Chapter 7

I lowered my eyes slightly, feeling a wave of emotion, and my nose tingled.

At that moment, the roar of a car engine suddenly came from outside the door.

"Uncle and Aunt are back."

The uncle and aunt she referred to were my parents.

Hearing this, I followed her gaze outside. Although both of them were over fifty, you couldn't tell from their appearance.

My mother, Elaine Berkeley, had a dignified and beautiful appearance, exuding an elegant and noble aura in her every move.

What I lacked was precisely this aura that my mother possessed.

I saw the two of them walking quickly towards us, their faces showing obvious signs of anxiety.

My mother hurried to me, cupping my face with one hand, and said with a heartbroken voice, "Our Sienna has been wronged."

With those words, my emotional defenses instantly crumbled.

The emotions I had been holding back in front of Dorothy suddenly collapsed.

My eyes began to sting with tears.

"Mom."

"Let's sit down and talk." My father, Walter Stuart, looked at the scene before him, feeling equally distressed.

He patted my mother's arm, gently reminding her.

"Alright, alright." My mother responded quickly, then took my arm and sat down.

Melinda also sat beside me, holding my arm.

Thinking about what had happened, she couldn't help but speak angrily, "What kind of nonsense did Russell do? Does he really think the Stuart Family is easy to bully?"

As her words fell, my father's expression also changed.

Russell's actions had indeed severely insulted the dignity of the Stuart Family.

But surprisingly, my father, who had always doted on me, did not voice his agreement this time, despite his changing expression.

My mother looked at my face, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively said, "Sienna, you know Dorothy has returned, right?"

"Yes."

Of course, I knew. Not only did I know she had returned, but I had also run into her twice.

But I couldn't explain all of this to them.

Dorothy was good at pretending, always appearing as a well-behaved girl in front of my parents' generation.

If I spoke of the disgusting things she did, it would only be seen as me being unable to control my anger.

"You know, Russell is not a suitable marriage partner for you. Since that's the case, why not just let go?"

As she spoke, my mother observed my expression. She knew how deeply I liked Russell and how much I had sacrificed for him.

So, when she said this, she was also uncertain.

I turned to look at my mother, with a hint of confusion in my eyes.

You should know, my mother had always been on my side. Even before Dorothy went abroad, when she and Russell liked each other, my mother never advised me to give up.

My mother often said, "There are no fixed rules in life; you can only know the outcome by striving for it yourself."

But now, she suddenly changed her tune.

"Is it because of the negative impact I've brought to the Stuart Family?" I asked slowly.

After all, besides this reason, I couldn't think of any other possibility.

"Of course not."

Before my mother could speak, my father directly responded, "When have I ever cared about those external rumors?"

"Besides, if we really talk about it, this matter is the fault of the Percy Family, not yours."

"Exactly!" Melinda echoed from the side.

My mother clicked her tongue, looking impatiently at my father.

My father lowered his head, realizing he had said too much, and instantly fell silent.

Seeing their small interactions, my confusion deepened.

"Mom, you know how much I love Russell."

I spoke softly, watching my mother hesitate, "I can tell you very clearly, it's absolutely impossible for me to give up on Russell."

Even if he doesn't love me.

Even if he has someone else in his heart.

Even if, in the end, he doesn't belong to me.

But even so, I still want to make that futile attempt, to be a brave person on the path of love.

Seeing my determination, my mother's face showed more anxiety, and she reflexively tried to stop me, "No!"

Her voice even raised quite a bit.

"Why?" I had already guessed there was another reason, so I wasn't surprised by my mother's refusal. Instead, I calmly asked her.

"Yes, why, Elaine?" Melinda also chimed in, equally puzzled by my mother's words.

My mother lowered her eyes slightly, showing signs of evasion.

"If you don't want to say, then I'll just do what I think is right."

With that, I made a move to get up.

"No, you can't!" My mother quickly stopped me, grabbing my sleeve.

I looked down at her, not continuing to ask, but quietly waiting for her to give me an answer.

It seemed like she made a big decision, biting her lip before finally speaking, "Dorothy has chronic kidney failure, in the late stage. If she doesn't find a suitable kidney donor, she won't live long."

Hearing my mother's answer, I was instantly stunned.

Chronic kidney failure?

And in the late stage?

My first reaction was disbelief. Just two hours ago, Dorothy was still flaunting in front of me.

She was clearly trying to pretend to be sick to gain sympathy.

"So, Sienna, can we just fulfill her wish?" My mother tightly held my hand, speaking earnestly.

My pupils suddenly contracted, and my mind buzzed, "How could she have chronic kidney failure?"

"Yes, I couldn't believe it at first either, but the facts are right in front of us."

I stared blankly at the floor for a long time, a complex light appearing in my eyes.