Hearing this, Hope paced, almost ready to leave, but someone barged in and mentioned her name.

"Hope? Is that you?"

She was aware it was Auntie Jade—the head nanny of the Lancaster Family. Hope turned around and smiled at her. She then sprinted toward her, wrapping her in a gentle and warm embrace.

"Where have you been in the past days? I can't contact you on the phone. You got us worried."

"I'm sorry for making you worried. I'm not that important, so there's no need to fuss."

Hope pulled out from her arms and awkwardly made a sideways glance. She was itching to leave because she wouldn't want Stan to see her in this state. She was not in shape to explain or create idle conversations. She wanted to lay against the sheets and rest.

"Why are you here? It's not that I don't want to see you, but your grandpa won't allow you to come in."

"I am very much aware of that, Auntie Jade. So, yeah, I'm heading out now. Goodbye."

"Wait! Do you know that Ella and Robert are back?"

Auntie Jade was referring to her half-siblings. Truth be told, she was shocked to hear about their comeback.

Sure, she understood what the old lady meant. They were a harmonious family, and as an illegitimate child, it was best for her to hide in their shadows. She had no intention of ruining their happiness.

Eventually, she politely excused herself and trudged back to her room in the east wing of the villa. She lay on the bed but couldn't fall asleep. She was sulking when her stomach crumbled. Without hesitation, she walked out of her room and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. She reached the dining room, wherein she found the brat Ella having tantrums.

"I don't understand why you let her set foot here again! Dad, we're already here, me and my brother, so there's no use for that outsider to stay here. Can't we celebrate Mom's birthday in peace?"

In a stern voice, Richard replied, "Hope had nowhere to go. Let her stay for a while."

Ella snorted with a laugh. "And you think Mom would be glad on her big day having that bitch around? Or maybe you also wanted to invite her mother to celebrate with us?"

"Watch your mouth, lady," her father warned.

But Ella wouldn't stop. "Oh, I almost forgot, her mother who made my mom depressed before, had already died."

"Ella!" Elizabeth's voice wafted in the air. She's Richard's wife and Ella and Robert's mother. She turned her head and noticed Hope was there. Her expression changed that instant.

"Hope?" Her voice sounded gentle and serene.

Hope acknowledged Elizabeth's presence with a polite nod. "My classmate is celebrating her birthday this week, so I'd be staying at her house for a while."

Richard's forehead hunkered but didn't comment.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, followed her.

'Hope, don't go. Please stay with us for another day. You don't have to leave at this hour."

"It's okay, Auntie."

Hope readied her things and went out, only to realize that it was too late to travel back. It was not safe for her age to roam the streets at that ungodly hour. With her backpack on, she filled her lungs with air and hopped on. She wanted to call Sydney, however, Sydney was also not in a good state, she had a violent father and a sick mother. So it was not ok for her to sleep at Sydney's house.

She wandered around that wealthy road for almost an hour. It's an exclusive village for prominent people, and taxis were very random to pass by. Aside from that, she doesn't have much money with her. Over the years, the Lancaster family seldom gave her money, that was also why she needed to work as a

Waitress to earn some money.

Hope felt hapless. She looked up at the dark sky and smiled bitterly. How many times would she have to experience this nightmare? She waited for hours, yet there was no cab passing by. Then out of nowhere, a familiar vehicle suddenly appeared. The auto was black and fast like a phantom in the night.

It drifted, tires screeching against the road before halting in front of her. The window in the driver's seat rolled down, giving her a good view of his gorgeous aura. With the help of lights from the lamp posts, Hope saw his grim and serious face.

"Uncle Stan," she mumbled.

“Where are you going at this hour?”

Hope swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke, “I’ll just visit a classmate.”

“Tell me the truth,” Stan uttered in a strong and demanding voice.

“I’m telling you the truth,” she answered despite feeling constricted and oppressed with her uncle’s mad aura encircled around her.

“What are you going to do there, then?”

Hope stood still as she kept her mouth shut.

Stan looked intently at Hope before speaking, “Which classmate’s house are you going to? I’ll take you there.”

“I already called a taxi. The driver’s on his way here.”

“Get in the car.” Stan’s tone remained calm and steady, but Hope knew the opposite was underneath his facade. “You can’t get a taxi so late.”

Hope gripped her backpack tightly, refusing to obey her uncle.

“Get in the car, Hope,” Stan repeated with finality in his voice.

Feeling defeated, Hope walked towards the passenger seat and opened its door. She stood there momentarily, staring at the parked black cheetah with the phone in one hand and the backpack draped over her shoulders.

