Chapter 6

Aida took Audrey to the guest room on the second floor. The room was spacious and bright, with exquisite decorations. It was several times larger than the room Audrey had at the Cheng family’s house. Aida took out a pink silk pajama from the wardrobe and handed it to Audrey. “This is my pajama. You can wear it for now. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to buy some new ones.”

Audrey took the pajamas, her face showing a hint of shyness. “Thank you, Ada. I’m sorry to trouble you again.”

“Why be polite with me?” Ada waved her hand. “Go take a bath. After that, rest up. You must be exhausted after today.”

Audrey nodded and walked into the bathroom wearing her pajamas. A few minutes later, she came out, her hair wet and her face flushed from the bath. The pink pajamas made her look especially gentle. However, the silver Ice Tiger necklace around her neck stood out brightly in the light, immediately catching Ada’s attention.

Ida’s pupils constricted sharply. She stepped forward quickly, grabbed Audrey’s arm, and her voice was filled with shock and urgency: “Audrey, where did the necklace around your neck come from?”

She used a bit too much force. Audrey winced slightly from the grip, her eyes instantly filling with tears. Her voice was tinged with sadness and confusion: “This… I’ve had it since I was a child. I don’t know where it came from. It’s probably the only thing my biological parents left me.”

Over the years, she’ve always worn this necklace, hoping that one day, with its help, she would be able to find her biological parents and learn the truth about her origins.

Ida’s heart was pounding nonstop. She tried to suppress her excitement and asked quickly, “Do you know what this chain means? Do you know its name?”

Audrey shook her head, her brows tightly furrowed. Her eyes were filled with confusion and anticipation. “I don’t know. I’ve never known. Ada, do you know something? What’s the secret behind this necklace?”

She could feel that this necklace must be very important to Ada. Perhaps, this necklace could help unravel the mystery of her own origins.

Unable to contain her excitement any longer, Ada’s tears burst forth instantly. She hugged Audrey tightly, her voice choked with emotion and trembling slightly. “Audrey, you’re my sister! You’re the real sister I’ve been searching for all these years! I’m so happy to finally find you. Ugh… Over the years, my parents and I have searched everywhere for you. We had no idea where you were. I thought… I thought I’d never see you again.”

Holding Audrey in her arms, she cried so hard she could hardly breathe. All the longing and resentment that had built up in her heart over the years erupted at that moment.

Audrey was held tightly in Ada’s arms. Her mind was blank, and all she could hear were Ada’s sobbing words. She stood there, dazed, not really hearing anything. Instinctively, she asked, “Ada, what are you saying? How… how could I be your sister? Have you mistaken me for someone else?”

“I’m not mistaken at all! I really haven’t made any mistake!” Ada released Audrey, wiped the tears from her face, and yanked open her collar to reveal the golden Fire Dragon necklace around her neck. “Look, this is the Fire Dragon necklace. Mom and Dad gave each of us sisters one. Yours is the Ice Tiger necklace, and mine is the Fire Dragon necklace. They’re a pair—their meaning is special to us! Have you really forgotten all about it?”

Her eyes were filled with anticipation, hoping that Audrey would remember something, hoping that Audrey would recognize her and acknowledge their acquaintance.

Audrey stared at the fire dragon necklace around Ada’s neck. Her pupils constricted suddenly, as if something in her mind had been triggered. Instinctively, she reached out and touched her own ice tiger necklace. Her voice was filled with confusion: “What… what is this? It seems familiar to me, but I really can’t remember where I’ve seen it before. I don’t remember any symbols or any connection to any sisters…”

The hope on Ada’s face was instantly replaced by despair. How could this be? After all, it was a treasured keepsake between the two sisters. How could Audrey have forgotten? What exactly had she gone through all those years? Could it be true that she remembered nothing at all? Even after all the hardships she’d endured, surely she couldn’t forget her own sister, couldn’t forget the bond of blood that tied them together.

Audrey’s mind was in complete chaos. She had imagined her biological parents and her own origins countless times. But now, Ada told her that she was her own sister. Her heart was filled with both anticipation and doubt, along with a hint of barely noticeable resentment.

If Ada’s parents really were her biological parents, then why haven’t they come looking for her all these years? She’s always been in this city. They’re so wealthy; it should be easy for them to find her, right? Or maybe they simply don’t care about her at all and never even tried to find her?

The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. Audrey instinctively tried to pull her hand away from Ada’s, but her foot slipped, causing her to stumble and fall heavily to the ground. Her back of the head hit the floor with a dull “thud”.

“Audrey!” Ada cried out in alarm. She quickly knelt down, trying to help her up. But Audrey suddenly grabbed her head and screamed in pain on the ground: “Ah—my head hurts so much! So many images, so many strange images…”

Countless fragmented images flashed through her mind at great speed—a dimly lit warehouse, cold ropes, a little girl who resembled Ada, and a kind couple. The images were both strange and familiar, causing her severe headaches.

