CHAPTER 261: CHAPTER 261: DECLAN PIERCE, SAVE ME!

Tanya Sinclair, of course, did not respond to Julian Poole’s invitation; she didn’t even plan to reply to his message.

"Mom." Joy tugged at her clothes, opening her arms, "Carry me, Mom, I can’t see the performance on stage."

Tanya willingly picked up her daughter, letting her see the acrobatic performance on stage.

Several jugglers had formed a human tower, the young girl at the top stood on one foot, the other foot held high above her head, as the surrounding adults and children applauded enthusiastically.

Joy’s gaze occasionally fell on Tanya’s face; she bit her lip, her eyes shadowed with hidden worries, and she followed the crowd in applause.

Dusk quickly descended, and fireworks began to explode near the musical fountain.

"Aunt Tawny, there’s a fire performance over there! I want to see it!" Caden, being a young boy, was generally calm and quiet, but still had a thrill for such exciting performances. Caught up in the excitement, he eagerly pulled Aunt Tawny in that direction.

"Joy, do you want to go?" Tanya asked warmly, sensing that Joy was not as enthusiastic today.

Joy shook her head, wrapping her arms around Tanya’s neck, whispering, "Mom, I want to stay with you."

Tanya noticed something unusual was going on with Joy.

Aunt Tawny took Caden to see the fire performance, while Tanya carried Joy to a bench by the lake, setting her down.

"Sweetie, do you have something on your mind today?" Tanya crouched in front of Joy, slightly worried, "Did something happen? Can you tell mom?"

Joy stared fixedly at Tanya’s concerned face, suddenly her eyes welled up with tears.

"I don’t want to be an unwanted orphan."

"How could you be an unwanted orphan?" Tanya was shocked, "Sweetheart, you have a mom and a dad! Who’s been feeding you nonsense? Is someone at school bullying you? Or did Cindy say something to you?"

Ignoring the questions, Joy quietly asked, "Mom, will you and dad get back together?"

"..." Even though Joy’s eyes were full of hopeful longing, this was something Tanya could not and would not agree to just to satisfy her child’s wish.

She sat beside Joy, holding her small hand, and spoke with her earnestly.

"Sweetheart, your dad and I have separated and we will never get back together. But we both love you, and that will never change."

But Joy pulled her hand away, "Then mom, will you get married again?"

"That, mom doesn’t know." Tanya lifted her hand to gently touch her daughter’s head.

Joy bit her lip.

Mrs. Lennox was right, mom and dad had truly separated; they would not reunite...

At that moment, Joy’s little cell phone rang, and Tanya noticed it was a call from the home landline, likely Vincent Hawthorne.

Joy didn’t want Tanya to hear, so she jumped off the bench and moved away a little to answer the call.

Tanya could only sit watching her daughter’s small back as she listened to the call.

Soon Joy returned.

"Was it dad? What did he say?" Tanya asked.

Joy didn’t want to say, suddenly staring at the place where cotton candy was being sold not far away.

"Mom, can I have some cotton candy?"

"Okay, but not too much."

Tanya took Joy by the hand to queue up, and at that moment, tonight’s parade float arrived, filled with cartoon characters, surrounded by tourists with children taking photos noisily.

Tanya held Joy’s hand tightly, but Joy saw something and suddenly freed herself, darting into the crowd! In an instant, her little figure was swallowed by the masses.

"Joy!" Tanya shouted anxiously, forcing her way through the crowd, catching hold of a little girl in a princess dress, "Joy!"

But when the girl turned around, it was a stranger’s innocent face.

The girl’s parent immediately pushed her away.

"Why are you grabbing my daughter?"

"I’m sorry." Tanya apologized, forcing herself to calm down, though her voice shook, "Joy! Joy, where are you?!"

While Tanya stood helpless in panic, she suddenly saw a one-eyed clown outside the crowd.

Beneath the exaggerated paint, the clown’s one eye stared sinisterly at her.

He suddenly grinned weirdly, then lifted a bow.

Tanya felt as if her blood froze instantly.

——That was from Joy’s hair!

At this moment, her phone rang wildly.

Tanya received a call from Officer Crawford.

"Ms. Sinclair, there’s something you should know! The police found Old Ninth King’s biological mother, and DNA tests showed that the charred corpse wasn’t him! It’s someone he used as a scapegoat! Be careful!"

"Ms. Sinclair? Ms. Sinclair, are you listening?"

Tanya watched as the red-haired clown on the opposite side picked up a cell phone, seemingly dialing. Realizing something, she quickly told Officer Crawford, "Come to the Ferris Wheel Theme Park!" and then hung up. The next second, a strange call came through to her phone.

Meanwhile, the red-haired clown also put his phone to his ear.

This call was obviously from him!

Tanya’s hand shook as she answered, asking fiercely, "Old Ninth King, come at me! Don’t hurt my daughter!"

"Then obediently come with me. If you try anything, I’ll gouge out your daughter’s big, beautiful black eyes and crush them for you to see!"

"Okay... just don’t hurt her!"

Tanya followed Old Ninth King, taking various twists and turns, avoiding the crowd until they reached a desolate, dimly lit corner.

"Mom, help me!"

Tanya heard Joy’s cry for help.

"Joy!" She frantically ran towards the voice, only to find Joy standing there, her hand held by none other than Cindy Lynn!

And Joy’s face was cold, not showing any trace of fear...

Tanya felt an intense pain in her heart, as if a bloody piece was being torn away.

The next moment, she was hit hard from behind with a club.

Tanya fell to the ground, her head spinning, her vision darkening, and the one-eyed clown’s grim face appeared above her.

"Tanya Sinclair, we finally meet! This time, you won’t get away!"

As Tanya closed her eyes and fainted, Cindy picked up Joy, coldly remarked, "Clean this up."

She left the scene casually.

Old Ninth King opened a nearby van, bending down to drag Tanya inside, but unexpectedly, Tanya suddenly opened her eyes, pulling out a concealed utility knife from her pocket, stabbing fiercely at his neck.

But the blow she received was too heavy; she likely had a concussion, her vision horribly blurred, her aim wasn’t accurate, and she missed a vital point.

Old Ninth King let out a scream, pulling out the knife brutally.

He was utterly infuriated by Tanya.

"You damned woman! You’re really sick of living!"

Tanya grabbed the phone that had fallen to the ground, stumbling away as she ran, shouting for help, but there was only the sound of the wind around her, and Old Ninth King’s furious curses and the increasingly near footsteps behind her.

The world in front of her wobbled, layers upon layers of blurring shadows almost drowning her, and Tanya shook her head vigorously, struggling to stay conscious.

A phone call came in at this time; she couldn’t see the screen clearly, but could vaguely make out the word ’Declan’.

It was Declan Pierce!

——’If you can’t beat him, tell me.’

Tanya didn’t know why tears fell, her fingers shaky, as she fled for her life, frantically sliding her finger on the screen, finally picking up.

She screamed desperately, like a dying person clutching at the last straw.

"Declan, help!"