Ignoring his advances, Jenny reiterated her words and added, "I can perform the surgery on you, but you have to understand the risks that come with it.""Got it." Given that he was willing to come for a consultation, he must have been mentally prepared for the worst-case scenario. Curious about his insistence, she asked, "I remember you said you didn't care about the memory loss. Why would you change your mind now?""What are the consequences of not getting the surgery?" he suggested, directing the question back at her. She immediately understood him and chuckled. "Mr. Faust, you are indeed smart. Without the surgery, you will gradually lose your eyesight and likely suffer a brain hemorrhage."Alec could opt for surgery when his condition deteriorated, which would not threaten his life, but no one could foresee other uncertainties in his life at that time. Therefore, it was clever of him to get the surgery out of the way."When can I get the surgery?" he asked. Jenny checked he
Hearing that, Evan raised his brow. "Oh, is that so? Great. I, too, believe that you wouldn't harass Jenny.""Mr. Clarke, you have a wild imagination." Alec scoffed and left, not willing to speak to him any longer. Evan smiled at the sight and went to Jenny's office.It was close to noon, and Jenny was done seeing all her patients scheduled in the morning. She said, "Evan, good timing! I'm about to get off work.""Nice. Let's have lunch together?" He beamed, and she nodded. She brought him to the cafeteria, her attitude vastly different from when she dined with Derrick Clearwater. Evan didn't mind cafeteria food as long as he was with Jenny.At noon, the cafeteria was bustling with hospital staff who weren't close to Jenny but recognized her nonetheless. They looked at Jenny and Evan with curiosity and wondered about their relationship.Jenny ignored the eyes on them and searched for a table with Evan. Meanwhile, Derrick glared at the two of them. He had harbored suspicion about t
Knowing what was on Derrick's mind, McKenna coughed awkwardly. "Derrick, I know you're a capable man, but you couldn't quite realize your ambitions. That's why you wanted to climb the social ladder. But I hope you understand that you and I are ordinary people, and we should live accordingly. There's no need to social climb just to survive. I wish you could let go of your obsession and focus on your work. Don't be distracted by other matters."He listened keenly to her earnest advice, albeit puzzled at her willingness to talk at length with him. She blushed under his perplexed gaze and stammered, "I think you're a decent man, but I didn't like you much before because you were a little arrogant."In other words, she was willing to get to know him better if he could change his behavior. He smiled, feeling speechless. It was a serendipitous moment for him."I got it." He nodded as he realized that he needed a change in mindset. He had been obsessed with marrying the right girl, especial
Jenny agreed with Evan's logic. A family as wealthy as the Glasses would not possibly be unprepared for crises."Don't worry about it. Mr. Walter will take care of the problem." He understood her concern and offered some words of comfort. She nodded without a word and would rather not fret over those headache-inducing issues.They dropped the discussion about the Glasses. A short silence later, Evan casually asked, "Have you checked out Alec Faust's patient record?""Yeah." She nodded but didn't dwell on the case."How's his condition? Are you confident in handling his case?" he prodded.She placed her cutlery on the table and mulled before answering, "50%? His hematoma is causing pressure on the nerves. There's still a huge risk.""Why did you agree to perform the surgery, then? If the surgery fails, the Fausts might find trouble with you." In the days after Evan came home, he researched the Ten Elites of Bardoff City and learned that the Fausts were at the top of the ranks. Hen
James couldn't contain his laughter. "Dad, Mom, you're too elitist. What would others think of us if they heard about this?"Their faces fell, embarrassed at being called out. "How could you label us as elitist? Everyone knew what had happened between you and Jolene Walter. In fact, they are laughing at us behind our backs. No one will fault us for calling off the engagement now."Patricia was a tad worried about James' silence. "Could you have fallen for her?""Hah." He scoffed, "Do you think that's plausible?"She thought about it and shook her head. No, that sounded improbable. She knew James well, and he would never be attracted to sly and calculative women."If that's the case, calling off the engagement is the best option for all." No one cared if she hadn't included Jolene's best interests in her blanket statement.James understood that calling off the engagement was the right course of action. He could not possibly marry Jolene after all. But…When he was deep in thought
James fell into a short silence that gave her some hope. Perhaps, he was hesitant to call off the engagement because he could sense her efforts and sacrifice. Her eyes were sparkling with hope, which didn't escape James' keen observation. He chuckled. "Did you really think I'd feel sorry to do so?"Startled, the color on her face quickly went away again."I'll announce the cancelation publicly in a few days. You can leave by then," he informed her. She felt cold from head to toe as she sensed the disdain in his eyes. Yes, he was mocking her.She maintained her composure with what was left in her. Perhaps, she had matured after going through ups and downs in life. She took a deep breath and uttered, "Sure. Let's do that."With that, she retired to her bedroom, the only place that belonged to her in the villa. The tiny space wouldn't be hers for long, though. She couldn't hold it in anymore and sobbed in the blanket. Even then, she had to keep the volume down so James wouldn't find
