Melody Strikes Back by Myra Walker (Chapters 576, 577, 578, 579, and 580) 

Chapter 576

Footsteps echoed ominously, drawing closer to the door.

James knew Melody’s words had her reasons. Even though he was about to be discovered, he couldn’t afford to waste any time. Abandoning any thoughts of escaping through the window, he kept his head down and focused on removing the silver needles from Sid’s arm.

“Who’s there?” The two bodyguards spotted a figure inside the ICU the moment they arrived at the door.

‘So someone really is trying to harm Ken,’ they thought.

James gritted his teeth, quickening his pace. He managed to pull out the last needle just as the bodyguards burst in, wielding iron rods.

But by then, it was already too late for him to escape.

The two bodyguards immediately blocked his way, one in front and one behind. These two were among the most skilled men Sebastian had brought along.

James had anticipated this. If he had to take on these two alone, it would take hundreds of rounds to bring them down. By then,

Sebastian would certainly have returned.

Frustration and self-blame overwhelmed him.

Sebastian, who already disliked Ken, would surely have an even worse opinion of him once he found out James had broken in here.

‘How could I mess up something so simple?’ James thought, feeling a deep sense of guilt.

One of the bodyguards brandished his iron rod, while the other pulled out a handgun, aiming it directly at James’ forehead.

The reason Sebastian felt confident enough to leave only two men to guard this floor was that they were armed. “Don’t move, or we’ll shoot,” the one with the gun warned.

James hadn’t noticed the gun until now. Gunshots would definitely be fatal. Realizing resistance was futile, he forced a nervous smile. “Gentlemen, there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m just here to visit Mr. Quant…”

Meanwhile, Sebastian, who felt he had wasted a valuable half-hour of his life, was already in the elevator, descending rapidly.

He would be there in less than ten seconds.

Back in the ICU, one of the bodyguards tightened his grip on the iron rod, coldly advancing toward James. “Cut the crap. Raise your hands and explain yourself. What are you really here for?”

James instinctively tried to hide the bundle of silver needles behind his back, but the bodyguards noticed the movement.

“What’s that?” The one with the gun immediately sensed something was wrong. His finger tightened on the trigger as he barked, “Drop it on the floor, or I’ll shoot.”

James took a step back instinctively, but this slight movement made the bodyguard think he was about to resist, and he immediately prepared to pull the trigger.

At the critical moment, a slightly hoarse voice suddenly broke the tension. “What do you think you’re doing?”

All three men in the ICU froze, turning in disbelief toward the source of the voice.

On the hospital bed, Sid had somehow opened his eyes.

“Mr. Quant?” The two bodyguards were overjoyed, so much so that they momentarily forgot about James. One of them rubbed his eyes vigorously, while the other pinched his thigh hard, trying to confirm if they were hallucinating.

It didn’t take long for them to realize that Sid was indeed awake.

“Mr. Quant, you’re awake…” they exclaimed.

James had known from the start that their plan was to bring Sid back to consciousness for a brief period, but seeing Sid, who had been in critical condition, suddenly alert and speaking, still left him deeply shocked.

‘She really did it, he thought, awestruck.

Melody’s abilities never failed to astonish him, no matter how prepared he thought he was.

The bodyguards, after their moment of surprise, quickly remembered James’s presence and once again pointed their guns at him. “Mr. Quant, this guy was trying to harm you. But don’t worry. We’ll take care of him right now.”

James snapped back to reality and turned to Sid for help, pleading with his eyes. “Mr. Quant, it’s me.”

Sid recognized James. Although he didn’t understand exactly what had happened, he knew that Sebastian had always disliked Ken, so it wasn’t surprising that his bodyguards had their guns trained on James.

“Stop!” Sid ordered, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask, yet loud enough for everyone to hear. “James is my friend. Put the gun down immediately.”

The two bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances, and one hesitantly spoke up. “But… Mr. Quant, he has something in his hand…”

“Why?” Sid demanded as he ripped off the oxygen mask, his tone serious. “Are you ignoring my orders now? Do you think just because I’m weak, I can’t do anything about it?”

“Of course not,” the two bodyguards stammered, startled by Sid’s fierce response, and quickly shook their heads.

