Chapter 5

Dylan’s eyes shifted back to the balcony, giving Desmond a subtle look.

Desmond searched the area and reported, “Sir, there’s no one here.”

“Call the doctor.” Dylan’s gaze turned cold. "And tell the hospital to lock down all exits. Not a soul steps foot inside or out without my explicit authorization."

“Yes, sir!”

After the doctor’s examination confirmed that only blood had been drawn and nothing else had been done to her, Anne finally let out a sigh of relief.

The attacker’s identity was still a mystery, and with her current vulnerable condition, it was hard not to feel afraid. But what puzzled her was why someone would go through so much effort just to draw her blood.

However...

With a shift in her gaze, Anne’s eyes welled up with tears. "Mr. Dylan, there’s something I’ve hesitated to say, but she’s really gone too far this time."

It was a perfect opportunity to throw dirt on Suzy’s name, and Anne couldn’t let it slip by.

Gripping his hand, her tears flowed even harder. "I’m already half-dead from the poison—why won’t she leave me alone? Does she think I’m not dying fast enough, so she sends someone in the middle of the night to drain my blood?"

Dylan's expression darkened, but he didn’t respond directly. He simply said, "We’ve already found someone who can cure you with an antidote.”

Anne’s eyes flashed briefly with surprise, though she quickly masked it. "But... I was told that this poison has no cure.”

“There’s always someone better who can treat you. We’ve arranged everything with a miracle doctor named Red Falcon, who will help detoxify you. You’ll be cured soon.”

“Red Falcon?” Anne questioned, trying to hide her unease. “Is she really that skilled?”

“Yes, Mr. Martin from the North Avenue had a terminal illness, and thanks to her treatment, he made a full recovery.”

Dylan’s voice softened. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything.”

For Anne, it was always “I’ll handle everything…”

For Suzy, it was always “This doesn’t concern me…”

Listening from her hiding spot in the bathroom, Suzy had convinced herself she'd be numb to Dylan's tenderness toward Anne. Yet, as his gentle tone drifted through the door, she felt an unexpected pang.

Despite everything, it still stung.

Tired of eavesdropping, Suzy silently opened the window and leaped out.

Like a bat in the night, she vanished without a trace—so swiftly, no one would ever know.

At the hospital entrance.

Growing anxious from waiting, Allen was just about to go in and help when he finally spotted Suzy emerging.

He hurried out of the car and rushed over, giving her a quick once-over. “Boss, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Suzy kept walking without stopping. “Stop worrying about nothing.”

However, Allen sensed something was off.

Logically, with the kind of influence Suzy had, Allen knew he shouldn’t be worried. But the ambush three years ago had left him deeply scarred.

He could never forget the moment he saw her fall off that cliff with his own eyes.

For three years, Allen had hated himself for not protecting Suzy, failing in his duty as her subordinate.

So, when Suzy called to inform him she was still alive, Allen swore that, this time, he would give up his life if necessary to keep her from getting hurt again.

He wanted to handle this mission for her, but she wouldn’t allow it.

From the rearview mirror, Allen glanced at Suzy, who had been silent since getting into the car. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something complicated between her and Anne.

Allen realized he needed to find someone to discreetly investigate the matter.

His gaze hadn’t fully returned to the road when Suzy caught him staring.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Boss, did you find out what kind of poison it was?”

Suzy paused briefly. “It’s Scarlet Veil.”

“Screech…”

The brakes squealed as Allen slammed on them in shock. “Scarlet Veil? But that was your masterpiece! Didn’t you destroy it along with the formula three years ago?”

“There’s one last dose… with the Harlow family.”

“Claude Harlow?” Allen’s eyes widened. “What kind of grudge could he possibly have against a young girl to go this far? Everyone knows that poison starts off mild, but once it hits again… she’ll be no better than a dog in heat…”

Suzy had created the sinister poison to deal with a monster in the past.

Even she was confused.

The Harlows and Wrights had no bad blood between them.

In fact, the Harlows even had business dealings with the Wheeler family.

If Claude was behind the poisoning, she’d rule him out as a suspect in the earlier kidnapping.

That much was certain.

There was no way Claude would have, or could have, let Suzy come so close to dying in that explosion.

No matter who it was, she was determined to find them.

It wasn’t about proving her innocence to Dylan.

She simply wouldn’t swallow that humiliation!

Whether it was the kidnapping, the ambush from three years ago, or the one responsible for murdering her family—she wasn’t going to let any of them off the hook.

Her eyes burned with hatred when Allen suddenly handed her the phone. "Boss, Dylan sent a message. He wants to arrange the treatment as soon as possible."

Thinking of that deceitful man and his tenderness, she said, "Tell him the deal’s off."

Earning two hundred million dollars was tempting, but what intrigued her more was seeing what would happen to Anne after the second wave of poisoning hit her.

…

In the corridor outside Anne's hospital room.

Though Dylan’s face remained expressionless, his eyes were as cold as ice. "What did you just say? Repeat it."

Desmond, bracing himself, repeated, "Red Falcon said the deal is off."

He regretted it now.

He never should have mentioned Red Falcon to Dylan that day.

This Red Falcon—first she demanded an outrageous sum, and now she was backing out.

Didn’t she know just how bad Dylan’s temper was?

Suppressing his rage, Dylan growled. "Give me the phone."

Desmond quickly handed it over.

Dylan dialed the number. It rang but went unanswered.

Once, twice, and again, until his patience wore thin.

Finally, a soft voice came through, "Sorry, I was busy."

Desmond quickly wiped the sweat that had started to drip down his forehead.

