Thousands of Brilliant Stars: You Deserve the Best!-Chapter 114: James Chesterton Actually Recognizes His Sister
Iris Crawford’s instinctive reaction was to leap up from the hospital bed, taking advantage of Jonas Kingsley’s distraction to reach for his phone. But before she could grab it, footsteps sounded from outside, and Jonas covered Iris’s mouth, locking her throat from behind just as she was about to call for help! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
In that instant, Iris’s pupils contracted. This man’s skills were far superior to what she had imagined; earlier, he had just been casually observing her reactions!
Before she could speak, Jonas’s cold voice echoed in her ear, "My stance has always been enjoying the open and covert battles among women. Today is merely a matter of handing Yvonne Jennings an invitation. You must attend the celebration for her and Jordan Jacobs in half a month. She has everything you lost back then!"
Iris felt a stab in her heart as someone delivered a fierce blow to her back, causing her to lunge forward. Fortunately, the bed was big enough to prevent her from falling off. Her back throbbed with pain from the impact. She touched her back with one hand and supported herself on the bed with the other before slowly sitting up. When she looked around, the person was already gone!
Staring at the empty room, a cold sensation shot through Iris’s body.
What kind of person was Jonas Kingsley, and why did he always appear at such times? What benefit did he gain from helping Yvonne Jennings?
Unable to make sense of it, Iris felt muddled. Just then, someone entered through the door, "Iris!"
Raising her head, she saw it was Leo Langdon.
"I heard a noise and rushed in to check."
Leo Langdon surveyed the hospital room, "I was worried someone had come in because I heard the commotion..."
Sure enough, Jonas was right; Lachlan Wyatt really had someone watching her nearby. But...
Iris furrowed her brows, "Isn’t your identity an assistant at Lachlan Wyatt Technologies? Might you have another role by Lachlan’s side?"
What assistant guards the boss’s people late at night? That’s beyond the scope of any employment contract.
Leo Langdon’s expression changed, and he said weakly, "This, this doesn’t really concern you. The important thing is you’re okay."
"Mm." Iris propped her chin with her hand, "I forgot to tell you, there’s indeed something. Jonas came over earlier. He climbed out of the window."
Leo Langdon’s eyes widened instantly, "The Third Young Master?!"
"Yes, he came in from here," Iris pointed to the window, "You can tell Lachlan. Ask him to send people to track him. Perhaps he can be caught now."
"Understood..." Leo Langdon wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, bowed slightly to Iris in the hospital room, then closed the door and began to report the situation to Lachlan.
Outside, the night was as thin and cold as water, seemingly concealing dangers no one could discern.
******
The next day, Iris went alone to process her discharge paperwork. She hadn’t suffered any real injuries herself. She then headed to another hospital to visit Seraphina Colbert, who was recovering. But upon approaching Seraphina’s room, Iris heard the voices of two men inside.
"How can a woman like you raise a child? You can’t take care of a child. Once born, our Caine Family will raise it."—Silvan Caine.
"Giving birth to a child is as hard as facing death. Isn’t it difficult? Aren’t all women willing to die on the operating table for childbirth?"—Jude Hawthorne.
Listening to a few sentences, Iris couldn’t bear it anymore. As she pushed open the door, she saw Jude Hawthorne and Silvan Caine standing on either side of Seraphina’s bed, seemingly having agreed on one wanting heirs and the other wanting to use Seraphina to control The Caine Family, so they both ordered her to have the child.
Shaking her head, Iris stepped in and pushed Jude aside, saying, "Let her decide for herself."
Seeing Iris, Seraphina felt hope and her heart strengthened. She said, "I can’t have a child right now."
She couldn’t ensure her own safety, how could she promise a happy future for a child? Instead of letting the child suffer in the future, it’s better to abort it now. It may harm her body, but it’s better than letting future generations suffer.
Silvan Caine had never seen such a stubborn woman. Despite talking about so many benefits, she still wanted to abort the child.
This child was the flesh and blood of The Caine Family.
Iris felt Silvan Caine’s expression familiar and finally remembered. Wasn’t this how Jordan Jacobs behaved back then? During that kidnapping incident, when he heard she was pregnant, he wasn’t in love with her yet could still say, "Don’t harm the child"—showing these men subconsciously regard children as tools for continuing their line, like they had a throne to inherit, preferring to save the child over the adult.
If something happens during childbirth, when deciding between saving the mother or the child, he’d surely choose the child without blinking.
Iris pushed Jude Hawthorne far away, shocking him. What’s the matter, you woman, I’m discussing matters with my own woman, and you just slapped me away?
Looking at Seraphina’s face, Iris suddenly took a deep breath, "Seraphina, there is a solution... that will make these two men never dare threaten you again."
Seraphina seemed to understand but lowered her head.
She knew long ago.
Why not speak? Because she already felt tainted, mentioning it would have no meaning, didn’t want to disgrace him?
Iris pinched Seraphina’s chin to lift her head, seeing her face full of tears. "I guessed right."
Seraphina bit her lower lip, trembling as she said, "There’s no going back, Iris... In this state, how can I go back... back to be laughed at... they’d be hurt..."
"They won’t." Iris stood still, looking at Seraphina, like soothing a child. She touched her face with one hand, saying, "Be good, I’m here, do what you want, don’t be afraid."