“Then get out of here. And remember that you’re to act like nothing happened. If I hear that you’ve uttered even a word about this to my father, I’ll make sure you regret it,” he added.

“Yes…” they replied, nodding hurriedly before leaving the ICU under the weight of Sid’s intense gaze.

As soon as they were gone, James wasted no time getting to the point. “Mr. Quant, there’s no time to explain everything. Your dad plans to take you back to Insterimond tomorrow, and we won’t be able to stop him. Mr. Swanson is worried that Ulric might try something on the way, so you must stop your dad from taking you. And you need to act quickly. You’ll only be conscious for about ten minutes. Miss Fox used acupuncture to wake you, but after ten minutes, you’ll pass out again.”

“Melody, huh?” Sid nodded, acknowledging the situation. “I understand. But there’s something important I need to tell you. The person who stabbed me was…”

“Mr. Quant,” one of the bodyguards suddenly called from outside.

James’s expression tensed. ‘It’s Sebastian.’

He quickly grabbed Sid’s hand. “Mr. Quant, remember what I told you,” he urged, all the while moving toward the window.

Just as Sebastian was about to enter the ICU, James slipped out of the window, using the air conditioning units to make his descent. In a matter of seconds, his figure disappeared into the night.

Sid bit his lip in frustration. ‘Damn it, I was just about to tell him Janet’s name.’

The next moment, Sebastian stepped inside.

When he saw Sid’s eyes open, he was so overcome with joy that he nearly stumbled. “Sid?”

Struggling to maintain his composure, Sebastian asked, disbelief evident in his voice, “You’re awake?”

Sid nodded.

Sebastian immediately called out, “Quick! Someone get the doctor!”

“Wait.” Sid interrupted him, “No need to call the doctor yet. I have something I need to say to you first.”

“Alright, go ahead,” Sebastian said, nodding eagerly as he rushed to Sid’s bedside.

His usually stern eyes were now misty with emotion.

A man nearing fifty was actually on the verge of tears.

Sid couldn’t help but feel moved. His relationship with his father had been strained for so long that he’d assumed Sebastian cared more about the family business than about him. But now, it seemed that wasn’t entirely true…

Despite his emotions, Sid didn’t forget James’s warning. He spoke firmly. “I heard from your men that you’re planning to take me back to Insterimond tomorrow?”

“Yes. I’ve already arranged for the best surgeon in all of Halcyon. Once you’re there, after some rest, we’ll proceed with the second surgery. After that, you should be on the path to recovery,” Sebastian said.

“Listen to me carefully. I can’t leave Silverlake right now.” Sid stated with conviction.

Chapter 577

Sebastian was taken aback and asked, “Why? Although Silverlake’s medical facilities are decent in Halcyon, the top-tier resources are all in Insterimond. You know that.”

“It’s not about the medical level,” Sid replied. “Once we set out, someone will definitely try to kill me on the road. I won’t even make it to Insterimond. I’ll die along the way.”

“What?” Sebastian suddenly recalled that the ugly woman he knew through Ken had said the same thing.

She had claimed that as soon as Sid moved, he would die on the road.

A chill ran down Sebastian’s spine.

Yet, his subconscious skepticism remained. He frowned and asked, “Who exactly is trying to kill you? Is it Ken?”

Sid glanced at the clock on the wall. He had less than three minutes left. ‘I need to wrap this up quickly, he thought.

However, he couldn’t reveal that Janet was a traitor. If he told Sebastian, who was known for his straightforwardness, it might actually make things worse.

He trusted that Ken would discover Janet’s betrayal and deal with her effectively.

Sid weighed his thoughts and quickly said, “It’s not Ken. The one after me is Ulric.”

“What?” Sebastian was deeply shocked, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. “Are you sure you’re not mistaken? Ulric is so mild-mannered and has always been polite to me. Why would he want to target you? What would he gain from that? We have no grudges against him.”

“But he has a grudge against Ken. Since I’m Ken’s right-hand man, and eliminating me would be of great benefit to him,” Sid added.

Sebastian was stunned, his mind racing.

If what Sid said was true, Ulric’s offer to arrange for a car to escort Sid to Insterimond was likely a ploy.

He shuddered as he considered the implications.

