Charlie nodded and said, “Then, you must be drinking tonight, right?”“Yup,” Jacob said with a laugh. “I’ll certainly drink a little. Why?”Charlie then said, “Oh, I have some business to tend to this afternoon. If it’s convenient for you, I want to use your car later.”Jacob handed the car keys to Charlie without any hesitation and said, “Of course it’s convenient for me! Go ahead and use it. It just so happens that I will drink a glass or two tonight. If I drive, I would have to find someone to drive me home. It’s much more convenient to just take a cab.”Charlie nodded and took the car keys from Jacob.Claire, who was standing at the side, said, “Dad, I’ll be going to my office later. I can send you to the association on the way.”Jacob laughed and said, “Wonderful! I can save on the taxi fare, then!”After Jacob and Claire had left, Charlie took the pills out, put them into an inconspicuous shoulder bag, and left the house.He got into Jacob’s car and went straight to Graha
As Doris listened to Dr. Spears illustrate the case, she carefully recalled her father’s activities and said, “Dr. Spears, I have never seen my father take any unknown drugs after his illness worsened nor did I see him take any traditional medicine, let alone Dutchman’s pipe.”Then, she added, “Overall, he was in excellent health after his last kidney transplant with a relatively mild form of diabetes, so he had been taking metformin extended-release tablets, but that drug does not do harm to the kidneys and will not cause acute kidney failure.”Dr. Spears nodded and said, “I understand. Dutchman’s pipe is just an example, but there are a lot of traditional medicinal ingredients out there that can trigger acute kidney failure, not just Dutchman’s pipe. There are many chemicals and organic compounds that have great nephrotoxicity.”Doris asked, “Dr. Spears, is there any way to find out exactly what caused my father’s acute kidney failure?”Dr. Spears said, “I’ve sent your father’s b
As soon as Doris answered the call, she said respectfully, “Yes, Young Master. What can I do for you?”Charlie answered with a smile, “Oh, I just wanted to continue what we left off yesterday. Are you free tonight? If you are, come to Mr. Quinton’s house for a get-together. You all came to my house during New Year’s Eve, but I haven’t gotten the chance to treat you all to a meal since the New Year, and I feel quite sorry about it.”Doris managed a bitter smile and said, “Oh, Young Master. It was our pleasure. Don’t mention it.”Charlie laughed. “I have to. It’s a matter of courtesy! I’ve prepared a small gift for everyone. It’s not worth any money, but it’s a small token of appreciation. If you have the time, come over. However, if you’re not free, it’s okay. I’ll pass you the gift later.”Doris hurriedly said, “Oh no, Young Master, I can’t let you do that. How about this? Please let me know the time and venue, I’ll drop by in the evening.”Charlie said, “Very well, then. I’ll mes
Edmund’s remarks made Doris’s heart skip a beat. The strong sense of oppression made her feel like she was about to suffocate.Although she was very disgusted and even found Edmund’s offer extremely repulsive, she also knew that the kidney source Edmund had secured in the United States was the only source she knew of that could match her father’s blood type. This was the only choice she had for the time being.If someone else bought the kidney, she would lose all hope.Doris had studied in the United States back then, so she knew the situation in the country very well.Compared to Oskia, the overall degree of rule of law in the States was relatively loose.Not only were guns and drugs easily accessible, but even the trade in human organs was unregulated.If a person wanted to sell his kidney, he could complete the kidney removal surgery even in a veterinary clinic. Everything was very easy and smooth.This also meant that if the donor found a suitable seller, he could sell his k
After a long moment of silence, Doris said, “Edmund, if I agree to be your lover and go to work for your company, can you promise me that you will not force me to reveal any business secrets of Emgrand Group?”Edmund frowned in dismay when he heard this and asked, “You’re just a manager in the company. Why should you be so loyal to them?”Doris replied earnestly, “It’s my professional ethics!”Edmund sneered, “Doris, there are three things about you that are valuable to me. Number one, your body. Number two, your ability. And number three, your mastery of the core secrets of Emgrand Group. For me, these three elements of yours are equally important!”Doris ground her teeth and asked, “Edmund, do you really have to do this? I can promise you all those nasty conditions you offer, but can’t you leave room for me to bargain?”Edmund laughed, “Of course you can bargain, but there has to be a minimum principle. For example, I insist on the three aforementioned elements, but we can discu
After Edmund had said that, he turned around and left the ward.Doris trembled uncontrollably out of anger and frustration as she stared at Edmund’s back as he left.Her mother, Faith, walked forward with tears all over her face as she took Doris’s hand. She choked up and said, “Forget it, Doris. Just give up. I cannot watch you jump straight into Edmund’s trap just like that…”Doris’s eyes choked up, and tears began flowing down her face unknowingly as she said, “Mom! Dad does not have much time left now… If we cannot get this kidney source, perhaps within half a month…”Faith slapped Doris’s hand a few times. Although she was in a lot of pain and grief, she said resolutely, “Your dad and I have already lived for more than fifty years now. Over the past fifty years, we have lived very full, happy, and prosperous lives. We are already very satisfied. So, even if your dad were to leave just like this, I would not have any regrets in my heart. After all, the both of us have already t
