Chapter 852 Successful Hypnosis
While Kurt and Hugo were in hot pursuit of Oscar, Jolin gave Amelia a call to update her.
No sooner had Amelia dashed out while still being on the line than Jolin stopped her car right in front and opened the door.
Upon getting in, Amelia asked, “Jolin, did Oscar really drive Isabella away?”
“Mrs. Clinton, that’s what everyone saw. Something must have happened for Isabella to leave with Boss in the middle of the night. Tonight is the key. If she manages to escape, I’m afraid tomorrow… Don’t worry just yet. Hugo and Kurt are on their tail. I’m confident that they’ll find Boss,” Jolin said, knowing Amelia’s concerns.
If Oscar weren’t located that night, he might not be able to recognize her and Tony anymore.
The situation was truly ironic. Even though they spent most of the time together, Oscar was still taken away from her right under her nose.
Throwing Amelia a glance, Jolin reassured her, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Clinton. We’ll definitely rescue Boss. As someone who controls Clinton Corporations and leads a myriad of other organizations, he won’t be easily manipulated by Isabella.”
Amelia let out a wry laugh. “Jolin, if Oscar no longer knows who I am and insists on a divorce, I hope you’ll take good care of him. Whenever he’s caught up with work, remind him to have regular meals or his gastric pain would act up. Even though I know that someone will replace me by his side, I’m still worried about him being too engrossed with work and stressed out when he sleeps. Anyway, please keep an eye on him for me. He may look strong on the outside but is actually fragile inside. Since fate has forced us to become strangers, there’s little I can do. But one day, I’ll return stronger and take him back. I’ll never abandon him. Take care of him while I’m gone.”
Feeling a squeeze in her heart, Jolin floored the accelerator as they sped out of the mansion. When the guard at the door saw so many cars leaving in a short time, he decided to report it to Olivia.
On the road, Jolin said, “Mrs. Clinton, don’t let your pessimism get the better of yourself. Someone as kind as Boss will never forget you. Tomorrow, he’ll be back, and all this might be nothing but a prank of his.”
Shaking her head, Amelia replied softly, “He will never fool around with our relationship. He can’t bear to see me sad.” When he looked at me as if I was a stranger and threw my hand aside, I knew in that instant he no longer remembers who I am.
As of then, she was worried about the kind of black magic Isabella seemed to have cast upon Oscar, as there was still plenty she didn’t know about.
Right then, Jolin’s phone rang, and Kurt’s voice rang out after she answered the phone. “We have lost track of Boss. How is Amelia doing? You didn’t tell her that Isabella left with Boss, did you?”
The question caused Jolin to glance at Amelia. “Mrs. Clinton is right beside me.”
After a brief silence, Kurt asked, “Is she doing okay?”
“Yes. Where are you now? I’ll meet up with you guys,” Jolin replied.
Kurt provided an address.
“All right. We’ll be there in half an hour.” Upon ending the call, Jolin racked her brain on how to break the news to Amelia.
However, Amelia preempted her. “Did they lose them?”
Jolin nodded but quickly added, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Clinton. We’ll figure out another way to locate Boss.”
Amelia changed the topic. “Didn’t you mention meeting up with them? Let’s go.”
Jolin gave her a concerned look.
Amelia decided to close her eyes and pretend to be asleep.
Seeing that, Jolin drove both of them to the agreed meeting point to reunite with Hugo and Kurt.
The moment she alighted and only saw two of them, she asked, “Where are the rest?”
“They’re still giving chase,” Hugo answered.
Kurt’s eyes fell upon Amelia. She swiftly averted his gaze as she said, “Let’s go back. There’s no way we can catch up given how fast Oscar drives. Let’s take a break. I’m sure everyone is exhausted by now.”
When she walked toward the car, Kurt grabbed her hand by reflex.
Turning her head around, Amelia looked at his hand that was on hers before looking up at him. “Kurt, what’s wrong?”
He gave her a thoughtful look, and his eyes failed to hide his concern for her. “Amelia, are you really all right? Don’t worry. I have dirt on Isabella. If she dares to get close to Boss, I’ll expose all of it. The resulting backlash online will prevent her from ever joining the Clinton family.”
Amelia laughed bitterly. “Kurt, you don’t think that Oscar loves me anymore too, do you?”
Tightening his grip on her hand, Kurt frantically clarified, “Amelia, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. I was just trying to say that you’re the only person Boss cares about and Isabella is nothing to him. You shouldn’t let your thoughts get carried away.”
“Kurt, thank you for your concern. I understand you mean well. It’s just that you’re bad at consoling others. You can’t be so clumsy with your words when you get a girlfriend next time.”
