Melody Strikes Back by Myra Walker (Chapters 191, 192, 193, 194 and 195)

Chapter 191 – Hypocrite

Russell’s face darkened. He was so embarrassed that he could not show his face.

“I, I just…”

“Alright.” Ken raised his hand. “It’s getting late. I won’t disturb you anymore. I’ll take my leave first.”

Russell quickly responded and waved for Melody to see Ken off.

Since the two of them were “friends“, it was naturally better than him sending Ken off.

If one of his two daughters could marry Ken and the other could marry Ulric, what was the point of worrying about the company? He just had to rest easy.

Melody immediately saw through Russell’s thoughts, but her expression did not change. She only nodded slightly and gestured for Ken to go ahead.

After walking out of the villa, Melody looked at Ken beside her and said, “Thank you for today. Not only did you help me solve the bank card problem, but you also solved what happened to the Lawrence family. I… I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Repay me?” Ken glanced at her lightly, cleared his throat, and said, “Just help me find Zack. That’s the greatest repayment you can offer me. Also, remember to ice your face when you get back. I don’t want to see a swollen face in front of me.”

Melody, who was full of gratitude just now, could not continue to express her gratitude. She simply nodded and said, “I will do my best to find Zack.”

Under the shadow of the street lamp, the red spots and bumps on her face became blurry, vaguely revealing her real face.

Her beauty was so breathtaking that it almost defied description in words.

Ken was in a daze, instinctively trying to see more clearly, but Melody took a step back and waved her hand, saying, “Drive safely. I’ll head back now.”

With that, she turned and headed back to the villa, quickly disappearing from sight.

James went forward and said, “Mr. Swanson, it’s very late. Shall I send you back?”

After he finished speaking, he saw Ken staring at Melody’s back without moving.

“She…”

Ken spat out a word, saying nothing more.

James asked in confusion, “She? Miss Fox? What’s wrong with her? Do you still need to talk to her about something?”

James’s series of questions snapped Ken back to his senses.

He shook his head. “Nothing. I must have been mistaken.”

James was even more confused, but Ken had already started walking towards the car.

He hurried to catch up, but Ken said, “No need to send me off. Stay around here. If anything similar to today happens again, inform me immediately, just like you did this time.”

“Yes.” James nodded hesitantly. Since when did Mr. Swanson become so concerned about such matters?

However, he quickly pushed the thought aside, pondering only one question: How did Miss Fox know that the house prices were going to rise? Did she have a keen investment mind? If so, maybe he should seek some investment advice from Miss Fox tomorrow.

On the other side.

After Melody returned to the living room, Maria was already too tired to stay up and returned to her room to rest.

Meanwhile, Mabel cried in Yolanda’s arms, her crying heartbreaking to hear.

Russell spoke up with a pained expression, “Alright, stop crying. Since it’s a misunderstanding, it’s fine. Go back to your room and reflect on yourself. In the future, if you encounter such situations, you can’t just not say anything because you’re scared.”

Melody looked at this scene indifferently and said coldly, “Dad.”

Russell quickly came back to his senses, “Mm.” Melody smiled as if she had never heard what Russell had just said.

“Dad, I’m a bit tired today and my face hurts. I’d like to go back to my room and rest.”

Russell was stunned, overwhelmed with guilt and regret. “It’s all my fault. I apologize to you, and I promise I will never hit you again.”

Melody smiled weakly, saying nothing, and turned to walk towards her room.

Seeing Melody’s slender figure walking away, Russell suddenly felt sorry for her.

They were both daughters, but what had he done?

Sitting smugly on the sofa, Yolanda knew that Russell ultimately favored Mabel more. However, when she saw Russell’s expression as he looked at Melody, her good mood instantly vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of danger.

This was not good.

If this continued, Russell’s love would probably be split in half with Melody.

She needed to think of a way to deal with this, instead of acting rashly like she did today.

After Melody left, Russell’s expression turned cold again.

“All of you, go upstairs! I’m annoyed just by looking at you!”

