Chapter 287
Chapter 287 Past And Pain
After scrutinizing and eyeing Elvis, Ziana turned to Mr. and Mrs. Menter and asked calmly, "Are the two of you using this information to threaten me? What is your agenda?"
To Ziana, the Menter family would never reveal her daughter's information to her this easily.
They must have had an ulterior motive.
The excited looks on Mr. and Mrs. Menter's faces suddenly froze.
"No, we do not have any. We just came to see you," Mrs. Menter quickly replied.
Ziana looked at the couple and noticed they had aged quite a bit. Yet, all she could think of was their cruel and ruthless faces from over two decades ago when they took her child away.
She was in a deep slump at that time after receiving the terrible news of her husband's death. When she finally snapped out of it, her child had already been taken away from her and had disappeared without a trace.
The pain she experienced that night was so excruciating that she wondered if anyone else could understand. And her parents' cold, cruel gaze and brutal ways had made her thoroughly understand that she had nothing left.
It had been many years, but the pain did not fade away with the passage of time. Instead, that experience had left her heartbroken and traumatized.
Ziana's eyes were devoid of warmth. She replied guardedly, "You have seen me now, so just say whatever you came to say."
She subconsciously moved to stand in front of Isabella. To Ziana, since these people had the gall to hurt her daughter, they now might even have ill intentions towards her beloved mentee. Ziana's actions were out of instinct. It did not occur to her that, in reality, members of the Menter family could not harm Isabella, given her identity.
However, seeing her instinctively defensive movement, Mr. Menter and his wife felt a sharp ache in their hearts.
They realized that, to Ziana, they were no longer her parents but enemies.
Enemies who would intentionally hurt the people she cared about!
"We're not..." Mrs. Menter's voice choked as she tried to explain.
It's human nature that as people grow old, they would tend to reflect on the past and realize their past mistakes. Then they would begin to regret, using familial ties as an excuse to make amends. However, to Ziana, some damages were just irreparable.From NôvelDrama.Org.
Being hurt by a family member was even more soul-crushing.
After witnessing their exchange, Elvis instantly understood how deep the rift was between his aunt and grandparents.
He quickly spoke up, "Aunt Ziana, you've misunderstood. Grandpa and grandma just wanted to see you after all these years. They missed you!"
Taken aback, Ziana questioned Mr. and Mrs. Menter coldly, "You missed me? Seriously?"
"It's true, I swear!" Mrs. Menter insisted as she nodded repeatedly.
Mr. Menter also nodded silently, both of them looking hopefully at Ziana, hoping to see a trace of empathy in her eyes.
However, on the contrary, Ziana's eyes only reflected hatred and deep-seated resentment.
She whispered, "You both are now loving and compassionate, huh? Well, I miss my daughter too. So tell me where she is. Where is she?"
She muttered to herself. She was questioning the elderly couple as much as she was questioning herself. Her eyes were blank and broken, exuding a strong sense of sorrow and despair.
The elderly couple was stunned when they saw Ziana's reaction. They felt faint momentarily as the blood drained from their faces.
More than twenty years prior, Ziana had also knelt before them until her knees were battered and bled, begging them to return her child to her.
Mrs. Menter clenched her chest silently in anguish.
Anna Lindon, who was sitting in the car, could not help but be moved. Even though she was just an outsider, she could tell how deep the pain was on Ziana's face.
Mrs. Menter's lips trembled as a teardrop slowly formed from the corner of her eye.
Back then, she was the one who first suggested sending Ziana's child away.
She thought that Ziana had acted immorally by betraying her fiancé and eloping with another man. Such a daughter brought shame to the Menter family.
She believed her daughter had brought shame upon the family and thus wanted to bring Ziana back to teach her a lesson, making her realize the severity of her wrongdoing.
As for the child she gave birth to with some unknown promiscuous man, it naturally shouldn't exist.
She wanted to choke the child to death but finally changed her mind when she met the child's innocent gaze.
She planned to send the child far away.
At that time, while Ziana was coping with the pain of losing her lover, she also desperately had to search for her child. Yet, what awaited her back home were her parents, who proceeded to lock her up in the Menter family's residence for three whole months.
When she was released three months later, she had already turned into a completely different person.
She developed an immense hatred for her parents. They became estranged after she severed all ties with. them. She then began searching for her child which had continued up to this day. She even considered the possibility that her child might have been dead.
As she stared at the elderly couple with her broken and lifeless gaze, she asked, "What do I need to do for you two to finally tell me where my child is?"
Her pained expression made the elderly couple, who were already hurting, feel even more unbearable.
They felt profoundly regretful for their past actions and their cruelty towards Ziana.
At that moment, Ziana questioned, "Was the car accident Yates was in really an accident?"
She stared at the elderly couple with dark, hollow eyes, holding onto every bit of emotion that might escape their faces.
The elderly couple suddenly widened their eyes in shock.
"No, it was not us! It really was an accident!" Mr. Menter shook his head furiously. Mrs. Menter could not bear it any longer and fainted.
Elvis helped Mrs. Menter up, who was looking extremely pale and weak.
Ziana continued to stare at Mr. Menter.
Mr. Menter said, "Ziana, you have to believe us. Yates Sutton's death really has nothing to do with us.
"I... Although I did have such plans back then, I didn't even have time to act on them. Before the person I hired could make a move, Yates had already met with that accident. I am serious. It really was an accident!"
Mr. Menter was talking a mile a minute as he defended himself.
Ziana stared at him blankly for a moment, and then she released a soft groan.
She stumbled, and Isabella quickly held onto and supported her.
Isabella said, "Master Menter, I want you to meet someone."
Ziana did not respond.
Her mind was occupied with scenes of her beloved dying tragically.
He was such a refined person with exceptional looks and personality. Still, he died in such a gruesome way that they were unable to recover his full body. Tears rolled down Ziana's cheeks quietly. isabella turned her head and looked at Anna, who was still in the car.
Anna could not explain why she didn't leave immediately but instead remained in the car, watching what went down between this family.
She looked at Ziana Menter with sympathy as she felt great pity towards her.
Though, she couldn't help but feel a little panicked when she thought of what the elderly couple had said that day. What if this really had something to do with her?
She hesitated for a moment under Isabella's gaze.
But very quickly, she opened the car door and got out.
Whether or not this matter and these people have anything to do with her, she felt that she still needed to get to the bottom of it herself.
After all, she had always wanted to find her biological parents.
She wanted to figure out her true identity and background.
She wanted to live life without any doubts or questions.
So she walked out bravely.
Ziana sensed something and glanced in that direction, and then she saw a face that was strikingly similar to her lover's.
Not only did their faces look similar, but there was also a unique charm to her. Even the slightest change in expression could not deceive anyone.
To Ziana, at that moment, it was as if the world had stopped spinning and they were frozen in time. All she could see was that girl walking towards her. Anna stopped in her tracks as Ziana's gaze made her feel particularly uneasy.
She could not help but feel her heart beat faster.