Chapter 551

Esther was so frightened her face turned pale, her legs weakened, and her hands trembled. The phone slipped from her grasp with a loud clank.

Felix looked up from his book and asked concernedly, “Mommy, what’s wrong?”

Esther tried to maintain her composure and answered, “It’s nothing.”

She sat down on the edge of the hospital bed, clutching the bed frame for support. With trembling fingers, she replied to the message on her phone.

[Who are you?]

She sent the message but received no response. Without thinking, she deleted the gruesome image of the bloody hand and added the sender’s number to her block list.

Her heart was still racing from fear, and calming down took a long time.

“Mommy, would you like some fruit?” Felix asked.

Seeing Esther sitting there like a statue, Felix picked a honey tangerine from the fruit basket and walked over to her.

Esther patted Felix’s hair and replied softly, “Yes, I’d like some.”

“Then I’ll peel it for you.”

Felix carefully peeled the skin for Esther. As the fragrance of the tangerine filled the room, Esther’s panicked heart gradually settled. She watched Felix as he peeled the fruit and removed the white fibers from the segments.

“Mommy, here you go.”

Felix handed a small tangerine carpel to Esther. Its sweet taste brought comfort to her heart.

“Is it sweet?”

Esther gently stroked Felix’s hair. “The sweetest in the world because you peeled it for me.”

“Really?” Felix’s face lit up with excitement. Encouraged, he fed another segment to Esther.

They took turns feeding each other, creating a warm and happy atmosphere.

Oliver watched Esther and Felix from the door with a radiant smile before knocking.

Esther and Felix turned to look at the door.

“Uncle Oliver.”

“Granduncle Oliver.”

Oliver handed a bag of roasted sweet potatoes to Felix. “Enjoy your sweet potatoes. Uncle Oliver has something to discuss with your mother.”

Felix looked at Esther, then at Oliver, before nodding gently. “Okay.”

He obediently put on a pair of wireless Bluetooth earbuds and started listening to a documentary.

Esther clasped her hands nervously, seeing how serious Oliver looked.

“You went to jail to see Bradley?” Oliver’s voice was like fine wine, with a unique tone.

Esther’s heart clenched. “Uncle Oliver, Kevin told me that Bradley has liver cancer.”

Esther dared not look into Oliver’s penetrating eyes as she said, “I… I don’t want anything to happen to him. After all, he’s Felix’s father.”

“Do you still love him?” Oliver asked firmly.

Esther fell silent. When the divorce proceedings started, she believed she no longer loved Bradley. All she felt was deep and unending hatred.

But when Bradley came to her rescue like a hero, her love for him suddenly rekindled, just like a flame awakening after a long slumber.

“Uncle Oliver, he’s Felix’s father.”