Time was running short, and Sid, ignoring what Sebastian was contemplating, continued, “There’s one more thing I need to tell you, though I’m afraid you might not believe it. But now, I have no choice but to say it.”

“Go ahead,” Sebastian urged.

“Ulric’s legs were not crippled by Ken. Ulric staged the whole thing himself to frame Ken. Both Ulric and Astrid are no good. Don’t be swayed by them, and don’t let them know I told you this, or you’ll be in danger,” he explained.

Sebastian’s mind struggled to process such a massive amount of information.

At that moment, Sid felt a wave of dizziness.

He strained to utter his final words. “If you don’t want to watch me die, you must follow Ken’s orders exactly. And you can only follow his instructions.”

As he finished speaking, Sid’s vision blurred, and he lost consciousness again.

“Sid? Sid!” Seeing Sid fall unconscious once more, Sebastian hurriedly pressed the call button on the wall. “Help! Someone, come quickly!”

The on-duty doctors arrived promptly.

They examined Sid carefully but found no abnormalities. The readings on the monitors were identical to those from earlier in the day. “Mr. Quant, your son’s condition is the same as before, with no changes. Why did you suddenly press the call button?”

Sebastian was about to explain that Sid had briefly regained consciousness before collapsing again, but recalling Sid’s warning, he hesitated and instead said, “It’s nothing. I thought I saw his finger move.”

The doctors sighed in relief. “Given his current state, it’s unlikely he would regain consciousness. The movement you saw might have been a trick of your eyes or a muscle twitch.”

“Unlikely to regain consciousness?” he asked, puzzled.

‘Wasn’t it a miracle that Sid woke up earlier?’ Sebastian wondered.

Struggling to suppress his urge to question the doctors further, he nodded and said, “I understand. It must have been a mistake on my part.”

“No problem. If there are any issues, call us anytime.” The doctors quickly left the room.

Sebastian stood by the window, pacing back and forth, trying to digest Sid’s words.

He couldn’t be sure whether Sid’s claim about Ulric being the culprit was true or if it was a misunderstanding, but one thing was certain. Sid had to stay here for now.

After a while, Sebastian dialed the landline of the Quant family in Insterimond. “Send all available personnel to Silverlake immediately. They need to get here as quickly as possible.”

Since they couldn’t get back to Insterimond, the only option was to bring personnel from Insterimond to secure Sid’s safety.

After all, if Ulric was indeed the threat, it would be wise to be cautious. Silverlake was the domain of the Swanson family, and it was better to be careful.

After arranging the reinforcements, Sebastian stared at Ken’s number in his contacts, his eyes filled with indecision.

Ever since Ulric’s legs were injured, he hadn’t been kind to Ken, either speaking in a sarcastic tone or outright mocking him.

Now, he needed to call Ken and felt deeply embarrassed about it.

After struggling for half an hour, Sebastian finally mustered the courage to dial Ken’s number.

“Hello, Sebastian,” Ken answered.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Sebastian said, “I’m not leaving tomorrow. Until my team arrives, could you arrange for some people to protect Sid in the hospital?”

He expected Ken to take the opportunity to reprimand him, demand an apology, or at least be somewhat standoffish. Instead, Ken responded without hesitation, “No problem.”

Ken’s straightforward response only made Sebastian feel more uncomfortable.

He was debating whether to thank Ken when Ken continued, “Actually, you didn’t need to make this call. I’ve already deployed over a hundred people and positioned them in various discreet spots around the hospital. My team has also hacked into the hospital’s surveillance system, so we can monitor everything in real-time and ensure no one can exploit the situation.”

Sebastian stared in disbelief. “Wh-what? Your people have been monitoring the hospital’s surveillance?”

This level of detail was more meticulous than even what he, as Sid’s father, had arranged.

On the other end of the line, Ken misinterpreted Sebastian’s reaction and assumed he was dissatisfied with the monitoring. He quickly said, “Sorry, I should have informed you earlier. If you’re uncomfortable with this, I can transfer the monitoring rights to you right away. Do you have tech personnel on your end? I’ll arrange for the handover.”

“No…” Sebastian hurriedly clarified. “That’s not what I meant. Your arrangements are fine. I don’t have many people here, so I’d feel more reassured with your team keeping an eye on things.”