Aida squatted aside, watching Audrey in pain. She was helpless and could only keep comforting her: “Audrey, don’t be afraid. I’m here. Just stop thinking about the headache. Please, try not to think about it.”

After a long while, Audrey’s emotions gradually settled down. She slowly stood up from the ground, her face as pale as paper. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and confusion. “My head hurts so much… So many strange thoughts rushed through my mind just now. I don’t remember having seen those scenes before, yet they seem so familiar. It’s like… like I’ve actually experienced them myself.”

Aida looked at her, feeling both heartbroken and helpless. She knew that it wouldn’t be easy to make Audrey remember the past. But she wouldn’t give up. After finally finding her sister, how could she possibly let go so easily?

She stepped forward and gently hugged Audrey, her voice filled with guilt. “I’m sorry, Audrey. It’s all my fault. I was too hasty, I really wanted to find my sister so badly that I upset you. I’m sorry.”

Audrey gently patted her back, her voice soft and considerate. “It’s okay. I understand how you feel. It’s completely normal. Don’t worry too much. If you put your heart into it, you’ll definitely find your sister. Maybe she’s somewhere, waiting to be reunited with you.”

As she said these words, Audrey felt a strange pain in her heart. It was a strange feeling, as though she had lost something important.

Aida knew she couldn’t provoke Audrey any further. She had to go along with what Audrey said and gently help her recall. She nodded gently and said, “Mm-hmm, of course. I’ll definitely find her as soon as possible. You just fell and must be tired. Go take a bath and rest first. It’s almost time to go to bed.”

Audrey nodded obediently, picked up her pajamas, and entered the bathroom once again. But this time, she couldn’t keep her emotions under control anymore.

Entering the bathroom, Audrey looked at herself in the mirror. She touched the Ice Tiger necklace around her neck, and tears began to stream down her face without her realizing it. Dad, Mom, where are you? Why don’t you come to find me? Why leave me alone in that cold house? The more she thought about it, the harder it was to stop the tears from flowing.

She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from her face, forced herself to calm down, and began to take a shower. She didn’t know whether what Ada said was true, nor what her own background really was. But she could feel that Ada wasn’t lying to her. That necklace surely held the key to unlocking the mystery of her origins.

Outside the bathroom door, Ada leaned against the wall, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She just couldn’t understand why Audrey couldn’t remember her, couldn’t remember their past together. The Ice Tiger necklace wasn’t an ordinary necklace at all—it was impossible to forge. She couldn’t have mistaken it. Audrey must be her sister.

She secretly resolved that she must find out what had happened. She would do everything possible to make Audrey remember the past. She wanted the sisters to be reunited, so that Audrey could return to her side, back to the Russell family, and live a life free from worries and filled with love.

After taking a bath, both of them lay in the same bed, but each was lost in their own thoughts and couldn’t fall asleep. Afraid of disturbing each other, they lay there quietly, with their eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

The long night finally passed. As dawn broke, Ada could no longer stay in bed. She pretended to have just woken up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and looked at Audrey beside her. “Audrey, are you awake too?”

Audrey actually didn’t sleep all night. But she was afraid that Ada would worry, that Ada might think she wasn’t adapting well to the place. So, instead of telling the truth, she said, “Hehe, yes, you woke up pretty early too.”

Each of them was lost in their own thoughts. They quickly changed their clothes and went downstairs together. William Russell and Bella Fisher had already gone to work. The servants had prepared a sumptuous breakfast for them. The two ate in silence, without saying a word. The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

Aida couldn’t stand the silence any longer. She spoke up first, her tone suggesting a proposal: “Audrey, how about we go shopping today? I’ll take you to buy some new clothes and then take you to eat something delicious. What do you say?”

As she spoke, she stared intently at Audrey’s expression, fearing that Audrey might refuse.

Audrey nodded eagerly, a slight smile on her face. “Sure, sure. Whatever you say, we’ll go there. I rarely get the chance to go out. I have no idea what interesting places or delicious food there are. I’ll leave it all to you.”

Seeing that she had agreed, Ada felt overjoyed. Smiling, she said, “That’s great! These next few days, I’ll make sure you experience everything you’ve missed over the years—everything you haven’t eaten or done yet. I won’t let you suffer anymore.”

Audrey also wore a mischievous smile, her tone playful: “Well, then I won’t be polite. I’ll definitely take advantage of you.”

Aida pretended to be serious and said, “Of course, you shouldn’t be polite with me. Otherwise, I’ll get angry.”

The two of them smiled at each other. The awkwardness and worries of the previous night seemed to fade away at that moment. But they both knew that some things couldn’t be avoided. Audrey’s past, and Ada’s obsession, would eventually resurface again at some point.