Meanwhile, Bertha was already safe at their new hideout thanks to her three little heroes.
Earlier, after washing up, the children had emerged to find her missing and the door ajar, sparking their worry.
Alfred checked the surveillance footage and saw that she had been taken away, so he quickly went to rescue her!
Bertha didn’t know her sons had saved her, and now felt lingering fear.
When she heard the alarm, she ran to the door, pushed it open, went downstairs, and saw her three sons.
The four of them quickly hailed a taxi back.
Calming down, Bertha asked, “Why did you three suddenly show up there?”
Alfred replied, “We saw Mommy wasn’t home, and the motel owner said you’d been taken away. We tracked your location. You came downstairs right when we arrived. Mommy, what happened?”
Bertha turned to Jacob, frowning.“Jacob, tell me the truth. Why did scratch someone’s car?”
you
acob blinked.“Were those two bad guys the ones who kidnapped you?”
What bad guy?”
acob’s face flushed with anger.“If I’d known those bastards would come after you, I wouldn’t have let them off
so easily at the train station! Leave it to me, Mommy. I’ll make them pay!”
He clenched his tiny fists and headed to the door.
Bertha yanked him back, planting him firmly in a chair.“What happened at the train station?”
acob pouted, then spilled everything.
Bertha widened her eyes.
How had she missed this?
She gathered Ethan into her arms, inspecting every inch of him.
The lingering bruises on his skin made her heart ache,
‘Does it hurt?” she choked out.
Ethan, ever obedient, saw Bertha’s distress and hurried to comfort her, “No, it doesn’t hurt anymore! Don’t be sad, Mommy, Look, I can jump around!”
He leaped from her embrace and bounced in place twice to prove he was fine.
Watching her sensible son, Bertha couldn’t hold back her tears.
She embraced Ethan again, gently stroking the back of his head in deep sorrow.
She loved all three children deeply, but due to Ethan’s special condition, she devoted extra attention to him.
“I’m so sorry, Ethan. I failed to protect you and got you hurt.”
16:10
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Ethan shook his head vigorously. “No! The lady downstairs said I look happy and healthy. That’s the proof that you take good care of me.”
Bertha held him tighter for a long while.
She rummaged through their luggage for her homemade salve, gently applying it to his bruises.
Afterward, she pointed out to Jacob both his correct actions and his mistakes.
She said a real man shouldn’t start trouble and shouldn’t back down from it either. It was right for an older brother to stand up for his bullied younger brother, which deserved praise.
However, solving the problem alone, scratching someone’s car, and not telling Mommy were wrong.
Bertha
gave Jacob a stern warning never to play with firecrackers, emphasizing the danger involved.
She had no idea those weren’t firecrackers at all. They were small bombs that Jacob had researched and made himself.
To keep Mommy from getting angry, Jacob nodded repeatedly, acting extremely obedient.
As for why they’d changed residences, Alfred made up a reason, and Bertha believed it.
Then Alfred asked, “Did they give you a hard time, Mommy?”
Bertha frowned at the thought of the 8 million.
Not wanting to worry her three children, she lied, “Nope, it’s all over now. Okay, go play. I need to use the bathroom.”
After Bertha left for the bathroom, the three kids huddled in the bedroom for a secret meeting.
Alfred said, “It’s not as simple as Mom made it sound. This isn’t over. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have locked her up.”
Jacob clenched his little fist.
“If they think this is over, they’re wrong. How dare they bully our mom?! Alfred, you and Ethan stay here with Mom. I’m gonna teach them a lesson! They’ll regret ever crossing us.”
As Jacob prepared to leave, Alfred stopped him.“I’ll handle this instead.”
“You? Those scumbags have bodyguards. I’m afraid you can’t take them on.”
Alfred squinted at his small tablet, his young eyes full of resolve.
After a moment of silence, he said slowly, “Mommy said we live in a society ruled by law. We should avenge her legally.”
Bertha had no idea her children were targeting Marcus again.
That night, she lay awake, unable to sleep.
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Chapter 13
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
