Upon hearing that Maxwell Thornton and Lily Bennett would be returning to the old Thornton residence, Kaytlyn quickly changed her clothes and ran out to stand in front of the parking lot to wait for them.
"Max, it's been a while since I last saw Aunt Lida. She said if I came back, I must visit her. Look, I even brought gifts, so you have to take me with you."
Her soft, gentle, and sweet voice, paired with her innocent and delicate face, was enough to melt anyone's heart. In a situation like this, even the most resolute man would feel swayed.
At that moment, Maxwell had just opened the car door for Lily, but he paid no attention to Kaytlyn’s words. Lily glanced at the young girl briefly before getting into the car. After closing the door, Maxwell turned and walked over to the driver’s seat. Lily hesitated, then looked out the window and asked Maxwell, "Are you really not going to take her with us? Look at her, she seems so pitiful."
"Get in!" After a moment of hesitation, Maxwell glanced at Kaytlyn and spoke reluctantly.
Kaytlyn happily tapped on the passenger window and smiled, pointing to the front seat. Was she implying she wanted to sit in the front with Maxwell?
Lily, who never wished to create unnecessary conflicts, instinctively reached for the door lock. She was about to open the door to let Kaytlyn sit in her place when suddenly, the man beside her leaned in close. Startled, Lily froze in place. Maxwell reached over to fasten her seatbelt and then gently adjusted it before rolling down the window to address Kaytlyn standing outside.
"If you want to come, get in quickly," he said firmly. "Sit in the back."
Kaytlyn, visible through the car window, clearly heard Maxwell’s words directed at her. Though she pouted in annoyance, she ultimately opened the back door and climbed in.
Throughout the drive, Kaytlyn's naturally lively personality ensured the atmosphere wasn’t too awkward. Soon, the car pulled up at the gates of the Thornton estate.
As they stepped inside, they were greeted by Camila, who was seated in the grand hall with Zelda Bennett. Lida Yang sat in the central chair, while Caliy Thornton was beside her. In front of everyone stood a young woman in her twenties, her head bowed low. It wasn’t until Maxwell and Lily entered that she raised her head and looked at Lily. Without warning, the girl rushed forward, knelt before Lily, and clutched her hands, begging frantically.
"Miss Lily, I'm sorry, please forgive me! I won't do it again..."
Lily recognized her. This was Emma, the daughter of one of the Bennetts' long-time housemaids. Emma had lived with her mother in the Bennett household for many years. When Emma’s mother passed away when she was just ten years old, Lily’s family had treated Emma like one of their own, and Lily had always regarded her as a younger sister. So, seeing Emma kneeling before her, begging for forgiveness, left Lily stunned. Before she could react, Camila rose from her seat and slapped Emma across the face, then turned to Lida Yang with a forced, apologetic smile.
"It’s my fault for not disciplining the house staff properly. Emma lost her mother young. Her mother served our family loyally for many years. Emma grew up with Zelda, they were like sisters. Perhaps she couldn't accept the fact that Doctor Bennett is now with Max. Seeing Zelda in pain, Emma must have believed that Doctor Bennett was the one who hurt her, the reason Max left her. She tried to help Zelda by hiring some thugs to kidnap Doctor Bennett to warn her to stay away from Max. But she didn’t intend to cause harm during Angus's birthday party."
Finally, Lily understood why Zelda and her mother had come. They intended to place all the blame on Emma to offer the Thorntons a reasonable explanation, as well as to Maxwell.
Camila’s expression remained unchanged as she coldly justified her daughter’s actions. "Zelda was only trying to be kind. She felt sorry for Emma and didn’t want to hold her accountable. Zelda even came here alone today to apologize on Emma’s behalf."
Zelda hesitated, then tugged gently at Camila’s sleeve. "Mom, please stop. Don’t say any more. Emma only wanted to help me, it wasn’t her fault. I was the one who brought those thugs into the Thornton house because Emma told me they were friends of hers, struggling and looking for work. I thought they could help out during Angus's birthday, which is why I let Emma bring them here. But I didn’t expect..."
Zelda trailed off, then looked at Lily with teary eyes. "Sister, please forgive Emma. You’ve made mistakes when you were younger too, even more serious ones. But you corrected them and have lived well since. Can’t you treat this incident as an accident and forgive Emma just this once?"
In front of so many people, Zelda’s words seemed to demean Lily’s past, implying that if Lily didn’t forgive Emma, she would be seen as a cruel woman with a shameful past.
Had Zelda planned for this outcome all along? Her words left no room for Lily to maneuver without appearing heartless. Emma had become the scapegoat, all to protect Zelda. Could a servant truly act without their master’s orders?
Maxwell lowered his gaze to Lily, curious to see how she would respond.
Lily gently pulled Emma up from the ground, then turned to Camila and said, "Aunt, why don’t you let your daughter apologize directly? Isn’t she the one responsible for this?"
Camila's face darkened instantly. If Zelda were to apologize for the actions of a housemaid, then bringing Emma here would have been in vain. Lowering herself now would mean Zelda could never hold her head high again. Since this incident had happened at the Thornton residence, and given the longstanding relationship between the Bennetts and Thorntons, Lida Yang, with her diplomatic skills, wouldn’t let something so trivial become a major issue. All that mattered was apprehending the culprits and handing them over to the police. But Lily’s request had just made things much more difficult for Zelda. If Zelda apologized, she would be implicated and could face legal consequences.
Camila struggled to suppress her anger, while Zelda, standing beside Lily, had no choice but to step closer and softly pat her hand. "Of course, everything will be resolved as long as you’re okay, Sister. After all, we still have to visit our father together."
Lily glanced at Zelda. She wasn’t afraid of malicious gossip, but rather of those who took advantage of situations, like her half-sister. Throughout her life, Lily had never received her father’s affection, and now Zelda was using their family ties to manipulate the situation. Lily couldn’t help but laugh.
Coldly pulling her hand away from Zelda’s, Lily instinctively stepped closer to Maxwell. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around her and turned to Simon.
"Escort Mrs. Camila and Miss Zelda to the central hospital to visit Doctor William Edsel. He was gravely injured by the thugs they hired. He deserves an apology and proper compensation."
As Maxwell said this, Camila’s face turned pale. There was no way to avoid the visit now, as the fault lay with her daughter. Before leaving with Zelda, she shot Lily a look filled with malice. Lily understood the hidden message behind that glare. This entire charade was merely a warning. They regretted not having succeeded in killing her before William arrived. This was only the beginning of the turmoil to come.