Chapter 251:
Millie’s patience snapped at the sight of Ari’s tears.
“Stop the car,” she said, her voice icy.
Brandon’s harsh tone had already left Ari shaken.
Even as Ari’s sobs grew louder, filling the car, Brandon showed no sign of stopping.
“Stop the car!” Millie demanded.
Yet, Brandon pressed on, the vehicle hurtling forward.
“Brandon!”
Finally, Millie pulled Ari into a comforting embrace, gently stroking her back. “Ari has a congenital heart condition. A defect she’s had since birth,” Millie explained, her voice trembling, her eyes red-rimmed. “Are you trying to kill her?”
Having already endured the loss of two children, Millie was resolute: nothing would happen to Ari.
Upon hearing this, Brandon’s gaze flickered to the rearview mirror, where he saw Ari truly distraught.
His jaw tightened. Slowly, he eased his foot off the accelerator, guiding the car to the side of the road.
Catching sight of Millie’s tear-filled eyes in the mirror, Brandon’s grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Millie said nothing more. She simply unbuckled her seatbelt, scooped Ari into her arms, and stepped out of the car.
Regret washed over her. She should never have succumbed to Brandon’s threats and allowed Ari into his car.
Had she stood firm, Ari wouldn’t have been subjected to such terror.
“Millie!” Brandon called after her.
Millie ignored him, hailing a taxi and directing the driver to Crobert Hospital. Brandon, however, wasn’t so easily deterred. He shadowed them from a distance.
Watching the Maybach trailing in the taxi’s rearview mirror, Millie felt a mix of anger toward Brandon and frustration with herself.
She looked down at Ari, gently patting her back.
“How are you feeling now, Ari? Are you uncomfortable?” Millie asked, her voice filled with concern.
Ari wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I’m okay,” Ari murmured, shaking her head.
“If you feel unwell, you must tell me,” Millie urged softly.
Ari nodded and curled into Millie’s embrace, falling silent.
Ari was lost in thought, remembering the past.
Though children’s memories often fade quickly, she vividly recalled the fight just before her biological parents abandoned her.
This time, however, was different. Millie was here for her.
Nestled in Millie’s arms, Ari felt a sense of security.
.
.
.