bChapter /bb17 /b

Maxine left the hospital without looking back.

She walked faster and faster, as if trying to escape from that hallway.

Only when she got into a taxi did Maxine touch her cold face absentmindedly and realize she had been crying ball /balong.

She calmly took out some tissues from her handbag to wipe away her tears, feelingpletely dead inside.

These tears were making her stupid–better let them all out.

After Maxine calmed down, her phone suddenly rang. It was the nurse who was taking care of Jessica.

“Ms. Hudson, pleasee back quickly! A group of people just arrived and said they’d take your daughter!” the nurse urged.

Maxine rushed straight to Jessica’s ward as soon as possible.

As soon as she entered the room, she saw seven or so people standing around Jessica’s bed–middle–aged women in their forties or fifties.

One woman in a red vest was trying to coax Jessica into her arms.

But Jessica resisted fiercely and stepped back. Seeing Maxine, she cried out immediately, “Maxine!”

Maxine pushed through the crowd and ran up to hug Jessica tightly while watching those middle–aged women warily.

“Who are you?! Why do you want to take my daughter?” she questioned.

The woman in the red vest smiled awkwardly and tried to reassure her. “Take bit /beasy; let me introduce myself. We’re staff from the Saints Orphanage; I’m the Director, Naomi Atkins. We learned that this little girl is an orphan now, so we thought we’d bring her over for cement.”

Maxine’s eyes showed suspicion, and it took her a while to slightly ease her guard, but she still didn’t let go of Jessica.

“Saints Orphanage, the one in the suburbs?” she asked.

Naomi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, have you heard about it? Don’t be nervousb; /bwe’re only taking this child temporarily because I heard you wanted to adopt her! But until the adoption procedures arepleted legally, you can’t keep this child with you.”

was mempe

Maxine replied indifferently, “I know that, but there’s also de facto adoption–this child’s mother was my client before she passed away; she once told me if anything happened to her, this child would be under my care.

“That already meets the conditions for de facto adoption, which means I just need toplete the formalities within a reasonable timeframe.”

Suspicion shed across Naomi’s eyes when she heard this.

She nced at herpanions and remained silent for a moment as if unsure how to refute bit/b.

Maxine held the trembling Jessica in her arms, her/mind racing.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust state welfare homes, but the Saints Orphanage was known not to be directly managed by the government but rather brun /bby private charity organizations, where ny–nine percent of its staff were middle–aged women.

Over the past two years, it had garnered a solid reputation, gradually bing ba /bwell–known children’s welfare institution bwithin /bbthe /bcity.

bSuch /borganizations could easily attract people with hidden agendas, such as the person who harmed Ivanna.

b10:45 /bbTue/bb, /b17 bJun /bEJ GO

bIf /btoday’s bvisit /bby them was arranged by someone with hidden agendas, then Jessica would be in grave danger.

There was no way Maxine could risk it.

bShortly /bafter, Naomi signaled to her associates, and they all filed out one by one.

With only the three of them left in the room, Maxine finally let go of Jessica slowly.

Naomi put on a gentle smile, asking, “So you’re Ms. Hudson, right? I heard you have family. Why would you adopt this kid?”

Maxine looked at Naomib, /bher brows slightly furrowed, and replied coldly, “Are you really going to ask me this in front of the child?”

Naomi seemed to feel it was inappropriate as well, and her eyes showed an apologetic look. “Then let’s talk outside,” she said.