In this world, there are those who systematically try to rob women of their happiness—then there’s Iris Crawford, who will turn the tide with her own strength, no matter what, she’ll reclaim that original happiness.
Iris vaguely sensed the existence of such a mysterious organization, targeting women besides the Zelarian gang that traffics women and children. There is another group supporting mistresses, recklessly trampling others’ families, supporting everything that destroys families... Society’s gender conflicts aren’t this acute yet; normal people have happy, harmonious families. Who stands against ordinary people, maliciously provoking and destroying everything?
Or rather, to what extent will this group go?
Specifically, she still didn’t know who she was facing, but the people around her had gradually encountered some dangers she couldn’t ignore.
If you become too numb, sooner or later, this fire will burn you again.
Holding Seraphina Colbert’s hand, Iris Crawford said to Silvan Caine, "I told you last time there’s no need to come, why are you here again?"
"I’ve negotiated with Jude Hawthorne, we can keep this child."
Silvan Caine crossed his arms in front of his chest, "What if it’s a son?"
"Preference for boys over girls?" Iris Crawford sneered, "What kind of ’human brilliance’ is your great gene that needs to be continued? If you’re so keen on reproducing, why not start a breeding farm?"
Silvan Caine’s face turned red and white in anger, but remembering Lachlan Wyatt’s words that "you can’t afford to touch" this woman, he gritted his teeth and said, "You’re really awful to talk to!"
"The truth is unpleasant; if you don’t want to hear it, get lost!"
Iris Crawford stood protectively in front of Seraphina Colbert like a knight, not letting anyone get close, "Seraphina Colbert has decided to terminate this pregnancy, so stop trying to brainwash her."
Without a moment’s thought, Jude Hawthorne said, "She’s the woman I brought back; I decide life and death, not her—"
"She decides." Seraphina Colbert stated with bloodshot eyes. It was strange; after meeting Iris Crawford, Noelle Rivers and Seraphina Colbert seemed to gravitate towards her, "It’s my uterus, and I make the decisions!"
But what Seraphina Colbert didn’t expect was that after she said those words, Jude Hawthorne, as if provoked, stepped forward and slapped her hard!
The pain made Seraphina Colbert’s mind foggy, her cheek burning. Before she could say anything, blood was already trickling down her ear.
"You’re crazy!" Although Silvan Caine was not a good person, he prided himself on being a playboy and never laid hands on women. Seeing Jude Hawthorne hit someone for the first time, he was shocked and quickly pressed the nurse button along with Iris Crawford, "She’s bleeding!"
The originally quiet corridor filled with the sound of hurried footsteps and the movement of hospital beds. Seraphina Colbert lay weakly on the bed, eyes shut, seemingly lifeless.
She couldn’t hear Iris Crawford’s anxious shouts or the discussions among the nurses.
Jude Hawthorne’s slap almost ruptured her eardrum.
"Her hearing might be affected in the future."
That evening, after a busy afternoon, the attending physician shook his head, "Temporary hearing loss, it can be treated."
Iris Crawford slammed her palm on the table and stood up, grabbing Jude Hawthorne’s collar, forcing him to retreat, "If something happens to Seraphina Colbert, I won’t let you off!"
Jude Hawthorne turned his head, sneering, "She deserved it, she defied me—"
"What if her ears go deaf! Do you know how much force you used!" Iris Crawford shouted at him, heartbroken, "Why don’t you just kill her! Once and for all!"
Jude Hawthorne felt a pang in his heart from Iris Crawford’s words, clicking his tongue, but showed no other emotion, leaving Iris Crawford to glare at him, frustrated.
Just then, people from the law firm arrived. They were like Seraphina Colbert’s family, rushing over upon hearing she was bullied, unlike her previously lonely state.
James Chesterton, accompanying Seraphina Colbert, sighed and walked out, overhearing nurses whispering.
"I heard a young girl was slapped hard by a man this morning, her eardrum ruptured?"
"Isn’t that going to make her deaf?"
"Not sure how serious it is, but a colleague went to help, and told me the girl was beautiful, with a flower-like birthmark behind her ear!"
James Chesterton froze in place, as if struck by lightning!
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
A flower-like birthmark?
Memories rushed past his mind like a movie, recalling his lost sister also had a flower-like birthmark...
No wonder Seraphina Colbert asked him about the USB necklace the first time they met...
No wonder Seraphina Colbert knew the password to his house and that his license plate was a code when she visited for the first time.
No wonder Seraphina Colbert...
Why—James Chesterton’s eyes turned red as he rushed back to Seraphina Colbert, pressing down on her weak form; she was still asleep. With trembling hands, he tucked her stray hair behind her ear, gently lifting her earlobe and seeing the birthmark behind her ear.
The identical birthmark came into view.
In that instant, James Chesterton felt as if his soul had been emptied.
Sister... Sister, his sister!
His vision blurred, and James Chesterton’s body shook as he held Seraphina Colbert’s hand, mumbling, "Why... why didn’t you tell me when you recognized me!"
Was it because she thought he was dirty? Was she afraid his current self would shame the Chesterton Family? Was she willing to endure pain without being recognized by James Chesterton, unwilling to let him see her in such a miserable state?
James Chesterton’s heart ached terribly, tears falling onto Seraphina Colbert’s face, waking her from her slumber to meet his gaze.
What she saw was James Chesterton’s red eyes.
He opened his mouth, voice hoarse, "Is it you?"