Kurt opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but no words escaped his lips.
Hugo patted Kurt on his shoulder, cueing him to let Amelia’s hand go. At the end of the day, it would be inappropriate for him to cross the line in their relationship as employer and employee.
Kurt released her reluctantly.
Expressionlessly, Amelia said, “Let’s go.”
Left without a choice, Jolin drove Amelia back. However, Amelia got her to stop the car when they were half a kilometer away from the Clinton residence.
Jolin stopped the car and asked, “Mrs. Clinton, what is it?”
“Can you drive us inside? I want to wait for Oscar to come home,” Amelia said flatly, her eyes exceedingly calm.
Jolin obeyed her orders and drove the car into the woods by the side, where they could see the bushes flattened into a track.
Hugo, who was driving behind them, followed them in his car.
When he wound down the window, Jolin did the same and explained, “Mrs. Clinton wants to look at the scenery here.”
Hugo nodded to indicate his acknowledgment before winding the window back up.
It was then that Kurt said abruptly, “I should have killed that woman, and all this wouldn’t have happened.”
Hugo threw him a glance. “Kurt, don’t do anything reckless. This is Tayhaven. If you kidnap her and something untoward happens, there’s no way you can escape the long arm of the law. I know you feel bad for Mrs. Clinton, but it isn’t a reason to act hastily. In fact, this is the second time Boss divorced her in the middle of the night, and none of us have any idea what she has done to him. Boss would definitely not tolerate it if you were to act unilaterally.”
Kurt’s eyes narrowed, a murderous glint in them as he declared through gritted teeth, “For Amelia’s sake, I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Even then, you cannot ignore how she feels. If anything happens to you, do you think she won’t feel guilty? You need to calm down. If you fail to think rationally, you’ll just end up losing your life.”
Taking a deep breath, Kurt decided to close his eyes.
Helpless against Kurt, Hugo had no choice but to let him be. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but worry that the former’s unilateral actions might cross Oscar’s threshold. As of now, no one knew what had gotten into Oscar for him to grow close to Isabella all of a sudden. It was a development that none of them had foreseen.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere was tense as Isabella waited anxiously outside after bringing Oscar to see Bernard. This was one of the rare opportunities for her to get close to him. If she did not succeed this time, the bodyguards in the shadows would protect him and death would be what awaited her. Just like that particular night, if Oscar hadn’t appeared in time, Jolin would have likely ended her life.
The professional bodyguards hired by Oscar were no strangers to killing.
As Isabella paced back and forth, mumbling to herself, Bernard emerged, looking all pale.
Isabella supported him as she asked, “Professor Zabinski, how is it?”
“I’ve tried my best, but his willpower is just too strong, thwarting me from reaching the depths of his mind with my hypnosis. Even if his memories have been switched, he can recover them anytime. You have to be prepared and not come crying to me later,” Bernard explained in a weak voice. This time, his subject was the most stubborn he had ever encountered, dealing a devastating blow to his research.
With her brows tightly knitted, Isabella asked, “Professor Zabinski, if I bring him here frequently for hypnosis, will he love me forever?”
“If you plan to turn him into a useless retard, you’re most welcome to do so,” Bernard answered, causing Isabella to purse her lips.
When Bernard ordered his assistant to help him to his room to rest, Isabella frantically grabbed his hand.
“Professor Zabinski, as long as you can make him love me, I’ll continue funding your lab. Isn’t that what you’ve always dreamed of? With my support, you can fully focus on your research,” Isabella promised.
A glint flashed across Bernard’s eyes as he pondered briefly. “I’ll do my best.”
A smile tugged at Isabella’s face. “In that case, I’ll be leaving the matter in your hands.”
After having someone bring Oscar to the car, she put on his seatbelt for him before circling over to the driver’s seat.
Swooning over him, she reached out to stroke his face as she murmured, “Oscar, I did all of this for you, and I swear I’ll love you more than Amelia does. You won’t disappoint me, will you?”
She then leaned in to give him a passionate kiss. Once their lips parted, she stared at him closely, her eyes burning with madness.
Her love for Oscar knew no bounds.
If he was willing, she would stay by his side even if he had lost everything he possessed.
“Oscar, you’re perfect and exceptional. I fell in love at first sight. If only you had treated me better, I wouldn’t have needed to drug you. It was you who forced my hand. But don’t you worry. Even though the drug has its side effects, you’ll be fine as long as you recuperate properly.” Isabella spoke in an affectionate tone while Oscar slept in the car seat.
With her head placed against his shoulder, sleep took over her before she knew it.
