�Son! I�m right here. You�ve suffered so much, my poor boy!� Francine said agitatedly. During the days of Stefan�s disappearance, Francine cried all day and night. She seemed to have aged ten years from crying so much.

�Son, where the hell have you been all this time? We searched the whole of Beach City but couldn�t find you. Are you okay? Who had the audacity to do this to you? We must take revenge. Our family�� Francine started heatedly, but was soon interrupted by Stefan.

�Mom, where am I now?�

�Silly boy, where do you think? You drove home yourself. Don�t you recognize our gate?�

�I didn�t drive back.�

�What do you mean? Why are you in the driver�s seat then? Don�t you recognize your own home? It�s dark, but it�s not that hard to see at night? What� exactly have you been through?� Francine asked hesitantly.

�I�m sorry, Mom, for making you worry,� Stefan said quietly. It seemed that Quinton had shown mercy and spared his life. However, it was very much unlike him. Could it be�

Stefan felt worried at that thought. �Mom, do you have your phone? Call Seraphina for me and ask if she arrived home safely.�

�Okay. That girl said she found out your whereabouts and swore to bring you back safely. I knew Seraphina was the most reliable�� Francine rambled on as she dialed Seraphina�s number.

Coincidentally, Seraphina stumbled out of a taxi in front of the Hunt Residence.

�Seraphina, over here! Stef is back!� Francine waved at Seraphina excitedly.

�Miss Francine!� Seraphina�s legs went limp as soon as she saw Francine. She collapsed on the ground and cried in despair.

�What�s wrong? What�s the matter? The two of you� what have you been through? Were you hurt?�

Francine held Seraphina comfortingly. However, when she saw Seraphina�s torn clothes and bruised skin, uneasiness bloomed in her heart.

�I-I�m fine. How is Stefan? Is he really back?� Seraphina asked incredulously.

�Yes, but he�s acting strange. He drove home himself but asked me where he was. It�s as if he�s blind�� Francine paused abruptly, then her body turned cold at her sudden realization.

�N-No. It can�t be�� Francine was afraid to face the truth. In fact, the entire Hunt family would be afraid to accept it!

�Mom, I�m sorry. I couldn�t protect myself, and now I�ve made you sad.� Stefan�s voice was calm.

Francine looked at Stefan sadly. Her son used to be such a proud man, and now he was so depressed and melancholy. The light in his eyes seemed to have disappeared. Francine was devastated seeing her son like this; it was so painful that she could hardly breathe.

�Stef. Oh, son. What have you been through?� Francine hugged Stefan tightly. She couldn�t imagine the kind of torture Stefan had been through during his disappearance to become like this. JrNovels.com