Yolanda became even more shocked and hurriedly dragged the still–crying Mabel upstairs.

The night grew deeper.

At the entrance of the Serenity Villa.

The doorbell rang urgently.

At this late hour, Susan was puzzled by the unexpected visitor and thought it might be Melody who had forgotten something. She hurried to open the door.

“Miss Fox…”

She blurted out before realizing the one standing at the door was a strange man dressed in a butler’s uniform.

“Who are you?” Susan asked cautiously, stepping back.

“Hello, I’m the butler of the Swanson.

family.” The butler introduced himself and asked, “Is Mr. Swanson already asleep?”

Susan understood who he was and quickly replied, “I don’t think so. He just came back from work. Please wait a moment, I’ll go upstairs and call him.”

“No need,” Ken’s voice echoed from the staircase.

Susan quickly reported, “Sir, the butler from the Swanson family is looking for you.”

Ken nodded slightly, gesturing for Susan to go to her room. Then, he asked softly, “What’s the matter?”

Just as the butler was about to speak, Ulric’s voice came from behind, saying, “Ken, Cadence is in trouble. Grandma wants you to come back.”

Ken looked at Ulric coldly.

Ulric stood upright with his prosthetic leg, wearing a gentle smile on his face. His voice carried a false tone of apology as he said, “Sorry, Ken, for disturbing you so late. Grandma is really anxious and wants to go out in the middle of the night. We were afraid we couldn’t stop her, so we came to find you.”

Ken’s expression became even more indifferent.

For such a matter, he could have just made a call. Why did he have to drag his crippled leg over? He had done a lot to save face.

Ken said indifferently, “Got it.”

Ulric nodded and suddenly asked, “Melody was here?”

He had heard what the maid said just now. Ken had never allowed anyone to enter this villa, but Melody was an exception. This truly surprised him. He could not understand Ken’s thoughts at all.

Ken stopped in his tracks when he returned to his room to change his clothes. He turned around and snorted. “Are you too idle because you can’t move around? Who I let into my house doesn’t seem to be your business, right?”

As he spoke, he completely disregarded the butler standing beside him and did not give Ulric any face.

Ulric’s smile remained on his face as he nodded apologetically. “My mistake. I shouldn’t have asked so much. You’re a couple, so it’s normal for her to come to your house. I just didn’t expect she’d be so special to you.”

Ken sneered. “Special? If you like her, should I give her to you? Oh, sorry, I forgot, for you, whether there’s a woman or not, it’s all the same. You can’t do anything.”

Ulric could no longer maintain the smile on his face. He said hoarsely, “I’ll wait for you in the car.”

With that, he turned around and left, his originally refined and genial face instantly turning cold and grim.

Chapter 192 – It’s Our Loss

When the butler saw Ulric leave, he hurriedly nodded to Ken, turned around, and followed after him.

Watching the two of them leave, Ken narrowed his cold eyes and turned to walk toward the bedroom.

Half an hour later, two cars stopped at the entrance of the Swanson villa.

Inside the brightly lit mansion, as soon as Ken entered the living room, he heard Margaret on the landline saying, “What’s wrong with her? She was perfectly fine. You must be mistaken…”

Astrid had already changed into her clothes and was preparing to leave when she saw Ken standing at the doorway.

She immediately put on a smile, looking like a caring mother.

“Why are you going out in such thin clothing? It’s late at night, you should wear a coat,” Astrid said, calling a servant to fetch Ulric’s overcoat hanging in the living room. She reached out to help Ken put it on.

Ken stepped back coldly, causing Astrid’s hand to awkwardly hang in mid-air.

However, she was used to finding an excuse for herself. She smiled and said, “You young people aren’t afraid of the cold. Don’t blame me if you catch a cold later.”

Ken didn’t respond at all and walked straight toward Margaret.

“Grandma, I’m back.”

Seeing him, Margaret seemed to find her backbone.

