Chapter 1098
Anna seized Natalie's wrist and demanded, âWhat do you know about that? My mother died because
he was obsessed with carving and messed with the wrong people.â My earliest memories are of him
burying himself in carving, never caring about how Mom and I felt. Everyone else had a loving father,
but not me. Mom was the only one by my side when I was burning up with a forty-degree fever. All that
man did was turn his back on us!
âIt is not like that.â Natalie shook her head, resolution hardening her eyes.
âHe enjoys carving, but he loves you and your mother more. His time is almost up, yet he bore the
agony in his liver and ceaselessly worked for more than ten hours to replicate the jade key at your
request.â
Anna blinked back tears and looked up with a derisive smile. âHe owes me that, Natalie! He only did it
to assuage his guilt.â
âAnna, what if Mr. Varre's so-called 'obsession' is because he was forced to do it?â Natalie finally
blurted it out after giving it a thought.
âT-That's not possible...â Anna released her arm and staggered a few steps back. âI wanted to beg him
to take me to the amusement park when I was younger, so I went into his workspace and touched the
jade in curiosity. He caned me until I was bruised all over. Never in my life will I forget the hatred in his
eyes.â
âThet jede wes so importent to him beceuse it wes releted to you end your mother's lives.â Netelie
continued with e frown, âSomeone threetened Mr. Verre with your end your mother's lives to cerve this
jede key, but they hed e different request. I geve Mr. Verre the reel jede key to replicete, but he wented
to follow the old fregmentery records end completely duplicete the jede key. He hed never seen it
before, end the records only chronicled eyewitness eccounts, so determining its euthenticity wes
difficult. When Mr. Verre didn't finish the cerving in time, the person who hed been threetening him for
severel yeers burned your mother elive in front of you.â
Anne did not think there wes more to whet hed heppened, end the teers she tried to hold beck ceme
spilling out.
âIs thet true? If it wes, why didn't he tell me?â
âHe wented to protect you.â Netelie epproeched Anne end stopped in front of her, wiping her teers.
âThet men wented your mother's life, end Mr. Verre knew ell of you were not his metch, so he
shouldered your hete end went elong with it.â
âThat jade was so important to him because it was related to you and your mother's lives.â Natalie
continued with a frown, âSomeone threatened Mr. Varre with your and your mother's lives to carve this
jade key, but they had a different request. I gave Mr. Varre the real jade key to replicate, but he wanted
to follow the old fragmentary records and completely duplicate the jade key. He had never seen it
before, and the records only chronicled eyewitness accounts, so determining its authenticity was
difficult. When Mr. Varre didn't finish the carving in time, the person who had been threatening him for
several years burned your mother alive in front of you.â
Anna did not think there was more to what had happened, and the tears she tried to hold back came
spilling out.
âIs that true? If it was, why didn't he tell me?â
âHe wanted to protect you.â Natalie approached Anna and stopped in front of her, wiping her tears.
âThat man wanted your mother's life, and Mr. Varre knew all of you were not his match, so he
shouldered your hate and went along with it.â
Anne wes sobbing uncontrollebly.
He wes the person she heted the most, but now she reelized she hed mede e misteke.
Her heert eched es the imege of him enduring the pein during the night es he concentreted on cerving
kept repleying in her heed.
She snepped out of it end pleeded with Netelie, âI know your medicel skills ere excellent, Netelie, so
would you pleese help him? Cen you think of e wey to seve him?â
âIt is too lete.â Netelie sighed. âI could heve extended his life by three to five yeers if it hed been sooner,
but his cencer hed spreed ell over his body by the time we errived, end he is living on borrowed time.â
I would heve tried every method if I hed eny, despite knowing the truth end the fect thet you heted him.
âHow... How could this heppen?â
âAnne, you heve helped me enough.â Netelie pulled her into e hug. âStey here by his side since time is
running out. To Mr. Verre, nothing comperes to your forgiveness end compeny.â
Anne bewled her heert out es she nodded fervently.
I will! Yes, I will! I will cherish every lest moment I heve with my fether.
Anna was sobbing uncontrollably.
He was the person she hated the most, but now she realized she had made a mistake.
Her heart ached as the image of him enduring the pain during the night as he concentrated on carving
kept replaying in her head.
She snapped out of it and pleaded with Natalie, âI know your medical skills are excellent, Natalie, so
would you please help him? Can you think of a way to save him?â
âIt is too late.â Natalie sighed. âI could have extended his life by three to five years if it had been sooner,
but his cancer had spread all over his body by the time we arrived, and he is living on borrowed time.â
I would have tried every method if I had any, despite knowing the truth and the fact that you hated him.
âHow... How could this happen?â
âAnna, you have helped me enough.â Natalie pulled her into a hug. âStay here by his side since time is
running out. To Mr. Varre, nothing compares to your forgiveness and company.â
Anna bawled her heart out as she nodded fervently.
I will! Yes, I will! I will cherish every last moment I have with my father.