"I understood every word you said, but I can't possibly live my life with memory loss. Plus, you know the long-term effects if I do not opt for surgery." Alec examined Blake carefully as though he suspected an ulterior motive.Blake understood the necessity of the surgery, but she simply hoped that the surgery could be delayed for a few months. She knew better than to say her thoughts aloud, so she muttered, "I know. I'm just worried for you.""Don't worry. My luck isn't that bad." He wouldn't go down before he could take over the Faust family.Blake didn't say a word because she knew that any objection would only irk him. Instead, she turned her attention to Jenny.On that afternoon, Jenny was surprised to find Blake at her office. "Miss Watkins, are you here to talk to me?""Yes," Blake replied. Frowning, Jenny wanted to remind her that it was business hours, but Blake said, "I'm the final patient on your list today. You don't have to worry about the next patient." Then, she han
Jenny was unable to refute Blake's seemingly reasonable and confident accusation. In reality, such situations were plausible. If a patient was a loved one of the surgeon, the surgeon might fail to rein in his or her emotions if there was a minor slip-up during the surgery, which might affect the outcome. However, this wouldn't apply across the board to all doctors, and Jenny believed that she was better than that.Still, she couldn't fault Blake for voicing out a legitimate concern. After a pause, she suggested to Blake, "That is a valid concern, but you are not his legal wife yet. From a legal perspective, you cannot make decisions on his behalf. However, you can tell him about your thoughts when you get home. If he shares your concern, I can contact other doctors to step in for me."She offered sincere advice from her heart, but it sounded like mockery to Blake. "Are you mocking me for not getting married to him?""No, that's not what I meant." The misinterpretation dumbfounded Je
That afternoon, Gilbert called off his engagement to the Silveras. He did not pick up a single one of Lottie's calls. When he found Marigold, she was taking Caleb on a stroll around the neighborhood. It had been a while since she'd taken notice of anything related to Gilbert. She suddenly felt how nice it was to have her mental energy spent somewhere else, no longer being so hung up on that man. However, when Gilbert appeared before her, her heartbeat quickened. "Why are you here?" Marigold said, snapping out of her reverie. Gilbert smiled lightly. Without saying much else, he pulled her into an embrace. "Didn't you say that I could come to see you once everything is settled?" Marigold was stunned. She was in disbelief. "So, what you're saying is it's all over?" "Didn't you read the news?" Gilbert was speechless. "No. I didn't want to care." Every time she saw anything about Gilbert and Lottie, she felt miserable. She'd rather save herself the pain and block out anything
In the end, Esther went with Gilbert's suggestion. However, she did not trade Bradshaw Operation's projects with Jenny. She went with the Silveras. For one, she did not trust the Walters. On the other hand, the Silveras and the Bradshaws were going to be united through marriage. They deserved to be trusted more. Gilbert didn't mind. After all, if anything happened to the Bradshaws, the Silveras would not help. With those projects in hand, they would only fall further into debt. The plan was going smoothly. Gilbert had not gone to see Marigold once. He knew that before subduing the Bradshaws, going to visit Marigold would only endanger her. After all, Marigold was safe. Nothing had happened, and Caleb was growing up healthily. One month later, things began to feel off in Bradshaw Operations. After Faust Group received their money, they did not start the project. No one knew what they were doing. Esther was feeling antsy. She prodded Gilbert to ask if there was anything wro
That very afternoon, Esther and Gilbert rushed to Faust Group to sign the deal. Gilbert said he was worried that Alec would change his mind, so he urged Esther to sign it. Only through a written contract would they be able to relax. Esther thought it made sense and agreed to rush to Faust Group with Gilbert.In the meeting room, Alec looked at the two people before him, expressionless. "You have a good son, Mrs. Bradshaw." "I'm flattered. My son had Bradshaw Operations' interests at heart. He'll inevitably be a little insensitive. Please don't hold that against him, Mr. Faust." Esther smiled. She didn't mind Alec's sarcasm because it didn't matter. As long as Bradshaw Operations could truly benefit from this, she didn't care how much Alec mocked her. Alec smiled coldly and slid the contract over to her. "You may flip through it." Esther took it and read through it seriously.If this project succeeded, they would reap massive rewards. However, it required a massive upfront inv
