Claude was filled with worry. He didn't have the time to pursue this matter. "Mark, just tell me. Which hospital is Jane in?""I'll get my men to take you there." Mark turned to instruct one of his men. "Take Claude to see Ms. Ford.""Yes, sir!" With that, they led Claude away.Leonard stayed back to deal with the others. He looked at Howard. After pondering for a moment, he said rather troublingly, "Mark, you were too harsh with him.""I didn't have a choice. He's a tough one. He wouldn't come with me and even attacked my men." Mark shrugged helplessly. "The fight between men was always to the death. If I hadn't stopped them, he might not even be alive.""Bullshit!" Yvonne's eyes were reddened. She said through gritted teeth, "Howard's limbs have been broken! This was clearly a mob attack! Mark, you're just afraid that Howard would tell the truth, so you beat him up this way!""Should I show you some of my men who got hurt?" Mark said coldly, "Howard had a knife and hurt
At the hospital, Howard was sent to the emergency room to be resuscitated. During the process, countless bags of blood were sent in. At one point, the doctor even came out to inform them to prepare for the worst.Yvonne had thought of going in to help out a few times, but her hands were trembling so badly that she couldn't even pick anything up, let alone a scalpel.Howard was as important to her as Gwen was. They were family. How could she operate on him calmly?Moreover, she knew clearly that it was unlikely that he would come out in a good condition. While waiting outside the door for a few hours, Yvonne recalled her memories with Howard. Although Howard was a tough, macho man, he had an extremely honest heart. He was kind and helpful, too. The people in the mines respected him wholeheartedly.Yvonne had always treated him as an older brother, and Howard had always thought of her as his younger sister, too.Yvonne had always remembered the difficulties she had faced when
"We haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet. Why are you being so impatient?" Leonard looked at Claude and furrowed his brows. He said, "After you left, I heard Yvonne's and Mark's testimony. I think both of them made sense. I won't rule out Mark—""I don't want to hear any of this!" Claude waved his hands and said fiercely, "I don't care if it was that man or Mark who did it. I'm not afraid of any of them!"Leonard was helpless. "Can you calm down? The more impulsive you are, the easier it is for you to fall into a trap. By then, you might even get yourself trapped before you could seek justice for Jane.""I'm not afraid!" At that very moment, Claude wasn't willing to listen to anyone. He gritted his teeth. "Even if I die, I'll drag them to hell with me!""You …" Leonard wanted to say something else when his phone rang.Claude saw Leonard taking his phone out. He quickly went forward. "Did something happen to them? I want to listen in on the call too!"Leonard could only
The atmosphere was so tense that even the air stood still.No one around them dared to breathe. They could clearly sense the overbearing air that Stephen exuded. He immediately overpowered Leonard and Claude.Leonard reached out and pulled Claude back. He looked at Stephen with respect. "Mr. Anderson, we're all reasonable people. There is no need to make such a huge scene."He continued, "Jane is still unconscious at the hospital. It's really not right of you to take the murderer away."Leonard smiled fawningly. "Why don't we each take a step back? You two stay here for two more days—""No!" Yvonne refused right away. "I have to take Howard back to Hope tonight to operate. As for the investigation into the truth, we won't run away. As long as you need me, I'll only be a call away.""But …" Leonard was still conflicted.But Claude retorted, "Impossible! What good use is your word? If we really let you go, I won't have the chance to settle the score with you!"They were in a st
Claude glared at Leonard. "There is nothing to explain! You chose to side with Yvonne tonight! I have nothing to say to you!""I got a call from Kendrick just now," Leonard said. "He was the one who asked me to let Yvonne go.""What?" Claude was baffled. "This has something to do with him too?"Leonard shook his head. "I don't know. He wouldn't tell me. He only said that if we want to see him, we'll have to do as he says."Leonard added, "Claude, we have worked so hard to try to meet him. He's offered us the rare opportunity to meet. Are you willing to give this up?"Besides, we don't know why Kendrick is helping Yvonne. If we offend him as well because of this, we will be facing an enemy that we are no match for." By then, forget seeking justice for Jane; they might end up getting killed.Leonard placed a hand on Claude's shoulder. "I know you're thinking of Jane. So am I. But we can't be too impulsive right now. We can't give up what we've been working so hard for."Cla
Not long after Leonard and Claude let Yvonne go, Mark caught wind of the news. He furrowed his brows and looked at his subordinate, who had told him about the news. "Are you sure that Yvonne and the rest have safely boarded the flight?""Yes." His subordinate couldn't understand it either. "Claude stopped Ms. Y right by the hospital's entrance. He was getting really worked up. I thought they were going to even fight, but then … Leonard suddenly let them go. "There were too many people. I didn't dare to go close, so I didn't find out what they were saying."The subordinate lowered his head. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't bring any more news.""Forget about it." Mark supported his forehead with his hand and closed his eyes.Leonard was a scheming, sly fox. Since he had forced Claude back and insisted on letting Yvonne go this time, surely it was because there was profit to be made. But what could be worth Leonard going to this extent for?At that thought, Mark ordered coldly, "Keep
The second she received the news, Yvonne rushed back to Hope Health Services.Once she got out of the car, she ran all the way to the emergency room, where she bumped into a doctor.Yvonne grabbed the doctor. "What's the situation inside?"The doctor shook his head. "The patient is barely going to make it. Her blood test results just came back. We found lots of theophylline in her system."Yvonne was bewildered. "Who gave her the drug?"Theophylline could lead to severe arrhythmia, which was absolutely fatal for Jade's weak and fragile heart! "Before Jim went into the emergency room, he had instructed a thorough check on the staff who were in charge of Jade's daily medication. We'll soon find out, but …"The doctor sighed. "She might not live to get an answer.""No." Yvonne looked at the emergency room with a burning determination, yet there was no hiding the sadness in her eyes.She had never thought that Jade might not even see Howard for the last time. The universe sure wa
Six hours later, the heart transplant finished successfully. Jade was transferred to the ICU.In the emergency room, everyone said their goodbyes to Howard. Then, the nurse gently covered his body in a white shroud.At that moment, the fact that Howard had passed away properly hit Yvonne. She stumbled and instinctively grabbed onto the operating table to support herself.Jim immediately went to help her. He asked in concern, "Are you alright?"Yvonne shook her head. She sounded exhausted. "Please take Howard to the mortuary. Once Jade's condition gets better, we'll let her see him.""Hmm. I thought so too." Jim hesitated before asking, "How did Howard end up this way? Was it Leonard and Claude?""It was Mark." Yvonne grabbed the operating table harder, and her knuckles turned white. "He framed Howard."Jim was furious. "Mark is a monster! How did Howard offend him? How could he be so cruel?"Yvonne said in a deep voice, "I won't let Howard's death be in vain." She looked at
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