Chapter 4

Dad and Mom searched high and low across Jerandale in my past life, but they never found Zoe.

So why was she standing right here in the middle of the crowd this time, utterly unbothered?

Questions swirled through my head, but I couldn't wrap my mind around any answers.

Right when chaos erupted in the room, I steeled myself, rushed straight up to Dad and the hospital director, and yelled at the top of my lungs, "I know who took Alex! It's her!"

I pointed right at Zoe, who was standing among the medical staff.

The entire room fell dead silent in an instant. Every single eye shifted toward Zoe.

Her mouth hung open, her face displaying a picture-perfect look of shock and disbelief. Her eyes turned red as she pleaded her innocence.

"Sweetie, how could you say such things? I only came into the room once last night to feed the baby. But after your parents turned me down, I left right away. Besides, I'm a nurse. Why would I ever kidnap a baby?"

Tears streamed down her delicate face, making her look entirely like an unfairly accused victim.

The other nurses chimed in as well.

"She's right. I saw Zoe walk out of the room empty-handed last night. She even cried when she got back, terrified the head nurse would scold her for failing her duty."

"Exactly, we can all vouch for her."

"Zoe didn't even have the time to do something like that."

As they babbled back and forth, the crowd's gazes toward me began to turn strange.

Even Dad, who had been harboring doubts, started to hesitate.

"No! It was her! She stole my baby brother! I'm not lying…" I tried to explain through sobs, desperate to make them believe me.

Zoe cried even harder. "Then do you have any proof? Mr. Hardy, I know your family is rich, but I'm just a low-level nurse. How could I possibly do something like that?

"Even if there's a misunderstanding, please don't use your status to intimidate me. I worked so hard to land this job. This job means everything to me.

"If you don't believe me, you can check the security cameras or ask the other staff on duty. I truly didn't do anything. I just glanced at the baby a few extra times because I cared."

Zoe wept pitifully, her delicate, vulnerable act pulling at the heartstrings of everyone present.

Some onlookers even pulled out their phones to record and shouted into the room, "Rich folks are picking on a poor nurse!"

"Ms. Scott, don't be scared. We'll all stand up for you. We won't let anyone frame you!"

Tears brimming in her red-rimmed eyes, Zoe looked at them gratefully. "Thank you, everyone. Thank you for believing me."

She then walked up to me, using her body to block the crowd's view, and flashed me a venomous sneer.

It was as if she were saying, "There's nothing you can do."

Driven mad with rage, I lunged forward to claw at her. "You took Alex, you evil woman!"

Dad grabbed me around the waist and held me back. "Ava, calm down!"

The onlookers, eager for more drama, egged it on.

"Look, everyone! A rich kid is beating people up!"

"So this is how high society raises their children?"

"No wonder the baby went missing. He probably didn't want to grow up in a family like this."

"Shut your mouths!" Veins bulged on Dad's forehead.

Mom bit her lip, looking so utterly broken she seemed ready to collapse at any second.

As Dad held me tightly in his arms, I felt tears swirling wildly in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

Certain of her victory, Zoe put on a hypocritical front. "Mr. and Mrs. Hardy, if there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave. Patients on other floors are waiting, so I won't waste any more of your time finding your baby."

With that, she turned on her high heels to leave.

"Wait!"

Zoe turned around, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of her eyes. "Is there something else?"

I glared at her. "I know where you hid Alex!"