Samuel looked at Spencer, his face as white as a sheet. "Are they talking about us?""Looks like it," Spencer replied as shivers ran down his spine.They were fortunate to have had Patricia on their side, or they would have been in big trouble.Lulu, looking equally worried, turned to Nicole. "Who are these people, Nicole?"Nicole's expression grew tense, and her eyes narrowed into a slit. She had hoped to keep them safe by not getting them involved, thinking that ignorance would protect them. But now, they were in just as much danger as she was."They're after Ms. Riddle." Patricia chimed in, deciding to fill others in on it after she had seen how troubled Nicole looked.June gasped, her voice filled with fear. "So, Nicole is their main target?"The thought that they were almost used as pawns to manipulate Nicole chilled her to the core. They owed their safety to Patricia and Charlie; otherwise, they could have been kidnapped and tortured as means to coerce Nicole into submitti
Charlie then gave Patricia a quick look and hurried out of the hospital."Ms. Riddle, it was all a blur. A guy pretending to be a waiter started a fight, and then a bunch of people barged in. That's when Ellar got hurt," Patricia said in a somber and heavy voice, her gaze fixed on the emergency room door.Patricia remembered being irritated that Ellar had tagged along when he had agreed that he would not. The next thing she knew, he had jumped into the fray. She was busy trying to shield Lulu and in the process, overlooked the other assailants who were sneaking up on her. But by the time she had gotten a firm grasp of the situation, she saw that Ellar's arm had already been slashed. That was when she and Charlie quickly neutralized their assailants and rushed Ellar to the hospital.Ellar's wound was bad but not crippling.Still, Patricia could not shake the feeling of guilt as she thought, "If I'd been more alert, Ellar wouldn't have ended up with a gash in his arm."Nicole saw th
While they were in the hospital room, Ellar helplessly muttered, "Actually, you don't need to stay. You should go home and get some rest.""Just go to sleep if you've got nothing else on your mind. I can get my rest anywhere and anytime." Patricia up to the couch, pulled a blanket over herself, and laid down."Let me know if you need anything," she said as she looked at him."Okay." Ellar sighed in defeat after returning Patricia's gaze.He was looking at the couch where Patricia was, shaking his head before laying down as well.Though Patricia had stayed to take care of him on her own volition, he truly hoped that she would just leave and get some sleep back in the comforts of her own home. However, it was evident at this point that Patricia would not listen to him; she would stay and accompany him through the night.'Forget it. I'm just going to keep quiet so that she can get some shuteye,' he thought.What he did not know was that Patricia was not able to sleep. Though she lo
"It's okay. We're still able to hold our own for now. It's just that the recent events have been rather weird, so I wanted to share some information with you," Nicole responded."Alright, if you need anything, feel free to reach out to me anytime," Zane agreed."Yeah, that's it for now," Nicole replied, and hung up."Isn't he with Lawrence?" Max's eyes widened in surprise. 'How could Everett go missing?'"He probably weaseled his way out of Lawrence's hideout," Nicole snorted. "Everett had only enlisted Lawrence's help to flee San Joto. It just so happened that Lawrence had decided to detain him there after they had both left the city. To flee at the slightest opportunity is something you can always expect from Everett.""Does Lawrence know about Everett's disappearance?" Max wondered aloud."He might, but as to whether he knows where Everett went, we can't be certain," Nicole sighed.After all, Everett would definitely elude Lawrence's vast surveillance apparatus if he truly wa
"Since you've made up your mind, let's go with your plan. The company has assistants and secretaries who can aid you if needed," Nicole reminded."Sure," Ellar agreed before giving her a smile. "And I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself.""Anyway, you should still wait a moment. Let the doctor examine you again. If everything is fine, you can prepare for your discharge," Nicole agreed."Okay." Ellar said, eagerly awaiting his discharge.Nicole then turned to Patricia, and in a voice brimming with concern, she asked, "How are you? Did you rest well?""You don't have to worry about me, Ms. Riddle. I slept well," she replied and shot Ellar a glance without realizing it.He was completely silent last night, and had probably done so on purpose to avoid disturbing her."As for the investigation, leave it to Charlie and Max. You should just focus on Damien." Nicole pursed her lips.She knew that Patricia was still feeling somewhat guilty and remorseful over the events of
"But how did Everett get into contact with the Eastern Falcon?" Max asked, puzzled.Everett used to be an ordinary, average Joe who would not stand out from a crowd even if he tried, so it was a wonder as to how he had become so formidable.Obtaining the Water Crest, making deals with Lawrence, and conspiring with the elusive Eastern Falcon were just a list of things he had done. It was now anyone's guess as to what else Everett had up his sleeves."Perhaps we've underestimated him from the very beginning." Nicole's eyes darkened.Initially, everyone was of the opinion that Everett was not particularly well-regarded, even in Damien's family, but they had forgotten that the more inconspicuous someone seemed, the more likely they were to harbor something sinister.They should have already noticed how cunning Everett was when he went out of his way to plot against their grandfather, Benjamin. However, they had overlooked how wicked of a person he truly was because his disposition ind
"Mr. Ellison, you've been very helpful to me as well," Nicole smiled, feeling that Thomas should not think that way.Thomas looked around, and when he could not see Harvey anywhere near them, he asked, "Shall we go?""He won't be coming. Perhaps he doesn't even know you're back," Nicole calmly stated, noticing that Thomas was searching for Harvey."Alright," he replied while hiding his true feelings about Harvey's absence.Nicole shot him another glance but refrained from saying more. They then exited the airport altogether and got into a car."Should we head back to Royal Creek Institute?" Nicole asked Thomas."Royal Creek it is. I don't have anywhere else to go." Thomas said, his eyes downcast.Although he had already made a decision, there was still a sliver of hope in his heart that Harvey would stop and change for the better. That way, he could consider compromising for his grandson's sake, but as he could see, Harvey had disappointed him once again."Mr. Ellison, enduring
"I think so," Nicole smiled, knowing that Harvey would find it difficult to face the lesson they were about to teach him."Will there be any issues with Thomas?" Lulu asked, her eyebrows raised in caution.If Thomas suddenly switched sides at this very important juncture, all of their efforts would be in vain."No, he won't," Nicole confidently stated.She knew full well that Thomas would not have returned if he had any intentions of going back on their agreement. And since he had returned, it was safe to conclude that he was mentally prepared for the outcome, and that he would not go back on his words."That's good." Lulu nodded, feeling nothing short of reassured.As long as Thomas remained firm and resolute in his stance, their plan would be secure.Now leaning on Nicole's desk, Lulu changed the subject and asked, "How is Ellar? I find it surprising that Patricia isn't here. Did she stay back to take care of him?""Yes, Ellar didn't inform his family. All he mentioned to the