She's Gone

Raising his arm in the air, Bryan gave Katrina one last glance before waving two fingers in Michael's direction. Receiving his order, Michael nodded and pulled Katrina away from Shirley. He pried her fingers from Shirley's shoulders and successfully separated them. Within minutes, Katrina was dragged across the room, screaming hysterically in pleads.

"No!!!!! Don't do it! Don't hurt her! She's my baby! My precious!!!" Her limbs struggled to break free, but Michael's grip was too strong to fight off. Tears dripped from her chin and soaked her clothes as she watched Alfred raise the blade in his hands.

Right when Alfred was about to swing the blade into Shirley's flesh, smoke grenades were tossed into the room; releasing thick coats of smokes to their surroundings. Alfred took a step backwards and stayed close to Bryan in case enemies attack him. As the smoke cleared up, Alfred and Bryan caught shadows dashing out of the room.

Unfortunately, the smoke still clouded their vision, making it difficult for them to chase after the figures. Once the smoke cleared up enough for them to see again, Shirley was already gone. Bryan split up in pairs with his men to look for her, but it was too late. Someone had rescued her.

"Who?" Bryan slammed his fist into the wall, cracking its flat surface.

Knowing Shirley had safely escaped, Katrina laughed heartily on the floor. "It's fate for you to not kill her. Even the heavens heard my cries and pities me. Hahahaha."

Meanwhile, Shirley was trapped between two masked men in a luxurious limo. Though afraid, she gathered her courage and used her remaining strength to ask a question. "Who are you guys?"

Nobody responded to her question. She no longer had the energy to argue for a response as her consciousness faded during the car ride. When she opened her eyes again, she heard a familiar voice whispering beside her.

"Dad?" Her voice rasped as she called out to them. Quickly, Anthony rushed to her side and helped her up from the couch.

"Shirley! You're finally awake! How are you feeling?" He held her hands tightly as if she was the root of his life force.

"Painful. That Bryan Gu really wanted to kill me! Dad, you must take revenge for me! He's a bastard. He tried blaming me for Selina's stupid death!" Tears dripped nonstop from her eyes. Her wails pierced painfully to his ears. Even though her wounds have been bandaged already, she couldn't stand the humiliation she received today.

Slowly, he patted her back to calm her down. "Shh, shhh. Everything is alright. Dad has something to tell you."

Wiping her tears with his thumbs, he sighed. "Shirley, you're not the Han family's daughter. You belong to a special family. Your parents came back for you, and they're standing right here. Take a look at them."

When Anthony declared her fake identity with such certainty, fear crept in her eyes. She listened to his words and slowly, her expression relaxed. With her naturally acting skills, she lifted her face to meet two stunning figures.

The couple standing in front of her had a noble aura around them. The petite woman looked young with her long, wavy hair and bright, round eyes. Her eyelashes were long, and when her eyes downcast they gave an endearing look to her face. Like a goddess, Shirley could almost see a glow surrounding her petite figure.

With one glance at the man by her side, it was enough for her to let him trample all over her heart. His face was a combination of art and god's favor with perfect measures and proportions. His appearance made her believe that someone could actually define perfection within a matter of seconds. With his arm around his wife, the couple looked inseparable.

She blinked twice before hiding away her excitement. "You.. You are my real parents?" Suddenly, she was reminded of Anthony's words. Though she managed to hide the obvious anticipation on her face, the greediness in her eyes was hard to contain.

Her heart pounded heavily as she watched the couple step closer to her side. Anthony smiled with a hint of sadness on his face and moved out of the way for the family to reunite. The couple didn't speak a word as they stepped forward in unison.

When they stopped at the couch, the man released his grip on his wife's shoulder. She bent forward and reached out to touch Shirley's face. Shirley's tears started running down like a stream, ruining her foundation. Unlike Tracy and Anthony, this woman gave no signs of affection to her.

From what she had understood, this couple must have separated from their daughter for a long time. Otherwise, they would've been able to recognize her right away. 'Maybe she needs some time to open up to me first.' She came up with the most reasonable excuse and convinced herself with it.

As the woman minimized the gap between them, her hands reached behind Shirley's back and moved her hair to one side.

Once the woman got close enough, Shirley smelled a soothing floral aroma coming from her body. Drawing in long deep breaths, she closed her eyes and inhaled the fragrance. Like listening to soothing nature sounds at night, Shirley could almost feel the sweet scent lingering into her soul; purifying it.

Shirley thought the woman wanted a hug, so she shifted her head slightly sideways to accept it. Unfortunately, for her, the woman didn't proceed with the hug she was thinking about.

She waited for several minutes, but the hug still did not come. Before she could spread her arms to initiate a hug, the woman left her side and wiped her hands with a hot towel. Opening her eyes with an innocent smile curved on her face; Shirley parted her lips to speak.

"Mo-" Shirley wanted to address her properly and ask her what was wrong.

"Young lady, there's been a mistake. You are not our daughter. Anthony, where is our daughter?" She questioned as she delivered an apathetic glare towards Anthony Han. Her husband took the hot towel from her hands and wiped her fingers gently.

"W..What do you mean? Shirley is your daughter! I've been raising her since young. I swear she is your daughter." Anthony protested and defended his stand as he was clearest about the situation.

Before she could speak another word, her husband patted the back of her hands. "So, you're saying my wife can't even recognize her own child? You're saying she's in the wrong?"

"I..I don't mean it that way, but Shirley is definitely your child!" His forehead drenched in sweat, trailing down the sides of his face.

"Since you insist she's my daughter, then let's do a DNA test. If the results come out and I am right about it, then that means you are at fault. Either you lost my daughter, or you are purposely hiding her from us. What will be the consequences, then?" The graceful lady looked up to her husband as her dangerously calm voice echoed in the room.

"Then the Han family will disappear from the list of prestigious families. Lose all power and live in poverty for as long as they live." Her husband hugged her by the waist.