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A watch isnât bad, but an item chopped off a personâs body carries a far more deterrent power.
The situation had changed, and this made Mrs. Foster feel a tinge of unease. Then she thought, could it be that the kidnappers had suddenly grown cowardly, not daring to provoke the Graves Family?
How foolish!
Would the Graves Family spare them just because they hadnât chopped off the second young masterâs fingers?
Biting back the curses in her heart, Mrs. Foster picked up the ransom note that had fallen to the ground, glanced at it, and saw it was just as plannedâthe demand for 7.5 million, to be paid in exchange for the hostage in three days.
Mrs. Foster eased her mind.
âWhy did this happen to us?! How could my son run into trouble?â Mrs. Graves sobbed uncontrollably, at her witsâ end, âWhat do we do now? Will they kill him⦠Should we call the police?â
âShania, this is a serious situation, you mustnât panic,â Mrs. Foster said softly, calling her by name, Shania Eaton, and trying to reassure her, âThe second young master will surely turn misfortune into fortune, donât worry. Letâs see how to deal with this after Young Master Graves returnsâ¦â
Remembering her exceptionally capable eldest son, Mrs. Gravesâs confusion subsided slightly, only to burst into tears again at the thought of her younger son suffering.
âMy little Gerald has never suffered like this since he was a child!â Mrs. Graves wailed.
Mrs. Foster comforted her with a few more words.
Gavin Graves hurried back with his men. With such a grave incident in the Graves Family, Mrs. Foster felt it inappropriate to stay any longer and, holding Mrs. Gravesâs hand, said she would come to see her again next time.
Mrs. Foster left the Graves residence.
Upon returning to the Foster home, Bella Foster had been anxiously awaiting and quickly ran over to ask, âMom! How did it go?!â
Mrs. Foster frowned and her expression darkened as she glanced at the servants bustling about.
Bella Foster immediately fell silent, her eyes darting around before affectionately taking her motherâs arm and saying, âMom, Iâve learned a new piece, let me play it for you.â
Only then did Mrs. Foster smile and gently pat her daughterâs hand.
Together, the mother and daughter went up to the piano room.
The soundproofing in Bella Fosterâs practice room was excellent, allowing them to speak freely.
ââ¦Shania Eaton was terrified when she saw that ransom note, she was nearly soulless with fright when I left, still crying,â Mrs. Foster said with a hint of pride in her eyes. âYou just keep calm these next few days and wait for the show in three days.â
Mrs. Foster and Shania Eaton were college classmates. When Mrs. Foster married into the Foster Family, Shania was still someone elseâs mistress. With the Graves men being notorious for their promiscuity and numerous mistresses, Shania was far from standing out.
Yet, just because Shania bore a fine son, Mrs. Foster not only ranked below her but also had to fawn over her.
Mrs. Foster felt indignant, thinking Shania had no conscience.
In the past when Shania had hard times, Mrs. Foster had helped her a lot. But when Shania gained stature through her son, she let her own son treat Mrs. Fosterâs daughter so poorly, even barring Bella Foster from the Gravesâ doorstep! Truly detestable!
Bella Foster asked anxiously, âCould Gavin Graves find them?â
âImpossible!â Mrs. Fosterâs lips curved in a confident smile. âDonât forget, Gerald specifically avoided the Gravesâ bodyguards and sneaked out. Besides, I instructed them to take the water route. They wonât leave any trace. Just you wait to become the young lady of the Graves Family.â
Bella Foster couldnât contain her excitement and let out a suppressed, high-pitched scream, covering her mouth!
âMom! Youâre the best!â she exclaimed as she threw herself into her motherâs arms.
Mrs. Foster gently stroked her daughterâs head and breathed a sigh of relief herself.
Last time, when Bella Foster had an incident at school, as the saying goes, good news doesnât go far but bad news spreads wide. Almost everyone knew that the Foster daughter was stripped bare and made a spectacle in the schoolyard, with the photos from that day spreading like wildfire on the internet. Even though they were eventually taken down and banned, Bella Fosterâs reputation was utterly ruined!
Not only was Bella Foster no longer a candidate for marrying into a prestigious household, but even less distinguished families were unable to accept such a daughter-in-law!
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