The next day, the first thing she did upon opening her eyes was to look at Oscar.
Seeing that he still hadn’t woken up, she gently slapped his face as she called out, “Oscar, wake up.”
Suddenly, he opened his eyes and shot her a sharp glare before grabbing her hand without warning.
Jolted by his reaction, Isabella asked uneasily, “Oscar, do you know who I am to you?”
The next second, the look in Oscar’s eyes softened as he let go of her hand. “You’re my lover, silly. Did you disturb me from my sleep just to pull a prank on me?”
Isabella’s eyes sparkled with elation while excitement coursed through her veins. “Oscar, what did you just say? You said I was your lover, didn’t you? Can you say that again?” A sudden burst of happiness overwhelmed her although she was mentally prepared for it.
Oscar flicked his finger on her forehead and said affectionately, “You do love playing tricks on me.”
At once, Isabella threw herself into his arms and kissed him unreservedly.
Her reaction briefly stunned Oscar. When his lips came into contact with hers, the first sensation he felt wasn’t pleasure but repulsion.
Curious about the sensation, he decided to push her away in the end.
“Oscar, what’s wrong?” Isabella asked, baffled.
Although he was equally clueless, Oscar cooked up a random excuse. “My mouth smells.”
Only then did Isabella laugh out loud and commented, “Oscar, you were never like this before.”
As the repulsion within him intensified, he gave Isabella a suspicious look.
Although she felt her heart sink, Isabella said in a sweet voice, “Why? Do you not like it? But what choice do I have when I just love kissing you?”
Oscar smiled at her affectionately. “Whatever you wish. All that matters is that you’re happy.”
Although he said that, he could not dismiss the niggling suspicion and repulsion in his heart.
Isabella wrapped her arms around his and suggested, “Oscar, shall we have breakfast together? You’ve been so busy at work that we haven’t had the opportunity to do so in a while. I really miss doing so.”
Oscar nodded and said, “Let’s go and pick Tony up. The three of us can have breakfast together.”
“Tony?” Isabella’s heart skipped a beat. “Oscar, you still remember Tony?”
Lowering his head to look at her, Oscar let out a chuckle. “There you go again with your jokes. He’s our son. It would be terrible if I didn’t remember who he was.”
The smile on Isabella’s face gradually stiffened.
“What’s wrong? You don’t like Tony being the third wheel? It wasn’t a problem for you before.” Oscar’s smile faded slightly.
At that moment, it dawned upon Isabella that Bernard must have switched her role with that of Amelia in Oscar’s mind. Not only has Amelia become the woman he hates the most and I the one he loves, but Tony will also be mine. This is great. I’ll be able to push Amelia to the brink!
“Oscar, I just love kidding with you. Who in the world will ever see their child as a third wheel?” Isabella patted him on the shoulder and laughed. “Let’s go home and pick him up. He must be worried. We’ve been out all day.”
Only then did Oscar brighten up.
“I was just joking with you, silly. I prefer for both of us to have some privacy.” Oscar gave her nose a cheeky scratch before settling into the driver’s seat. After she put on her own seatbelt, both of them set off.
Along the journey, Isabella probed, “Oscar, you used to help me put on my seatbelt. Why didn’t you do it this time?”
Oscar glanced at her and said matter-of-factly, “I feel that something as trivial as that shouldn’t be a problem for you.” Despite his words, Oscar felt irritated at Isabella’s need to be pampered. Although a voice in his head kept telling him that she was the woman he loved, he just couldn’t bring himself to turn it into action.
While they were having breakfast, chaos erupted at the Clinton residence.
Olivia tried to call Oscar, but she couldn’t get through because his phone had been turned off.
It wasn’t until she tried calling Amelia repeatedly that she finally got through.
Right off the bat, she snapped, “Amelia, I’ve been calling Oscar and you all day. Why did you only answer now? I was worried sick, especially after what happened yesterday. Tell me, is there something wrong going on between the two of you? Whatever it is, just come back first. Tony is already crying his eyes out.”
Feeling guilty, Amelia replied softly, “Mom, I’m on my way and will be home soon. But Oscar isn’t with me, and I have no idea where he is.”
After a brief silence, Olivia said, “Just come home first. We’ll talk when you’re back.”
Upon hanging up, Amelia slumped into her seat dejectedly and said, “Jolin, let’s head back.”
“Mrs. Clinton, do you not want to wait anymore?”
“No. We don’t know when they’ll be back. Also, I figure Oscar will be a different man from the one I know when he returns,” Amelia murmured, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair.
“Mrs. Clinton…”
“I’m fine. Let’s go.”
