The party was still going on. Claude hadn't seen Jane for almost 20 minutes. He was just about to get up to look for her when he saw her wade through the crowd and walk toward him."Why were you gone for so long?"Jane looked at Claude distractedly. She hesitated before responding, "I-I bumped into Yvonne in the ladies' room. Then, I took a call.""You talked to Yvonne?""Yes." Jane scanned around. "Where are they?""They went upstairs. Yvonne got drunk, so she's staying the night." Claude pulled Jane alone back to their seats. He quietly reminded her, "We're here to celebrate Neil's birthday. We're not in our own house. "You have to mind your manners. Do you hear me? If you continue behaving the way you did tonight, I won't be able to help you.""Okay," Jane responded, feeling annoyed. She took a sip of her drink and hesitated for a while before asking, "Grandpa, did you get Chuck to deal with Jade?"Claude was surprised. "How did you know?""Chuck called me just now. He s
The next morning, Neil was working out in the courtyard when he heard footsteps approaching. He stopped what he was doing and turned around. "Ms. Miler, you're up early.""I had too much to drink last night. I went to bed early, so naturally, I got up early." Yvonne went closer to see a table full of workout equipment. "You have such a good habit of getting some exercise.""Well, I ruined my health from all the socializing I did back then. Now that I finally have quieter days, I'll have to watch my health. I'm just paying back the deficit."Neil raised his hand to get the household staff to take the equipment on the table away. Then, he gestured for Yvonne to take a seat. "You came just in time. I just finished my workout. Why don't you accompany me for some tea?""Sure," Yvonne happily agreed.Soon, the household staff brought in all the things required for brewing tea, among them a teapot with hot water inside.After setting the table, they left Neil and Yvonne alone.Ne
Neil didn't even give Yvonne a chance to discuss things with him. He finished his cup of tea and found an excuse to leave. Yvonne couldn't get him to stay.Seeing Neil leave, Yvonne sighed helplessly. His rejection came so quickly.As she returned to the mansion, Yvonne bumped into Leonard. She politely nodded and greeted him, "Good morning.""You're up early. I see you've met Neil already," Leonard said teasingly.Yvonne was speechless. A hint of annoyance gleamed in her eyes. "You're up early too. Seeing how you've watched the entire process, are you worried that I've struck a deal with him or something?"Leonard waved his hands. "There is nothing I should be worried about. If you've made a deal, that's because you're capable. I would have to praise you instead."Yvonne said nothing. She merely looked at Leonard silently. He sure had a sharp tongue."Yvonne, I'm not trying to lecture you." Leonard went in closer and said with an air of seniority, "You're still young. Don't g
"Okay, we'll return as soon as we can," Yvonne assured Jim before placing her phone down. Stephen, who was by her side, asked, "What happened?""Chuck is at Hope. No idea why." Yvonne turned to look at Stephen. "Is it possible that Leonard and Claude might have given him a new mission?"Stephen furrowed his brows a little. "He was just beaten up by Mark's men last month. Is he up to no good again?"Yvonne shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that it's worrying. We should return quickly.""How was your talk with Neil?" Stephen asked."Let's talk in the room." Yvonne led Stephen into her room. Pouring a glass of water, she recounted her conversation with Neil. Yvonne finished her story and took a huge mouthful of water before asking, "What do you think of Leonard's suggestion?""You could do as he says. After all, he insists on doing you a favor. If you don't accept it, he'll get worried," Stephen answered.Yvonne smiled. "I think the same way too, but I shouldn't accept h
Chuck turned around and smiled. "I'm just looking around."Jim went up to him. He swept a glance at Jade in her room before warning Chuck, "They are all clients of Hope. We have to respect their privacy. You, as an outsider, can't be here.""How am I an outsider? In any case, I am—""Don't say you're a partner or any other nonsense," Jim interrupted him coldly. "You're at Hope. You will have to follow the rules."Seeing how firm Jim was, Chuck replied, "Okay. Fine."Chuck was about to leave when he suddenly had a thought. He stopped in his tracks. "I heard that this patient is in a coma because of a lack of oxygen due to her heart condition. I'm quite well-versed in this area. Why don't I—""Where did you hear this from?" Jim furrowed his brows."I was being nosy, so I asked around," Chuck said nonchalantly. "It's a habit. I can't help but get curious about each patient's condition whenever I see them.""Heh." Jim sneered. "I never knew you were so concerned for patients
Claude laughed out satisfactorily when he saw Chuck's message. It seemed that Chuck was still quite reliable.Jane, who was sitting next to him, moved closer. "What are you laughing at?""Chuck has already gone to Hope. He even got the schedule of Jade's nightly routine checks. I'm guessing he'll soon be able to find a chance to kill her."Claude handed his phone to Jane. "Didn't you say he was an outsider and couldn't be trusted? This proves that your grandfather never judges a person wrongly, right?"Jane read the message. Her suspended heart was relieved. It looked like she had just been overthinking. She smiled and wrapped her arms around Claude's. "Thank you for your help, Grandpa.""Just don't cause me more trouble in the future." Claude retracted his arm and looked at Jane seriously. "Also, don't mess with Yvonne anymore. Your Grandpa Leonard wants to work with her. If you ruin his plans, I won't be able to protect you."Jane pouted and said unhappily, "I just don't un
That afternoon, Yvonne and Stephen left Neil's mansion. Claude and Leonard stood by the balcony, watching as their car left.Claude said, "Jane told me that Yvonne didn't bring up anything about a deal when she bade Neil goodbye. Do you think that Yvonne has already given up?""Do you think that's possible?" Leonard retorted curtly."But … if she didn't bring it up once more before she left, when is she going to have the chance to talk to Neil again?""Do you think it'll be useful for her if she brings it up right now?" Leonard turned and headed back into the room. "She's not stupid. If she brings it up so quickly right after a rejection, she will only irritate Neil even more."Leonard hesitated before saying, "But … why did she not look for me?"Was Yvonne still wary of them? Or was she still insisting on facing Mark alone?If it was the latter, she sure was way too naïve!Leonard's gaze darkened. "We'll have to find time to head to Hope's headquarters. I need to talk to Y
At that moment, Mark clenched his rosary tightly. Under the dim car lights, his gaze turned extremely hostile, as if he were going to skin Yvonne alive.Yet Yvonne remained smiling.After a while, Mark snickered, breaking the tense silence. "Great. I admire your courage. I hope you will continue staying fearless."He leaned back and continued saying, "If not, it'll be too boring."Then, Mark gestured to his men. They understood immediately and closed the door. As the door closed, Mark's rosary broke, and the beads fell to the ground.Yvonne stood in the same spot, watching the Land Rover drive into the night. Her smile slowly faded.Right at this moment, Stephen came up to her. "What did he say to you?""Nothing much. He just gave me a warning." Yvonne retracted her gaze. "It's a pity. The problem with me is that I never listen."She continued. "Since I've already decided to fight him to the end, I will never show him fear. Even if I have to jump into the deep abyss, I will do