“Ken, have you heard? Do you think Cadence will inherit her mother’s traits? Although she often speaks without discretion and does foolish things, she was raised by me. I’m really worried that she might end up like her mother. Her mother jumped off a building and died. I’m really worried…”

Ken gently held Margaret’s hand and reassured her in a soft voice, “It won’t happen, Grandma. Medical science has advanced significantly. She will be fine, trust me.”

Margaret shook her head. “I can’t rest easy, I have to go to her house to take a look.”

“Grandma.” Ken stopped her. “It’s already very late, and you’ve just recovered from your illness. It’s not good for you to be rushing around. How about I go check on her?”

Margaret hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, but you must keep a close eye on her for me.”

“Sure.”

After reassuring Margaret, Ken asked Astrid to stay behind and brought a psychiatrist with him as he headed alone to Cadence’s house.

Wendell waited anxiously for Astrid but was surprised to see Ken arrive instead.

When he saw Ken, he had a bad feeling. He smiled stiffly and said, “Mr. Swanson, why are you here?”

Given that Ken was his nephew, he should have called him by his name, but after interacting with him for this period of time, he no longer dared to call him that.

“I’m here to see her for Grandma,” Ken said, motioning for the psychiatrist and two bodyguards to Cadence’s room.

At that moment, Cadence was speaking incoherently, repeatedly murmuring “Don’t bite me.”

Ken said expressionlessly, “Doctor, in this situation, shouldn’t we just send her to a mental hospital?”

The doctor paused for a moment, then instantly understood what Ken meant when he saw the look in his eyes.

“Yes, it’s a dangerous situation, with a possibility of self–harm. It’s best to send her to a mental hospital and start intervention immediately.”

“Okay, let’s do that. Get an anesthetic to ensure her safety on the way.”

Two minutes later.

Wendell, who was stopped outside the door, felt a jolt in his heart as he saw his daughter being carried by bodyguards, unconscious.

“Mr. Swanson? Cadence…

“The doctor advised sending her directly to the mental hospital for her own safety.”

“What?” Wendell’s expression instantly changed. “This won’t do! If word gets out, her career will be ruined?”

Ken said indifferently, “I’m doing this for her own good.”

“No!”

Wendell moved forward to stop the bodyguards, but suddenly, a dozen more appeared out of nowhere, surrounding him.

“Ken! What are you doing? If you want to deal with me, come to me! Cadence grew up with you. She has never offended you. Why are you treating her like this? Don’t you think you’re too cruel?”

Ken sneered lightly. “I could even cripple Ulric’s legs. What are you compared to him?”

Wendell straightened his back in shock.

Ken even admitted to this matter. What did he mean? Was he really going to disregard their past relationship and attack Cadence?

The bodyguard carried Cadence out.

Wendell suddenly widened his eyes and rushed towards Cadence crazily. However, before he could take more than a few steps, a bodyguard swiftly knocked him unconscious with a chop, and he slumped to the ground.

Ken did not even look at Wendell. He ordered the bodyguards coldly, “Guard this place, and don’t let him go out or contact anyone before tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

Having done all this, Ken drove away, his car disappearing into the mist of the late night.

The next day.

Melody unusually slept in lazily. Things that happened yesterday had left her physically and mentally exhausted, so when she woke up, she found the sun already high in the sky.

She reached for her phone to check the time, but as soon as she unlocked it, a breaking news headline automatically popped up.

“Breaking News! Famous model and fashion designer, Cadence Hunter, suddenly had a mental illness yesterday. She’s currently at the Silverlake Mental Health Center for treatment. Please click for details…”

Upon seeing Cadence’s name, any drowsiness Melody felt immediately vanished.

She clicked on the news and saw the headline image on the top, showing Cadence being escorted into the hospital by two mental health professionals, one on each side. Despite the side view, she could clearly recognize Cadence.

Cadence wasn’t yet famous enough to be followed by paparazzi late at night. Even if they did catch her, given her relationship with the Swanson family, such news shouldn’t have surfaced.

Melody stared at the attached photo for a few seconds before calling Ken.

