"Master, should I take you home?" Melanie asked Cyrus. Cyrus hesitated for a moment, looked at Melanie’s clear eyes, and nodded. "Okay." Turning to Nathan, Melanie said, "Nathan, given what just happened, I'll take my master back to the Gibson family’s place. We need some time to calm down." "Sure, we'll stay in touch," Nathan replied understandingly and made way for them. Melanie supported Cyrus out. Cyrus’ assistant, who was outside, was anxious. Seeing them come out, he hurriedly said, "Elder Gibson, Melanie, are you both okay?" "If you had come a bit earlier, it might have made a difference!" Cyrus scolded, displeased. The assistant felt embarrassed and awkwardly scratched his head. At that moment, Melanie noticed a tall man in the crowd—the man who claimed he would protect her, but he arrived later than Nathan... - Seeing him signaling her to check her phone, she took it out. The signal was restored now. She found out that her bodyguard had messaged her twenty mi
Melanie slept well at the Gibson residence. The servants there were also very considerate, and everything in the room, from food to clothing, was prepared for her. The next afternoon, Cyrus took Melanie to attend the Angle family’s centennial celebration. In the car, Cyrus asked, "I heard that your grandfather was a skilled traditional medicine practitioner?" "You even found out about that?" Melanie expressed surprise. "Yes, my grandfather was a renowned local traditional medicine doctor. His house had a large courtyard filled with various medicinal herbs. I used to play there as a child and even sun-dried herbs with my grandfather." "Hmm..." Cyrus nodded thoughtfully. "With your grandfather around, even if someone in your family has health issues, it's like having a precious treasure in the family." Melanie didn't fully understand, and Cyrus didn't intend to explain. "During the celebration today, stick with me the whole time. Don't wander around, understand?" "Are you afr
Cyrus held considerable influence in the business world of Medonia. Moreover, he had cleverly transformed Charles’ so-called challenge into a competition between Medonia and Ustal, making it irrelevant whether the participants were from the York family or not. Everyone agreed with Cyrus, so Charles had no choice but to go along. Melanie was in a similar predicament and could only reluctantly participate. To ensure fairness, Melanie's twenty herbs were still selected by the five people who had chosen the medicinal herbs earlier. Cyrus stood at the end, placing the herbs into the last four boxes and closing the lid. "Inspection complete. Miss Jones, please begin your identification!" declared one of the judges. Melanie went to stand in front of the first box, took a deep breath, and focused her mind. Fortunately, she hadn't forgotten the knowledge she had accumulated from her time at her grandfather's house. She lowered her head to sniff and wrinkled her brow, saying, "Foul-s
The judge was already on stage, where the two contestants were standing in place.Melanie walked up to the stage with a feeling of helplessness. The other two contestants signaled that they were ready, upon which the sound signifying the countdown started.Melanie finished identifying the scents first.And then, in less than a minute, Medonia’s prodigy also finished his turn.The judge walked over to the card that they’d written their answers down on and confirmed the results, then announced, “The male candidate has misidentified three scents, while the female candidate has misidentified two scents. The final result: Ms. Melanie comes out on top!”“Congratulations, Elder Gibson! You managed to recruit a good disciple!” The judge couldn’t help but praise him.Cyrus also walked up the stage at the time and stood next to Melanie with a smile. “My disciple’s sense of smell is mainly focused on medicine, but she still doesn’t know much about fragrances. Thank you for your praise, ever
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!”When William saw how gloomy his boss’s face was, he couldn’t help but yell at his subordinate.The bodyguard didn’t dare to say another word. William turned around and looked at Jeffrey, “Boss, this is my mistake. I was thinking that it’ll be more convenient if I find someone with an unfamiliar face. He had just joined Morgan Group and didn’t know about the madam’s identity...”Jeffrey was unmoved as his mind continued to race.He had just personally seen the last contest and saw that the woman seemed to feel that something was wrong. With her abilities, it would be very easy for her to identify 20 fragrances. How could she get two wrong?That also wasn’t mentioning how his grandmother had asked him to come protect her. Was there something wrong with her being in the Yorks’ territory? He then remembered how Eliza and his grandmother were having coffee together. Was this something that Eliza had asked her to help with?Jeffrey had a thousand qu
Jeffrey quietly closed the door and sat in the lounge next door.After a while, William came back and reported, “You’re right, boss. After the servant left the lounge, she immediately went to report back to Joseph York. And then, the butler dispatched his subordinate to the paternity lab to conduct a paternity test...”“However, they didn’t exchange hands throughout the entire process. I couldn’t swap out whatever that the servant took from the madam in the lounge. However, I’ve made arrangements at the paternity lab so that we can swap it at the end.”Jeffrey nodded in agreement. “As long as the result that the Yorks receive is not what they want. As for how you achieve that... It’s up to you.”“Understood.”William received his order before asking, “Why don’t you go in, boss?”“Let her get some rest.”Jeffrey said with his lips formed a faint smile.“Sir, the Yorks have heard that you’re here and would like to invite you to sit with them...” William asked Jeffrey for his opi