“Understood. If there are any issues, I’ll make sure they notify you immediately,” Ken said.

“Okay,” Sebastian replied, nodding.

“Alright then, I won’t keep you any longer,” Ken said, about to end the call when Sebastian suddenly said, “Wait.”

“Yes?” Ken asked.

“Well… about the things I’ve said to you in the past, please don’t take them to heart. I’m getting older and my mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be. I might have misunderstood a lot of things…” he hesitated.

Ken paused for a moment, gripping his phone tightly, and then said, “Sebastian, we’re family. There’s no need to apologize.”

Sebastian felt his eyes well up, his voice trembling as he replied, “Fine…”

Chapter 578

After ending the call, Sebastian stood in place, feeling a mix of emotions.

He suddenly realized that his approach to handling things might have been flawed all along. He really needed to take a deep look at himself…

On the other end of the line, after Ken hung up, he ran into James, who had just come down the stairs from the 11th-floor ICU.

James had been descending slowly to avoid making too much noise. Just as he finally set his feet on the ground and was about to relax, a hand landed on his shoulder.

“Ah!” James was startled and let out a cry.

But before his cry could fully escape, the large hand covered his mouth. “It’s me.”

“Mr. Swanson?” James turned around and, seeing it was indeed Ken, let out a sigh of relief. He patted his chest and said, “You scared me… I thought it was someone from Mr. Quant’s side.”

Ken, with a look of disgust, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away the saliva James had left behind. “He’s already called me.”

“Really? Mr. Quant actually called you himself?” James, a bit slow on lit up with the uptake, finally grasped what was happening. His eyes lit with excitement. “Did you two reconcile?”

Ken tossed the handkerchief aside and nodded. “I guess you could say that. He reached out and asked me to arrange for someone to look after Sid. We really owe this to Melody. By the way, why did only you come down? Where is she? Did she come down the stairs?”

James slapped his forehead in frustration. “I forgot to tell you. Miss Fox collapsed.”

“What?” Ken’s eyes narrowed. “Where is she?”

“I had Seventeen take her down first. They should be…” Before James could finish, he felt a gust of wind and, when he looked again, Ken had vanished from his sight.

On the stairs, Seventeen was carrying Melody down while carefully avoiding any of Sebastian’s people when a shadow suddenly appeared in front of him.

Before he could react, a large hand grabbed Melody’s arm. “Leave her to me.”

Seventeen realized it was Ken.

Ken rarely intervened directly, and Seventeen was never sure of Ken’s skills. But given the speed at which Ken moved, it was clear his abilities far exceeded his own. Normally, Seventeen would have sensed the presence of any skilled individual within his line of sight, but Ken’s arrival had been nearly silent.

Seventeen lowered his head in fear. “Yes, Mr. Swanson.”

Soon, Melody was handed over to Ken.

As they continued down the stairs, Ken asked, “Why did Melody collapse?”

Seventeen hurriedly replied, “I don’t know the exact details, but from what I saw, it seems that Miss Fox must have fainted from exhaustion due to focusing too intently during the acupuncture session.

Melody had experienced similar situations before, so Ken quickly understood why this happened.

He felt a pang of guilt as he carefully carried her to First Hospital.

That night, Rodney was on duty. Upon learning about Melody’s condition, he immediately began examining her.

After a thorough check, Rodney’s expression relaxed slightly. “Don’t worry too much. Miss Fox is just a bit exhausted. I’ll give her some saline. She should wake up soon. However, she needs to rest well over the next few days and avoid any further strain.”

“Alright.” Ken nodded, feeling even more guilty.

If he had known it would come to this, he would have taken other measures to prevent her from collapsing from exhaustion.

While Rodney prepared the IV drip, Ken couldn’t help but reach out and gently touch Melody’s face.

This face had been ridiculed by many for being gloomy, but he had never seen it that way. In fact, he felt as though there was an inner light about her, one that drew him in and made him want to chase after it…

At that moment, Melody’s eyelids fluttered.

Ken was startled and quickly pulled back his hand.

Thankfully, Melody did not wake up but merely frowned slightly before remaining still again.