The phone was answered almost immediately, but instead of Ken’s voice, a strange male voice came through first.

“The final review from Miss Murphy has passed, but I feel we still need to enhance user experience before making a final decision. We seem to disagree on this point…”

When Melody heard this, she knew that Ken was at Ximber Tech. She quickly said, “I’m sorry to disturb you. I’ll call back later.”

She was about to hang up the phone when she heard Ken say, “No need.” Then he added, “You can go out first. I’ll have someone test the product and then provide detailed feedback.”

The man on the other end replied, “Yes.” Then, there was the sound of the door closing.

“What’s wrong?” Ken’s voice was low and hoarse. As a doctor, Melody knew that he had a cold.

She paused, holding her phone. “I saw a news article.”

‘About Cadence’s?”

Chapter 193 – Warning

We were the ones at a loss.

His low, hoarse voice caused a ripple in the depths of Melody’s heart, without her even noticing.

Melody remained silent for a few seconds before asking the question that had been on her mind: “Why?”

Why did he help her so much?

Wasn’t Cadence his cousin?

Why would he go to such lengths to deal with his own family for an outsider?

“What do you mean ‘why‘?” Ken’s tone was filled with doubt as if it was natural for him to help her teach Cadence a lesson.

Melody did not know how to answer. She took a deep breath and asked, “Does Astrid know that you did it? And Margaret…”

“Those aren’t things you should worry about. Your job is just to dig up Zack.”

Melody pursed her lips and said, “I understand. About Zack, I already have a plan. Don’t worry.”

“Mm. Anything else?”

“That’s all…”

She was about to hang up when Ken suddenly asked, “How did you know that Eastern Garden would rise?”

Melody’s heart skipped a beat, feeling as if Ken had seen through a secret.

Her mind raced quickly, contemplating how to explain, when Ken chuckled and said, “Based on what you said earlier, I’ve already bought all the land near Bliss Mountain. If it rises, I’ll split the profits with you.”

Melody was surprised. Bliss Mountain was where she went to gather herbs for Margaret. That piece of land would increase greatly in the future. She just did not expect Ken to still remember that incident.

Had he guessed something?

Melody was about to speak when Ken spoke again, “I still have something on. I’ll hang up now.”

“Oh… okay.” Melody quickly hung up the phone and sat on the bed, her mind blank for a couple of seconds.

He shouldn’t have guessed anything, right?

But if he didn’t guess anything, why did he buy all the land near Bliss Mountain?

Melody shook her head, telling herself that no one could think that someone would really come back to life. Then, she felt a little relieved.

After washing up, she went to check Maria’s pulse, then headed out to Herbatrive to see if Ford had come looking for her.

However, as soon as she walked into the living room, Melody bumped into Russell, who was about to leave.

When Russell saw her, a smile immediately appeared on his originally cold face.

“Melody, are you going out?”

“Yes.” Melody nodded. “I woke up late today. I plan to go get some medicine and check on the injury on my face.”

Her cheek had been iced overnight, and although the swelling had subsided, there were still finger marks on her face.

Russell immediately choked and said guiltily, “Go quickly. I’ll arrange a driver for you another day. It’s not convenient for you to go back and forth to work at the headhunting company.”

Melody did want Russell to feel guilty, and upon hearing his words, she shook her head sensibly and said, “You work so hard, so I don’t want to waste your money. The office isn’t far, I can just take the subway a few times to get there.”

In fact, she had a free driver, James, every day and had never taken the subway.

When Russell heard this, he felt even more uncomfortable. He looked at Melody with a gentler gaze.

“You’re still the sensible one, unlike your sister who spends money like water.”

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps sounded on the stairs.

Melody looked sideways and realized it was Yolanda.

Russell also saw Yolanda. He immediately frowned and urged coldly. “Hurry up!”

Seeing Melody there too, Yolanda quickened her pace uneasily and asked in a low voice, “Aren’t we bringing Mabel along?”

“What bring? Are you not embarrassed enough?”

Yolanda’s expression darkened further, but she didn’t dare to retort.

