Chapter 68
Chapter 68
Meanwhile, at the kids’ playground, a two-meter-high slide towered above a pit filled with colorful foam balls, meant to cushion any falls.
Daisy stood at the top of the slide, her face lit up with excitement as she looked out past the fence at Stella. “Stella, watch me. I’m going to-”
Before she could finish, a sudden push from behind sent her tumbling down the slide.
Stella, who had been distracted by Sylvia’s chatter, turned just in time to see Daisy hurtling headfirst down the slide. Her heart nearly stopped as she watched the dangerous fall.
“Daisy!” Stella shouted, panic rising in her chest. She pushed past Sylvia without a second glance, threw open the playground gate, and rushed inside.
The foam balls flew up as Daisy crashed into them, disappearing under the pile. When Stella finally dug her out, Daisy looked completely dazed, her face pale and her eyes vacant, trembling in fear. She was clearly in bad shape.
“Daisy, I’m here. Don’t be scared, sweetheart, I’m taking you straight to the doctor,” Stella said, soft but urgent, hugging Daisy tight as she hurried out.
Stella didn’t see the other kid crouched inside the slide’s tunnel, hidden from view.
“What’s going on?” Simon called out, rushing over when he saw Stella running toward him with Daisy in her arms.
Even Ernest-who usually acted like none of this was his business-got up and came over to see what was happening.
“Check on Daisy, please,” Stella said, handing Daisy over. Simon looked at her for a moment, then casually said, “She’s fine. Just give her a minute to calm down.”
As long as she didn’t get seriously freaked out, there was nothing major to worry about.
But something felt off to Simon. Simon found it odd. Normally, whenever Daisy was shaken up, only he could really settle her down-anyone else trying wouldn’t even come close to keeping her this steady.
‘Could Stella be different?’ Simon thought, lifting his head to take a closer look at her.
Under the harsh light, Stella’s face was full of worry, her delicate brows furrowed, and all Simon could see in her eyes was Daisy-there was no sign of him or Ernest, as if no one else even existed.
Her focus was entirely on Daisy, like a mother who saw only her child.
Realizing this, Simon let his gaze drop, his expression shuttered as he blinked away the surge of emotion hidden in his eyes.
Daisy stayed nestled in Stella’s arms, her voice barely a whisper. “I’m okay, Stella. Please don’t worry.” ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ.net
“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Stella asked anxiously, checking Daisy over. “If you feel dizzy or anything, you need to tell me, okay? Actually, we’re going to the hospital. It’s better to be safe.”
There was no way Stella could calm down until she’d taken Daisy to get checked out-her mind was already racing with
worst-case scenarios.
“Ms. Spencer, really, you don’t need to…” Simon started, trying to reason with her.
He knew Daisy’s situation well enough. Even if they went to the hospital, the doctors would probably say the same thing-
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Chapter 68
just let her calm down. It wouldn’t change much.
“No, we’re going,” Stella cut him off, her voice firm. “I’m taking Daisy to the hospital, and you’re driving.”
She didn’t give him a chance to argue, and she didn’t even glance at Ernest. Stella just held Daisy close and walked out, her mind made up.
“Ernest, I’ll head out first,” Simon said apologetically, giving Ernest a quick nod before grabbing his car keys and hurrying after Stella.
Ernest watched as they left, his eyes suddenly flickering with a strange, unfamiliar emotion. It was like watching someone lose something precious, a sudden, empty feeling left behind.
“Ernest, where’d they all go?” Sylvia asked, coming over with Irene tagging along.
Ernest quickly masked his emotions, his usual indifference returning. “Daisy had a scare, so they took her to the hospital. We’ll just eat without them.”
“Alright, let’s just grab something quick,” Stella said, trying to sound casual.
In the hospital room, Stella was still clinging to Daisy, a cold fear refusing to leave her chest.
Sure, it was Sylvia who distracted her in the playground, which led to her losing focus. If she hadn’t been distracted, Daisy wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
But Stella couldn’t shake the feeling that if she had been more careful, or if she had just ignored Sylvia completely, maybe Daisy wouldn’t have suffered like this.
“Alright, I’ll go grab something,” Simon said, giving Stella a reassuring nod before heading out.
Back at the restaurant, the two of them barely touched their food-they’d fussed over Daisy, making sure the little one was full, but for grown-ups, that was hardly enough.
“That’s not your fault,” Simon said gently, as he stopped before leaving. “None of us wanted this to happen. Plus, Daisy’s not even officially your responsibility.”
‘It should’ve been me looking out for Daisy, Simon thought, a pang of guilt twisting in his chest. ‘If anyone messed up, it was me. The one who really should’ve died back then was me.
Stella ignored him, but Simon didn’t seem bothered. He just shrugged and walked out, leaving the room silent.
Stella hugged Daisy even tighter, still shaken by what had happened. Daisy didn’t resist, instead, she smiled up at Stella, trying to comfort her. “Stella, I’m really okay. Don’t feel bad. If you’re sad, my heart hurts too.”
Daisy’s smile faded for a moment, her brow furrowing as something occurred to her. “And I didn’t fall just because I slipped.”
That was what Stella had thought-and that was why the guilt gnawed at her so badly.
‘If I’d stayed with Daisy inside the playground, maybe she wouldn’t have fallen at all. And even if she had slipped, I could’ve caught her before she hit the ground, Stella thought, the self-blame deepening.
Right then, Stella instantly realized what was wrong. Her nerves sparked to life. “Daisy, did someone push you?”
Daisy nodded fiercely, her cheeks flushing with indignation. “Yeah. Someone shoved me. That’s why I fell.”
Stella leaned in, worry etched across her face. “Who was it?”
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Daisy shook her head, lips trembling. “I didn’t see who it was.”
“It’s okay. Just rest here for a while,” Stella said, forcing a smile as she gently laid Daisy back on the bed. “I’ll go get you some
water.”
As she walked out of the room, her thoughts turned to anger. Whoever did this-whether an adult or a child-would not get away with it.
Stella’s eyes flashed with anger as she pulled out her phone and called Simon.
“Hey, what’s up? Do you want me to pick up something to eat?” Simon asked, still clueless about what had happened.
Stella quickly filled him in, her voice tight with frustration. “I need you to check the restaurant’s security footage from that time. Now,”
“Got it,” Simon said, his voice hardening. “I’ll bring you some food when I get back.”
“Hurry,” Stella urged, ending the call. She quickly prepared warm water to wipe Daisy down, trying to comfort her little one.
Even though Daisy hadn’t been on the playground for long, the shock had drenched her in cold, sticky sweat. Stella figured a gentle wipe-down would help her feel more comfortable.
After wiping Daisy down, Stella stayed by her side for a while, just holding her close. About ten minutes later, Simon walked back in, looking seriously pissed off.
“What’s going on?” Stella asked, sitting up anxiously.
“I checked the footage,” Simon said, frowning deeply. “But the hotel manager said the cameras were down at that exact time. There’s no footage. We have no idea who pushed Daisy.”
Stella sneered. “The cameras just happened to be down? What are the chances of that?”