Chapter 161 Apollo Acknowledges Them as Family
Alice was dressed as Tanner, and the identification documents she used belonged to her as well.
“You’re here, Alice.” When Jane opened the door, she couldn’t help but feel her heart ache upon seeing Alice’s
haggard state. “You must be tired from the journey, right?”
“I’m fine. I’m going to check on Pierce.” Alice smiled as she looked at Jane, but it was slightly forced. Although she
was usually skilled at masking her emotions, it was difficult for her to do so whenever she faced her brother.
“Okay.” Jane’s eyes darkened, her tone turning downcast.
Alice didn’t say anything in reply and walked into Pierce’s ward.
Although it looked like a regular residential ward from the outside, it was filled with cutting–edge medical
equipment, and there were also specialized doctors making daily visits, putting the ward in a much better, condition
than even the most advanced hospitals.
For the sake of her brother, Alice had done everything she could. However, seven years had gone by, and Pierce
was still unconscious.
As she gazed at Pierce lying on the bed, her usual mask left her face, and her eyes reddened in an instant. She
walked over and bent over before the bed, the corners of her lips twitching slightly as she looked at the unconscious
man. “Pierce, it’s been seven years. Aren’t you done resting yet?”
There was a beat of silence as Alice gazed at Pierce before her lips twitched. There was an attempt at a smile, but
the tug of her lips didn’t bear the impression of a smile at all, and the sight was all the more tragic to look at. Even
Jane, who was standing off to the side, only felt her eyes turn hot with tears.
Although the arc on her lips didn’t look like a smile, she still tried her best to force them upward. “I know you
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthaven’t gotten enough rest yet, Pierce, so rest well.”
However, this single sentence made Jane unable to hold her tears back any longer, causing them to flow freely
down her face.
Alice’s eyes were brimming with tears as well, but she still fought to keep the corners of her lips lifted upward.
“There are some things I was waiting for you to deal with once you woke up, but now, I have no choice but to
resolve them.”
At this, her words came to a slight pause, and when she opened her mouth next, her voice had turned slightly
softer. “Pierce, can you wake up when I’m done with everything? Praise me like you did when we were younger,
and tell me that I did a good job.”
Seven years had passed since she took everything on herself, but she had to be strong. She couldn’t loosen her
guard in the slightest, nor did she dare to. It was only in front of Pierce that she could let up her act and allow
herself to appear weak. How she wished for Pierce to wake up right now.
Jane covered her mouth with a hand to suppress her sobs, but her tears gushed down her face fiercely.
It had been seven years, but she knew more than anyone else what Alice had gone through. Seven years ago, Alice
faced everything alone in order to protect Pierce. In these seven years, countless people had been sent to murder
her.
Seven years ago, Alice was only eighteen, and she was a princess basked in love and affection before she
turned into an adult. The Alice back then had an enviably perfect life and she was both pure and naive.
However, she was struck with the cruelest fate in just a single day, and she was forced to grow up in that one day.
Jane still remembered the first time Alice got hurt. It had barely been a month since they arrived in Cliaria, and they
weren’t even able to settle down before Elijah sent someone to end her life. Back then, she had not expected the
attack, resulting in her getting terribly injured.
When Alice woke up and realized the circumstances, she did not cry. She only sat by Pierce’s bedside and said in a
soft voice, “Thank goodness Pierce wasn’t the one who got hurt.”
Ever since then, Alice kept every single piece of information about Pierce tightly hidden, and it was also from that
moment that she did everything she could to make herself even more powerful.
In the past seven years, as those people had repeatedly sent their minions to end Alice’s life, Jane witnessed her
gradual change from a spoiled and sheltered princess into a cold–hearted woman who barely batted an eyelid
when faced with an assassination. However, despite everything she had been through, Alice’s heart had managed
to remain kind.
Although she was constantly met with struggles, and even though she was treated so unfairly, she still rescued
another person’s child and put her all into raising that child. Jane firmly believed that if someone else were in Alice’s
shoes, they wouldn’t have been able to act as she had.
“Jane.” Alice rose to her feet, wiping the tears off Jane’s face for her.
After the car accident seven years ago, Jane visited Pierce at the hospital without anyone knowing and said to Alice
through reddened eyes, “Let me see Pierce. Whether he’s alive, or… dead, I still have to see him.”
Alice was acquainted with Jane, but before that incident, she always assumed that Pierce had a one–sided crush on
her. However, the moment she saw Jane, she instantly realized that she loved Pierce deeply as well.
Then, Jane followed them to Cliaria. Throughout the span of seven years, she remained by Pierce’s side and spent
her days taking care of him.
In fact, Alice yearned to call Jane her sister–in–law, even if it was to provide some form of support as a family
member or to comfort her psychologically.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHowever, she was unable to say this selfish wish of hers aloud, afraid that if Pierce never woke up, this title would
turn into a burden constricting Jane instead.
“Alice, did something happen? You must have a reason to be here.” As she had already heard Alice’s words earlier,
Jane could guess that something was up.
“Yeah.” Alice slowly nodded her head. “It’s about time to confront Glenn Group.”
She took out the documents she had prepared and placed them by Pierce’s bed, after which she slowly closed her
eyes to suppress her emotions. Then, she opened them and held Pierce’s finger, stamping his fingerprint on the
document she had prepared.
She could replicate Pierce’s signature. Although she had always been waiting eagerly for him to regain
consciousness, her experiences over the past seven years had given her a habit of preparing herself for everything.
Because of that, she had long since learned to imitate Pierce’s handwriting.
Of course, it was definitely not enough to only have Pierce’s signature, not even with his seal. After all, these things
could be forged while others could easily deny their authenticity.
However, fingerprints couldn’t be falsified. Pierce’s fingerprints could be easily found in the company’s previous
contracts, and as long as they matched, those people would have no choice but to acknowledge it.
Meanwhile, Jane stood off to the side and watched. When Alice was finished, she reminded her softly, “You should
watch out for yourself. Those people aren’t human; they can do anything.”
“Yeah.” Alice nodded gently. She understood the Woland Family more than anyone else, and she knew that her
actions would certainly force them into a corner.
However, this was a step she had to take. Even if Pierce hadn’t awakened, she would take all the
responsibility in order to ensure that he was out of danger.