Chapter 132

"What kind of nightmare? Must've been pretty bad," William said, noticing the tears in Christina's eyes.

"I dreamt..." Christina started, then shook her head. "Never mind, no point in dwelling on it. Let's finish this clay figurine and get it to the shop to be fired. We can hit the amusement park now and pick it up later tonight."

It was probably just a dream.

William, always patient with Harper, stood by her side. Whatever Harper wanted to do, he was there with her.

Harper was having a blast. As they were leaving, she said, "I haven't had enough fun yet."

William playfully tapped her nose. "Didn't we say we were going to the aquarium too? If we don't go now, it'll be closed. So, you wanna stay here or head to the aquarium?"

Harper thought for a moment and then said seriously, "Let's go to the aquarium."

William chuckled. "I knew you couldn't resist the aquarium."

They headed to the aquarium together.

William seemed well-prepared, sharing his extensive knowledge about marine life with Harper.

Harper listened intently, occasionally asking questions.

Christina stood a short distance away, feeling deeply moved and happy. Tears streamed down her face without her realizing it.

She wiped her eyes, the cold tears stinging her heart. Suddenly, the scene changed, and everything vanished, leaving her in a desolate wasteland. She called out in terror.

"Harper, Harper!"

No one responded. The silence was overwhelming, as if she was the only person left in the world.

She jolted awake, a sense of loss washing over her. It was just a dream. How could William ever be so kind and attentive to Harper? Over the years, she and Harper had endured the disdain of the Cavendish family and William's neglect. How could he ever acknowledge this daughter?

It was just a beautiful fantasy. None of it could happen in reality. If it could, the past wouldn't have ended the way it did.

She wiped her tears and sat up, not wanting to sleep again for fear of more dreams. Her stomach growled loudly.

She was starving, but she had no appetite.

Unexpectedly, the housekeeper came in. "Mr. Cavendish wants you to come to the dining room."

Christina looked up and scoffed. "I'm not going."

"Mr. Cavendish said you would be interested in this news," the housekeeper added.

Christina thought for a moment and decided to go downstairs. She hadn't eaten in days, and her steps were unsteady. She managed to make it to the dining room, where William sat at the far end of the long table.

"Eat something. Walter is back."

"Really? I don't believe you. I want to call him." Christina took a deep breath.

William stared at her for a long moment before handing her the phone. "Go ahead."

Christina dialed the number.

Walter answered quickly. "Christina, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Are you back in the country?" Christina asked anxiously.

"Yeah, I'm back. Don't worry, I'm safe. Who did you ask for help to get me back?" Walter inquired.

Christina sighed in relief. "Don't worry about that. I'm just glad you're back."

"Where are you? Can we meet?" Walter asked.

"No need," Christina replied coldly. "I have things to do. It's not convenient."

Walter sensed something was off in her tone and was about to ask more when the call abruptly ended.

Christina looked at William in shock. "What are you doing?"

"He's safe now. There's no need for you to talk further. Eat," William said coolly.

Christina bit her lip. She had said she wouldn't harm herself, and with Walter safe, she had no reason to. She sat down and began eating, though she was a bit messy from not having eaten in days.

Her phone rang again, and she reached for it, but William grabbed it first.

She looked at him calmly. "Are you going to keep me from contacting the outside world forever?"

William pushed a glass of milk towards her. "Drink this."

Christina turned to leave, refusing to comply.

William sighed and handed her the phone. "Answer it."

Christina answered the call.

It was from the architecture firm. The assistant asked, "Ms. Windsor, you haven't been to the office in days. Are you planning to resign?"

"No, I'm not," Christina replied calmly.

The assistant nodded. "Your leave ended yesterday. When will you return?"

"Tomorrow," Christina said firmly.

William frowned slightly at her decision. "You're going out?"

"Do you forbid it? Are you really going to ruin my career and keep me locked up forever? If that's your plan, I can't stop you. Do as you wish," Christina said with a cold smile after hanging up.

William propped his chin on his hand and looked at her. "Will you run away?"

"Of course not. I hate you, William. I hate you so much I want to stay by your side and find a chance to kill you. Why would I give up such a good opportunity?" Christina glared at him, her face full of hatred.

"Fine. I don't care if you hate me. I just want you to stay with me," William said with a light laugh, seemingly accepting her hatred.

The next day, Christina went to the architecture firm. She could feel someone following her, but she didn't care. Let them follow.

On her way home from work, a car suddenly sped towards her. It didn't seem out of control; it was aiming for her. As she tried to dodge, the car adjusted its path to hit her.

It was intentional!

Christina's heart raced. The car was getting closer, and she couldn't avoid it. But then, someone pulled her out of the way.

With a loud crash, the car hit someone.

She turned and saw that it was William, lying on the ground, blood pooling around him. People rushed over, shouting, "Mr. Cavendish! Mr. Cavendish!"