Chapter 126: You Stole Her Life

"Sylvia, thank you for visiting so often," Silas Lancaster said, looking at her with genuine gratitude. "My leg is almost completely healed. You’re pregnant, so you should be at home resting. Don’t worry so much about me."

Silas’s leg surgery had been a success. He was young and recovering quickly, and after a period of rest, he could already get out of bed and walk on his own.

Running was still a bit difficult, but his doctor said that with proper care and consistent physical therapy, he would eventually make a full recovery.

Sylvia Lancaster smiled warmly at his words. "You’re my little brother, Silas," she replied softly. "Of course I’m going to take care of you when you’re hurt. There’s no need to be so formal."

Silas looked at Sylvia, moved. She had come to see him every few days since his injury. ’She really is the best sister in the world,’ he thought, ’not like Melody Summers...’

At the thought of Melody Summers, his leg began to ache faintly. ’I never thought she could be so vicious. One day, I’ll make her pay!’

The two of them made small talk for a little while longer.

Finally, Sylvia told Silas to get some rest, then stood up and left his room.

The moment she stepped out of Silas’s room, the smile on Sylvia’s face vanished.

Sylvia didn’t actually care much about Silas. She only visited him so frequently so she could use "caring for her brother" as an excuse to secretly meet with Flynn Adler.

Life at the Sutton estate hadn’t been easy for Sylvia lately.

She and Ethan Sutton had gotten their marriage certificate a while back because of the pregnancy.

There had been no wedding dress, no ceremony, no ring, and no bride price or dowry.

Silas had been injured right around the time they registered their marriage, throwing the Lancaster family into chaos. The two families hadn’t even shared a celebratory meal.

Sylvia felt deeply wronged. ’Everyone must be laughing at me.’

Furthermore, after the marriage, Mrs. Sutton and Ethan had seen to her basic needs because she was pregnant, but that was the extent of their care.

They hadn’t given her a single cent.

Every time she brought up needing some money for emergencies, Mrs. Sutton would say, "Sylvia, dear, your food and clothes are all provided for here. The family takes care of the car maintenance, and the housekeepers handle the daily shopping. You don’t really have any use for money, do you?"

’The Suttons are guarding against me,’ Sylvia knew.

With no income of her own, Sylvia desperately needed money. Her only option was to keep meeting with Flynn Adler, hoping to get something from him.

As Sylvia walked down the stairs, she was surprised to see Elaine Hughes and Robert Lancaster sitting together in the living room.

Seeing her come down, Elaine Hughes waved her over. "Sylvia, come here. Your father and I need to talk to you."

Sylvia’s heart sank. ’They’re going to ask me for money again...’

Elaine Hughes had been utterly exhausted lately.

Silas was bedridden after his surgery, and Robert needed to rest after a bout of high blood pressure.

With no housekeeper, Elaine had to take care of both invalids, Silas and Robert, on top of doing the laundry, cooking, and cleaning the entire villa.

The recent hardships had aged her by several years. Fine lines now creased her once well-maintained face, and gray hairs had appeared at her temples. Every day, she spent ages in front of the mirror, crying as she plucked them out.

Sylvia came over and sat on the sofa beside them, asking nervously, "Mom, Dad, what is it?"

Sylvia was terrified they were going to ask for money again. ’I don’t even have enough for myself!’

Elaine Hughes sighed and told Sylvia that Simon had been demoted.

For the past two days, a frantic Robert had been calling in favors, but the answer was always the same as Holly Rhodes’s suggestion: Melody Summers had to be the one to go before the Rhodes Enterprises investigative team and explain the situation.

If Melody took all the blame, there might still be a chance to reverse Simon’s demotion.

But when Simon and Elaine went to The Metropolis Residences to find Melody, they were stopped by the security guard at the gate.

The guard told them they were both banned from the premises.

They tried calling her from different numbers, but Melody would hang up the moment she heard their voices and wouldn’t reply to any of their texts.

With a troubled look, Elaine continued, "Sylvia, can you please try to talk to Melody for the family?"

Elaine had thought it over and over, but she truly couldn’t understand why her own biological daughter hated her so much.

