Mary closed her eyes.
A smile crept across her face as she said calmly, "I did not create an illusion. I was simply lucky to have escaped death."
"Mary."
Max's expression became darker.
The air around him turned even colder.
He looked deep into her eyes and asked with a lowered tone, "What exactly happened that night? Where have you been all these years? Don't you think that you owe me an explanation?"
He had sent someone to investigate the car she was driving.
The car was registered under Priscilla Johnson's name.
Mary had kept in contact with the Johnsons.
Mary opened her eyes and looked straight into Max's piercing gaze.
Her gaze was innocent and pure, just like they always had been.
She even addressed Max how she used to, "Max, I was in a coma for two years and only regained my memories a year ago."
His was shaken for moment.
She was addressing him the way she had in the past.
It sounded exactly like how she had called him during the ten years they spent together.
However, there was no longer the sense of familiarity it once had.
It now sounded foreign and hostile.
Max observed Mary.
She was no longer as young and inexperienced as she was five years ago.
She had toned down her willfulness and recklessness. Now, there was a faint trace of tranquility within her gentle demeanor, as well as a little bit of…sexiness.
Of course. She was already 23.
She had already developed the beauty and charms of a woman.
She seemed to be telling the truth.
Max did not want to pursue the matter.
He looked into her eyes and asked, "Where are you staying now?"
"..."
Mary blinked and continued to lie, "I'm staying with Priscilla."
"Move home. I've kept your room as it was. Someone cleans it every day." Max adjusted his sitting position.
He was no longer anxious to find out about how she spent the past five years.
He had raised Mary for five years.
He understood her temper well.
She could not be forced.
She could only be coaxed.
Mary looked slightly surprised.
She smiled once again and said, "Max, I saw in the news that you are about to get married. We are not biological siblings, so it's not appropriate for me to go back. I will not return ever again."
"He knows that I'm not on good terms with Sandra," she thought. "He wouldn't insist on me going back if it will cause problems for his future wife, would he?"
He went against her expectation.
Max casually uttered, "If you are inconvenienced by my marriage, I'll hold a press conference and postpone my marriage indefinitely. At least until… you have no issues with it."
"..."
This man was insane.
Mary was very startled.
There was a trace of abnormality in her slightly raised voice, "Sandra White is the person who is going to spend the rest of your life with you."
"So what? Don't forget. Back then, for whom did I agree to marry the Whites?"
Max's smile was cynical and cold.
His smile was like a sharp blade.
It accurately and gently pierced Mary's heart.
The memories of the past that Mary had sealed were forcefully extracted.
Back then, Max had only been a 14-year-old teenager when he brought her home.
He was not as powerful as he was now and could not protect her by himself.
It might have been to honor the promise he had made to her mother…
Max agreed to his parents' request of marrying the Whites so that he could protect her.
Ever since, Sandra's life, as well as her own, became tied with his.
Mary had always felt touched whenever she thought about how good Max had treated her.
However, now, she finally knew the truth…
She did not know how to describe what she was feeling.
Max's phone rang at this moment.
It was Matthew Smith.
He glanced at his phone and immediately hung up.
He extended a hand toward Mary and said, "Your phone."
"What do you want?"
Mary pulled herself out of her memories. Her brows were knitted, her eyes filled with caution.
Max showed her his Facebook profile and said, "Add me."
"..."
Mary bit her lips and looked at the profile on his phone.
Rebecca's words echoed in her ears, "Mary, Paul did not do it for himself. He did it to get revenge for your parents…"
"You're not even willing to give me your contact?"
That man's voice was low and calm, yet it was overbearing, and demanded obedience.
It was just like the ten years she had spent with him.
Mary shook her head to signal that she was willing.
She took out her phone and added him.
She was using a new account. There was no information on this.
Max looked at her profile.
He kept his phone, then said coldly, "Tonight, let's have dinner together."
He then got off the car.
…
It was already 40 minutes later when Mary arrived at the police station.
Her expression changed the moment she saw Paul. He had been beaten up very badly.
He was limping on his left leg.
His face was also swollen.
It was a sorry sight.
She did not know how many other wounds there were that she could not see.
"Mary, why did you come back?"
Paul's gaze was a mixture of complicated emotions when he looked at Mary.
He would have been very happy to see Mary if this were any other day.
However, in such a situation, he did not want Mary to know the truth. He felt that it was too cruel.
Mary gripped tightly onto the receiver.
She stared at Paul for a few seconds, then asked, enunciating every syllable, "Paul, why did you hide it from me?"
Paul let out a self-deprecating laugh. He tried to continue with the lie, "I just don't like Max Gaston, that bast*rd."
It was technically not a lie.
Five years ago, Paul had wanted to cripple Max when Mary was violated.
"I already know the truth."
Mary's expression darkened.
Guilt washed over Paul's face.
He returned a question, "Did you come back alone? Did Jason come back with you?"
"He did."
"Mary, why are you so foolish? You know how Jason looks like. He will be snatched away by the Gastons the moment he shows his face. Do you want to give him up to them?"
Mary bit her lips. There was a cold glimmer in her eyes.
Her voice was icy, "Paul, I've made the necessary preparations since I've come back. All you have to do is tell me what you know. This also involves my parents. As a daughter, I have to take revenge for them."
Paul hesitated for a few seconds.
He said rigidly after weighing the pros and cons, "Your mother's suicide is not as simple as it seems. She did not kill herself just in the name of love after your father died back then. She committed suicide because she had consumed a drug that confuses a person's senses…"
Mary slipped into a brief moment of silence after hearing Paul's words.
She remembered a gentle voice.
"Mary, promise Mum that you'll listen to Max in the future."
That was what her mother had told her before she died.
Her mother had told her that while hugging her.
"Mary, what's wrong?"
Paul looked at her worriedly. He was furious.
The Gastons, that bast*rd Max Gaston. They were responsible for all of this.
Paul did not know what motive Max had when he brought Mary home back then.
Mary shook her head. Her voice was soft and calm, "I'm fine."
She had had a certain suspicion five years ago.
It was just that she had not had the time to verify her suspicions. Later, Sandra had taken the initiative and revealed part of the truth when she thought that Mary was sure to die.
However, Mary did not tell Paul about it as she had no evidence. She was afraid that Paul would be reckless.
Unexpectedly, Paul's investigations still led him to the Gastons.
This enmity was between her parents and the Gastons. Paul's parents had been implicated. She should be the one to take revenge.
Furthermore, she had been working hard on this goal over the past five years.
However, the most important thing to do at the moment was to get Paul out of the station.