He sighed and placed his hand over his own heart.

He wasn’t sure why, but the thought that she might wake up had made his heartbeat quicken.

Soon, the IV drip was finished, but Melody still did not wake up.

According to Rodney, she was no longer in a fainting state but simply sleeping soundly.

Seeing this, Ken couldn’t bring himself to wake her up. Instead, he carefully picked her up and took her back to Serenity Villa.

By this time, Susan had already gone to bed. After bringing Melody to her room, Ken hesitated over whether he should remove her outerwear.

‘If she sleeps with her coat on, she’ll be uncomfortable… but if I take it off, she might be upset if she finds out the next day… he thought.

While he was still contemplating, Melody’s voice suddenly broke the silence. “Ken?”

His eyes snapped open, and he looked at the bed where Melody lay. “You’re awake? How do you feel? Is anything still bothering you?”

“Not really…” Melody shook her head. “I’m almost recovered. I just exhausted too much energy during the acupuncture session, and with the time constraints, I couldn’t hold on.”

“I’m sorry,” Ken said, lowering his head. “I’ll make sure you don’t have to take such risks again.”

“It’s nothing,” Melody said nonchalantly as she started to sit up.

Only then did she realize she was in Ken’s room and hurried to pull the covers off to get out of bed?

“Don’t move.” Ken immediately stopped her. “There’s no need to go to another room. Just rest here. You haven’t been home for days, and the blankets haven’t been aired out. You’ll sleep here tonight, and I’ll use the guest room.”

“But…” she hesitated.

“There are no buts,” Ken said firmly, but then softened his tone and joked. “Tonight, you’re the biggest hero. This bed is yours to enjoy.”

Melody chuckled, but then remembered something and asked, “How about Sebastian? Has that been resolved?”

Ken nodded and recounted his conversation with Sebastian.

Melody sighed in relief. “That’s good to hear. It seems my acupuncture skills haven’t declined. You should get some rest too. I’ll go to sleep now. There’s still Regina’s matter to prepare for tomorrow.”

Ken hesitated. “You’re not feeling well. Maybe it would be better to postpone Regina’s issue?”

“No, Melody said with a frown. “The longer we delay, the stronger the malicious doctors will become. They’ll be even harder to deal with later.

Ken knew he couldn’t change her mind and reluctantly agreed. “Then make sure to rest well. Try to sleep in a bit longer tomorrow.”

“I’ll do my best…” Melody replied.

“Hmm?” Ken looked at her.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll try to sleep longer before getting up,” she said, forcing a smile.

Ken then softened his expression again, wished her goodnight, and left.

Once Ken was gone, Melody got up to wash her face.

Whether it was the splash of water or the lingering presence of Ken’s scent in the room, she found herself unable to fall asleep for a while after returning to bed.

Meanwhile, Mabel was wide awake.

She was scrolling through online news about Cadence, fearful that Cadence’s death might somehow implicate her.

Seeing that it was almost four in the morning, she decided to get up and go downstairs for a drink.

As she came down the stairs, she ran into Russell, who had just returned home.

Chapter 579

“Dad?” Mabel’s gaze fell on Russell, noting that he was still carrying his briefcase under his arm. She asked in surprise, “You just got home from work?”

“Yes.” Russell nodded. He looked extremely tired, with bloodshot eyes that made him look unwell. Yet, he was in good spirits, smiling as he asked, “It’s almost dawn. Why haven’t you gone to bed?”

Mabel naturally didn’t mention that she was unable to sleep due to the recent murder case and had come downstairs for a drink.

She forced a small laugh and said, “I just came down for a glass of water. By the way, Dad, what have you been busy with these past few days? You’ve been leaving early and coming home late…”

Russell, looking excited, said, “Owen agreed to sell me the abandoned factories of Taynorma Capital. I later negotiated with a few other factories, so I needed a lot of funds. I had to go out for dinners with the bank people to secure the loan.”

Mabel was taken aback and asked, “Aren’t Owen’s factories quite big? Aren’t they enough? Why are you expanding further? What if the clothes don’t sell and we end up with unsold inventory? It could easily lead to a financial collapse.”

