Chapter 196

Dalia's heart tightened, unable to meet her daughter's gaze directly.

"How would I know whose daughter she is? Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Saira grabbed her hand, her voice tense, "Mom, Zuri is the daughter of the Feng family."

"You...you..." Dalia was so shocked she nearly blurted out something, but managed to stop herself in time. "How could she possibly be the Feng family's daughter? Where did you hear such a thing?"

"Shaina told me. I heard Zuri went to the Imperial Capital yesterday." Saira was anxious and fearful. "Mom, what should we do? Zuri hates me so much, she's definitely going to retaliate. She's ruthless; she'll surely come after me."

Dalia trembled with fear, her anxiety even stronger than Saira's, but she dared not show it. "Don't be scared; we haven't done anything. She won't harm us."

No, she had done something!

Saira wasn't sure if Zuri had known there was something in the food boxes she handed over to Arthur or if she was oblivious to it.

If she knew, then it would be a grudge to the death.

There was no way Zuri would let her go.

This was something Saira didn't dare to tell Dalia and could only keep buried in her heart.

Dalia hugged her, trying to comfort her.

Suddenly, the phone in her pocket rang. Dalia glanced at the number and her expression changed slightly. She let go of Saira, "Mom needs to take this call."

Saira watched her mother leave in a hurry, feeling that something was off about her expression.

Dalia returned to her room and walked into the bathroom, closing the door before answering the call.

As soon as she picked up, a displeased voice scolded from the other end.

"Why did it take you so long to answer?"

Dalia, somewhat flustered, explained, "I was in a situation where I couldn't answer immediately."

The person on the other end snorted coldly, "That child from back then has returned to the Feng family."

Dalia's heart skipped a beat, and she feigned ignorance, "How could that be? I threw her into the river; how could she possibly still be alive?"

"I told you to kill her, not to throw her into the river, you fool."

"She was just a baby, thrown into the river... I thought for sure she would die. I never imagined she would survive," Dalia explained, trying to absolve herself of responsibility.

Whenever she thought of it, Dalia cursed Jonah.

That fool, Jonah, hadn't followed her instructions to smother the child, instead taking her back to Oceanic City and placing her in an orphanage.

A year ago, if Jonah hadn't needed money and tried to blackmail her with this information, she wouldn't have known the child was still alive.

When she found out the child was still alive, she secretly tried to orchestrate an "accident" to quietly eliminate her. But somehow, the girl managed to escape each attempt.

With no other option, Dalia had brought her into her own home to keep an eye on her, planning to deal with her gradually. Once in her hands, the girl wouldn't be able to escape.

But things hadn't gone as planned. The girl seemed destined to oppose her at every turn, and no matter how hard Dalia tried, she couldn't win her over.

Now, all Dalia could do was try to make up for past wrongs, hoping the girl would eventually believe in her. If the person on the other end found out that Jonah had spared the child, they would never forgive her.

Hearing Dalia's explanation, the person on the other end spoke in a hoarse, angry voice, "You idiot! You've caused me a lot of trouble."

"I never imagined she would survive. That child is tough," Dalia said, gritting her teeth.

"Hmph," the person on the other end snorted coldly.

Dalia cautiously changed the subject, "How is my daughter now?"

"I've given her immense wealth and status. What do you think?" The person replied coldly.

"That's good." Dalia had tried several times to visit her in the Imperial Capital, but the Feng family's high gates were impossible to breach, and she couldn't even see her from afar.

She missed her daughter deeply and felt immense guilt toward Saira, so she treated Saira with double the affection, pouring her heart and soul into caring for her.

The person on the other end issued an order, "She's returned to Oceanic City. Find a way to keep her there permanently."

The simple words carried a chilling intent.

"The Feng family knows about her existence. If I make a move, they'll investigate, and by then..." Dalia wasn't stupid.

If she made a move against Zuri now, it was very likely the Feng family would notice. If they traced it back to her, it would be the end of her, and the Qin family might be dragged down with her.

The person on the other end narrowed their eyes and said coldly, "If you don't want to die, then make sure it's flawless. Leave no trace. If you fail, your daughter will lose her wealth, and your Qin family..."

There was no need to finish the sentence; Dalia understood perfectly.

It was a naked threat using Feng Yunyao and the Qin family.

Dalia seethed with anger, but she dared not show it, responding fearfully, "I understand. I'll make sure she never leaves Oceanic City."

"Good, you're finally being sensible."

The call ended, and Dalia collapsed on the floor, feeling as if all her strength had been drained from her body.

Suddenly, the bathroom door slid open, and Saira stood at the entrance, staring at her in shock.

Dalia jumped in fright, staring back at her in surprise.

"What...what are you doing here?" Dalia was worried. How long had she been standing there, and how much had she heard?

Saira seemed to read her thoughts and said directly, "I heard everything you said to that person. Mom, what is going on? Who was that child back then? Why do you have another daughter? Who was that person on the phone?"

Faced with her daughter's questions, Dalia was unwilling to reveal more. "You should pretend you never heard any of this."

Saira couldn't possibly act like nothing had happened.

"Was that child Zuri? Is the person on the phone asking you to kill her? If you don't tell me, I'll tell Zuri."

As she spoke, Saira pulled out her phone, pretending to call Zuri.

Dalia snatched the phone from her, her face stern. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Why are you still hiding things from me at this point? Am I really your daughter, or is there someone else?" Saira began to suspect, her eyes full of doubt as she looked at Dalia.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Dalia sighed and said, "Since you want to know, I'll tell you. Back then, I was pregnant with twins. I had you both prematurely after an accident in the Imperial Capital. You have an older sister, and her name is Yunyao."

Even though Saira had mentally prepared herself, she was still shocked.

"Where is she now?"

"In the Imperial Capital, with the Feng family," Dalia said slowly.