Jim greeted Stephen at Hope Health Services' headquarters.He handed over the transaction records they had investigated and said, "You've arrived just in time. We just found this."Stephen glanced at it and recognized the name of Noah's assistant. That was the final nail in the coffin for him.Stephen put away the documents and said, "Please take me to Grandpa.""Yvonne informed me before you arrived. Come with me."Jim led Stephen inside while briefly introducing the situation at Hope's headquarters.Jim sighed as he spoke. "I felt put on the spot when Yvonne asked me to take over such a large medical institution. I’m too old for this."But, at the same time, I couldn't let her down when she told me that she relied on me. She trusted me. How could I disappoint her?"Jim sighed softly once more. "I was still capable five years ago. But now, I have to admit that I’m old. My physical and mental state are no longer what they used to be."Stephen could understand what Jim was impl
At the same time, Noah received news from Mark that the mission had failed."How could this be?" Noah was furious. "What kind of people did you assign? Why were they so useless?""They were set up," Mark said with a solemn expression. He had finally figured out everything.People who were capable enough to accept the bounty mission from Emerald Group were difficult to deal with in the first place. But they had been captured soon after they had entered Hope's headquarters.When they had been caught, they had sent a message to Mark's subordinate urgently, informing them that the target was unconscious.There were a few things that could be deduced from such a short message."Mr. Anderson Senior isn't awake. Yvonne deceived you on purpose. She's just forcing you to make a move."Mark realized the problem after he finished speaking. He got annoyed and added, "I should check it out before sending someone over.""What's the point of talking about this now? Those people have been ca
Noah locked Katie in the room, depriving her of food and water.Initially, Katie begged him to let her go. But her voice gradually died down.By the third day, no sounds came from the door anymore.The housekeepers were worried. They tried to persuade Noah, saying, "Sir, the madam is pregant. Treating her like that … will harm the child."Noah was annoyed. He was just about to ask them to give Katie some water when he received a photo from Stephen.The photo was of a table full of documents. The most obvious one was a transaction notice. All Noah needed to do was zoom in to see his assistant's name.His expression darkened. He dismissed the housekeepers. "Don't mention her to me anymore, unless you're here to tell me to bury her dead body!"The housekeepers frantically fled the room.Noah replied to Stephen, suppressing the rage in him. "What are you trying to do?""I'm at Anderson Group," Stephen simply replied. Clearly, he wanted to meet Noah.Noah picked up the car keys an
After the security guards escorted Noah, Stephen sat down and made a call to Yvonne.Yvonne had just arrived at the riverside. When she answered the call, it sounded windy on her end.Stephen thought about the times when he had accompanied her to the riverside. He smiled. "How's it going?""Still the same. No progress at all."Yvonne looked at the river and sighed. "I think my suspicions have been wrong from the beginning. I plan to start investigating from Northerna City again.""What?" Stephen thought for a while. "You want to look into Chuck again?""Yes. He was the last person who saw Gwen," Yvonne said calmly."You're right. I'll come with you.""There's no need." Yvonne declined his offer without any hesitation. Stephen had already helped her out so much by coming over to the Southwest Region. If she let it continue, their relationship would be even more tangled.Besides, she didn't want to form the habit of constantly relying on Stephen.She changed the topic. "B
The shareholders' meeting was held three days later.It was announced at the last minute, so the shareholders had no idea what the purpose of the meeting was. A discussion soon broke out in the meeting room.The door swung open, and Stephen strode into the meeting room. His presence put a stop to the ongoing discussion.Soon, Noah entered the meeting room, looking very displeased.Everyone could sense that something was off and exchanged looks with each other. They had an inkling that the purpose of the impromptu meeting was related to a certain someone.Now seated at the head of the table, Stephen started speaking. "I apologize for requesting all of you to come here so suddenly, but this matter is very urgent."My grandfather is currently out of the country, and you know I can't make the ultimate decision on my own. That's why I want all of you to serve as witnesses to this meeting. "You're free to contribute your own suggestions regarding the matter I would like to talk about
The image cast on the screen showed Philip, who was sitting on the hospital bed. He still looked domineering and authoritative despite having an oxygen mask latched to his face.He was finally awake!Once everyone realized that, they started applauding cheerfully. "It's such a relief to see Mr. Anderson Senior safe and sound!"Meanwhile, Stephen was dumbfounded. He turned to stare at Julian in confusion.Julian responded by raising his phone. His explanation came out as a whisper."Mr. Anderson Senior texted me just now. I wanted to inform you right away, but …"But Noah and Stephen were still having a heated exchange at that time.Julian was just Stephen's assistant. He would never have the guts to interrupt the hostile exchange.Hence, he had secretly replied to Philip's message and summarized the situation in the meeting room for him.Philip's reply had been swift. He had told Julian to accept his video call before casting it onto the screen. Clearly, the elderly man had so
"Escort Mr. Noah out of the company."Once Stephen gave his order, the bodyguards, who had been waiting outside the meeting room, rushed in immediately and surrounded Noah.Noah finally snapped out of his trance. He turned to look at Philip's face, which was cast on the screen, and started pleading."Grandpa, I … I wasn't thinking straight back then! It's all my fault! Please forgive me just this once, okay?"Noah's words pissed Philip off even more. He refused to even look at his grandson, turning his head away. Then, he waved at the camera as a signal for the bodyguards to whisk Noah away.At the end of the day, Noah was Philip's biological grandson. Not to mention, he was someone Philip had trusted the most. So it had been hard for him to accept the truth.If Jim hadn't shown Philip evidence of Noah hiring the assassins, he wouldn't have been this disappointed right now."It's Stephen! Stephen's the one who forced me to do all these things! Grandpa, please give me one more ch
Back at Anderson Mansion, William and Hazel started calling Noah incessantly upon reading the news online. But Noah's phone was already switched off by then.At that point, Hazel was racked with anxiety. "C-Could Noah have committed suicide after not being able to handle the pressure?"William glared at her right away. "Stop spouting nonsense! Noah isn't the type who can't handle any form of backlash!""But—"Suddenly, they heard a car screeching to a stop in the courtyard. Hazel turned to see Noah getting out of his car through the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room.She heaved a sigh of relief before getting up to her feet and rushing hurriedly toward her son. "What's with the news online? Did you really—""Where's that bitch?" Noah demanded in a harsh tone. It was clear that he was losing his patience.It was Hazel's first time seeing Noah act out like this. Terror overwhelmed her in an instant, causing her to splutter like a fool."S-she's … She's recuperating in he