26
I turned off the TV.
Isabella Turner approached fearfully and used a tissue to wipe away my tears.
I wrapped one arm tightly around her, holding her very, very close.
I still have Isabella Turner, too.
I wasn't penniless and alone.
“Isabella Turner… do you like it here?”
Isabella Turner shook her head. “I don’t like it, but I like you, Mom. Wherever you like, I like too.”
I stared at her in surprise, suddenly remembering the lie I'd told Jordan Turner five years ago.
“I don't like this city, but I like you.”
He would never know those words had been true, too.
“So from now on, Isabella Turner and I will never be apart again, okay?”
“Okay.”
Isabella Turner kissed the tears at the corners of my eyes. “I don’t need Dad anymore. Mom, please don’t cry.”
She thought I was crying because she'd felt sick and made a fuss last night, demanding her dad.
It felt as if a knife were cutting through my heart. I held her frail little body tight.
“That's right. We don't need Dad anymore.”
Jordan Turner would marry another woman.
They would have children of their own.
Isabella Turner wasn't his only child.
She was mine.
27
Before leaving Australia, I went back to Hong Kong.
The police officer told me about the case.
They'd noticed a couple who had lost their daughter more than twenty years ago and were still searching for her.
Taken together, the information pointed overwhelmingly to me.
Truthfully, I didn't want to reunite with my biological parents, either.
I was afraid my past would become a stain on their lives.
But I couldn't hide the longing in my heart.
What if they still loved me, no matter what?
What if they didn't care about any of it at all—what if they only felt heartache for me?
I'd seen the couple from a distance.
Their hair was completely white, and their faces were aged.
But their clothes were clean, and they looked well educated.
Before they retired, one was a university professor and the other a hospital doctor.
In all the more than twenty years since, they hadn't had another child.
They were always looking for their daughter.
I saw their ads searching for their daughter, who'd been taken as a child.
There were so, so many of them—photos from when she'd been kidnapped, from birth until she was three.
You could tell just how much they cherished their precious girl.
Their daughter had been born as adorable as a little fairy before Guanyin.
After all these years, they must have cried themselves dry long ago.
Still, every now and then, they'd carefully wipe their daughter's photograph clean.
Their gentle movements and the look in their eyes were heartbreaking.
In the end, I couldn't help secretly getting a DNA test.
During the days I waited for the results, I was so tormented I couldn't sleep.
Late one night, Grace Miller suddenly called me. “Nina.”
“My older brother... suddenly doesn't want to get married anymore.”
28
“Actually, I meant to say this before: that third young daughter of the Jiang family was being a little too hasty.”
“What she said to the media made my older brother really angry.”
“He didn't want people gossiping about that relationship in the first place.”
“And another thing.” Grace Miller sounded surprised and confused. “My older brother suddenly called me today and asked about you.”
“I told you, how could a man meet you and not fall for you?”
“You were with my older brother for ten days. How could he possibly have ignored you?”
“What did he ask me about?”
“He asked how you and I met, and how old Isabella Turner was.”
“The strangest thing was, he asked whether you'd deceived any other men over the years besides Triệu Nghiễn Nam...”
My fingers tightened involuntarily. “Grace Miller, what did you say?”
“Sweetheart! Of course I told him the truth—I praised you to the skies!”
“Honestly, if I were you, I’d have fun with every man here.”
“You really are wasting your God-given beauty, Nina!”
“Did you tell him how old Isabella Turner is, too?”
“It’s no secret. If my older brother wants to know, finding out is easy as pie.”
“Isn’t Isabella Turner’s medical record at the hospital clearly written?”
I hung up, dazed.
If Jordan Turner suspected Isabella Turner was his...
What would he do?
And why wasn’t he getting married?
Casey Walker had that lock. Wasn’t that enough?
Or... had he decided to trust his instincts after all?
Wasn’t he afraid he might miss his chance again?
29
The day the test results came in, Jordan Turner suddenly showed up.
He still looked as impassive as ever, his gaze fixed on me without a flicker of emotion.
But there was unmistakable tenderness in his voice.
