"I have my own business to attend to. You should go first," Cynthia said, her tone indifferent. Nadia did not budge from her seat. She wanted to stay here! Cynthia did not have time to deal with her. She began investigating the situation between Sean and Joshua. As she dug deeper, she found herself blocked by the system she had set up years ago. After selling that system, she restricted her own access. After all, those who bought the system would not want her snooping around their privacy, much like people using smartphones would not want the developers prying into their personal lives. Breaking through a system she created years ago was just a matter of time. However, as a professional, she could not do that. As she pondered this, she dialed a number. Yoel, as Joshua's assistant, should know something. "Ms. Yates?" Yoel was surprised to receive her call. "It's me. I have a question about Joshua. If it's inconvenient, you don't have to answer." "Go ahead." "Ha
Given Joshua's nature, he would not draft a will on a whim unless he felt he was in danger. This probably had something to do with Sean. "Don't discuss this matter with Old Man Neal and the others for the time being. You'll help him keep an eye on the company. I'll handle the rest." If Joshua truly made a deal with Sean for her sake, he was being absurdly foolish. Sean was not someone who would help people just for the sake of kindness. What a fool Joshua was. "Okay," Yoel agreed, and the call ended. Cynthia took a moment to compose herself. Nadia watched as she reentered from the balcony, her face grave. "What's wrong?" she asked with concern. "Nothing. I'll be out handling some business for a while. Find something to do for yourself, and don't intrude on people's homes without permission," Cynthia reassured her. "I'll come with you!" Nadia blurted out. Cynthia remained silent, her gaze fixed on Nadia. She did not say anything, yet Nadia instantly backed down. "Okay, b
"What are you waiting for? Eat." Matthew noticed her standing still and casually prompted her. For the first time, Cynthia found eating to be a challenging task. Her troubled mind caused her to eat slower than usual. Thinking that he had chosen the food well, Matthew lifted his eyes slightly and asked, "Don't they suit your taste?" "No," Cynthia answered. It would be impolite to say so, seeing that the Captain had brought the food here himself. "My sister was just joking earlier. From now on, you don't have to worry about me when you're cooking. Just make whatever you want." Cynthia decided to clear the air after a moment's consideration. Matthew set down his plate and fork. He just watched her, baffled. Cynthia had no choice but to meet his gaze. She still found it somewhat hard to handle his intense stare, even though she was no longer being trained. "Cynthia," Matthew called her name leisurely. Her eyes were full of confusion. "Hmm?" "Stop thinking and eat." Matthe
"Boss, why are you so worried?" his assistant asked. "That's Mr. Neal of the Neal Group in there. If he dies here, it won't just be the Neal family; even Ms. Yates won't let me off the hook," Sean casually replied, seeming indifferent but evidently worried. More importantly, it was only after much difficulty that he agreed to trade with him. Sean had done his part, but Joshua's life was now hanging by a thread. This was not looking like a good deal for him. After a short while... A doctor came out of the room, a thin layer of sweat visible on his forehead. "How is it?" Sean asked. "The situation is critical. His body temperature won't drop, he's lost too much blood, and the bullet is too close to the heart. We dare not remove it rashly," the doctor informed him truthfully. "Is there no hope?" Sean asked a blunt question. The doctor carefully considered his words and said, "There is still hope. "If we can get in touch with Dr. Yves Scott, known as the Hand of God, he mig
Just as Cynthia was about to turn off her computer and freshen up, her phone began to ring. She looked at the screen, saw it was Sean, and answered, "Hello?" Sean paused when he heard her voice. That sound? It seemed oddly familiar. "K?" Sean questioned, as he always did first. "It's me," Cynthia replied, her tone indifferent. "I received your email. Meeting is no problem, and you can set the time and place. However, right now, I have a situation that I could use your help with if it's convenient," Sean said, cutting straight to the point, In Sean's experience, K was a person who liked to get to the point. She would not cheat or trap others, which was why he spoke so straightforwardly. In the past, Cynthia would not have agreed. However, thinking about the deal Joshua had with him, she decided to listen. "Go on." "There's a man on my side who has been shot. The bullet is very close to his heart, and he's also running a high fever. The doctors don't dare to operate casuall
The exchange between the two was brief. Once Cynthia ended the call, she forwarded the address through WhatsApp, then started her car to pick him up. The car windows remained open throughout the journey. The icy wind blasting served to sharpen her senses, helping her realize that, during a crisis, she could not always maintain perfect calm and vigilance. In normal times, she would have noticed if something were off with Joshua, even if he merely had a fever. This time, however, his gunshot wound had eluded her detection entirely. It now made sense why he had been urging her to leave, insisting he had matters to attend to. Cynthia could not quite pinpoint her emotions; guilt, regret, and anxiety all of them plagued her. She understood why Joshua would go to such lengths and chose to conceal the truth from her. However, to her, nothing from their past warranted him risking his life. After all, she had already forgiven him. Carrying the weight of this emotional turmoil, Cynthia acce
When Yves spoke to him, his tone was cold. "You can refuse. Nobody's forcing you." Sean felt a surge of frustration in his heart. He was sorely tempted to fling the paper and pen in Yves' face and assertively declare, 'I refuse.' However, he understood the consequences of such rash actions; if Joshua were to suffer any harm, all the effort he had put into his transaction would be in vain. It was not an option. "Could you possibly reduce the amount?" He began to negotiate with him, his tone unusually civil. "One billion in other currencies?" With a swift motion, Yves snatched the paper from his hand. He sauntered away lazily, evidently uninterested in continuing the conversation. "I'll sign!" Sean found himself cornered. "Ten seconds left. It's void if you run overtime." Yves handed back the paper, still half-asleep. Sean seethed internally. One day, he vowed, he would make this guy cough up everything he had swallowed. His signature found its place on the documen
As the door closed behind him, effectively isolating Yves from Sean, Cynthia secured the contract and took a seat in the hallway outside the operating room. She did not ask Sean about Joshua's condition. If it were not severe, he would not have paid such a hefty sum to negotiate with Yves. Requesting Yves's help was a sign of dire circumstances. As she waited, Sean approached and sat down beside her. Neither spoke for a while. Eventually, Sean turned to her and asked, "What's your relationship with Yves?" "Friends," came Cynthia's succinct response. "With benefits?" "No." "Then why did he bring you here?" Sean's heart tightened bit by bit. His expression was as unruffled as ever, giving the appearance of idle chit-chat. At this late hour, a man and a woman alone together would certainly raise eyebrows. Moreover, Yves, as reclusive as he was, would not have kept company unless it was someone important to him. It indicated that when Sean had contacted Yves, he was w