"Hmm?" Stephen was curious."I had given Mark some drowsy incense. But he gave it to Chuck and asked him to research and replicate it. It wasn't because he trusted Chuck, but rather to test him. However ..." Yvonne paused and continued, "Chuck isn't so dumb as to add something inside, is he?""What if that was Leonard and Claude's order?" Stephen asked."Then …" Yvonne smiled. "That's too bad. If both sides want Chuck dead, he has no choice."When she had initially informed Mark about Chuck's actions, she had hoped that she would be able to use him as a weapon one day.That way, all she had to do was watch Chuck get played and defeated by Mark, Leonard, and Claude.Now, it seemed that Chuck would get his karma soon.…After the banquet, the news of Yvonne officially taking over Hope Health Services' headquarters spread.Leonard and Claude were the first ones to congratulate her. They gave her a porcelain vase that cost 60 million dollars.Yvonne was opening the box when L
Leonard was livid. Upon seeing his anger, Claude frowned. "Does Yvonne not like the vase we sent? Does she not know their value? That's—""No," interrupted Leonard. He slammed his phone onto the table. "She's implying that if we continue to mistrust her, our partnership may end.""Why …" "It's because of Jane," said Leonard. He looked Claude in the face. "Yvonne said we had sent Jane to keep an eye on her, and I couldn't explain otherwise. She's getting bolder now. She hung up after saying her piece without giving me the chance to speak."Claude was displeased. "What's her problem? Does she think that we can't do anything to her now that she has some money?" "Indeed, we can't."Leonard's words took the wind out of Claude's sails."Leonard, aren't you … aren't you selling yourself short? Yvonne is just an immature young lady …" mumbled Claude."On the surface, she merely took over a medical institution. But in reality, she has her eye on Hope's network," replied Leonard.
Kendrick got out of the SUV, took off his sunglasses, and looked at Mark. Curious, he asked, "What was in the box you sent out? Is it something important?""Yes." Mark looked indifferent. "It's a matter of someone's life."Kendrick laughed dryly. "Interesting.""You're finally willing to show up," commented Mark. He turned and walked toward the villa. "Come on in for tea. Let's chat.""Sure," replied Kendrick. He hooked his sunglasses on his clothes' neckline and followed Mark into the villa.The villa embodied Mark's personal style. It was mainly white with black accents and was extremely clean. It looked like it lacked personality. Kendrick was a man of unrefined tastes. He didn't appreciate the villa's design. Upon entering the villa, he found it rather unwelcoming. Mark sat himself down in the living room. He invited Kendrick to take a seat. "You could let me know in advance before coming over next time.""I don't like making plans, and I believe that one should just
Mark's expression changed drastically. "How did this happen?" he barked."We … We didn't think …" His subordinate trembled in fear. "We didn't think much of it when they gave us some drinks. But after we had it, we passed out."Once we regained consciousness, the room was empty! Even the surveillance camera had been wiped clean … "Mark, those doctors weren't working alone. Someone must've had their backs!" "What will you achieve by telling me this now? Hurry up and find Jade!" ordered Mark. "Howard will visit his daughter in two days. If she isn't found by then … You lot might as well kill yourselves." Mark's tone bordered on rage.The subordinate dared not delay any longer and immediately replied, "We'll look for her right now.""Wait," Mark called out. He tamped down his anger. "Tell Howard to defer the visit by a week if you can't find her. Just don't tell him that his daughter is missing." "Yes, sir!"Mark hung up the phone. He was so furious that his ears were ri
"Do you really think you can get rid of me just with Hope?" Mark sneered. "You should know that every time you resist, it will only make me want to grab you tighter."He was hinting that not letting Howard see Jade was a warning to her. All because he was unhappy that Yvonne had taken over Hope.Yvonne naturally understood what he meant. She found it amusing. "Yes, you're right. Hope is just the start. There are other things that I want to do. Just like you said, things between us will end sooner or later. "I'm only doing this so that I will be strong enough to fight against you. After all, it'll be too boring if you're the only powerful one. "Why don't we try fighting each other to the death?" Yvonne said with a smirk.After a moment of silence, Mark suddenly bawled out, laughing. "Great, Yvonne. You're really getting gutsy!""You forced my hand." Yvonne gripped her phone tighter. "If you still want to get along with me for a while longer, you better make sure Jade is sa
"I understand." Curtis nodded seriously. "You're worried that Mark isn't letting Howard see Jade because something has happened to her.""Yes. Jade hasn't fully recovered. All these years, she has been relying on medicine. If anything were to happen to her, I'm afraid everything would go back to square one. By then, it would be hard …"Yvonne was so guilty that she couldn't finish her sentence.If something were to happen to Jade because of her, how would she face Howard? She could never forgive herself.Curtis understood what Yvonne was thinking. He patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it first. Just like what you said, Mark held Jade captive because he wanted to threaten you. He would surely hope that nothing would happen to her too.""Even if …" Curtis stopped and corrected himself."No matter what, I'll head over to the border first. Finish up your work here. It won't be too late.""But …""I think Curtis' suggestion is right," Jim said slowly."Mark i
