Chapter 233

In another suite of the hotel, the room was filled with people.

When Isabella and Sebastian hurried in, all eyes turned towards them.

Isabella's gaze was drawn to the blood-stained swaddle on the table.Her steps faltered, a wave of urgency making her want to rush over to the blanket, but her legs felt leaden, refusing to move.

"Bella," Nina stepped forward and took her hand. "I checked; it's indeed a girl. But..."

Because Isabella had already broken free from her hand and hurried towards the swaddle.

The baby girl in the swaddle let out a cry, hoarse and weak.

Isabella took one look, and her expression froze slightly.

Nina stood beside her and asked, "Is it?"

Isabella shook her head. "No."

With just one look, Isabella recognized that the baby girl in the swaddle was not her Sweetie.

It wasn't just that this baby was too small; the bloodstains, the dirt, and the umbilical cord still attached all told her that this baby had been born very recently. Sweetie, on the other hand, had been born nearly a month ago.

Nina had tried to mention earlier that this child looked freshly born, which didn't match with Isabella's timeline. But despite several searches, this was the first time they had found this baby.

Sebastian, holding Isabella's hand tightly, could not see the baby but could hear its cries. The sound, coupled with his thoughts of Sweetie, made his heart ache intensely. He had been waiting for Isabella to say, "This is our daughter, Sweetie," so he could reach out and take the baby. But when Isabella's response was a firm "no," the anticipation in his eyes seemed to extinguish.

Isabella felt as if Sebastian's grip was about to crush her hand. His strength was overwhelming. She turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze, tears streaming silently down her face.

Sebastian was slightly stunned, realizing his grip was too tight. He loosened his hold a bit and pulled Isabella into his arms. Facing the direction of the baby, he asked, "Where was she found?"

"The back mountain," Jack replied, "in the woods outside."

Sebastian pursed his lips. "So Bella wasn't hearing things, as our room is close to the back mountain."

Jack added, "We've already sent someone to check the surveillance. We should have results soon."

Before he finished speaking, hurried footsteps came from outside, and Michael walked in.

"No need to look, the child is hers."

Everyone's eyes turned toward the door as a young woman walked in, soaked to the bone. She wore a loose, dark-colored dress that was clearly maternity wear. Bloodstains marred her calves and shoes, and though the deep color of the dress masked any blood on it, she reeked of raw, iron-like blood.

The girl looked young, around twenty, with a pale face. One of her hands remained pressed against her abdomen, and with each step she took, she wavered, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Michael's voice was extremely cold. "Unmarried but pregnant, abandoning the child. These two charges together are quite serious."

The woman crumpled to the floor, her cries laced with a profound sense of helplessness.

Her soft sobs filled the room, mingling with the baby's cries from the table, creating an oppressive atmosphere that seemed to tear at Isabella's wounds all over again.

Isabella pushed Sebastian away and walked towards the girl, her eyes red. "Are you abandoning this child?"

The woman looked up in surprise, her eyes reflecting a complex swirl of emotions. Despite the turmoil in her gaze, Isabella could see clearly that this mother had not yet reached the point of being able to completely abandon her child.

"If you really don't want her, I'll find a good family for her. You can pretend you never gave birth to this child, and she will never know that her biological mother had abandoned her from birth."

The girl's lips trembled as if she wanted to say something. She looked at the swaddle on the table with reluctance, then closed her eyes in despair.

Isabella stood up. "Jack, please take this child away, the farther the better."

"Yes."

Jack stepped forward and had just picked up the swaddle when a scream was heard. The girl who had been sitting on the ground suddenly stood up and staggered towards the child. She snatched the swaddle from Jack's hands, took a few steps back, and cried heart-wrenchingly but held the baby tightly.

Seeing this, they breathed a sigh of relief.

Isabella held back her tears, took off her coat, and draped it over the girl's shoulders. "Since you can't bear to part with her, raise her well. I know the process will be difficult, but to the child, you are her whole world. If even you don't want her, that would be her greatest sorrow."

The girl looked at Isabella, tears streaming down her face, and finally said, with a hoarse voice, "Thank you."

Isabella arranged for someone to take the girl home and gave her some money. Then the matter was settled.

Nina returned to her bedroom, unable to hold back her tears.

There was a knock on the door. Nina went to open it and saw Richard standing outside.

Nina held the doorknob. "It's so late. Is there something you need?"

Richard saw her red eyes, his brow furrowed, and he pushed the door open and walked in. With Nina's strength, she couldn't stop him, so she let him into the room.

Richard closed the door and hugged her. "Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing." Nina's hands pressed against his chest. "It's late. If there's nothing else, you should go back to your room and rest."

Richard stared at her. "Which room? Don't you know I only booked one room?"

Nina knew what he meant and lowered her eyes. "Then let me get ready."

Richard had agreed to help, and she should repay him. Nina was a married woman. Richard's intentions towards her were never hidden. Tonight's events truly owe much to Richard; without him, they wouldn't have even gotten into the hotel.

Richard let go. "Alright. I'll wait for you in bed."

Even though she was mentally prepared, Nina still felt uneasy hearing his words.

Nina turned and went into the bathroom.

After taking a few deep breaths, Nina took off her clothes piece by piece. She quickly took a shower, put on a bathrobe, and walked out.

The lights in the room had been adjusted, emitting a warm glow. Richard was leaning on the bed, playing on his phone. Hearing the sound, he looked up, gazing at Nina.

Nina felt a bit awkward and walked over.

She sat on the edge of the bed, silent for a few seconds, and began to take off her bathrobe.