Chapter 2 His Protection

Two hours later, Christina arrived back at the Marshall family estate.

As soon as she entered, her half-sister Zoe Marshall, whose face contorted with disgust, blocked her path, demanding, "Where on earth have you been? You knew perfectly well that tonight you were supposed to apologize to Miss Willis at the hospital, yet you still disappeared! Do you realize how much shame you've brought on the Marshall family?"

Christina halted, unbothered by the storm brewing in Zoe's eyes. Her expression remained unruffled, her voice calm but firm. "I'm just an illegitimate daughter. The reputation of the Marshall family is never my responsibility. If appearances matter so much to you, Ms. Marshall, maybe you should focus on your own actions. Being a side chick will bring shame on your family, too."

Zoe snapped, her chest heaving with rage, "How dare you! You're just like your mother - shameless! She tore apart someone else's family, and you're even worse. Out of jealousy for Miss Willis, you ruined her life and left her with a permanent disability! Because of you, everyone disliked our family! If it weren't for you, maybe someone would actually care about me!"

Christina's mother had been Cade Marshall's mistress.

After her mother's death, Christina, Cade's illegitimate daughter, had been cast aside to live a lonely, rural life for years.

She wasn't brought back to the Marshall family until she was ten. But no one could have foreseen the turmoil her return would unleash.

Christina had tried - and failed - to kill Carrie, leaving Carrie with a permanent disability.

The memory of this only fueled Zoe's hatred for her further.

After Christina was imprisoned, Zoe's reputation had been tarnished by her connection to Christina.

There had been countless moments when Zoe wished that Christina would die in prison before her release.

But, to her surprise, Christina's sentence had been repeatedly reduced until she was finally released.

And even worse, Cade had welcomed her back into the Marshall family!

Zoe's cold, venomous gaze pinned Christina like a predator eyeing its prey. Why couldn't this wretched woman just vanish for good?

Zoe's malice was so clear that Christina was ready to respond, but a maid suddenly appeared.

"Ms. Christina Marshall, Mr. Marshall requests that you return to your room and change. You'll be visiting Miss Willis shortly."

"I see," Christina replied flatly. Once the maid left, she walked past Zoe, heading for her room, but then paused abruptly.

"Zoe, you're mistaken," she said, turning back to face Zoe with a sly smile. "I could never be like my mother. She was kind and gentle, always returning kindness for cruelty. As for me, I'm not that lenient. If anyone dares to hurt me, they'll regret it for the rest of their life."

Zoe froze, locked in Christina's chilling gaze. A shiver ran down her spine as cold sweat clung to her back.

Christina dismissed her with a look and continued to her room.

Once inside, she eyed the dress Cade had selected for her - a white gown, too demure and innocent for her liking.

A mocking glint flashed in Christina's eyes. Was she going to wear this? Was Cade really expecting her, after wearing such a gown, to turn into a kind woman and genuinely apologize to Carrie, pleading for her forgiveness?

With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the dress into the trash. Moments later, her phone buzzed with a text message.

"Ms. Marshall, we've completed a full check-up on the three young ladies. Their condition... isn't good. Unless we can reach Dr. Cullen Wade, but we hear he has an appointment next month."

Christina clenched her phone, a tight knot forming in her throat as a sharp pang of sorrow gripped her chest.

If there was one thing she regretted above all else, it was bringing Wendy Clarke's three daughters to the city.

After her mother died, Christina found herself alone in the countryside, fending for herself. The caretakers Cade hired treated her with scorn, showing her nothing but contempt and cruelty. That was until Wendy appeared.

"Who's this little girl? She can't even cry properly," Wendy had asked, her gentle eyes and warm smile like a light in the darkness, offering Christina comfort in the coldness of the countryside.

During those dark years, Christina had suffered abuse and neglect. After her mother's passing, her father's indifference left a void in her heart. It was Wendy's kindness and the love of her three daughters that helped her endure.

Wendy had been the kind of mother anyone would have wanted.

Even though she kept her daughters' father a secret, Wendy had ensured that they never lacked for love.

But then Wendy too passed away.

Christina had promised to care for her daughters.

When Christina returned to the Marshall family, she worried about the three girls. They couldn't bear to be apart from her and insisted on following her to the city.

Then disaster struck.

The memories of three years ago came rushing back in vivid detail now.

A small, dimly lit room. The stench of blood and decay heavy in the air. In ragged clothes, three girls, identical in appearance, lay numb on a bed. Their bodies were covered in open wounds, bleeding and leaking grotesque fluids. The scene was nightmarish.

Their pale faces, marked by despair, would haunt Christina forever. One of them, Elaine Clarke, whose lips were cracked and dry, whispered with difficulty, "Christina, it hurts so much."