It was so quiet in the study that only the sound of their breathing could be heard.Yvonne smiled faintly. "It's the first time I've heard that I need protection. Since I had joined Emerald Group, I had been taught about protecting others even at the cost of my life."She added, "Unfortunately, I only remember that and completely forgot about following orders. "If Mark had known about my rebellious nature early on, do you think he might have killed me before I reached adulthood?" Yvonne sounded casual, but her words made Stephen's heart ache.He released his grip, grabbed her shoulder, and turned her around.As Yvonne lifted her gaze to meet Stephen's affectionate eyes, she chuckled lightly and said, "Why are you bothered now? It's all in the past now, and it's not a big deal—"With utmost seriousness, Stephen interrupted, "Regardless of your identity and origin, to me, you're simply Yvonne, my woman. "You deserve protection, and it's a failure on my part if I make you worry
Jane was secretly pleased. She had been so engrossed in dealing with Jade these past few days that she had forgotten to report this matter to Claude and the others.With that in mind, she grabbed the phone and exclaimed excitedly without waiting for the other end to speak, "Grandpa, I've successfully completed the task. "Mark must be frantically worried now, and it won't be long before Yvonne holds him accountable!" "It's good that it's been taken care of. You should find some time to return to the manor ..." Claude coughed forcefully several times, and his voice became weak. "I'm currently in the hospital. I hope you can come and keep me company."Jane was taken aback. "What happened to you? Why are you in the hospital?""I … I slipped and fell a few days ago … I'm in great discomfort. Please come back soon." It was the first time Claude had lied to Jane, so he couldn't help but feel uneasy. However, having grown up by Claude's side, Jane knew him like the back of her hand.
A light breeze blew by in the courtyard. Agatha slowly recounted the past.Back then, Daniel and his wife, Katherine, had just had Mark. The entire Carrington family had been celebrating.They had doted on Mark and taken him wherever they went.That day, they had headed out. Before they'd known it, Mark had been taken away.Just when Daniel and Katherine had been on the brink of losing it, they had received a call from the kidnapper to bring the ransom to a specific spot.They had gotten the money and driven there without any hesitation. No one had thought that they would ever return after that. Even Mark had disappeared.When Agatha finished recounting this, her cup of tea had already cooled.She wiped her tears away. She said through a catch in her throat, "Katherine was hugging the bag of money tightly until the moment she passed away, as though she were hugging you."Mark furrowed his brows. Now that he'd heard the truth about Daniel and Katherine, he should have felt pain
As Yvonne left the room, she could tell that Stephen's mood was much better.She looked at him. "Are you thinking of something nice?""No." Stephen looked at Yvonne with a rare twinkle in his eyes."Let me take you to breakfast." Before Yvonne could respond, he took her hand and led her to the elevator.Thinking about how he'd stood outside her room the entire night, Yvonne decided to let him hold her hand.Then, her thoughts drifted to Otto. Somehow, she had a bad feeling.…At the same time, Mark was in the courtyard of Carrington Mansion. He sat next to Agatha and poured some tea for her.He handed her a cup of hot tea. "Great-Grandma, try this."When he noticed that Agatha had no reaction, he called out to her once more. "Great-Grandma?""Huh?" Agatha came to her senses. She looked at Mark in confusion. "What is it?""You've been distracted since yesterday. Are you thinking of something?" Mark asked.Agatha shook her head. "Nothing." Then, she picked up her teacup and
Yvonne stood by the door of the bedroom and looked at Otto, who was looking out of the window in a daze on the bed.The sun shone on his face. He looked quite hungover and had a sickly pale face.Yvonne hesitated for a while before saying gently, "Mrs. Jenner called me last night. She's worried about you."Otto didn't respond.Yvonne went in closer and added, "She said that you called her and asked about your father. She found it strange."Mr. Carrington, why did you suddenly think about your father? Did Mrs. Carrington Senior bring him up yesterday?"All Yvonne got was silence.Luckily, she was patient. She sat on the couch and followed Otto's line of sight. Tiny dust particles were floating among the sunbeams. Yvonne also fell into a daze as she watched them float about.Suddenly, Otto asked, "Have you ever felt like your world was falling apart?""Hmm?" Yvonne was confused. "For example?""I mean, like the person that you trust turns out to be different from what you'd t