Russell asked in a deep voice, “Have you brought the gifts? When seeking help, you must present yourself properly.”

Yolanda hurriedly nodded. “I brought them all…”

Upon hearing this, Melody realized that these two were out to arrange Mabel’s qualification for the Best Celebrity competition.

After calculating the timing of the event, she suddenly spoke up, “Dad, are you guys out to arrange for Mabel’s competition qualification?”

Russell’s expression was stiff as he nodded and said unhappily, “I have to clean up their mess! You’re still the sensible one who never causes trouble for me.”

Melody found the situation somewhat amusing but held back and got to the point, “Dad… could you also help me get a spot in the competition? I’d like to broaden my horizons too…”

Upon hearing this, Yolanda’s face immediately showed a mocking expression.

However, due to what happened last night, she forcefully swallowed her mocking words.

Russell was initially surprised by Melody’s request but then agreed, “Alright! I will sign you up. But if you don’t pass the preliminary round, don’t be upset. Your ambitions are high, and your abilities aren’t here.”

His words were tactful, but Melody sensed that he was implying she might not even pass the preliminary round.

She smiled and nodded. “Got it. Thank you, Dad.”

Yolanda looked very uncomfortable. She wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, she did not dare to say anything, lowered her head, and followed Russell out.

Melody was about to leave when she saw Mabel coming downstairs.

She was dressed exquisitely in a light gray dress, making her skin look so bright.

Melody raised her eyebrows and said faintly, “Mabel, weren’t you supposed to reflect at home? Where are you going? Does Dad know that you’re going out?”

Mabel was originally in a good mood, but when she heard Melody’s words, she was instantly enraged. Her expression was extremely grim.

She gritted her teeth hard and said, “Melody, consider yourself lucky yesterday! But don’t think I don’t know anything. You were the one who placed that bracelet on me!”

Melody said calmly, “Mabel, the matter has already been settled. Why are you still accusing me? Finding something means returning it. Otherwise, it’s stealing. Don’t you understand this principle at your age?”

“You bitch!” Mabel raised her hand to slap her.

But Melody caught her wrist firmly and squeezed it, her expression ambiguous as she said, “Mabel, don’t think I don’t know what you’re using that 4 million dollars for. I’ve been busy these days. You better behave, or… you know the consequences.”

Mabel’s hand was in pain from Melody’s grip. She was about to counterattack with her other hand when she heard Melody’s words. Her entire body instantly stiffened, freezing in place.

She didn’t expect Melody to actually know about her involvement in the black market.

Her lips turned pale as she looked at Melody in disbelief.

“You…”

Melody suddenly let go of her grip and said expressionlessly, “You’d better remember what I said. Otherwise, no one can help you.”

With that, she turned around and walked out, not bothering to look at Mabel’s pale face.

Walking out of the villa, Melody assigned one of the bodyguards left by Ken to keep an eye on Mabel.

“Report everything to me, where she goes and whom she meets.”

After giving her instructions, she turned around and got into James’s car. She said, “Go to Herbathrive.”

“Alright!”

With James’s unusually enthusiastic reply, Melody couldn’t help but glance at him and ask, “Are you okay?”

Chapter 194 – Know a Little

James‘ face stiffened, realizing he had been too obvious. He decided to cut to the chase and said, “Miss Fox, your taste in real estate is truly exceptional. Last night, I tried using my connections to see if there were any units left at the Eastern Garden. Turns out, they were all sold out long ago… not a single unit left.”

Melody guessed what James wanted to know. She said calmly, “Eastern Garden can be considered lucky. If you want to know if there are any similar buildings, I can only apologize.”

James looked embarrassed.

“Fine…”

After a pause, he asked, “How did you know that Eastern Garden would increase?”

Melody casually said, “Traditional medicine and geography actually have some connection. The Eastern Garden has a good geographical environment, and after my real-time observations and cooperation, I confirmed that prices there will rise.”

James’s eyes widened. “I didn’t expect you to know about that!”

