Chapter 10000
Northpine was a massive city, larger than some small countries. Running into Joshua again was clearly no coincidence.
Marguerite’s lovely face hardened, and her voice turned cold. “Joshua, are you following me p>
Joshua, not in the least bit embarrassed at being caught, simply smirked. “I’m not following you. I paid a private investigator to find out where you were. You won’t answer my calls, so I had to come find you p>
He knew Marguerite well after pursuing her for three years. It was better to be upfront than to make excuses. She would still be angry, but less so.
The fact that he could smile about it made her even angrier. “What, is that something to be proud of? You’ve violated my privacy. I could call the police p>
When the radiant girl’s expression turned icy, she was breathtakingly, chillingly beautiful. Follow current novels on
Joshua, ever adaptable, immediately apologized. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm. I just missed you so much p>
Marguerite’s gaze was flat and cold. “Is this a ‘try not to laugh’ challenge? You win.” Joshua was speechless.
The priority was to get to a hospital. Marguerite turned to Aaron. “Get Jenny into the car p>
Aaron shot Joshua a venomous look from under his long bangs. This guy was just as persistent as he remembered, clinging to his sister like a leech. As he walked past, Aaron deliberately slammed his shoulder into Joshua.
The impact sent a sharp pain through Joshua’s arm, and he stumbled back. His temper flared. “What the hell is your problem p>
Aaron stopped and turned, his eyes glinting with a savage light. “Stay away from my sister p>
Joshua felt a chill run down his spine, as if he wer being stared down a wild animal. He noticed the cuts and bruises on Aaron’s face and head-clearly from a fight. He knew better than to provoke a hot-headed young kid like this; they were the type to fight to the death.
He backed down, forcing a smile. “Hey, Aaron, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m just trying to make things right with your sister. Let me take you guys to the hospital p>
It had been years, and Joshua didn’t actually recognize Aaron at first. But he had called Marguerite “sis,” and Joshua knew what her other two brothers looked like. This had to be him.
“No, thank you. We can get to the hospital ourselves,” Marguerite said, rejecting his offer.
Nancy drove, with Marguerite in the passenger seat and Aaron and Jenny in the back. Marguerite turned your
to teüe satorn u went to
apartment. Your neighbor told me a man came looking for you last night and beat you and Jenny. Is that true p>
Aaron was using a tissue from the car to wipe the blood from Jenny’s lips. He nodded. “Yes p>
“Who was he? Why did he attack you? I want you to tell me everything that’s happened to you over these past years, right now.” Marguerite decided to be direct; she was done with beating around the bush.
Aaron crumpled the tissue in his hand, his gaze dropping.
The reason he had been a chubby kid was simple: he loved to eat. He was the kind
of three-year-old who would chase a chicken for its egg and end up with a mouthful of chicken poop.
The day he disappeared at the park, it was scorching hot. Theobald had gone to buy drinks, leaving him and Simon to wait under a tree. Simon, ever curious, was engrossed in watching a couple kissing oma park bench. But Aaron’s keen nose had picked up the rich, savory scent of grilled sausage.
He followed the smell and found a kind-faced middle-aged woman selling them from
a cart. She saw him and smiled. “Do you want one, little boy p>
Aaron was practically drooling, but he shook his head. “I don’t have any money.” Marguerite had taught him never to take things from strangers for free.
The woman kindly handed him a sausage. “You’re so cute. This one’s on me p>
His seven-year-old mind waged a brief war between reason and gluttony. Gluttony won. He figured he could just get the money from Theobald later and pay her back.
He beamed, his eyes crinkling. “Thank you p>
He wolfed down the sausage, and then a wave of drowsiness hit him. The world began to blur, and soon, everything went dark.
When he woke up, he was in the
back of a truck. The ceiling was
pitch black, and his body rolled around with every bump in the road, slamming painfully against the metal walls. His hands and feet were tied, and a gag was stuffed in his mouth. He couldn’t even scream.
He knew then that he had been kidnapped.
Despair washed over him, and tears streamed down his face. Stupid mouth, why did you have to eat that sausage?
He cried until he had no tears left. His stomach rumbled; it was dinnertime, but there was no dinner for him. He had no idea where he was or where he was going.
But then, a sense of calm settled over him. Marguerite had always told him that no matter what happened, he had to stay calm, think clearly, and never, ever give up. The journey seemed endless. He drifted in and out of a hunger-induced sleep, waking each time to the same relentless motion of the truck. They were probably trying to put as much distance between them and Theobald’s police report as possible.