The next morning, Yvonne opened her door to see Stephen standing outside. She was caught off guard."What is wrong with you this morning? Why didn't you knock…"While talking, Yvonne noticed that Stephen was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Don't tell me you didn't leave last night? Have you been standing outside this door all this while?""Hmm." Stephen looked at Yvonne intently. "I thought you would've figured it out quickly."Yvonne was speechless, but she thought to herself that she'd slept like a baby the night before.She smiled at him. "Figure what out?" She noticed Stephen frowning as though he were on the brink of losing his temper.She quickly added, "I-I mean, you have to give me a hint, right? I've thought about it the entire night, but I still don't understand. My brain isn't functioning well."Stephen asked suspiciously, "You've been thinking about it the entire night?""Yes, which is why I didn't look for yo
"If I hadn't come to find you tonight, you probably wouldn't tell me anything about what happened tonight, would you?" Stephen asked in retort.It wasn't a big deal, as long as they returned safely. Yvonne wondered why she needed to report this to him.But she still smiled. "It's late. How could I disrupt your rest? It would've been the same if I told you about it tomorrow morning, right?"Stephen sniggered. "Yvonne, you still don't know where you've gone wrong."He suddenly went in closer to her. Yvonne instinctively retreated until her back was up against the wall. She glared at him."What on earth is wrong with you? I've already said that I would've told you tomorrow morning—"A punch went past Yvonne and landed brutally on the wall.Yvonne was a little stunned. She looked into Stephen's eyes and furrowed her brows. "Stephen, I don't want to quarrel with you for no reason. "Mrs. Carrington Senior went to look for Otto today. Calbert couldn't reach him the entire day, so he
Jane returned to the private room, distracted.She sat down next to Cory. She looked at him as he reached his hand out to her in confusion.Cory furrowed his brows and asked unhappily, "Where's the wine?""Wine… Yes! Wine!" Jane came to her senses. She was just about to get up when Cory pulled her back.He grabbed her by her chin and forced her to look at him. "What happened when you went out?""N-Nothing."Cory tightened his grip. Jane furrowed her brows in pain. "I-I… I saw Yvonne. She told me that she and Stephen got remarried.""What?" Cory relaxed his grip a little. "They got remarried?""Hmm.""So, what?" He had no intention of letting her go, and he looked at her sharply. "Does it bother you so much that Stephen got remarried?"Jane looked at Cory frantically. "Cory, what do you mean by that?""What do I mean? You know what I mean."Cory went in closer. His tone turned icy. "You used to pursue Stephen. Now that you know he's gotten married, you're in this shitty mood
Yvonne turned around to see Jane smiling at her ambiguously. She furrowed her brows. How were they always bumping into each other?Jane crossed her hands in front of her chest and leaned against the wall. She swept her gaze at Calbert and Otto. "Two guys and one woman. You sure know how to have fun!"Calbert instantly snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?""Why are you being so fierce? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Jane snickered. "Two guys and a woman came out of a private room in the middle of the night. Anyone would come to the same conclusion. We're all adults. There's no need to pretend to be innocent.""You—" Calbert was about to go up to Jane, but Yvonne stopped him."Since Ms. Ford is here, I'm guessing so is Cory?" Yvonne smiled, yet her smile didn't reach her eyes. "If you cause a scene here and this bar gets raided, guess who'll be the ones walking out here alive?"Jane's expression turned ugly. "Are you threatening me?""It's just a kind reminder." Yvon
Calbert and Yvonne managed to track Otto's car to a bar, thanks to the information they'd gotten from his staff. Otto's car was right outside the bar.Calbert looked at the neon sign and furrowed his brows. "Why is Otto here? Did what Mrs. Carrington Senior said really hit him so badly that he has to drown himself in alcohol?"Yvonne said nothing and headed directly inside the bar."Wait up for me!" Calbert went after her. He subconsciously protected her from all the drunk patrons.The lighting in the bar was dim. Many of the patrons were drunk and having fun.Yvonne and Calbert walked around the booth area, but Otto was nowhere to be found. They pulled a server over to ask if there was a patron by the name of Otto Carrington who had reserved a private room.Coincidentally, the server had just taken two bottles of wine to Otto's room. So, he led them to the private room.Calbert tipped the server before opening the door and entering. The entire room reeked of alcohol.He looked
After Agatha left, Otto stood in the same spot without moving.A long time later, Zac entered the office. He looked at Otto's back and asked quietly, "Mr. Carrington, will you still see the client?""No." Otto sounded heartbroken.Zac didn't dare ask further questions. He gently closed the door and reminded the secretary that no one was to disturb Otto.In the office, Otto was alone. He slowly walked over to the couch and slumped into it. His mind was in a mess."Alexander was the one who planned the kidnapping back then."Agatha's words rang in his mind for a long time.Alexander's young face appeared in Otto's mind, smiling at him affectionately."Otto! Amazing! Yes! Just like that!""You're amazing at badminton! You're going to make the country proud! I'm going to be so proud of you!""Otto, my son!"Memories of his interactions with Alexander flashed across his mind at that moment.Otto couldn't imagine that such a loving father would do such an absurd thing. Alexander