Aurora had also specially driven him around the lake on a speedboat back then.However, as the weather at this time was still cold, the scenery by the lakeside was more or less rather dull and depressing. It was not as lush and vibrant as the last time when he had come by.Therefore, Charlie said to Graham in passing, “Mr. Quinton, the vitality of this villa is a little lacking during the winter. Although the trees and grassland here are only withered temporarily, in terms of Feng Shui, they are still considered as dead objects. So, it would be better for you not to live here before spring begins because it will certainly have a little impact on your body and fortune.”When Graham heard this, he immediately said, “Oh! Thank you for your reminder, Master Wade! If that is the case, we will move back to the city tomorrow, then!”Aurora subconsciously asked, “Dad, why don’t we buy a villa at the Thompson First community, then? That place is not only big, but we can also be neighbors wi
Charlie handed the two wooden boxes over to Graham under Graham’s watchful gaze. After that, he said, “Mr. Quinton, these two pills inside these two wooden boxes are a small token from me. The one on the right is slightly larger and darker in color. That is the Healing Pill that I gave to all of you before this. As for the slightly smaller and brighter pill on the left, it is the Rejuvenating Pill that I have just refined this time.”Graham was so excited that he was completely at a loss for words. He said in a trembling voice, “Master… Master Wade… how could I be worthy of such a valuable and precious Rejuvenating Pill?! This… this Rejuvenating Pill could easily be sold for two to three billion dollars if you were to put it up for auction in the market. It is… it is really too expensive…”Although Graham had been longing for the Rejuvenating Pill for the longest time, he understood very well that the value of the Rejuvenating Pill was simply too high and expensive. It was far more v
Charlie frowned in thought for a while, before saying, "Well, there is a plan, but I can't vouch for the chances. I also need you to cooperate with me and not let anything slip, or everything will go to waste. Can you do that?""I can!" Claire nodded, determined, before quickly asking, "So? What's the plan?""Well, it's not specific," Charlie replied. "We just have to improvise as we go along. Let's just head in for now!"-They left the airport and took a cab to the traffic police's headquarters. Just as she entered, they saw their Cullinan parked outside.Charlie sent Claire in first while he carried her luggage before following.Meanwhile, Elaine was wailing in her room, "I've been married to him for years! Suffering so much pain and humiliation, only for him to hook up with an old flame behind my back! Is it wrong if I struck out?"The traffic police officer was on the verge of a breakdown, but he still said patiently, "Ma'am, I've told you many times—what he did was wrong
Claire wasn't all that experienced in love and hence didn't know how a person caught in a love triangle would think or why they would experience such terrible mood swings.Still, Charlie's explanation gave her a general idea, and she sighed, "Actually, Dad looked really bad when Matilda came back. He was so obsessed with her that he didn't care if Mom was alive—even bringing her home for dinner. I'd be seething if I was Mom."Charlie sighed in exasperation. "Well, let's not loiter about. Let's go to the traffic police station.""Yeah!" Claire nodded, before holding his arm, "If they're there, that means they're safe, and they won't be fighting with those officers around. So, let's not head over so quickly."Charlie raised a brow. "What are you getting at?"Claire sighed, clearly troubled. "We have to think—how are we going to alleviate this crisis? If it's really as you say and Mom has mostly guessed it right, this fight might just be the start. At best, that fight on the highway
The traffic police officer smiled in exasperation. "Is there no getting through to you? You could even afford to drive a nice car, and you'd most likely survive an accident. But what if you were left bedridden for a long time? Yell at each other in the same hospital room?"Elaine waved him off. "I don't care—all I know is that I will always get my revenge, and on the spot if possible. If there were superheroes, I would be Wonder Woman!""Urgh…" The traffic police officer was utterly speechless. "How about this? We will call your daughter and have her come over to bail you. She will mediate your fight!"With those words, he returned Elaine's phone to her, and it happened to ring just then.It was a call from Claire.Seeing that the contact name said [Daughter], the traffic police officer quickly said, "Go on, answer it!"Elaine took it and answered the call, and Claire asked urgently before she could say a word, "Mom? Where are you? Where's Dad? Are you both alright?"Elaine sulk