“Mm...”When Melanie got a kiss instead of the answer she expected, she was stunned for a second before pushing the man away. Jeffrey slowed for a little, locking his eyes with hers. He then said with an urgent tone, “I’m sorry.”Melanie had just wanted to say that she wasn’t having any of his nonsense, but the love in Jeffrey’s eyes coupled with his apologies devoured her, and she simply let him kiss her as they slowly moved toward the sofa.“This is just a lounge...” She tried to tell him her worries when she had a moment to catch her breath.“William’s guarding the outside,” he explained to her.They had finally moved over to the sofa when William’s voice came from the outside. “Boss, the Yorks have delivered the banquet invitation to you for tonight, and I need a response. Will you be attending tonight?”Jeffrey paused, his hand still behind Melanie’s head. He asked, almost growling, “Are you going?”“I am.”“Then I’ll be going!”Jeffrey yelled at the door as he raised his
Melanie quickly hid her worries and calmed Cyrus down. “Don’t worry. This time, it’s a genuine blackout.”And about a minute later, the hall’s lights were back on.The person managing the banquet hall awkwardly explained, “I’m so sorry, everyone. That blackout was a surprise, but our backup generator has been activated. There won’t be any more problems after this. Please, continue.”“Let’s continue, then.”On stage, Joseph York was the most highly regarded of them all. When he suggested they all continue with the signing ceremony, all of them exchanged a glance and realized that something was wrong.“Charles!”“Master?”“What’s going on?!”Melanie, Joseph and the other two patriarchs all screamed out.Melanie was holding Cyrus tightly in her hand, only to see him collapse in the chair as his entire body went numb, his mouth twitching...“Doctor! Somebody, get a doctor over here now!”Melanie screamed as she held Cyrus’s body. At this time, Cyrus’s assistant also ran up to th
Pleasantly surprised, Melanie turned around to see the man she had been looking for. She never stopped saying his name in her head. He stood right behind her.At that moment, she stopped thinking completely.Without even hesitating, she ran toward him and dove into his arms."Ughh."Jeffrey groaned in pain. He did not dare to press against her stomach. Instead, he arched his back to hold her."Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how I…" She cried so much that she could not speak."Alright, alright. Good girl. Don't cry. I've come back."Jeffrey kept rubbing the back of her head. "Eagle was too neurotic. I've nearly gone mad from dealing with him. I finally got him to regain some of his sanity today… That's how I had the chance to find you…""How did you know where to find me?" Melanie asked."Today is the day of Nathan's trial. I know you'd definitely be in the courtroom," Jeffrey said confidently.Melanie finally calmed down a little. After letting go of him,
"We're not together…"Kenneth's facial expression changed as soon as he saw Melanie.Melanie noticed there was a hint of guilt in his eyes. This was an unsettling feeling for her. "Then where is he? What happened to you guys?"Noticing that she was shaking, Annie and Carson, who had accompanied her to court, rushed forward to assist her."Eagle had a prior arrangement with Nathan. Once Nathan and Leo's plan at the York family's residence was thwarted, Nathan would press a button. Eagle would then receive a code to detonate a bomb. He'd blow us all up," Kenneth explained."Jeffrey was the one who noticed Eagle wasn't in the right state of mind. That's why he informed me to leave with Mr. Oliver. He… Stayed behind to persuade Eagle…" He added."What happened then?" Melanie's voice was shaking."All I knew after that was that the hotel blew up. I waited for him to contact me but he never did. Mr. Oliver and I have been on the run from Nathan's shadowy pursuits. I only managed to sn
Three days later, the trial was officially in session.Leo's attorney was practically defenseless because the York family's allegations of him poisoning Joseph had been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Leo was directly sentenced to life in prison.Nathan's attorney, on the other hand, was clever. They tried everything they could to deflect Nathan's allegations.After the presiding judge evaluated the case, he looked up. "Does the plaintiff have any more evidence that the defendant, Nathan, intentionally killed someone?"Hank sat silently at the plaintiff's table.They could only provide evidence of the time when Nathan had tried to murder Hank. However, they had no evidence of Nathan being involved in the explosion on the island this time.Hank looked at Melanie in the audience. She was also frowningThe presiding judge's implication was well understood. Without more evidence, Nathan would not receive a life sentence…"The plaintiff simply does not have sufficient evidence to
