She Stuns the World - Chapter 232: Chapter 232
You are reading She Stuns the World, Chapter 232: Chapter 232. Read more chapters of She Stuns the World.
After pausing for over a minute, Wesley's hoarse voice finally came from his cupped hands: "On New Year's Day that year... your grandparents took Zilvia to the pedestrian street to play. In front of the department store, there was a commercial square with an acrobatics performance, and the three of them gathered there to watch. They hadn't been watching for long when Zilvia said she wanted a candied hawthorn skewer, so your grandpa went to buy one."
Wesley continued, "Before he could return, Zilvia saw some kids nearby playing with balloons and said she wanted one too. The balloon vendor was only about ten meters away, so your grandma thought it would just take a few minutes to walk there and back. She told Zilvia to stay put and wait while she went to get the balloon..."
Basically, the direction of this kind of story was always predictable.
The sad and painful atmosphere gradually spread.
Athena closed her eyes, her heart slowly sinking as she silently prayed, hoping it wasn't as she feared.
Wesley's voice had already choked up, filled with endless pain: "When your grandpa came back with the candied hawthorn, Zilvia was nowhere to be seen..."
He was holding back, trying not to cry or break down.
Athena's nails dug deeply into her palms, the pain piercing sharply.
After another two to three minutes, Wesley continued, "Your grandpa and grandma were nearly driven mad. With their bodies over sixty, they stumbled around searching everywhere, asking everyone, even kneeling on the ground and bowing to people, begging for help to find their grandchild."
He sighed. "There were surveillance cameras in the mall, but they weren't as widespread as they are now. There were many blind spots. The cameras showed that after your grandma walked away, Zilvia seemed to notice something and walked toward the side of the mall on her own. Her figure disappeared into a blind spot in the surveillance cameras. We tried every possible way—posting missing person ads everywhere, crying on TV and websites, asking relatives and friends for help. The media, police, and citizens of Kitmore City also joined the search, but Zilvia... seemed to have vanished into thin air and was never seen again."
Athena closed her eyes, not knowing what to say.
For any family that loved their child, losing a child was a devastating blow.
"Your mom, grandpa, and grandma cried every day because of this, falling ill one after another. Your grandma's eyesight, which was already poor, nearly deteriorated from all the crying. The worst part is..." Wesley's voice trembled. "The matter was very big at that time. With the entire city searching for Zilvia but finding no leads, many people started saying that your grandpa and grandma were biased towards boys and intentionally took their granddaughter to a crowded, complicated place during the holiday, deliberately abandoning her."
He went on, "Some even said... that your grandpa and grandma sold their granddaughter and had arranged for human traffickers to be on-site, suggesting that the investigation should start with them. When your grandpa and grandma heard these rumors, they were deeply traumatized. One had a stroke and collapsed on the spot, while the other fell down the stairs and broke a leg... Although they received prompt medical attention, your grandpa was left with delayed reactions and mobility issues, and your grandma not only had her eyesight severely impaired but also had to use a wheelchair for daily mobility."
Wesley looked regretful. "This disaster also drained all the family's savings. We sold our original three-story house and moved to a worker's dormitory area, renting an apartment in the same building, so the family had to split into two separate units. Your grandma and grandpa didn't want to be a burden to us and insisted on moving to the countryside, planning to grow some vegetables and raise chickens to help support the family. Of course, we didn't want them to live in the countryside, but living here would only remind them of Zilvia and cause them to constantly cry, feel guilty, and be worried. So, your mom decided to go with them to the countryside to take care of them."
Wesley continued, "Before he could return, Zilvia saw some kids nearby playing with balloons and said she wanted one too. The balloon vendor was only about ten meters away, so your grandma thought it would just take a few minutes to walk there and back. She told Zilvia to stay put and wait while she went to get the balloon..."
Basically, the direction of this kind of story was always predictable.
The sad and painful atmosphere gradually spread.
Athena closed her eyes, her heart slowly sinking as she silently prayed, hoping it wasn't as she feared.
Wesley's voice had already choked up, filled with endless pain: "When your grandpa came back with the candied hawthorn, Zilvia was nowhere to be seen..."
He was holding back, trying not to cry or break down.
Athena's nails dug deeply into her palms, the pain piercing sharply.
After another two to three minutes, Wesley continued, "Your grandpa and grandma were nearly driven mad. With their bodies over sixty, they stumbled around searching everywhere, asking everyone, even kneeling on the ground and bowing to people, begging for help to find their grandchild."
He sighed. "There were surveillance cameras in the mall, but they weren't as widespread as they are now. There were many blind spots. The cameras showed that after your grandma walked away, Zilvia seemed to notice something and walked toward the side of the mall on her own. Her figure disappeared into a blind spot in the surveillance cameras. We tried every possible way—posting missing person ads everywhere, crying on TV and websites, asking relatives and friends for help. The media, police, and citizens of Kitmore City also joined the search, but Zilvia... seemed to have vanished into thin air and was never seen again."
Athena closed her eyes, not knowing what to say.
For any family that loved their child, losing a child was a devastating blow.
"Your mom, grandpa, and grandma cried every day because of this, falling ill one after another. Your grandma's eyesight, which was already poor, nearly deteriorated from all the crying. The worst part is..." Wesley's voice trembled. "The matter was very big at that time. With the entire city searching for Zilvia but finding no leads, many people started saying that your grandpa and grandma were biased towards boys and intentionally took their granddaughter to a crowded, complicated place during the holiday, deliberately abandoning her."
He went on, "Some even said... that your grandpa and grandma sold their granddaughter and had arranged for human traffickers to be on-site, suggesting that the investigation should start with them. When your grandpa and grandma heard these rumors, they were deeply traumatized. One had a stroke and collapsed on the spot, while the other fell down the stairs and broke a leg... Although they received prompt medical attention, your grandpa was left with delayed reactions and mobility issues, and your grandma not only had her eyesight severely impaired but also had to use a wheelchair for daily mobility."
Wesley looked regretful. "This disaster also drained all the family's savings. We sold our original three-story house and moved to a worker's dormitory area, renting an apartment in the same building, so the family had to split into two separate units. Your grandma and grandpa didn't want to be a burden to us and insisted on moving to the countryside, planning to grow some vegetables and raise chickens to help support the family. Of course, we didn't want them to live in the countryside, but living here would only remind them of Zilvia and cause them to constantly cry, feel guilty, and be worried. So, your mom decided to go with them to the countryside to take care of them."
End of She Stuns the World Chapter 232. Continue reading Chapter 233 or return to She Stuns the World book page.