Hope finally climbed into the passenger seat. As they drove silently, Hope waited for him to vocalize his question about where she was going, but none came.

To break the deafening silence, Hope spoke softly, “Uncle, I’ll go to my classmate’s house. You can just drop me off Sycamore Way.”

Hope’s plead met a deaf ear as Stan ignored her. The car’s interior was eerily silent, but Hope’s eyes traveled between her uncle and the road as she saw Stan was deep in his thoughts as if he was contemplating something.

She wanted to ask whether Stan had informed her grandfather about her trip to Sybarite, but nothing came out of her lips.

She could see her uncle’s side profile as she thought about asking her question or not. His face was sharp and sleek, like a chisel that could cut fingers. His right hand clutched the steering wheel while he stretched the other out of the window.

The silence ended when they reached the crossroads where Stan suddenly whispered, “I was drunk that night….”

Hope's entire body became rigid, and her heart beat rapidly.

Stan didn't even say which night he was talking about, but Hope knew he wasn't referring to the night he saw her with Tom Blackford. It was the night when he had returned to Oakwood.

Hope interrupted her uncle's speech without waiting for him to finish. "I'm not the one who took you upstairs that night."

Stan grimaced. His face was obscured by darkness. The cigarette in his mouth oozed with smoke as he leaned back and turned his dark gaze toward Hope.

Hope tried to calm her fastening heartbeat. She was undoubtedly terrified, especially with Stan fondling his cigarettes and staring at her as if he were measuring the situation carefully.

She released a heavy breath when Stan diverted his gaze back to the road.

Hope, worried about her uncle's reaction, spoke, "Uncle, I heard you're getting married."

Stan's thin lips rose slightly, but his tone remained the same. "You care about my affairs?"

The question seemed innocent to Hope, but she felt his words contained a hidden meaning that only he could decipher.

"I'm sorry. I just happened to overhear it. I'm not interested in your relationship," she mumbled in a low voice.

Stan rhythmically tapped the steering wheel with his delicate fingers, but he said nothing, which made Hope sigh a relief.

"Uncle, you can drop me off at the Belldown Road," Hope stated when they passed Sycamore Way, where she first intended to be dropped off.

Stan ignored her. "Stay at my place for tonight."

"Don't bother, Uncle," she immediately uttered. "My friend and I are supposed to meet here. You can just drop me off at Belldown Road."

Stan steered his car to the side of the road, taking control of the wheel. He locked it with a faint 'pop' and then turned to face Hope.

"Do you think you can lie to my face?"

All the blood on Hope's face drained.

Hope cleared her throat and reasoned, "I'm not lying, Uncle! I did set up a meeting with my classmates on this road."

She handed the phone to Stan as she talked. The screen showed the chat logs between her and Sydney, the words' Meet in Belldown Road' scrawled across the top. She told Sydney to act with her on the chat in advance.

Hope wished her uncle would not notice that she deleted some of their messages and only left the important ones.

Stan could not help but stare at Hope and notice how she acted like an obedient student. No trace of rebelliousness was evident. Her eyes were so pure, like a child who made all of her family proud because of her goodness.

Hope held out her phone for a long time; Stan didn't say anything, but she did see his eyes roaming around the screen, reading. Feeling embarrassed, Hope placed the phone back in her pocket; her palms were drenched in sweat.

As their drive resumed, Hope had a hunch that Stan did not inform their family about her trip to Sybarite. Hope was certain that Elizabeth would've said something about it if he had.

Still worried, Hope turned to her uncle. "Uncle, what happened last time was my fault. Please, I beg you, don't tell Grandpa about Sybarite," she pleaded with her shaking voice.

Stan remained silent. She could not get an answer or explanation out of him, which made her frustrated.

Eventually, the two of them arrived at Stan's house in the city. Stan went out of the car, and Hope followed, wanting to see more of the house, which looked more like an apartment complex. Its size made it look like it was a house for wealthy people.

"I purchased this property several years ago. I've never lived here, but housekeepers regularly come and go for maintenance," Stan stated as he watched Hope get her bag in the backseat.

Hope swung around and replied, "Thank you, Uncle," she murmured.

The two of them made their way toward the house, with Stan in the lead and Hope following.

"Is there anything else you need?" he asked as they both took a few more steps.

Hope shook her head. "No, I've got everything I need."

Stan nodded slowly. "Let me know if you need anything."

The two of them stepped into the elevator, and silence immediately filled the room when the door slammed shut. Stan stood tall and straight. His years in the army helped him maintain an explicit stance.

