She probably never imagined, even in her wildest dreams, that she had been living with a vampire and raising him like her own child.
"Emily, it seems that our suspicions were correct." Unlike Mrs. Emily's extreme reaction, Mr. John remained completely calm, even contemplative.
Hearing this, Layla immediately asked:
"What suspicions, Dad?"
"We never thought Andrew was just a normal abandoned child—meaning he wasn't left behind because his parents were poor, or because they were teenagers who accidentally got pregnant and couldn't afford to raise him. There was a necklace in the blanket that wrapped around Andrew. The pendant was made of gold, very valuable, and had the name 'Andrew' engraved on it, but no surname. That necklace was the only thing his biological parents left with him. And that blanket—it had a very beautiful design. I once asked around and people said that it originated from a royal family. That's why we suspected this might be a case of kidnapping."
Kidnapping... nobility… The words swirled around in Layla's head. Then, suddenly, she sprang up from her seat.
"Dad, Mom, I have to go find Andrew and bring him back."
"What!?" Mrs. Emily immediately reacted, her response fierce and adamant. Layla, however, remained incredibly calm, knowing that her parents would undoubtedly oppose her decision. Layla also knew that their opposition was perfectly reasonable, but she had her own logic to persuade them.
"Dad, Mom, as I said, Andrew isn't happy, and he's being forced to return to his so-called home. Those people used me as a hostage to force him to comply. If he refused, they would have killed me. From what I could see, they must have approached Andrew many times before and threatened him, which is why he was so familiar with them. When they appeared, the first thing he said wasn't 'Who are you?' Andrew isn't happy—he's part of our family, isn't he, Mom? That's why I have to save him. I have to go."
Layla's tone was resolute, but to Mrs. Emily, it was just the reckless and impulsive decision of a young girl. The arguments Layla presented weren't enough to convince her, which was understandable. Perhaps no amount of reasoning would have been sufficient to sway Mrs. Emily at that moment.
"No, absolutely not. You are not going anywhere! Do you even know where that place is? It's the lair of vampires, and humans are natural enemies of vampires. To them, we are nothing more than food. Andrew may not be happy, but that's not certain—you're merely speculating based on your own feelings. There's no proof of it. He'll soon get used to his new home, where he truly belongs. Of course, a child who hasn't grown up with their biological family and was raised by us would consider us their only family in their subconscious. When he realizes he's adopted and has to call strangers his parents, of course, it'll be difficult for him to accept. He will need time to adapt. But Andrew is far more mature than you are, Layla. He knows what's best for himself. Compared to Andrew, you're just a little girl. And even if Andrew is unhappy, he will survive there. If you go, you will definitely be killed by those vampires. You're only thinking about your own feelings, without considering what would happen to us if you never came back!"
"Mom, but you said that Andrew's appearance on our doorstep could be due to a kidnapping, right? And what you just said is also just speculation. I might not die, and Andrew definitely won't harm me..."
"Layla!" Mrs. Emily's voice cut off Layla's unfinished words. She gripped Layla's shoulders tightly, as if trying to shake some sense into her.
"Andrew can take care of himself. He doesn't need you to protect him. He has protected you since you were little. He's not a child anymore. But you're different. You can't protect yourself. If you go there, you'll only get in his way."
"Mom, but Andrew is all alone…" Layla's voice trembled, her eyes reddening as if on the verge of tears. Mrs. Emily sighed at her daughter's stubbornness. There was no way she could let Layla act on her impulses. Layla wasn't yet mature enough to make sound decisions, while Mrs. Emily had life experience and a broader perspective. More importantly, she couldn't allow her daughter to walk into danger without a second thought.
At that moment, Mr. John, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke:
"Let her go."
Both Layla and Mrs. Emily were stunned. Layla's dark expression brightened instantly as she realized that someone was supporting her—and that person was her father. Layla lunged forward and hugged Mr. John tightly.
"Dad, are you serious?"
"Yes, I am. I'll allow you to go."
"No!" Mrs. Emily's face turned pale, disbelief and shock etched into her features as she looked at Mr. John. She stood up abruptly, staring intensely at the father-daughter pair.
"Have you lost your mind, John? How can you spoil her like this? Don't you realize this is about Layla's life? She's our daughter. No matter what, I cannot gamble with her life. I can't lose her. You're her father—how can you agree to such a reckless suggestion? I refuse. Absolutely not!"
Mr. John understood what Emily was feeling. As parents, they loved their children equally. The decision was difficult for him, just as it was for her.
"Emily, calm down."
"I can't be calm!"
Layla's gaze, filled with hope, remained fixed on her father. Whether she would be able to find Andrew now depended entirely on him. She hoped he could convince her mother. Otherwise, what would she do?
Would she have to run away?
But if Andrew was her family, then her parents were also her family. Layla couldn't bear to hurt them like that. Her parents were getting older; she didn't want to do anything without their consent. She didn't want to cause them pain or disappointment.
She thought of the days they would have to live without her—lonely and heartbroken, waiting in despair. The thought alone tore her heart apart.
Mr. John gently pulled Mrs. Emily back to her seat.
"Emily, we gave birth to Layla, but we can't control her entire life. We can't force her to live for us just because she's our daughter, because she's the only child we have, and without her, we'd be devastated, we'd grow ill and die. Layla has her own life. Whether she lives for us or not depends entirely on her. Why are there children who honor their parents and children who don't? It all comes down to their own understanding. We can't force Layla to do something she doesn't want to do. You have to accept that she's grown up now. She has the right to make her own choices. We can't control her forever, even if she is our daughter. She is a unique individual, with her own thoughts, consciousness, and heart."