Chapter 5

Yara Pov

I stood frozen.

W-What the hell was going on?

What did Selene just say?

My heart pounded wildly as I looked at Anne. She kept shaking her head, her tiny lips moving as though she wanted to explain herself, but the crowd drowned out every word.

Pain twisted inside my chest.

Without thinking, I pushed through the crowd and rushed toward her.

“Anne!”

The moment she heard my voice, she turned around.

“Mummy…”

Her pale little face crumpled, and she ran straight into my arms.

I immediately wrapped both arms around her trembling body and held her tightly against my chest. She was shaking so badly that I could feel every tremble through my own body.

“It’s okay…” I whispered, gently patting her back. “Mummy’s here.”

Only then did I finally lift my head.

People surrounded us. Some whispered to each other while others pointed at Anne with accusing eyes.

My heart became even heavier.

Just then, Selene’s soft voice reached my ears.

“Oh… Elder Sister, it’s great you’re finally here.”

I slowly raised my head. My eyes met hers, and whatever warmth remained inside me disappeared.

“Selene.” My voice was cold. “What’s the meaning of all this?”

She blinked those large watery eyes before letting out a helpless sigh.

“Sister… please don’t blame me for speaking up.” She looked down sadly before looking back at me. “But how could you raise Anne like this? I saw her push Felix just now.” Her voice trembled. “How could she do something like that?”

For a second, I simply stared at her.

Then I looked down at Anne, whose tiny fingers were clutching my dress so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.

I gently rubbed her back before speaking calmly.

“I think you’ve misunderstood something.” I lifted my eyes. “Anne wouldn’t push anyone.”

Selene’s eyes widened immediately.

“Sister!” she cried out. “How can you say that?”

She looked around at the people gathered before spreading both hands helplessly.

“Do you think I’d lie about something like this?” She pointed toward the crowd. “Look around. Everyone saw it. Are you saying we’re all blind?”

My brows slowly furrowed.

I looked around.

Several people nodded. Some even looked at Anne with accusing eyes.

I tightened my arms around my daughter.

“There must be some misunderstanding.” I took a slow breath. “Why don’t we ask the children what really happened?”

I believed my daughter would never hurt another child without a reason.

Slowly, I loosened my embrace before crouching slightly.

“Anne…”

I gently squeezed her little hand before looking toward Felix.

The little boy stood quietly beside Selene, looking confused.

I forced myself to remain calm then called gently. “Felix.”

He slowly turned to look at me. His eyes drifted toward Anne before returning to me again.

“Can you tell Aunty what happened?”

The little boy parted his lips but before a single word could leave his mouth, Selene pulled him behind her. She wrapped one arm around him protectively and looked at me as though I was about to hurt him.

“Yara.”

Her voice became sharp. “I can tolerate you bullying me.” She tightened her hold on Felix. “But I will never tolerate you bullying my son.”

I froze.

W-What?

She looked even more aggrieved. “Why are you forcing a child to change his story?” Tears filled her eyes. “Is it because Felix doesn’t have a father to protect him?”

For a moment, I almost laughed.

How had asking Felix what happened turned me into a bully?

Just as I opened my mouth—

“What is going on here?”

A cold, familiar voice cut through the crowd.

My entire body stiffened.

I slowly turned around.

Amir walked through the crowd wearing a white shirt tucked neatly into black trousers, his expression was as cold as ever.

But it wasn’t him that made my heart tremble. It was the white pharmacy bag in his hand.

Medication.

My fingers slowly tightened.

Those weren’t Anne’s medicines.

Before I could even react, Selene rushed toward him.

“Alpha…”

She grabbed his arm tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. “You have to help us.”

Amir frowned then his eyes swept over me and Anne for only a second before returning to Selene.

“What happened?”

Selene immediately pulled Felix forward before rolling up one side of his trousers. A faint bruise covered his tiny knee.

“Look.” Her voice broke. “Anne pushed Felix.”

She pointed at me with trembling fingers.

“But Sister keeps insisting I’m lying. How could she do this?”

Amir lowered his eyes to the bruise before looking toward us. His gaze landed on Anne, then on me.

“What happened?”

But I wasn’t looking at him anymore because my eyes remained fixed on the medicine bag in his hand. Then they slowly shifted toward Selene… and Felix.

My fingers curled tightly into fists.

My voice came out hoarse. “Why are you here?”

Amir frowned immediately. His patience disappeared.

“That’s none of your business.”

His cold voice echoed through the hallway.

“Explain what’s going on.” He narrowed his eyes. “Why did Anne push Felix?”

For a second… I couldn’t even breathe.

He’d already decided Anne was guilty without even hearing her side?

I suddenly felt Anne’s tiny fingers becoming colder inside mine. I immediately tightened my grip around her hand before lifting my head.

My eyes met Amir’s.

“How can you decide she’s guilty before investigating anything?” My voice trembled with anger.

“For once…” I swallowed painfully. “Can you act like her father?”

His jaw tightened.

Without answering me, he lowered his eyes toward Anne.

“Come here.”

Anne flinched but she didn’t move.

“Anne.” His voice became colder. “Come here.”

I looked down at my daughter and saw that she was trembling. Her little fingers tightened around mine as though she was afraid.

My heart hurt so badly that I almost pulled her behind me forever.

But…

Everyone was watching. So slowly… I loosened my grip.

“It’s okay, baby,” I whispered.

Anne slowly walked toward him, her eyes were already red. When she finally stopped before him, she looked up hopefully.

“D-Daddy…”

Amir looked down at her, his face remained expressionless.

“Tell me the truth.” His voice was firm. “Did you push Felix?”