In the following days, Gilbert headed over to Faust Group infrequently during the day. To others, he was there to talk business with Alec. But in reality, it was a different scenario altogether. Vincent brought Gilbert a cup of coffee in Alec's office. Because of all the times he'd been there, Vincent knew what he wanted without having to ask. Alec had a cup of coffee placed before him, too. Everyone thought that Gilbert was trying to convince Alec to give him one of the shares, which was why he always came there, but that was not the case. The collaboration was a set-up. As long as the Bradshaws signed the deal on the project, they would not escape unscathed. Gilbert had planned this for a long time just to trick the Bradshaws into accepting the project. However, the scheme had to be executed perfectly. Since Gilbert buttered up the project in front of the Bradshaws, Alec had to feign disinterest in his collaboration. Otherwise, it would seem suspicious if Alec, a smart ma
After the engagement party, Gilbert officially had a stronghold in Bradshaw operations. Because he was already very capable, he had a lot of supporters. No one challenged him in the company. Most of them sucked up to him because they knew that if things went well, he would be the heir of the company.Gilbert didn't really care about that. He didn't even want to be there for long. He knocked on Esther's door and walked into her office."Come, sit." Esther was all smiles when she saw him. It was more sincere than before.She used to doubt him a lot, but now, although she still had her reservations, she mostly believed in him. In her eyes, no one would reject the chance to inherit Bradshaw Operations. This was basically manna from Heaven. Gilbert just didn't know it back then, and now he did. Gilbert sat down in front of Esther and began reporting the information he had gathered, as well as his thoughts on Bradshaw Operations and his plans for the future.When he presented the inf
Gilbert and Lottie's engagement party was held at Bardoff Grand Hotel on Saturday.A ton of people showed up to their engagement party. After all, the Bradshaws and the Silveras were pretty big names in Bardoff City, and plenty of the other families knew of their true wealth. They all came to attend the party. Jenny and Alec had both received invites. Jenny was Gilbert's sister, and on top of that, they represented the Walters and the Fausts. It was to be expected. At first, Jenny didn't want to go. The party held no meaning to it. It was just a show put on for Esther. It would be a complete waste of her time. However, she was talked into it by Alec. It would be weird if she didn't go. Zack brought Janet to the party. He found Jenny and was in a daze. "Wasn't Gilbert courting Marigold? Why is he engaged to Lottie?" Jenny rolled her eyes. "What have you been doing, Zack? You're really bad at keeping up." Gilbert had been courting Lottie for a while now. If Zack paid attention
Gilbert drove to Jenny's villa, but he was in no rush to get down. He didn't unlock the doors, either. He obviously wanted to talk to Marigold. But Marigold evidently didn't want to. "I want to take my child and leave." She was afraid. What if Gilbert and Lottie married and took her child away? She no longer believed in love. The only thing she believed in was her child. Gilbert tightened his grip when he heard that. "Marigold, the engagement is only for Esther to see. I have no feelings for Lottie." "Who knows? People change. You said you didn't have feelings for me, too." Marigold found this all very amusing. Perhaps this was fate. Gilbert wanted to keep explaining, but Marigold did not give him the chance to. "Just let me and Caleb leave. If what you say is true, you can come to find us once everything is over." And if Gilbert didn't come looking for her, the truth would unfold itself, and she would give up all hope. Gilbert understood that Marigold had already made
Marigold was miserable throughout dinner, but she persevered till the end without being too dramatic. After dinner, they walked to the entrance of the shopping mall.Gilbert went to get the car. Lottie stood with Jenny and Marigold. Watching Gilbert leave, she turned toward Marigold. "I heard that you used to like Gilbert very much." "It's all in the past. It's not worth mentioning." Marigold didn't want to talk about it. She was afraid that Lottie would see that she still liked Gilbert. Most importantly, she was afraid that Gilbert's plan would be ruined. Lottie smiled. "That's true. The past is the past. You're such a nice person. You'll definitely be able to find someone better suited for you in the future." Marigold pursed her lips. Gilbert soon brought the car over. Lottie was about to get into the car, but before she did, she suddenly turned to Marigold and said, "Gilbert and my engagement party will be in a few days' time. If you have the time, you're more than welcom
Everyone was shocked to hear her speak so suddenly. Lottie was stunned, and she explained, "You've misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I just think that if the child follows his father, it'll help him develop better, and you'll be less stressed." "I don't need your concern. I can raise my child alone," Marigold snorted. She did not hold back at all. Lottie looked unpleasant. Gilbert had no choice but to step in. "We'll have our own child together. And whoever likes it the most will get to keep it." Although they knew that Gilbert had meant this for Lottie to hear, Marigold found it extremely upsetting. She looked at Gilbert, and for a moment, she was unable to tell if he was being genuine. She thought of all that Gilbert had said to her last night, saying that he didn't like Lottie and had no intention of marrying her. But he looked to be truly in love. Marigold didn't think she could tell if he was faking it. "I'm sorry. I need to go to the restroom." Marigold didn't w