“I know a little…” She couldn’t make it up anymore and changed the topic. “Is the amateur chess competition in Silverlake about to begin?”

James paused for a moment, then said, “Yeah, I think so. It’s starting in a few days, right? Why do you suddenly ask about this?”

Melody said concisely, “Zack only has one hobby, playing chess.”

James instantly understood. “Got it. I’ll arrange for chess experts to participate to get close to Zack.”

Melody looked at James and said, “You’ve misunderstood me. I need you to arrange a spot for me. I’ll participate personally.”

James was stunned and asked, “Don’t tell me you know how to play chess.”

“I know a little…”

James could not quite grasp the scale of “knows a little“. He cleared his throat, and said, “Actually, Mr. Swanson is also a chess master. He won first place in the national youth chess competition when he was very young. If you need, he can give you a quick lesson.”

Melody smiled and said, “I’ll look for him if I need him. Thank you.”

James felt a little regretful when he heard this.

If Jane knew that he had taken the initiative to arrange for Miss Fox to get close to Mr. Swanson, she would probably think he had betrayed her again.

He sighed inwardly and sped up without another word.

The car quickly arrived at the entrance of Herbathrive. However, when Melody asked David, he said, “No one came to look for you, let alone the old man you described.”

“Alright… Melody felt a bit disappointed, but quickly pulled herself together and went to the backyard to find Beverly and Colin.

She handed over a prescription and said, “This is the prescription I wrote. Follow this regimen for half a month to prepare your body for the surgery.

Beverly was afraid of the surgery and asked, “Melody, can you come to the hospital to accompany me during the surgery? I’m a little worried…

Melody nodded and agreed without hesitation. Only then did Beverly’s expression relax a little.

“I’m making you some chestnut cake. It’s delicious. I’m almost done with them. Don’t be in a hurry to leave!”

Melody smiled and nodded. She watched Beverly go to the kitchen to get busy.

As Beverly walked away, Colin spoke up to Melody, saying, “Melody, I’ve got some news about the Taylor family that you asked me to inquire about.”

Melody raised an eyebrow. “Are you referring to the Taylor family that owns Green Velvet?”

Colin nodded. “Coincidentally, Ruby came to see me yesterday afternoon. Can you guess what illness she came to see me for?”

Melody replied without hesitation, “Infertility.”

Colin looked at her in surprise and asked, “How did you know?”

“I guessed,” she said simply.

Colin nodded with a thumbs–up. “Exactly, it’s infertility! They’ve seen many doctors and specialists in the country, but haven’t been successful in having a child. So she came to see me without Mason knowing.”

Melody asked in confusion, “Why would Ruby keep it a secret from Mason?”

“Because Ruby has been the one seeking medical care all along, and Mason has never accompanied her. So, she suspects it might be her husband’s issue. Yesterday, I carefully examined her pulse and found that she doesn’t have any fertility issues, Colin explained.

Melody nodded. “Sometimes when couples struggle to have children, it’s often due to issues on the man’s side.”

“Yes,” Colin said awkwardly, “But between me and my wife, it’s definitely not my issue.”

Melody chuckled softly. “I know. Once her stomach is better, I’ll prescribe something for her.”

Colin nodded repeatedly and scratched his head in embarrassment. “I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you. After all, no man will admit that they have fertility problems.”

Melody nodded. “It’s true for all men, let alone Mason. Born in a wealthy family, he wouldn’t easily set aside his pride to investigate any issues in that area.”

Colin nodded in agreement. “I recommended you to her. When would you have time to meet her?”

“I don’t have much to do these few days. I can adjust my schedule to meet her whenever she’s available,” Melody replied.

“Great.” Colin nodded. “I’ll go confirm the time with her shortly.”

They talked about the Taylor family for a while, and just then Beverly finished making the chestnut cakes and brought them out.

The golden chestnut cake looked appetizing.

Melody took a bite, and the rich taste of chestnut paste mixed with the sandy filling made her eyes light up.

“Delicious!” Melody raised her thumb and said, “You should open a shop. I will definitely be a loyal customer!”