While Charlie was waiting for Claire at the airport, Jacob and Elaine were taken to the traffic police station.But even in the patrol car, Elaine did not stop lashing out at Jacob.As such, the traffic police had no choice but to call up another patrol car to bring them over separately.Charlie was hence left wondering what those two were up to this time as they were nowhere to be seen when Claire's flight was about to land and weren't answering his texts.Fortunately, Charlie never considered them reliable, so he was fine whether they showed up or not.If they did, they could all head home in the same car.If they didn't, he just had to take a cab home with Claire.It was past three when Claire's private jet landed, and Claire herself cleared the checkpoint in just half an hour, wheeling a trolley with her luggage.Seeing Charlie from afar, she couldn't help quickening her pace as she beamed.Charlie hurried toward her as well, and Claire shoved her trolley aside when they w
However, to Jacob's shock, Elaine wasn't misled at all as she growled icily, "Why would I ask anyone else?! If there's someone I must question, it's Matilda! She's getting married, isn't she? Good! I will be there and ask her why she hooked up with my husband!"Jacob turned pale right then.Matilda's son and even some of their old classmates would be attending her wedding.If Elaine went, he would be exposed, and he wouldn't be able to stay in Aurous Hill out of shame!His nerves gnawing at him, Jacob could only plead, "Please, just trust me this once! Anything else aside, she's getting married, anyway—there's no way that I'd have anything to do with her! That alone should prove my innocence!"Elaine snorted. "If Matilda returned when I was arrested, it means she has been back for a while! And you're saying nothing happened since? Hell, even if she's married, it doesn't prove that she wasn't up to some hanky-panky with you! Maybe while I was arrested and refused a divorce when you
The driver was left dumbstruck—this wasn't how it was supposed to go.Still, he blurted, "C-Crashing into a Cullinan? I might end up dead instead…""Fine! Then let's change cars, and you crash into ours—how about that?!" Elaine promptly retorted before continuing, "Or we could just stand right in front of your car while you run into us! I just happen to have a death wish, but if you don't kill me now, I'll kill you! Don't think about getting away either—I know your car plate! I'll sell this car and use the money to put a bounty on your head! I don't care what happens to me now! I'll claw my nails into the devil's face even if he shows up!"The driver was actually quite experienced, but even he had yet to meet someone as ridiculous as Elaine.Barely able to keep his hands steady, he threw them up as he apologized, "I'm so sorry, ma'am—I just lost my cool. I'm merely a humble driver of a Honda Civic while you own a Rolls. Hell, I spent fifty bucks buying that red emblem from Amazon,
Elaine may have led a life as if she was above the rules, but beneath that tough exterior lay crippling insecurities and a horrific inferiority complex.She was always afraid of being belittled—but more than that, of being ostracized and betrayed.Over the years, the greatest source of her complexes could all be traced back to Matilda.After all, Matilda had been a star back in their school days. Because Elaine was a close friend of hers, many boys would get chummy with Elaine, but only because they were interested in Matilda.Being from a poor farmer's family, Elaine had been scorned plenty and therefore felt exceedingly inferior around Matilda.It was from that sense of inferiority that Elaine had inadvertently developed a one-sided rivalry against Matilda, and she believed her greatest triumph over Matilda in this life was the moment she had stolen Jacob from her.However, while Elaine presumed that she could hold that victory over Matilda's head, Lady Wilson had soured that v
Moreover, given Elaine's ridiculous temper, Jacob knew she would definitely go overboard and destroy him.He wouldn't even have a place to live at that point, and it would really be game over if she held a grudge and stormed the Calligraphy and Painting Association!Under such circumstances, he couldn't ask for a divorce—hell, he might even refuse a divorce if Elaine asked for one!However, that was when Elaine laughed coldly. "Oh, my… You're really not going to divorce me?""Come on—how long were we married?" Jacob quickly reasoned. "Getting divorced at our age? People would laugh at us."Elaine scoffed. "Now I'm curious… Matilda's quite old too, and she's a divorcee marrying again. Won't people laugh at her?""Technically, she's a widow—"Jacob blurted out, but soon turned pale, tensing up again not a second after he had just calmed down, asking gingerly, "W-Why would you suddenly mention her?'Elaine stopped pretending right then and snapped, "It's actually impressive that y
Horrified, Jacob promptly grasped the steering wheel and brought the Cullinan back under control while not hesitating to snap, "Are you crazy?! We're on the highway—that could have killed the both of us!"However, Elaine ignored him and seized the moment to open the armrest box, pulling out the large white envelope.As she opened it, she muttered, "So, it really was a wedding invitation… You really are a terrible friend, Jacob Wilson, hiding a wedding invitation like this! What's the point? Just look at that nervous face of yours—would I suspect you of having an affair with the bride-to-be?"She flipped open the card and was experienced enough to check the names first while disregarding the usual preamble. She wouldn't care about the venue or the time either, focusing solely on the professor who had somehow made Jacob very nervous.That was how Elaine found the names in less than a second: Yolden Hart and Matilda Hall.Matilda?!The name could well be knives stabbing Elaine in th