Dylan's Unknown Father (1)

Myrtle allowed Samantha to sleep in her room for the night. After leaving the girl there, she dragged Adrienne back to the living area. She was surprised to find out that someone as young as Samantha had already experienced such a harsh reality at such a young age, but she was even more bewildered seeing how unhinged her best friend could be. It was as if she was looking at another person with the same face as Adrienne.

"Addie! You didn't tell me the other party was from the Qin family!" She hissed in frustration, watching Adrienne sit down on the couch. It was getting more and more difficult for her to understand what her best friend was thinking.

While she was relieved that Adrienne had finally grown a backbone, Myrtle didn't expect Adrienne to act this recklessly. She had witnessed how Adrienne had easily subdued and terrorized Samantha's classmates earlier. It was obvious to her that Adrienne had started to retake self-defense classes, but why did she hide it from her?

She heard Adrienne sigh then saw her rubbing her temple. "This is precisely why I didn't tell you, Myrtle. I know you'll react like this."

Myrtle threw her hands in the air and made a frustrated sound. As Adrienne said, their bond was similar to, or sometimes more than, those of sisters born from the same womb. They always had each other's back from the moment they became friends.

"How can I not worry about you? Do you know how dangerous the Qin family is? Lennox Qin's father suddenly died in a car crash. Do you really believe someone didn't premeditate it?" Myrtle continued to question Adrienne. "His enemies might turn their attention to you for helping him!"

"Myrtle, I'm aware of his situation right now. You think I don't know?" Adrienne argued. "You should know by now that I cannot keep my mother alive at this rate. My funds have already run dry, and it's not certain whether the Zhao family will intervene or even help us once we meet. I really don't have a lot of choices right now, and Lennox Qin is more than willing to pay me to find his siblings."

Hearing Adrienne's explanation, Myrtle calmed down a little. She opened a bottle of water and took a sip from it. Of course, she knew. How can she not know how hard it was for Adrienne since her mother fell into a coma? Myrtle considered asking her mother for help, but she doubted the Han family would like to become entangled in the middle of the Jiang family's issues.

"Then what about Sam? What would happen to her now?" She asked, joining Adrienne on the couch. "Won't you get in trouble if those girls sue you for assault?"

"Obviously, we cannot leave her like this. The sooner Lennox Qin gets her custody, the better. We should also need to help her gain some self-esteem. We can help her, but it doesn't mean she can simply rely on us. As for those girls, if they still had some rational brain cells in their heads, they wouldn't report me to protect themselves."

Myrtle agreed with her best friend. Seeing the extent of Samantha's injuries earlier, she did not doubt that the bullying had started a long time ago. The young girl was also malnourished, and from what she heard from Adrienne, it was clear Samantha didn't have anyone to rely on.

"And you think Lennox Qin would treat her better? She's the child of his father from an affair." She voiced her concern. "What if he mistreats her? What if the other members of the Qin family bully her too?"

"Lennox Qin might not be able to play a responsible big brother to her, but he's at least a decent person. He'll be able to provide her with necessities and send her to school. Sam wouldn't have to worry if she would have food on the table ever again."

Myrtle realized she was still lucky compared to Samantha. Though she worked part-time after school, her mother and the Han family consistently sent her money on a monthly basis to cover most expenses. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for Samantha to keep going.

She couldn't stop shedding some tears for the girl while Adrienne remained silent. The silence was only momentary as a shrill cry came from Myrtle's room. Adrienne and Myrtle rushed toward the room, only to find Samantha thrashing on the bed, screaming and crying in her sleep, no doubt having a nightmare.

"Mom, please! No more! No more! I will listen to you from now on. It hurts, Mom! Please stop!" Samantha said in between her cries.

Myrtle covered her mouth in shock while Adrienne didn't waste time. She climbed onto the bed, and shook the young girl. If the nightmares were this bad, how much worse was the reality for Samantha?

"Sam! Sam! Wake up! You have to wake up, dear!" Adrienne pinned the young girl's arms on her side to prevent Samantha from hurting herself. Samantha was covered in sweat despite the cold temperature in the room.

She wondered how long this had been going on. Samantha was obviously traumatized. It seemed she would need to ask Gavin Si to investigate the rest of the children thoroughly, as some of the things she discovered upon meeting Samantha weren't in her profile.

The girl's eyes cracked open, heaving a deep breath as she saw Adrienne hovering over her. She allowed Adrienne to pull her into a sitting position before looking around, finally recalling where she was.

"I-I…" She woke up disoriented and didn't know how to explain what she'd done.

"Shh…" Adrienne pulled her into a tight hug to comfort Samantha. She rubbed the young girl's back. "I'm here."

Samantha continued to whimper in Adrienne's arms, curling her body against her. She could only cry and tremble in fear as her darkest memories played in her mind.

"I'm here," Adrienne repeated. "I won't let anyone hurt you like that again. You have my word. They will never hurt you again, not even your mother."