Beverly was very happy.

“It’s good that you like it. From now on, every time you come, I’ll make it for you.”

Colin pretended to be jealous. “Honey, you treat Melody much better than you treat me!”

Beverly playfully stuffed a piece of chestnut cake into Colin’s mouth. “Now you can’t talk with your mouth full!”

Melody looked at this scene and had an idea.

She roughly knew what method to use to treat Mason.

After leaving Herbathrive, Melody casually logged into the black market forum.

She saw a message from Wendell in her private message.

She quickly clicked on the message.

[Do you really know Nine–Line Needle Acupuncture? If you do, I’ll increase the reward tenfold!]

“Tenfold?”

Melody chuckled mockingly and typed a line in the reply box: [I don’t come out easily. Unless you offer me 200 million dollars, not a penny less, I won’t take this job.]

After replying, she saw that Wendell was not online, so she went to the other sections of the forum to take a look.

There was a post at the top with more than 20 pages of replies.

She clicked on it with interest and saw that the post was actually discussing Eastern Garden.

“The people who bought Eastern Garden are really rich. At this rate, they’ll earn at least ten times more.”

“I heard that a godly person who knows internal information bought fifteen sets in one go. Huh, it’s really better to be in politics than in business.

Melody realized that they were referring to her.

She exited the forum with waning interest, about to check if there were any jobs available when a breaking news notification from Silverlake popped up on her phone.

Chapter 195 – Fight

“Breaking news! Silk Beauty Cosmetics has launched a new product, All–Purpose Water. Wilmot Sherman, Chairman of Icy Clear Cosmetics, has filed a lawsuit against Silk Beauty Cosmetics.”

“Wilmot Sherman?‘ Melody was surprised to find out that Wilmot was the chairman of a well–known domestic cosmetics company in the country. The company’s market value exceeded one billion dollars.

She was astonished to realize that her knowledge of Wilmot was so limited that she had always thought he was just a well–known stylist with a few beauty and styling shops.

She carefully read the news and discovered that Wilmot suspected that the formula for Silk Beauty Cosmetics’s newly launched All–Purpose Water was stolen formula.

In the news, Wilmot claimed that the formula for All–Purpose Water highly overlaps with the flagship product Golden Water of Icy Clear Cosmetics. He alleged that Silk Beauty had poached internal employees from Icy Clear Cosmetics to obtain the formula for Golden Water.

On the other hand, Silk Beauty vehemently denied it and repeatedly emphasized in interviews that their All–Purpose Water had significantly better effects than Golden Water, yet the price was half as low.

One could imagine that the launch of All–Purpose Water would pose a significant threat to Icy Clear Cosmetics.

Melody specifically checked Icy Clear Cosmetics‘ stock after the launch of All–Purpose Water and noticed that its stock plummeted instantly.

She was certain that Wilmot was extremely worried now.

He had helped her many times before, and now was the time she felt she should repay him.

Just as Melody was about to call him, Wilmot happened to call.

She answered the phone in surprise, and before she could ask anything, Wilmot anxiously said, “Melody, could you help me pick up Shane from school?”

Melody hesitated for a moment, then quickly replied, “No problem, but isn’t it too early? The class hasn’t ended yet.”

“Shane got into a fight and got injured. I’m out of town and can’t rush back. Her nanny had to leave for her hometown due to personal matters, and I don’t trust anyone else. After thinking it over, I can only ask for your help,” Wilmot said.

“No problem. Leave Shane to me. Don’t worry, and focus on what you need to do,” Melody said.

“Yes, I’ll definitely be back tonight. Sorry to trouble you,” Wilmot said.

“What trouble? Go back to your work.” Melody hung up the phone and informed James of the kindergarten’s address, then said, “Please drive faster.”

James looked at her with a strange expression and said, “Miss Fox, don’t forget your identity. You are now Mr. Swanson’s legal wife. It doesn’t seem quite appropriate for you to help another man with his child, does it?”

