Chapter 586: Epilogue (13)

Chapter 586: Chapter 575: Epilogue (13)

“Mom, it’s okay. Everything will be fine. Let’s just wait. We’ll ask the old woman after she finishes the ritual.”

Mrs. Ellsworth nodded. “Okay.”

Waiting outside, every moment felt like an eternity. The RUMBLE of thunder roared in their ears, one clap after another. Soon, a torrential downpour began, and the wind was so strong it felt like it could blow them away.

The wind carried the rain, and the rain rode the wind. The mother and son were soaked to the bone.

When Ethan Ellsworth checked his phone, it was already nine o’clock. Chloe had been inside for two hours.

The longer they waited, the more anxious Mrs. Ellsworth became.

Just as the two of them were about to rush inside to see what was happening, the old woman appeared at the door. Her aged voice was still resonant. “You can come in now.”

Mrs. Ellsworth and Ethan Ellsworth quickly ran into the house.

Approaching the bed, Ethan Ellsworth’s expression turned grim. Chloe Marshall’s face was covered in sweat. She was pale, her lips were purple, and she lay listlessly on the bed. Her once-swollen belly was now flat, and she was bare from the waist down.

“Ma’am, where’s the baby?”

“Here.” The old woman pointed to a basin on the floor.

Ethan Ellsworth and Mrs. Ellsworth looked over in unison, then immediately stumbled back a few steps, trembling in fear.

Inside the basin wasn’t a baby, but a large, bloody ball of flesh. The sight was utterly terrifying.

“Th-this is…” Mrs. Ellsworth covered her mouth, pointing at the basin.

The old woman’s face was expressionless. “That’s right. This was the fetus in your daughter-in-law’s womb. I’ve performed the ritual. The adult is fine now. You should pack up and leave this place at once. It’s not safe to stay here long.”

Mrs. Ellsworth quickly helped Chloe put on her pants and get off the bed. After thanking the old woman, they hurried into the taxi that had long been waiting outside the main gate.

Because of the strong winds and heavy rain, the ground was full of potholes, making the drive extremely bumpy.

But at least they finally made it to the hotel.

Once inside the room, the mother and son realized that Chloe Marshall’s pants were soaked with blood.

“Ethan, hurry and hold Chloe. I’ll get her some clean clothes.”

Chloe Marshall spoke weakly, “Mom, I need to wash up first.”

“Okay. Come on, let’s get you to the bathroom.”

Mrs. Ellsworth grabbed the showerhead, tested the water temperature, and handed it to Ethan Ellsworth. “You wash her. I’ll go get the clothes.”

“Okay.”

Only after helping Chloe Marshall back to the bed to rest did Ethan Ellsworth and Mrs. Ellsworth finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Mrs. Ellsworth didn’t dare to even think about the scene from earlier.

“If Chloe didn’t need to rest, I’d want to fly back to Fravia this very night. That was too scary. Ethan, go have the chef make some red date congee and some other blood-enriching dishes. Chloe has suffered so much.”

“Okay, Mom. You get some rest, too.”

Mrs. Ellsworth nodded.

Mrs. Lynch had gone out to play mahjong with a few friends that evening. On her way back, she ran a red light. Even though she informed the traffic officer of her identity, hoping for some leniency, the officer was a new transfer from out of town and didn’t recognize her. Despite her protests, Mrs. Lynch was taken to the police station and fined.

When she got home, she was in a foul mood. Seeing Holly Wood sitting in the living room watching TV, her tone was inevitably harsh.

“What time is it? Why aren’t you in bed yet? You’re a pregnant woman, you know. You’re due in a few months. Can’t you think about the baby for once?”

Holly Wood quickly stood up and turned off the TV. “I’ll go rest now.”

Mrs. Lynch huffed and went back to her room.

She threw her bag on the bed and grumbled, “The traffic police are so inflexible these days. He didn’t even recognize me. I told him who I was, and he still didn’t believe me.”

Mr. Lynch was sitting at the computer playing Fight the Landlord. He gave her a cool glance. “You ran a red light, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I was fined a few hundred yuan and got two points off my license.”

“Just be more careful next time you drive.”

Mrs. Lynch stood up and walked over to her husband. “It’s ten o’clock already. When I came back just now, I saw Holly Wood was still awake, watching TV.”

“So what?”

“I told her to be in bed by eight every night. She’s been staying up late these past few nights. It’s not good for the baby. She doesn’t take what I say seriously at all.”

Mr. Lynch found her unreasonable. “Come on. You’re nice to her when you’re in a good mood, but when you’re not, you pick on her for everything. Ten o’clock isn’t that late. You just got back yourself.”

“How can she be compared to me? I’m not pregnant.” Mrs. Lynch opened the closet, took out a thick stack of cash, and put it in her bag. “I’m not coming back tonight. I’m pulling an all-nighter with some of my friends.”

“You’re taking that much cash with you now, you’ll definitely come back penniless tomorrow morning. You never come home until you’ve lost it all.”

“Why don’t you say that when I win?” Mrs. Lynch quickly combed her hair.

“Out of ten times, you win three at most. I was just too polite to say it.”

“Whatever. You just go on and Fight the Landlord. I’m leaving.” Mrs. Lynch hurried out.

With that, the door closed.

Mr. Lynch lost his interest in Fight the Landlord. He shut down the computer, grabbed his wallet, and followed her downstairs.

“Dad, where are you going?” Leon Lynch asked, holding a glass of milk as he was about to head upstairs.

“Your mom’s gone to pull another all-nighter playing mahjong. I have to go keep an eye on her, or she’ll lose every penny again.”

Leon nodded. “Be careful on the road.”

Mr. Lynch grunted in acknowledgment and left.

Mr. Lynch parked his car in front of the mahjong parlor, got out, and went inside.

“Madam, which room is Mrs. Lynch in?”

The proprietress replied, “Mrs. Lynch left half an hour ago.”

‘Didn’t she lose and then come back to play again?’

“No, I’ve been here the whole time. She hasn’t come back. Maybe she went to another mahjong parlor.”

Mr. Lynch nodded, pulling a stack of cash from his wallet and handing it to her. “Don’t mention I was here.”

The proprietress gave him a flirtatious wink. “Understood.”

Mr. Lynch turned, left the mahjong parlor, and got back in his car. He dialed his wife’s number. After a few rings, the call connected, and he heard Mrs. Lynch’s voice. “What is it?”

“How much cash did you take to play mahjong?”

“Not much, just fifty thousand. Is there anything else? We’re in the middle of a game.”

“Are you still at the Spring Blooms Mahjong Room?”

Mrs. Lynch’s voice came from the other end. “Of course. Don’t worry, my luck is great tonight. I probably won’t lose it all.”

Mr. Lynch grunted. “I’m going to bed. You have fun.”

The call disconnected. Mr. Lynch looked at the sign of the mahjong parlor he had just left, where the glowing words read: Spring Blooms Mahjong Room.

‘She’s lying.’

She had pulled an all-nighter for five nights in a row, losing all the money she took with her each time. This naturally made Mr. Lynch suspect she might have run into a group of scammers. Feeling uneasy, he had decided to follow her. Who would have thought she would lie to him?

Mr. Lynch didn’t know where to find her now, so he had no choice but to head for home.

When his car reached the gate of their house, he got out and was startled to see a woman crouching by the entrance. He stepped closer for a better look and realized it was Maeve Sutton.