"After you’ve finished dealing with things here, Ava Walker, I’ll settle our old score."
I played dumb. “I don’t understand. Settle what score?”
"Isabella Turner is your daughter."
Jordan Turner took my hand. “You gave me a daughter, Ava Walker.”
“And hid her from me for five years.”
“This time, I’m not letting you off the hook.”
“She’s not yours...”
“I had DNA tests done in Hong Kong and Australia.”
“I didn’t get the tests because I don’t believe you. I got them because I know you’re used to sweet-talking your way into deceiving me.”
“So I had to shut you up first.”
He didn’t look at me. He just held my hand, gripping it tightly.
“Your parents have been searching desperately for you. Their health is very poor now.”
“Ava Walker, if you’re living well, with a husband and a daughter, then they’ll finally be able to find some comfort in their hearts.”
I had to admit, he had a point.
My parents were already in poor health. They couldn’t bear another heartbreak.
Better to spare them the painful truth about my past.
It was better to let them believe that their precious daughter had never suffered much hardship.
She was living a good life.
So many, many people loved her.
She had also met the best man in the world.
When she was little, she once saved him.
And today, she finally waited for him to come back and save her.
30
On the night our family was reunited, I sat on the wide sofa between my mom and dad.
They couldn’t bear to go to sleep, constantly stroking my face and hands, asking me about everything I’d been through over the years.
I told them that after I was tricked and sold, I was rescued and brought to a welfare home, where a kind couple adopted me.
My adoptive parents loved me dearly and never once laid a hand on me.
Sadly, they passed away a few years ago.
I told them I’d married a wonderful husband who loved me very much.
When we got married, the bride price was ten million.
I even had a daughter, though she was born with poor health.
But now she’s healthy, and in a couple of days, I’ll bring her back to visit them.
Hearing all this, my parents laughed and cried at the same time, hugging me tightly, never wanting to let go, as if it would never be enough.
Jordan Turner was right—sometimes, a lie is an act of kindness to those closest to you.
The next day, Jordan Turner came to pick me up.
My parents didn’t want to let me go; they wanted me to stay longer.
Jordan Turner agreed, though he looked a bit displeased.
I found a chance to comfort him:
“Go take care of your work first. I’ll stay here for a while, and once my parents’ health is stable, I’ll bring them back with me.”
"You’re the best, Jordan Turner…"
He didn’t say a word, just lowered his eyes to look at me. “Don’t try to comfort me with those words, Ava Walker.”
I stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “How about that?”
He still shook his head.
I looked at the moonlight, at his handsome face.
Suddenly, I felt like crying.
Why don’t I try again?
Why can’t I trust him one more time?
Maybe sometimes happiness is just one more try away...
He is Isabella Turner's father.
And also... the one I love.
In an instant, my eyes filled with tears.
With trembling hands, I grabbed his left hand and gently bit down on the old scar.
Choking back my sobs, I whispered, "If you don't leave with me tonight, tomorrow they'll sell you off into the mountains, and you'll never get to go home again!"
"Go straight down that road, and you'll reach the town."
"Don't call the police. Call your family, then hide and wait for them to come find you."
I spoke each sentence, one by one.
Jordan Turner's hand dropped to his side, and at some point, he clenched it tight:
He seemed to be trembling, his eyes gradually filling with a deep, dark red.
His voice was hoarse: "What about you?"
"I have to go back."
"You're not coming with me?"
"Not anymore."
"Why?"
"I don't remember where my home is, or what my family looks like."
"Come to my house, then. From now on, stay with me."
"I can't go."
"What's your name? When I get home, I'll send someone to rescue you."
"I don't have a name."
"Then keep this. I'll come find you later."
"Take good care of it. You have to wait for me."
"I'll come save you."
"You have to wait for me."
Suddenly, Jordan Turner pulled me into a tight embrace:
His whole body shook violently, hot tears falling onto the back of my neck: "Ava Walker.
Ava Walker..."
"Jordan Turner."
With tears in my eyes, I looked up at him from within his arms.
I watched him smile, his eyes crinkling: "It's so good. I finally waited for you."
(The End)