“What wife? Are we married?” Melody asked.

James choked for a moment. It made sense, so he drove to the kindergarten.

During the trip, James secretly told Ken about Melody’s plans without her knowing.

Ximber Tech office.

Ken looked at the message sent by James, his eyes dark and unclear. He reached into his drawer for a cigarette box and slowly lit one.

Standing across the desk reporting work, Janet looked at him with some surprise and quickly reminded him, “Ken, you have a cold, so don’t smoke.”

Ken held the cigarette between his lips, hesitated in lighting it, then impatiently tossed away the lighter. Then, he tapped his finger on the desk and said, “Go on.”

Janet nodded and continued reporting, “The materials from Europe have already…

Halfway through her sentence, she saw Ken suddenly stand up and reach for his coat on the hanger.

She asked in shock, “Ken, are you going out?”

Ken nodded. Without further explanation, he walked out.

Janet hurriedly chased after him. “Where are you going?

“I have something to do. Summarize the work and send it to my email. I’ll review it later.” With that, Ken entered the elevator.

Janet stood in place, her expression grim. A sense of suspicion rose in her mind. Then, she stepped into another elevator.

Two minutes later, a Maybach sped out of the building, followed by a silver Mercedes–Benz.

Meanwhile, at the kindergarten entrance.

Melody anxiously waited at the entrance for a while until she finally saw Shane being led out by the teacher, crying.

“Shane?” Melody hurriedly walked up to him.

Shane looked up and as soon as he saw her, his eyes lit up, and he immediately ran into her arms.

Melody quickly squatted down and hugged Shane firmly, gently asking. “Are you okay, Shane? Let me see if you’re injured.”

Shane did not answer. He only hugged her neck and cried.

Melody could only raise her head and ask the teacher, “Could you please tell me what happened?”

The teacher smiled awkwardly and said vaguely, “Nothing much, just kids playing around.”

Melody frowned. “There must be a reason behind kids playing rough, right?”

Her expression suddenly turned cold. The teacher was a little frightened and looked away in a panic. “It’s, it’s because…”

Before she could finish speaking, a luxury car suddenly stopped behind Melody, its rearview mirror almost hitting her.

The passenger–side door promptly opened, and a stylish woman stepped out. “What’s going on? Who beat up my Neil?”

Melody subconsciously looked over and saw that the woman looked very familiar.

Soon she remembered who this woman was. She was Jessica Summers, the chairwoman of Silk Beauty Cosmetics, whom she had seen in the news before.

It turned out that the person who fought with Shane was actually someone from Silk Beauty Cosmetics.

The kindergarten teacher looked at Melody, then at Jessica, and back at Melody again. Finally, she pointed at Melody and Shane, saying, “It was them.”

Jessica immediately looked at Melody. When she saw Melody’s face, she first opened her mouth in surprise. Then, her gaze landed on Shane. Finally, she smiled mockingly and said, “Wilmot is a stylist, but the woman he found is really tasteless. His taste isn’t that great, is it?”

Melody coldly looked at Jessica and said, “The one fighting with Shane is your child, right? I hope you will immediately bring your child to apologize to Shane.”

Although Melody had only met Shane once, she had a keen eye for people and knew that Shane would never be the type to hit someone without reason.

“Apologize?” Jessica looked incredulous. “That little brat hit my precious son, and you expect us to apologize? Where did you even come from? Do you know who I am?”

“Little brat?” Melody’s gaze was sharp. “Please watch your words!”

“Watch my words? Looks like you really don’t know who I am. I’m…”

Before Jessica could finish speaking, another teacher walked out with a chubby boy.

“Neil!” Jessica didn’t even pay attention to Melody anymore. She hurried over in her high heels and crouched down beside the boy. After quickly checking him and seeing some scratches on his neck and a row of bite marks, her face immediately turned cold. She scolded, “What did Mommy tell you? You have to win fights, but you got beaten up instead? Useless!”

The boy called Neil shrank his neck and said aggrievedly, “Because the other kids were all helping Shane!”

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