The Day Our Promise Breaks

"Sandy's heart ached for her mom, and she desperately wanted to step in, but no one would listen. Her mom had gotten hurt trying to protect Sandy."

"Dad, why are they hurting Mom? I can't stand seeing her bullied anymore," Sandy cried, her words broken by her sobs.

Even though Sandy had been warned by her mom that this might happen, watching Dahlia get hurt was unbearable, and her tears flowed even more freely.

Charles understood why Dahlia was in this mess, but he never anticipated those people would find their way into Sandy's hospital room. He had kept Sandy's location a secret to shield her from harm. While he wanted to teach Dahlia a lesson, he never intended for Sandy to get caught in the middle.

When Sandy pleaded, he stayed silent. Compared to the pain Dahlia had inflicted on Adam, her current situation seemed minor. But still...

"Dad, please help Mom, won't you? You're like a superhero; I know you can do something," Sandy begged, her small body quivering with emotion.

Charles glanced down at Sandy's tear-streaked face. She'd just had surgery and needed a peaceful recovery. At just seven, she'd already faced a kidney rejection. Another setback could be too much for her fragile body.

Holding Sandy tighter, Charles felt his heart squeeze. Despite everything, Sandy was determined to get him to help her mom.

In the end, Charles nodded, unable to resist Sandy's heartfelt plea. As he agreed, Dahlia, sitting nearby, lowered her eyes, a hint of triumph barely concealed. Sandy was indeed useful.

Evelyn, do you think you've won? Your daughter is gone, but mine is here, taking her place. Even if I'm not as important to Charles as you were, as long as my daughter succeeds, Charles and I will never truly part.

"Thank you, Dad. I love you the most," Sandy said, finally drying her tears as she hugged Charles and planted a kiss on his cheek. Despite his usual dislike for messiness, he didn't mind this time.

"Sandy!" Dahlia pretended to scold, quickly grabbing a tissue to wipe Charles's face, trying to get closer to him. But as she reached out, Charles turned his head, sidestepping Her touch. He took a tissue himself, calmly wiping away the tears.

During the whole process, Charles gave Dahlia a look that said it all, silently telling her to keep her distance. His cold demeanor felt like a slap to Dahlia, and she clenched the tissue in her hand, trying to hide her frustration.

Feigning hurt, Dahlia turned away and said, "Charles, I'll go freshen up. Can you stay with Sandy for a bit?" Though Charles didn't respond verbally, he remained seated, unwilling to leave Sandy alone after her fright.

Sandy, still shaken, recounted the terrifying events, her little body trembling as she spoke. It wasn't an act-she was genuinely scared. What had happened was too much for a seven-year-old to handle.

Charles gently comforted Sandy, soothing her until her breathing evened out. He wiped her face clean and helped her fall asleep with soft whispers. Exhausted, Sandy soon drifted off in his comforting embrace.

Unbeknownst to Charles, Dahlia had left her phone recording the entire scene from outside the room.

Once Sandy was asleep, Charles called Aiden, instructing him to remove Dahlia from the trending searches online. He also stationed two bodyguards outside Sandy's room for extra protection.

Meanwhile, Josephine, who had

been keeping an eye on Dahlia, noticed the dip in the search trend

Aiden hadn't completely silenced the

buzz, fearing public backlash.

Instead, he gradually reduced the

attention by strategically leaking

celebrity gossip to divert the public's

focus.

As new scandals surfaced, Dahlia's story quickly fell off the trending list, replacednoveldrama

by fresh entertainment gossip that caught everyone's eye.

Josephine, puzzled by the sudden change, asked Evelyn for an explanation. Evelyn recognized the handiwork of someone influential, likely Charles, but chose not to upset her mother with the truth.

"Mom, it's just how the internet works. New gossip pops up, and people quickly move on," Evelyn explained, keeping her suspicions to herself.