He glanced at Hope, standing still, and then the situation returned to him.

"Why did you leave your house so late at night?" he asked.

Stan's words may have expressed elderly care for her, but Hope could not help but feel touched.

However, the realization that her father, Richard, did not even consider letting her stay in their house dawned on her. It was already late in the evening, and there was also no cab service nearby. The closest was the bus stop, which would roughly take forty minutes. Another thing was she was afraid of the dark.

Besides, she had no idea where to go, after all. It was apparent that Richard sided with his legitimate children. He believed everything they said to him.

Hope suddenly felt sad because of her thoughts of what happened with her so-called father.

***

Hope bit her bottom lip as Stan opened the door using a key from his pocket. She watched him turn the light on and open the door wider for her to come through.

With hesitation, Hope entered and discovered that it was a one-bedroom house. The room only had one bed, a large television area, a table, and a soft-looking couch.

It didn't occur to her that she would share one bed with her uncle. The thought only made her chest fill with dread, and her heart beat faster.

"Make yourself comfortable," Stan stated as he removed his coat and slid the keys down the table. "Did you eat dinner already?"

Hope nodded sheepishly, asking, "Uncle, if you're lending me your bed, where will you sleep?"

Stan froze in the middle of him, removing his cufflinks. He originally intended to watch over Hope by sleeping on the couch. But seeing her scared expression, he decided otherwise.

"I am staying somewhere else." Stan smiled at Hope to make her feel relieved.

He grabbed his business card from his pocket and gave it to Hope. "Call me if you need anything."

"Okay…." Hope uttered while staring at Stan's name on the paper.

Hope didn't breathe a sigh of relief until Stan left. She was anxious about sharing a bed or room with her uncle, but thankfully, she didn't have to.

She stared at the paper and started saving her uncle's number. She would need it in case of emergency.

Hope could not sleep that night because she kept thinking about Stan, and after a while, her mind drifted towards her father, Richard. She felt uncomfortable, especially since she was sleeping in Stan’s bed.

However, her discomfort lulled her to sleep later on. She had no other choice but to rest since she still had classes to attend.

Hope found herself fumbling for her phone the next day to message Stan. She figured it was right to inform him since she was staying at his house.

She settled for a message saying, ‘I’m already at school.’

Hope planned on turning her phone off after that message to evade his call and message. However, she had no idea that Stan was already awake, and just as she sent her text, Stan’s name popped out of her screen, calling her.

It took Hope a moment to answer the call with a low voice, “Yes?”

“You’re already at school?”

“Yeah,” she confirmed.

“Okay. For the time being, you don’t have to worry about Tom.” The sudden mention of Tom’s name stunned Hope. She didn’t expect Stan to ease her worries about Tom.

“Just concentrate on your studies,” Stan stated huskily.

A period of silence fell over Hope. She knew Stan remembered the events of that night, but she didn’t know that he was still looming over it.

“Okay…” Hope said, and since she was afraid of what Stan might say further, she immediately added, “I’m going to be late for class. I have to go.”

“Alright. Take your classes seriously.” And the sound of Stan’s deep voice was the last thing Hope heard before heading to her classes.

***

“Who were you just talking to?” Ashton Maxwell gazed at Stan as he sipped his usual chamomile tea.

The two were spending their morning in a teashop after spending a night at a KTV bar. After Stan left Hope last night, he went to the basement of the building to spend his night alone. Fortunately, Ashton called and claimed he was at the nearby KTV, urging him to come.

Ashton and Stan had spent their childhood together, their hobbies intertwined, so when Ashton called him, Stan did not hesitate to come.

That night, they talked about Oakwood’s economic status and the latest projects that Ashton invested in, such as railroads and bridges. It was a long night, but Stan couldn’t sleep, and Ashton wanted breakfast, so they decided to grab a quick cup of tea.

Stan turned to Ashton after hanging up the phone. “That was my brother’s daughter,” he formally answered.

“Ella?” Ashton asked with his brow raised.

Stan frowned but slowly uttered, “It was Hope.”

Ashton’s brows raised even more as if he recalled who Hope was. “That’s the girl who was nearly shot by Tom, right?”

“Yes, that’s her.”

Stan was not surprised that Ashton forgot about Hope immediately. Ashton didn’t know Hope was part of the Lancaster family until that night. However, Stan knew that Ashton was aware of Richard’s cheating incidents. Because Richard wanted to divorce Elizabeth at that time, many of their acquaintances were trying to stick their noses into the Lancaster’s business.