“Why do you always speak so pessimistically?” Russell glared at Mabel. “You’re about to marry Ulric, and partnering with the Swanson Group is imminent. With them backing us, we won’t need to worry about unsold goods. Besides, I’ve hired several internationally renowned designers to work on our clothing line. The Justalion Group is going to make a strong comeback soon.”

Whenever Russell mentioned a comeback, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his fatigue seemed to vanish.

However, Mabel felt even more uneasy.

She couldn’t understand why she felt this way. Even though Ulric had helped her during the Cadence incident, she felt uneasy about the future.

“Dad, maybe we should hold off on the other factories for now? The Taynorma Capital factories are already numerous and big. With just these, our production capacity is more than enough. There’s no need to invest all our money at this time. If we can’t repay the loan, we might end up losing the entire Justalion Group…” she warned.

Mabel said this not only because she was concerned about Russell, but also because she knew that the Justalion Group would eventually belong to her, which was why she was so worried.

But Russell didn’t seem to take any of it in.

He said with conviction, “Once we officially partner with the Justalion Group, we’ll definitely get a flood of orders. Today’s young people don’t like to wait. If our clothes aren’t produced and shipped on time, they’ll cancel their orders. We’d end up losing a lot of potential revenue.”

“But, Dad… What if there aren’t as many orders as you expect? And with the urgent need for funds, it will be difficult to negotiate low interest rates with the bank. We’re at a high risk of financial ruin.” Mabel pleaded.

“This is impossible.” Russell’s mood soured immediately, his face darkening with anger.

In the past, Mabel would have backed off at this point and avoided annoying him.

But since this situation now affected her own interests, she gritted her teeth and continued to argue. “Dad, don’t be so hasty. We should wait until we actually receive a flood of orders before expanding. Or at least wait until the partnership is confirmed. The factories you’ve already bought are sufficient for handling the initial orders. Once the company’s finances are stable, we can expand then.”

Russell, however, was set in his decision and responded impatiently, “Enough. You’re too young to understand these business matters. Just focus on your own affairs. Make sure you keep things in order with Ander and don’t worry about the company’s issues for now.”

After giving her a pointed look, Russell headed upstairs, signaling that he didn’t want to hear anymore.

Mabel wanted to continue persuading him but was intimidated by the look Russell gave her.

Russell was known to be volatile and had a history of violence. Melody was a warning she didn’t want to ignore. She didn’t want to end up like Melody, locked away in an abandoned garage.

‘Mom isn’t here. If I get locked up, there’s no one to rescue me,’ she thought.

Fuming, Mabel clenched her fists but had no choice but to give up.

Ever since Melody had returned from the countryside, things had been going badly for Mabel.

Her frustration grew, and she caught sight of Russell’s briefcase casually left on the living room sofa.

Holding her breath, she listened for any noises from upstairs. Once she heard the sound of Russell closing his bedroom door, she hurried to the sofa and began to sift through the documents in the briefcase.

What she discovered shocked her.

Russell had acquired or leased twice as many clothing factories as she had anticipated.

‘With so many factories, how is Russell going to pay for them?’ she wondered.

Then it hit her. She had recently noticed a lot of her luxury items were missing. Connecting the dots with the documents in front of her, she stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

It seemed that Russell had been secretly selling her luxury goods.

“Damn it,” Mabel seethed, gritting her teeth. She knew that confronting Russell about this directly would only make him furious. His pride would make him lash out uncontrollably.

So, she had to keep this grievance to herself.

However, losing her luxury items was a minor issue compared to the potential disaster of a failed partnership. If things didn’t work out, they could end up with nothing.

Increasingly anxious and sleepless, Mabel realized she had no other option but to advance her relationship with Ulric as quickly as possible to secure a partnership for the Justalion Group.

The long night felt even longer.

At Serenity Villa, Melody had initially promised Ken that she would rest well this morning before going to Central Hospital to expose Regina’s true nature.

However, Owen’s call came early in the morning.

She rubbed her eyes, feeling sore all over.

The fatigue from the Resurrecting the Dead was much heavier than she had anticipated.

She managed to answer the call. “Hello?”

Owen’s timid, conciliatory voice came through the phone. “Dr. Knowles, am I disturbing your rest?”