’Yes, they’d come up with some foolish schemes last year to save The Lancaster Enterprises, but they had apologized to Melody!’

’Besides, Melody never even went along with their plans, so she hadn’t lost anything. Why did she hate them so much?’

’Can blood relatives really hold a grudge like this?’

Elaine just couldn’t understand it. She could only attribute it to Melody’s resentment over Sylvia’s existence—resentment that Sylvia had stolen so many years of their family’s affection.

If that was the case, they might as well have Sylvia go to Melody, bow her head, and apologize.

Sylvia stiffened. She absolutely did not want to provoke Melody Summers right now.

’Melody is a jinx,’ she thought. Every time Sylvia had deliberately provoked her, she was the one who ended up suffering.

When Hugh Hayes had taken people to cause trouble for Melody, he had simply vanished without a trace. To this day, he still hadn’t been found.

According to Clara Hayes, their father, Hector Hayes, had lit an Everlasting Lamp for Hugh at the end of last year. It was partly a prayer for his safe return, and partly a quiet acceptance of the fact that his youngest son was most likely dead.

The very thought of Melody Summers now made Sylvia shudder. ’Besides, it’s clear Melody has no desire to return to the Lancaster family, much less fight me for Ethan Sutton.’

’There’s no conflict of interest between us anymore. I’d have to be an idiot to go looking for trouble!’

Sylvia said hesitantly, "Mom, Melody doesn’t like me. If I’m the one to talk to her about this, it might just make things worse."

Robert Lancaster, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Then go and beg her. Beg until she agrees."

Sylvia stared at Robert in disbelief. He knew exactly what kind of humiliation she would face from Melody, yet he was still forcing her. "Dad!" she asked, her voice filled with resentment. "I’m pregnant! How can you stand there and tell me to go let her humiliate me?!"

At her words, the tension in Robert’s face slowly eased, replaced by an expression of pure exhaustion.

He sighed and answered wearily, "Sylvia, it wasn’t easy for the Lancaster family to raise you. We gave you the very best of everything from the day you were born."

"Our family is in trouble now, and your older brother is our last hope... If you feel any gratitude for the way we raised you, you must help him solve this problem."

Sylvia’s face went white. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

She knew she couldn’t change Robert’s mind, so she turned to Elaine with a pleading look.

Elaine’s heart ached seeing Sylvia like this, but she knew they had no other choice.

The family’s entire livelihood depended on Simon’s salary and company benefits. If he was demoted, they would struggle to even cover food and daily expenses.

At this thought, Elaine could only pat Sylvia’s hand and say gently, "Sylvia, look at the state the family is in. Please be sensible and just go apologize to Melody... Besides, it was you who stole her life in the first place!"

Sylvia flinched as if struck. She stared at Elaine in utter disbelief, her mind going blank as a wave of resentment and grief washed over her.

’I always thought I had won, that I had kept my family safe from Melody.’ But Elaine’s words were a vicious slap in the face.

’So these two people, who swore they would love me forever, still think I’m the one who stole Melody’s life...’

’All my efforts have been a complete joke.’

’But... if I stole Melody’s life, then who stole mine?’

A whirlwind of complex emotions churned within Sylvia.

She lowered her head, hiding the potent resentment and hatred in her eyes. After a long moment, she spoke softly. "I understand. I’ll do my best to convince her. Don’t worry, Mom, Dad."

「*」

After leaving the Lancaster home, Sylvia didn’t go back to the Sutton estate. Instead, she drove to The Crestview Hotel.

The Crestview Hotel was nothing special—a bit remote and nowhere near as luxurious as the hotels downtown—but its main advantage was its discretion.

Flynn Adler’s family had held shares in the hotel before the Cataclysm. Afterward, the Adler Family bought it outright. It had become the designated spot for his and Sylvia’s trysts.

Arriving at their designated room, 1108, Sylvia paused to check her makeup and tidy her hair before pulling out the key card and opening the door.

The moment she stepped inside, Flynn Adler pulled her into an embrace. "Let me see," he chuckled, his hands moving to her belly. "I want to see if my son has gotten any bigger."