Anne blinked.

She looked toward Felix before shaking her head.

“I didn’t…”

But before Amir could even say anything, Selene interrupted.

“Anne.” Her voice was gentle, but her eyes were sharp. “You’re still young. You shouldn’t lie. I saw you push him.”

Anne’s face became even paler. She hurriedly reached for Amir’s trousers but before her fingers could grab them… he stepped back.

Her tiny hand froze in the air then tears spilled from her eyes.

“N-No…” She shook her head desperately. “I didn’t…”

Amir frowned as he looked at her. Disappointment filled his face.

“Anne.” His voice turned heavier. “You shouldn’t lie.”

Those words finally broke her as more tears poured down her little face.

“D-Daddy…”

She cried helplessly.

“I didn’t…”

I rushed forward and pulled Anne into my arms before standing protectively in front of her.

“Enough!”

My voice echoed through the hallway.

I glared straight at Amir.

“She already said she didn’t do it.” My chest rose and fell violently. “Why can’t you believe your own daughter?”

Selene looked like she wanted to interrupt but I turned toward her and one cold look from me made her shrink back behind Amir.

Then I looked at Amir again. My eyes burned with anger as I pointed at the pharmacy bag in his hand.

“You broke your promise to Anne. Then you came to this hospital..” My voice cracked. “But not for your own daughter but for them.”

I laughed bitterly.

“And now you’d rather believe them than your own child.”

I took one step forward.

“What kind of father are you, Amir?”

Silence filled the hallway, but I didn’t care about anyone watching anymore. I only wanted to protect Anne.

Amir’s face darkened.

“I’ve had enough of your nonsense.”

His voice became dangerously cold. “Everyone here saw the same thing and only you keep denying it.”

He looked past me, and straight at Anne.

“I’m her father so I have every right to discipline her. Apologize to Felix.”

The entire hallway fell silent.

I stared at the man in front of me, unable to believe what I’d just heard.

Apologize?

He wanted Anne to apologize?

Just then, Anne slowly shook her head through her tears.

“No…”

Amir frowned.

“You’ve become disobedient now.” His voice became even colder. “If you’ve done something wrong, you apologize.”

He pointed toward Felix.

“So apologize.”

Anne cried even harder then she suddenly looked up.

“No…” She hiccupped. “I won’t…”

She wiped her tears with the back of her tiny hand.

“Felix… He… he was running…” her voice trembled. “There was a rock… I pushed him away…”

Everything around me became silent.

My heart skipped.

This time, I finally understood..

She hadn’t pushed Felix to hurt him. Instead, she had pushed him away from danger.

My head snapped toward Selene. But before I could speak, Selene covered her mouth in shock.

“Anne!”

She looked heartbroken.

“How can you lie this? You’re only three years old! Who taught you to lie like this?”

Something inside me finally snapped.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I rushed toward her.

“Shut up!”

My hand pushed against her shoulder.

I barely touched her shoulder, yet Selene cried out dramatically and fell onto the floor.

Everything happened so fast.

Before I could react—

A powerful force slammed into me.

“How dare you!”

My eyes widened as I lost my balance completely. The next second, my back crashed heavily against the wall.

Pain exploded through my body. I let out a painful gasp. Before I could even recover—

“Mummy!”

Anne’s terrified scream echoed through the hallway.

“No! Don’t push Mummy!”

She threw herself into my arms, crying uncontrollably as she tried to help me up with her tiny hands.

Ignoring the pain shooting through my back, I hugged her tightly instead. And only then did I finally look up but I saw Amir helping Selene to her feet.

His face was filled with anger as he pointed straight at me.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Yara? You’re stubborn and completely vicious!”

He looked down at Anne with disappointment.

“You even taught your own daughter to lie.” His voice became colder. “A woman like you doesn’t deserve to be a mother!”

Every word pierced straight through my heart. I simply watched as he picked Felix up into his arms.

The little boy kept looking back at Anne, his face pale as if he wanted to say something but no one listened. His little lips moved, but Selene hurried him away before he could speak.

Amir turned around and Selene followed beside him, then together they walked away.

I sat there in a daze.

One by one, the crowd dispersed until the hallway fell silent again. I didn’t even know how much time had passed.

Just then, I suddenly felt the little body in my arms trembling violently.

My heart skipped.

I quickly pulled Anne back to look at her.

“Anne?”

My voice shook.

Her face had turned deathly pale. Cold sweat covered her forehead and her tiny body shivered uncontrollably.

Her lips kept moving weakly.

“D-Don’t…” She mumbled. “D-Don’t push Mummy…”

Fear exploded inside me.

“Anne!”

I cupped her little face. “Baby… look at Mummy.”

She didn’t respond. Her body only grew colder.

Tears streamed down my face.

“No…”

I shook my head desperately.

“Baby… don’t scare Mummy… Please…”

Just then, her eyelashes fluttered weakly then she whispered again.

“D-Daddy… Believe… Anne…”

Her tiny fingers weakly reached into the air, as though she was still trying to hold on to the father who refused to believe her. But before she could finish, blood suddenly spilled from her mouth.

My eyes widened

“Anne!”

I screamed.

My entire body shook as I struggled to stand while holding her tightly in my arms. Pain shot through my back, but I didn’t care.

I stumbled, nearly falling, but tightened my hold on Anne and forced myself forward.

“Help!”

My desperate scream echoed through the hospital.

“Where are the Healers?!”

“My daughter! Please save my daughter!”

Tears blurred my vision as I held Anne closer against my chest.

“Baby… Please… Don’t leave Mummy…”

“Anne!”

“Ahhh!!”