallace family finds out, they won't let this go. If I don't turn myself in, they'll destroy us just like they did to Grandma's family..." Aaliyah thought of the ruin that had befallen the Atlas family, then looked at her daughter's swollen, red-rimmed eyes. Gritting her teeth, she made her decision. "Rory, call the police. Tell them... it was all me. Say you only found out by accident and convinced me to confess."