Chapter 8 Ironic
Chapter 8 Ironic
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As Shiloh thought about it, she found it somewhat ironic. During her marriage, she’d never had a chance to taste Adrian’s cooking, but now, after their divorce, she finally had.
However, after hearing Nora call Adrian “Daddy” one day, Shiloh no longer allowed him to be near her daughter.
Except during mealtimes, Shiloh spent most of her time in the study on the second floor.
The study had a play area for children, where Nora spent most of her time. Travis and Marty often stayed there, too, keeping her company.
The boys had gotten used to starting their mornings by playing with Nora and had also grown accustomed to Shiloh’s cold demeanor.
Their strange yet oddly harmonious dynamic left Jeff completely puzzled.
Another week passed.
Finally, the rain stopped, and the river receded the day after.
Shiloh had an important phone call to take. Seeing Nora playing with her toys in the playpen in the study, with Travis and Marty watching over her, Shiloh stepped out onto the study’s balcony to take the call.
Her subordinate on the other end reported the current situation of the Frerton Resort land.
“Monkey,” Shiloh said, “we must secure that land at all costs.”
Over the past two years, she had surveyed many locations, but the land of the Frerton Resort was the most suitable for growing her prized medicinal herbs.
If large–scale cultivation and new strain experiments succeeded, many currently incurable fatal diseases. could be alleviated, if not entirely cured.
Monkey assured her, “Don’t worry, Shiloh. I’ll make sure we get it, no matter what.”
“By the way,” he added, “we’ve noticed several groups investigating your identity recently. I’ve asked Mouse to block them.”
Shiloh said, “Thanks, keep an eye on it.”
Monkey added, “Also, tomorrow is Nora’s check–up day. I’ve arranged for a car to pick you up, and the hospital is ready.”
After hanging up, Shiloh stepped back inside, only to find that Nora was no longer in the study. Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly headed downstairs.
At the staircase, she froze. There was Jessie, someone who shouldn’t have been there, holding Nora in her
arms.
Jessie had her hand pinching Nora’s cheek as the little girl squirmed to escape, but Jessie held her tightly.
“Let her go, Shiloh demanded, her voice sharp.
Jessie turned toward the sound, her heart tightening at the sight of Shiloh. What was she doing here?
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Chapter 8 Ironic
As Nora called out “Mommy,” Jessie deliberately twisted the child’s fingers. Her ornate nails, adorned with large diamond accents, left a red scratch on Nora’s delicate skin.
Nora burst into tears from the pain.
Adrian, in the guest room conducting a meeting with Jeff, heard the crying and immediately came out.
The moment he stepped out, he saw Shiloh storming over, fury blazing in her eyes as she cradled her daughter in one arm and slapped Jessie hard with the other.
“Shiloh, what do you think you’re doing?” Adrian barked.
Jessie had come to Oklark Village with the Frost family’s bodyguards. At the sight of Adrian, her eyes turned red with tears.
“Adrian. I just thought the little girl was cute and wanted to hold her. I don’t know why Shiloh hit me,” she said, her tone laced with grievance.
Jessie’s face was visibly swollen from the slap, but Shiloh ignored her pretense.
She pulled out a first aid kit and began disinfecting Nora’s wound. Her hands trembled when she saw the
blood.
Thankfully, the injury wasn’t severe, and Shiloh managed to stop the bleeding quickly.
Nora sobbed and clung to Shiloh’s neck, whimpering. “Mommy, it hurts.”
“Nora, you’re so brave. It won’t hurt anymore soon,” Shiloh said softly, her eyes filled with guilt.
She shouldn’t have let Nora out of her sight.
Adrian saw the scratch on Nora’s face, now swollen, and his expression darkened. A pang of guilt and worry twisted in his chest.
Jessie nervously hid her nails behind her back. “Adrian, I didn’t mean to. Shiloh startled me, and I accidentally scratched the child’s face.”
Shiloh’s fury flared. “Who let you into my house?”
Adrian noticed the tremor in her voice and the way her hands shook as she held Nora. He instinctively reached out to take the child, but both Shiloh and Nora avoided him.
Adrian froze mid–motion, his voice softening as he called out, “Nora.”
But Nora buried her face in Shiloh’s shoulder, refusing to look at him.
Even at her young age, she understood that anyone her mommy didn’t like was a “bad person.”
And in her eyes, Adrian and her brothers were bad people. They hadn’t helped her when Elma pinched her cheeks. She decided she didn’t want to like them anymore.
Meanwhile, Marty stood off to the side, fear creeping into his expression as he looked at Shiloh. It was him. He had opened the door to let Jessie in because she’d brought him a cake.
He hadn’t had cake in so long.
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Chapter 8 Ironic
“It was me,” Marty admitted.
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Shiloh’s gaze fell on him. She noticed the cream at the corner of his mouth and the small cake on the table.
“It was me,” Marty admitted.