Christina bent down and, with great care, lifted each girl in her arms, taking them home. But the moment she stepped out of that room, it felt as though her heart had been pierced, leaving only raw, aching pain in its wake.

She had failed to protect Wendy's daughters from the beginning to the end. She felt like a failure.

Unlocking her phone, she tapped on the news story from three years ago.

Two headlines appeared side by side.

One read, "Marshall Family's Younger Daughter, Christina Marshall, Arrested for Premeditated Murder."

The other read, "Three Sixteen-Year-Old Girls Brutally Attacked; Perpetrator's Cruel Methods Leave Victims Facing Lifelong Disabilities."

Christina pulled her thoughts away from the screen, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"I see," she murmured, clenching her fists. "I'll go see Dr. Wade. Please make sure Elaine and the others are well taken care of."

"Understood."

After Christina ended the call, she quickly sent a message to her assistant. "Look up Dr. Wade's schedule for next month. I need all the details about this renowned general and surgical physician."

The reply came promptly. "Dr. Wade is scheduled to perform surgery on Miss Willis next month."

Christina's eyes narrowed, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Some coincidence indeed!

How could the one who caused the suffering be undergoing surgery while the victim remained in pain?

"Find out Dr. Wade's preferences and send me his full itinerary," Christina instructed.

Then, as if a thought had struck her, she frowned slightly. "Also, look into whether anyone's been quietly helping me all these years."

She'd always suspected that part of her reduced sentence was due to someone working behind the scenes on her behalf.

But she had no clue who it could be.

...

At 8 p.m., Christina changed into a tight-fitting and followed Cade to the car.

He glanced at her, a look of disapproval flashing across his face. Then, as if remembering something, he said in a solemn voice, "Now that you're out of prison, it's time to reflect and start fresh. When we get there, offer Miss Willis a sincere apology. Only if she forgives you will your reputation improve, and then maybe the Reed family will accept you."

Christina merely responded with a soft "Mm."

Cade's plan sounded perfect, but to Christina, it seemed hopelessly naïve.

The rift between her and Carrie was insurmountable. How could they possibly reconcile?

In Room 301, Carrie sat in a large patient gown, her eyes locked on Christina. Hatred and mockery filled her face. "Christina, aren't you here to sincerely apologize to me? Then kneel!"

"Carrie, don't stress yourself," Simon Gilbert said gently, his voice soothing as he reached out to pat her head. There was a slight scowl on his face now. "The doctor said you need to stay calm. If you don't want to see them, just tell them to leave."

He then turned to Christina, his cold, complex gaze settling on her.

Years ago, Christina had chased after him with everything she had, but he declined her again and again. He assumed that her love for him had gradually turned to hate, and then she resorted to killing Carrie, the one he loved the most, to get revenge on him. The memory only deepened the disgust Simon felt.

Christina's expression hardened, her indifference growing under Simon's intense gaze.

"Miss Willis, all of this is Christina's fault. I'll make sure she apologizes to you right now!" Cade, frightened by Carrie's anger, quickly shot a furious look at Christina.

Christina took a small step forward, meeting Simon's cautious gaze before pausing.

"That day, I changed the knife at the last second. Do you know why?" As Carrie's face contorted in fear, Christina let out a cold laugh. "Because sometimes, living with the consequences is worse than death. Carrie, watch closely. Watch how you'll struggle with the price you'll pay for your actions."

At once, Carrie's eyes turned red, and she screamed, shaking with anger, "How dare you spout such nonsense! Christina, you murderer!"

But Christina stayed calm, her eyes unblinking as she observed Carrie's hatred and anger explode.

Her lack of remorse only made Simon more disgusted.

"Apologize!" Simon demanded, his voice icy as he fixed Christina with a piercing stare. "Unless you want your prison secrets to come to light!"

"Three years later, and your methods are still just as underhanded, Mr. Gilbert," Christina replied with a faint smile, meeting his gaze. "But why should I fear? Just expose it if you want."

Cade, already seething with anger, noticed that Christina was about to push Simon too far. He raised his hand, ready to slap her. "Are you out of your mind? What is this behavior?"

But just as the slap was about to land, someone stepped in and stopped it mid-air.

"There's no need to get so upset, Mr. Marshall. Christina hasn't said anything wrong." A calm voice cut through the tension. Christina turned in surprise to find Harold standing there, a faint smile on his lips as he looked at Carrie and Simon. "I heard the two of you were trying to intimidate my fiancée into apologizing?"

Fiancée? Cade stood frozen, stunned.

Simon's face darkened, his cold eyes narrowing. "When did Christina become your fiancée?"

Harold, unfazed, took Christina's hand and pressed a soft kiss to her fingertips. His grin widened as he stared at her. "I fell for Ms. Marshall the moment I saw her. I swear on everything."