My Four Miraculous Treasures

For lunch, Willow had her fill of more rice porridge. Then, she lazed about on a couch in the living room, lost in a daze.

She'd ruined ten billion dollars' worth of antiques in Jasper's private collection! Her heart was wound up with anxiety. Her skin prickled with cold dread.

She was wracked with confusion, panic, and helplessness.

Jasper Hughes was not known for his charitable soul. Just for a few scratches that her kids had left on his sofa, he'd demanded a fortune from her.

Then there was that time when her children punctured one of his car's tyres with the needle of a ball pump, and he'd billed her for fifty thousand dollars!

This time, she'd cost him ten billion dollars! There wasn't even any room for doubt as to her guilt, here!

Jasper Hughes was a heartless penny-pincher. He was guaranteed to seek recompense from her for this.

What could she possibly have to sell, which might pay off a debt this

enormous...?

The more she thought about this, the more she was consumed by worry, distress, panic, and helplessness.

There was no way out.noveldrama

"Ms Nason, perhaps there's something on TV that might help alleviate your boredom?" Leon noticed that the prisoner had been spacing out in the living room for some time now, looking despondent, anxious, and depressed.

What if there still lingered some traces of hallucinogenic toxins in her system? It wouldn't do for her to go on another destructive rampage of mushroom madness.

Hopefully, the television would occupy her. He switched it on for her.

Willow sagged on the sofa, completely uninterested in watching TV...

...until she heard a child's voice, coming from the television show that was airing currently. The voice was sweet and lovely, easy on the ears and healing for one's heart.

It was also a very familiar voice.

As though jolted by an electric shock, Willow's head snapped up, her gaze finding the television screen.

Upon the massive screen was a close-up shot of some little girl's face.

Her small round face was plump and adorable, with petite pink lips adorning features like a delicate ivory carving, from which shone large, radiant eyes full of childlike wonder and delight.

A lively, pretty, adorable little girl.

She was answering some question the emcee had posed to her: "It's got cooking

oil, salt, chicken essence, sesame oil..."

Hearing that voice, seeing that face... all of a sudden, Willow was fully awake, all her attention transfixed upon the screen.

That wasn't just any girl... it was her daughter, Hailey!

Hailey was taking part in the Food Appreciation Contest!

The camera zoomed back out to display a panorama of the contest area,

including a banner which proclaimed that these were the semi-finals.

Previously, Hailey had gotten past the qualifying round, earning herself a place in

the semi-finals, which were apparently taking place now.

Lara had brought the kids back here, from the village?

It felt unreal, watching this.

Come to think of it, it had been four days since Jasper had imprisoned her here in his Royal Garden.

Four days already, just like that...

Four days she'd been apart from her precious darlings... She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream.

Hailey had responded promptly and well. The judges checked her answers, and then unanimously gave her a perfect score!

With microphone in hand, the emcee cheerfully cried out,

"Congratulations, Hailey Stone! You gave us a perfect answer, so we're giving you a perfect score-as well as a place in the next round! Ladies and gentlemen, the tiniest tot in this tournament, this charming cherubim challenger, is no small fry! At such a young age, she's already a master epicure with an unerring sense of taste! She's also, without a doubt, the cutest among our candidates, too! How lucky your parents are, to have been blessed with a child of such beauty and talent!"

As the emcee said all this in tones of exuberance mixed with envy, the crowd foined in to praise Hailey for being so well-behaved, clever and knowledgeable about cuisine.