280 Hand It Over

After holding the teapot for a minute, she picked up a mug from the table and brought it closer to herself.

She poured the milk tea from the teapot into the mug and brought it to her lips. Right at that moment, the shadow guard who was in charge of watching over Lia stopped her. "Hand that milk tea over. I need to inspect it. The black pill's leftover content should be in there. Don't think you can die so easily."

Lia looked exhausted and didn't put up a fight anymore. She handed her mug over to the shadow guard. "You know I am quite envious of you shadow guards. You guys have no emotions at all. No pain. No joy. Just being loyal to Master Liam and that is your life. Everything he tells you to do somehow is right in your eyes. Very impressive."

"He is our master, so why would I ever doubt him? As for all others, if they don't follow his instructions then they deserve his punishment. I will send this milk tea to the lab and make sure you didn't play any tricks. You should head over to the hospital. After all, you did spike someone's drink. Play your role well." The shadow guard transferred the content in Lia's mug into another container before placing the mug down on the table.

"I will play it well," Lia replied. Her fingers gently stroked her abdomen where the pain had subsided from the fall earlier. However, it still hurt slightly whenever she moved. 'Baby..'

- Hospital -

Upon arrival, Selina was wheeled into the emergency room where doctors had gathered to give her a thorough examination. Shortly after Selina was pushed into the emergency room, Rosanna and Eric reached the hospital. A short distance from where the crowd was standing, Antonio had his eyes on where Selina was being examined in. His fists were still clenched tightly.

"How is Selina doing?" Rosanna was shivering in Eric's embrace when Eric asked about Selina's condition. The second they heard that Selina had fallen ill all of a sudden, a bad premonition struck their mind.

"Wasn't she fine this morning? She was talking to me. The breakfast and everything were shared with Jason too. You guys said she ate the same snacks as you, then what about the milk tea? Did you guys drink the same things as her too?" Rosanna squeezed her husband's wrist when she asked these questions.

Before anyone could respond to her questions, Lia appeared behind Rosanna and Eric. She interrupted their conversation. "I'm sorry, but can I speak to you? Mrs. Clover, Mr. Clover, and Jason. There is something I must tell you."

Standing not too far from the crowd, Lia took a deep breath. "I sincerely apologize for what I've done to Selina. When I made her milk tea, I used regular milk instead of the lactaid milk she usually uses for her drinks. However, I did this for a reason."

Lia bowed respectfully to the couple in front of her. "I am a spy sent by Master Liam. He wanted me to add a black pill to Selina's drink today. I was held captive until today as well. There were many times where I've done things on my own to ensure people's safety from Master Liam, but right now, I can't even save myself. To save Selina, I changed the milk she usually uses."

Hearing the words that came out of Lia's mouth, Rosanna's worries were reduced by half. She asked, "Why are you telling us this?"

"Because Selina is my friend. At least to me, she is my friend. She genuinely cares for me. I will never harm her, please trust me. I am telling you all this so that you guys can take precautions whoever you go. Master Liam will not stop. As for me, I will leave the country. I can't risk staying here anymore."

"If you can tell us all this, why can't you continue pretending to work for Master Liam? You can tell us his future moves and we can find ways to avoid his schemes." Rosanna nodded while Lia explained her part of the story. However, she wanted to make sure Lia's words were trustworthy for them.

"I pretended to be working for him, but in reality, I was saving lives. The reason why I've secretly protected many people is that I cannot bring myself to harm innocent lives. As for Selina, I can't entirely say I protected her for nothing. I had a selfish reason for doing so...Perhaps the power of love is really strong, I could do anything to prevent the man I loved from getting hurt."

As Rosanna observed Lia's expression, she could see the sorrow in Lia's eyes. She was heartbroken. "But you..."

"I know I've done something wrong. I've already placed my resignation letter and an explanation note on Selina's desk. She deserves to know the truth from me, but unfortunately, I cannot say goodbye to her. Every second is a risk for me. And right now...."

Lia's palm caressed her lower abdomen. A soft smile stretched on her face. "There is someone who needs me more than anyone else does. I also feel tired of loving someone. Compared to before, I am now weaker and fearful of getting injured. So, I will leave this country until the day Master Liam is gone. Or else...I will not come back."

Rosanna took a glance at where Lia was rubbing. The tender look on Lia's face was too familiar to be missed in her eyes. "I see. Thank you for risking your life and coming here to tell us the information. I hope you and your little one will be safe from the wrath of that earthworm Liam. I trust your words. I trust that Selina will be okay."

"Thank you..." Lia's nose turned sour when she heard Rosanna's words. Turning her head away for a split second, she quickly wiped the corners of her eyes. She avoided everyone's gazes and whispered. "It is time for me to go. Please take care. Once again, I am very sorry for what I've done to Selina and her-"

"Who is Selina's family?" The doctors came out of the emergency room.

"We are!" Everyone rushed to surround the doctors, leaving Lia behind. Lia's hand waved in midair for a second before it fell on the side of her thigh.

When she saw the smiles and shocked expressions on the group of people as the doctor announced Selina's condition to them, Lia smiled bittersweetly. Her gaze landed on Antonio who was anxiously listening attentively to the doctor's words. All along, he hadn't looked at her once. "Goodbye." She stroked her lower abdomen, turned around, and left the hospital.

As soon as she stepped foot into the parking lot, Number 1 and Number 2 appeared in front of her. Number 1 handed her a bag of documents with her new identity in it. A suitcase with her daily necessities was also handed to her.

"Thank you. Now that I am leaving, remember to fight less and don't communicate with anyone who works with Master Liam. You guys were lucky before, but not every time will be as lucky. Take good care of each other while I'm gone."

"Boss, will you ever come back?" Number 2 asked.

Lia shook her head. "I don't know, but when I do, I'll tell you guys."

"Boss! We will wait for you even if it means to wait for many years. We will be here." Number 1 said. Number 2 forced a smile and nodded along in agreement.

"Thank you.." Lia said, turning away from them. She steadily walked to the vehicle that was prepared for her and drove off without looking back. She knew it would be even harder if she gave them another look. Therefore, she chose to drive off.

In half an hour, Lia reached the airport and checked in at the counter. She closed her eyes and let the scene at the office and hospital replay in her mind. 'Baby, if your daddy knew about your existence, I wonder if he would look the way he did before. But it's okay. You have mommy. Mommy will give you my 101% from now on. You are mommy's precious. Mommy had always been others last choice, so I will always put you as my first. So, you stay healthy and comfortable in mommy's tummy before we meet each other, okay?