?


    Xandra regained consciousness. There was nothing wrong with her physically, except for the chip bomb imnted under her scalp. Dayton did not tell her about it, fearing that she would be afraid.


    "I-"Xandra burst into tears as soon as she said, "I just went to the washroom and got abducted right away. I have toin about the bad security at the theater!"


    Dayton smiled andforted her, "Everything''s fine now."


    Xandra wiped away her tears and asked, "How much ransom did you pay to bring me back?"


    Dayton recounted, "A hundred and thirty grand?"


    Xandra stopped crying out of shock. She hupped before snapping out of it. "That''s wasteful of you! That''s 130 grand we''re talking about! Give it to me and I''ll die instead."


    Dayton was rendered speechless from her words. "Well, why do you still need the money if you''re dead?" "You can save that money and donate it to disaster areas or rural areas. My life isn''t worth that much anyway." Xandra was about to start crying again. This time, out of pity for the waste of money.


    "Don''t cry, we can still earn back the money," Dayton softly said.


    She cried anyway. "I''m heartbroken for the money you spend. How could we give it out freely to the abductors just like that?"


    "We didn''t lose the money. The police retrieved it." Steven and I walked into the hospital ward and smiled at Xandra.


    Xandra visibly rxed andy back on the bed. "That''s good-"


    Dayton lowered his head and remained silent. The rift between Steven and him was still there.


    "Rest up," Steven mumbled before taking my hand to leave.


    Xandra nervously started, "I heard the abductors talk about you when I was half-conscious."


    She was talking about me.


    I pointed to myself and asked, "Me?"


    Xandra nodded.


    "What did they say?" I looked at her.


    Xandra rubbed her temple in contemtion. "They said something about... you being the third- generation experimental subject... And Nancy was... the second generation. I don''t understand."


    I halted for a moment, instinctively turning toward Steven. He frowned and grabbed my wrist. "You were sedated back then. Perhaps you heard it wrong."


    I was bewildered when Steven pulled me out of the ward. "Isn''t Nancy my mother?"


    I recalled hearing from Nancy that I was the embryo created from her egg and someone else''s sperm. Steven looked at me. "She is."


    I felt bewildered. I should be Nancy''s gic continuation since her egg was used.


    "Stop overthinking. You''re just you-my Stephie." Steven stopped me from overthinking. He cupped my face and smiled at me. "Let''s go home, Stephie. Ashton and Xan are still at home. I''m afraid they might


    wreck the ce if we returnte."


    I chuckled. "Alright."


    It would have been nice if only we were a normal family.


    "I didn''t know that I could actually develop feelings despite having a painless motherhood," I whispered to Steven on our way back.


    "That''s because you were originally someone with feelings. It''s just that they got suppressed." Steven held my hand. "You''re bing more like a normal person now, Stephie. You can live happily from nowThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    on."


    I looked at him and asked, "What about you? Will you continue to stay by my side?"


    Steven was stunned. He then smiled and said, "Of course, I''ll stay by your side."


    He said he would continue to stay by my side.


    The car stopped at the entrance of Steven''s residence, and I saw a familiar figure-Michael.


    "Michael?" I got out of the car, somewhat astonished. "Your mom actually allowed you toe out?" Michael did not look at me but at Steven. "I''m here for him."