Jolin nodded in response.
The moment Amelia stepped into the living room, Tony immediately stopped crying and ran toward her.
“Mommy.” He wrapped his hands around her thigh.
Carrying him in her arms, Amelia pecked him twice on the cheeks before teasing him in a gentle tone, “What a crybaby you are. It’s embarrassing for you to cry now that you’re such a big boy.”
Raising his hand to wipe his tears away, Tony insisted, “Mommy, I’m not crying. I just miss you a lot.”
“There, there, don’t cry. I know you’re a strong boy,” Amelia replied with a smile.
Tony buried his face in the curve of Amelia’s neck. “Mommy, where’s Daddy?”
Enduring the sudden squeeze in her heart, Amelia replied, “He’ll be back soon. Why? Are you missing him already even when he hasn’t been gone long? Didn’t you used to call him Big Meanie?”
“Since you like him, I like him too. I won’t call him Big Meanie anymore. We’re all one family now.” At a sensitive age still, Tony was emotionally affected after being jolted awake last night and overhearing some nasty stories from the housekeepers.
As the smile on Amelia’s face grew increasingly bitter, she hugged Tony even tighter.
“Don’t worry, Tony. He will always be your daddy. The blood ties between both of you will never change,” Amelia reassured him.
Tony responded with a tighter hug.
With Tony in her arms, Amelia approached Olivia with an apologetic expression. “Mom, I’m sorry to have made you worry.”
Olivia looked at her and asked grimly, “Amelia, be honest with me. What happened between you and Oscar? Why did he leave with Isabella in the middle of the night? Did both of you get into a fight or a conflict?”
“Mom, I’m just as clueless as you are. I’ll take Tony upstairs to bed first. Whatever it is, we’ll talk when Oscar comes back.”
The sight of Amelia’s eye bags caused Olivia to hold her tongue despite the burning questions she had.
“You should get some rest too,” she said instead.
“Thank you, Mom. I’ll head up with Tony, then.”
Olivia nodded in response.
Amelia carried Tony into the bedroom. As she tucked him in, he stared at her with his big, bright eyes. “Mommy, are you upset? Did Daddy get on your nerves again?”
Amelia stroked his head and comforted him, “Don’t worry, Tony. Everything is fine. No matter what happens between me and Daddy, his love for you is permanent. You cannot misbehave in front of him, do you hear me?”
Tony didn’t fully comprehend the meaning of her words, but he nodded obediently.
When Amelia saw how much her son resembled Oscar, a glint of sorrow flashed across her eyes.
After all they had been through, they might end up back at square one—when they divorced a few years ago.
Just when she thought bliss was all that awaited her, her marriage was thrown a curveball with the abrupt change in Oscar’s character.
The realization elicited a wry smile from her face.
With his hand stroking her cheek, Tony remarked in his childish voice, “Mommy, you look unhappy.”
Cupping his hand with her own, Amelia consoled him, “I’m not. Come, let me sleep with you.”
She lay down by his side and held Tony in her arms.
The latter, who was all curled up, murmured, “Mommy, I’ll protect you.”
“Thank you, Tony. I look forward to that.”
Before she knew it, Tony was already asleep, but she remained restless in bed.
It wasn’t until Oscar entered the living room holding Isabella’s hand that chaos descended upon the space.
Olivia stared at their intertwined hands and questioned, “Oscar, what are you doing?”
After throwing Olivia a glance, Oscar replied matter-of-factly, “Mom, she’s my lover. Have you forgotten? Why does everyone like to crack jokes with me today?”
Her mouth agape, Olivia wondered if she was hallucinating.
“Oscar, even you have learned how to pull my legs.” Recovering from her shock, Olivia put on a magnanimous front. “Enough of this. I know that Amelia and you are arguing, but you still can’t spite her like this. Where are you going to find a wife who’s as good as her if she leaves you in anger?”
The mention of Amelia’s name jolted Oscar as if he had heard it somewhere before.
Sensing his distraction, Isabella swiftly tugged at his hand and flashed a sweet smile when he turned around to face her.
Oscar reciprocated with a grin of his own.
Amelia was greeted by the sight of them locking gazes when she came downstairs. It was so jarring that she felt as if her heart had been pierced by countless arrows. It hurt so much that she was ultimately numbed by the pain.
Thereafter, an icy sensation took over her feet, and she could no longer hear Jolin’s voice over the phone she was holding in her hand.
All she felt was her world collapsing now that her worst fears had come true.
As she stood transfixed by the sight of Oscar, the latter, noticing her presence, looked up in her direction. The moment their eyes met, he felt in his gut that she was the one for him.