In a social circle like theirs, illegitimate daughters like Hope always have a hard time, even if they are recognized as part of the family. Stan knew that the case would be different if Hope were a boy. There was always discrimination between sons and daughters in their society.

“Are you coming back this time to arrange your marriage with Hailey?” Stan asked Ashton to change the uncomfortable subject.

***

Hope was known as the illegitimate daughter of the Lancasters, and that reason was enough for students to hate her shamelessly. She never wanted to be an illegitimate daughter, but the people around her acted like it was her fault.

“Hope…” a girl in their uniform sneered, “What a funny name for someone so hopeless and helpless.”

Hope was walking through the corridors of their school when she saw Sofia Taylor. Sofia was one of the campus bullies. She always vented her frustrations toward Hope, saying that illegitimate children like her deserved it.

Hope, wanting to avoid trouble, took a detour to the classroom. However, as she passed the laboratory, someone grabbed her by the collar and pulled her towards the back of the building.

“Oh, look, little Hope is getting brave. She didn’t run away this time,” a sickly sweet voice said, but Hope’s eyes went to Sofia’s face.

Hope closed her eyes when Sofia kicked her through the chest. She coiled her body to the ground. It took a long time before she could collect her breath.

“Aw, she’s cute. She doesn’t even utter a word when kicked. She doesn’t hide away anymore, either,” another voice commented. “Why aren’t you hiding, Hope? Why didn’t you run away?”

Hope didn’t move an inch. Instead, she locked eyes with Sofia, whose eyes were filled with rage when she saw that Hope did not even utter a single word.

Hope knew what Sofia was going through. She heard it from the whispers of the other students. Sofia’s father cheated on her mother and had a son with the mistress.

Knowing their society, Hope knew that the illegitimate son would be more favored than Sofia.

Still, Hope knew that what Sofia was doing was an injustice. Even if Hope were not doing anything wrong, Sofia would always find a way to hurt her, saying it was all for Ella. Sofia and Ella were good friends, but Hope knew that it was not the reason why Sofia kept on bullying her.

Still, Hope felt unlucky. She did badly on her entrance exams on purpose to avoid attending the same school as Ella and Robert, but she didn’t expect Sofia to be here.

“Talk, you little shit! Why aren’t you speaking? Why aren’t you hiding? Fuck!”

Hope curled even more on the ground, covering the places that could easily be kicked. Cold sweat gradually broke on her body, but she gritted her teeth and remained silent, urging herself to soldier through the situation.

Fingernails dug through her flesh, and at that moment, Hope prayed. She prayed for someone to interfere. She prayed for someone to save her.

She didn’t know how long it took. She only remembered that someone shouted from far away, saying someone was coming. After that, the rush of feet running away echoed in her ears, and Sofia’s words said Hope should die.

***

When Hope returned, she found Sofia talking to her friends casually, as if she didn’t just bully a person. Their gazes met, and Sofia immediately gave her a wicked grin.

Hope felt her body tremble at the interaction, but she chose to sit quietly on her chair. She tried to hide her pain, but a soft groan escaped her lips after a few moments, and Sydney turned to her.

Sydney didn’t question her until Sofia and the others had gone out after class. “Did they hit you again?”

Hope remained motionless in her position, and Sydney’s eyes started to warm with impending tears.

“Do you need some medicine or what?” Sydney murmured.

“No, don’t talk to me. They might see you,” Hope whispered in return as she tried to put some distance in between them.

At school, Sydney was afraid to be seen hanging around Hope. Of course, Hope didn’t take it negatively. She knew that Sydney was just trying to play it safe since their school was like a tiny social club wherein, once excluded, a person’s life would be ruined.

Hope didn’t want that kind of exiled life for Sydney.

“Only a month left….” Sydney’s voice choked. “Everything will be fine once you leave here, Hope. You must do well on the exam and leave this place.”

***

That night, Hope caught a fever due to the brutal beating she received from her bullies. Her body was aching all over when she went to school. She had a few hours of free time in between classes, and she wanted to spend it off to sleep.

However, Stan’s house was far, so Hope decided to rent a computer in the nearby Internet cafe and sleep in front of it. It was the perfect spot for her since the room was cold, and she could listen to music as she slept.

She didn’t notice that a man in a black car saw her and was a bit surprised. After consideration, the man dialed a number and it was picked up quickly.

"Hello?" a man's deep voice coming from the other side.

"Guess who I saw."

...

With nonchalance, Hope decided to enter the cafe and sleep her fever off.

Loud rings from her phone interrupted her rest. Still dizzy from her fever, Hope answered the call without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” she spoke in a weak voice.

A deep voice coated her ears. “Where are you?”