Thank goodness the call got answered—otherwise, his phone would’ve met a tragic end.

The phone itself wasn’t worth much, but the data stored inside was priceless to him.

“I’m looking for Red Falcon,” Dylan said bluntly.

“She’s not available. If there’s something you need, you can tell me, and I’ll pass it along.”

Dylan’s eyes narrowed. “The price was already agreed upon. Why cancel now?”

“Please, Mr. Wright, stay calm. It’s true that canceling the arrangement on our side is a bit abrupt, and we apologize. But we have our reasons. Do you think we’d walk away from two hundred million dollars so easily if we didn’t have a reason to?”

“What’s the reason?”

“That’s not something we can share with you, Mr. Wright. I suggest you find someone else quickly before Miss Anne misses the best window for treatment.”

Without waiting for a response, Allen hung up the phone.

The next second…

Smash!

Desmond watched in despair as yet another phone met its fate.

His heart shattered even more than the phone.

“Find her!” Dylan ordered, his voice cold.

He was determined to see what kind of game she was playing now.

Desmond wanted to say, “Easier said than done.”

Not just Red Falcon, but also Suzy, who had been missing without a trace for so long.

Why did it seem like every woman around him enjoyed playing hide and seek?

Inside the hospital room, Anne had been listening to the commotion outside. Once she heard Dylan and Desmond leave, she quickly locked the door and pulled out another phone hidden under her pillow.

“Dylan found someone to help me get an antidote, but I overheard that they backed out.”

Anne sneered. “He keeps saying how great this Red Falcon is, but it seems she’s all talk. She must’ve realized she couldn’t actually cure me, so she ran at the last minute.”

“If she created the poison, she definitely knows how to cure it.”

“So, you know her? If she made the poison, why would she suddenly refuse to help? I overheard Dylan offering two hundred million dollars for her treatment!”

Since Dylan was willing to spend that much money on her, Anne could tell just how important she was to Dylan.

The truth didn’t matter.

Once she solidified her place as Dylan’s wife, even if he discovered she wasn't his true savior, his feelings for her would shield her from consequences.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before the person finally responded, “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? You’ll soon face the second wave of the poison. I hope all your wishes come true.”

“Thanks for the good wishes. Once I’ve secured Dylan, there’ll be plenty of rewards for you.”

…

The quickest way to find out if Claude was behind the poisoning was to ask him directly.

Even though it seemed unlikely, Suzy decided she needed to meet with him.

After all, they hadn’t seen each other in three years.

So, the first thing she did upon returning to Hillside Villa was to ask Allen to look into Claude’s whereabouts.

Before she could finish eating an apple, Allen had the information ready.

“Claude’s on a business trip to Montara.”

“Book a flight.”

The next morning, Suzy boarded a plane bound for Montara.

Allen wanted to accompany Suzy, but she refused, assigning him other tasks to handle.

It had been three years since she’d been on a plane, and as she gazed at the clouds outside the window, Suzy felt a sense of freedom, like a bird returning to the sky.

For those three years, her life had revolved entirely around Dylan.

In her attempt to be the perfect wife, she barely left the house and spent her days thinking about how to take better care of him.

Every morning at five, she got up to make him breakfast.

She hand-washed all his clothes, even his socks and underwear.

While he was at work, she counted the minutes, waiting like a lovesick fool for his return.

Looking back now, she couldn’t believe she had lived like that for three years.

What on earth had she been thinking?

After landing, she went straight to Claude’s hotel, only to be told, “Mr. Claude checked out early this morning.”

Suzy was speechless.

She had planned on surprising him.

Oh well, since she was already here, she might as well treat it like a vacation.

Suzy spent the day shopping, buying plenty of things before catching her flight back home.

She had to admit that being single has its perks!

The farther away men were, the better.

At the airport, Suzy spotted Allen waiting from a distance.

“Over here…”

Her smile froze instantly.

Dylan?

Surrounded by a crowd, Dylan was heading straight in her direction.

Suzy quickly turned her back and thought, “Another unlucky day.”

It wasn’t that she feared him; she just didn’t want to see him.

And she was pretty sure he didn’t want to see her either.

To avoid mutual disdain, Suzy slipped into the restroom.

Dylan scanned the area, but there was no sign of Suzy. “Are you sure she was on this flight?”

Desmond, sweating profusely, stammered, “I’ve double-checked several times. Mrs. Wright was definitely on this flight from Montara.”

Desmond could hardly contain his excitement when he first got the news.

Suzy’s disappearance, Red Falcon’s cancellation, and the woman who had infiltrated Anne’s hospital room only to escape under full lockdown—those three women had pushed Dylan to the brink of an explosion.

Thank goodness there was finally news about Suzy.

Otherwise, if Dylan exploded, Desmond would be the first casualty.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Desmond said, "I’ve got people stationed at every exit. We should be able to find her soon."

Half an hour later...

Dylan’s voice turned icy. “Where is she?”

Desmond wished he could cut out his own tongue.

Sometimes, it was best not to speak too soon!

He couldn’t understand how Suzy, an ordinary person, was so good at slipping away.

“Desmond, your performance is really slipping. If this keeps up, I think it might be time to send you to South Allica for some additional training,” Dylan said coldly before walking off.

It had been half an hour, and Suzy had probably already made her escape.

The fact that she could disappear under these circumstances made it clear that he had seriously underestimated her abilities.

Outside the airport, a line of sleek black cars was parked, with the leading one looking particularly impressive.

Desmond jogged ahead, opening the door for Dylan, who was just about to step into the car when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something…

In an instant, Dylan turned, took several swift strides, and grabbed the shoulder of a woman standing nearby.