Carson sighed. It was time to explain everything to Hank…Although Carson had spent a lot of time in Hank's hospital as Professor Marshall, and he would also tend to their men's wounds, as well as discuss a variety of topics with Hank, they had never acknowledged their relationship…Besides, Carson knew Hank hated him.Hank hated him for being heartless to his grandmother back then. That was why Hank changed his last name to Castillo instead of Yule…"Let's take Melanie back to rest. I'll explain the rest to you myself," Carson said. Hank had already figured out half of it."Grandpa, I'm not going back. I'll wait for the news here," Melanie said firmly.There was no sign of Jeffrey's corpse yet. She would wait until the rescue team confirmed that they could not find any corpse.She wanted a clear answer."Okay. I'll get the trailer ready for you. You can lie down inside. You can't afford to hurt your body anymore than you already have. I checked your pulse earlier. It's not loo
Buzz!Melanie's vision turned black. She began falling backward."Melanie! Melanie!"Carson propped her up and called the doctor over.However, Melanie opened her eyes after a few seconds and tried to stand up. "I'm fine… Grandpa, take me there… I want to go to the scene of the explosion…""You're in no state…""I'm fine. I can hold up," Melanie promised."If you don't let me go and see it with my own eyes, I'll be even more paranoid," she added.Carson knew his granddaughter too well. He sighed and frowned before requesting for a ride. He met up with Hank. The two of them accompanied Melanie to look for Jeffrey.Jeffrey, Kenneth, Mr. Oliver, and Eagle waited at the drop-off point near the York family's residence. Nathan had instructed them to not do anything rash.Mr. Oliver and Eagle were still useful to Nathan.Once Nathan acquired Joseph's signature, he would meet up with them.However, the small hotel they were waiting at was already in ruins. There was smoke everywher
'Chief… Frankie?'Leo turned around in surprise. Nathan did the same. They saw Chief Frankie and several Interpol agents walking out from behind a screen in Joseph's room.Melanie was a part of that group!"Aren't you… dead?" Leo pointed at Melanie in shock."Thanks to you, I'll live a long life." Melanie sneered.Chief Frankie waved his hand. The police behind him charged forward to put handcuffs on Leo and Nathan. Leo narrowed his eyes and quickly pressed a button on the remote in his hand."We'll all die together!" He shouted.However, no matter how hard he pressed, nothing happened in the room."What's going on here… Eagle?" Leo's voice was trembling.His hands were cuffed, and the remote control was confiscated by the police."Leo, you are suspected of poisoning Master York and attempting to murder Melanie and others on the island. We are arresting you for premeditated murder!" Chief Frankie uttered calmly."No… No…" Leo struggled but to no avail. He had no idea what wa
At the same time, Melanie and Carson were on a plane with Professor Turner. They soon arrived at Medonia.Carson contacted Hank ahead of time and asked him to pick them up with his men.After the exhausting journey, Melanie's face was pale. She seemed to be in very poor condition. "I've already contacted the maternity hospital for you. You can go there and wait for your delivery. Leave the rest to me.""No…"Melanie shook her head. "I have to go back."Jeffrey was still in Nathan's hands. She would not be able to wait peacefully if she went to the hospital.Carson knew his granddaughter well enough. "Let her go. Professor Turner and I will be with here. We'll be ready for anything."Carson was still disguised as Maximilian. Hank did not know he was Carson. Hank nodded in agreement.“Mr. Castillo, there's something I need to trouble you with.” Melanie said."I heard from Professor Marshall that you're on good terms with the chief of Medonia's Interpol. Can I trouble him to be a
"Wait a minute! Isn't Jefford actually Jeffrey?" Leo asked while running after Nathan.Nathan ignored him and continued to walk forward.Leo did not give up and followed Nathan closely. "Who exactly is Jeffrey to you?""Are you being unreasonable right now? Why are you still so unsure at this point?" Nathan glanced at Leo contemptuously."I'm dealing with serious business. Don't get in my way with your petty romantic affairs!"After saying that, he glared at Leo and exited the cabin.Leo felt chills in his heart, but he could not make Nathan stay…-Jeffrey was tied up on the deck all this time. His body was freezing, and his lips were turning purple from the cold."Hey, President Morgan, fancy seeing you like this!" Nathan laughed grimly when he saw the miserable state Jeffrey was in."Thanks to you, I've been more miserable than this on many occasions. This is nothing." Jeffrey made it sound like a walk in the park."Hehe." Nathan sneered."I know. You've had strong willp
Lynette seemed stunned. She could not help but stand up with the help of the railing on the speedboat. Her eyes turned red as looked at the island burning in the distance. There was a look of disbelief on her face…If they had not evacuated five minutes ago…By now…She would not have even been able to breathe and think…The explosion sent shockwaves across the ocean's surface. The ride became even more bumpy. With sea water splashing against them, they had all become wet."Are you alright?" Carson protected Melanie. He was worried she would not be able to take it.Her stomach did feel awful, but she braced herself and tried not to tense up. Her emotions would affect her baby.When Lynette heard the voices behind her, she turned around to look at Melanie. Her gaze had become much softer than before. "You're not going to give birth on the boat, are you? I'm a woman, but I don't know how to be a midwife!""I won't give birth now. There are still things left to do," Melanie said.