Melody glanced at the clock. It was just past eight in the morning. She cleared her throat and replied, “No, I was just about to get up. What’s the matter?”

“Well, Dr. Knowles, I’ve figured out everything about Pauline’s situation. Although you prescribed a remedy for the chronic poison, she’s really struggling with the withdrawal from the poppy. Could you help? I don’t want my daughter to be controlled by this substance for the rest of her life…” he said.

Melody’s eyelids fluttered, and she said apologetically, “I promised Miss Nathan that I would provide a prescription to aid in her withdrawal, but I’ve been swamped with other tasks and completely forgot. Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll write the prescription shortly. Have someone come to Herbathrive in an hour to pick it up and also to get the medicine prepared. It’s safer to get it here than elsewhere.”

Owen had exposed Ulric and Wendell, making them enemies who had to be guarded against.

Chapter 580

Owen was well aware that he was now Ulric’s enemy, and he immediately responded, “Okay, I understand. Thank you so much…”

“It’s only fair,” she replied. “Since you’ve done what I asked of you, I certainly won’t go back on my word. Don’t worry.”

“Okay. There’s one more thing… Once I finish sorting out the assets here, I plan to move my entire family abroad,” he continued.

“Abroad?” She hesitated for a moment, then said, “That sounds good. It’s definitely safer for you and your family to be overseas rather than staying in Silverlake. But before you go, make sure you stock up on medicine. Herbs don’t expire easily as long as they are stored properly.”

“Thanks for the reminder. I’ll be sure to take care of it,” he said.

“Well…” Melody paused, remembering Russell and Mabel showing up at Owen’s door that day. She asked nonchalantly, “I saw that Mr. Fox from the Justalion Group came by to see you the other day?”

Owen had always thought Melody was referring to Wilona, so he had never connected Russell with Melody.

“Yes.” He nodded and mentioned that Russell was interested in buying one of his idle factories, then asked curiously, “Why do you ask about this suddenly?”

“Oh, just a casual question. His daughter is quite well-known,” she said.

“Are you talking about Mabel? She is quite famous. She won the Silverlake Best Celebrity last year and is friends with Shindy. They talked for a long time. Shindy really likes her. If you’d like to meet her too, I can arrange a dinner for you…” he offered.

“No need,” Melody said with a faint smile, her tone remaining calm. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll head to Herbathrive first. Remember to send someone over.”

“Sure.” Owen agreed quickly.

After the call ended, Melody’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘Buying idle factories?’

With the Justalion Group’s current meager order volume, many of their own factories were sitting idle, yet he was still looking to expand production.

Melody’s mind raced, quickly connecting the dots. It seemed that Russell was betting everything on Ulric, hoping Mabel could facilitate a collaboration between the Justalion Group and the Swanson Group, preparing for a potential surge in orders.

‘A surge in orders? It’s so funny. Melody sneered, her lips curling into a cold smile.

She had already come up with a plan to reclaim the Justalion Group entirely through litigation.

However, this method would take a long time and might not guarantee that she would recover all the shares from Russell. Now, Russell had conveniently provided her with an opportunity.

A detailed plan quickly formed in Melody’s mind.

To execute this plan, she just needed to wait for the perfect moment, which she had already set up in advance.

The order she received from Mabel on the black market forum would soon come into play.

‘Mom, the Justalion Group you worked so hard to establish… I’m about to help you reclaim it very soon, she thought, just as her phone rang again.

Melody initially thought Owen might have forgotten to mention something, but it turned out to be David calling.

With the situation at Herbathrive being unstable, her heart sank instantly. She answered the call and immediately asked, “What’s going on?”

David quickly responded, “Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong.”

Melody sighed in relief and asked, “So why are you calling me at this hour?”

“Here’s the thing. We’ve been recruiting. I wanted to ask if you have time to come and interview a few medical school interns?” he asked.

“Interns? Before Mr. Herbert returns, it’s better to avoid taking on interns. I don’t have time to train newcomers, and you and the other doctors already have enough on your plate. I’m afraid adding a few more inexperienced interns might be overwhelming for you,” she said.

“That’s true. They do lack clinical experience. However, they mentioned in their application emails that they don’t require any salary, just a stamp on their internship certificate once they complete their term. I thought it sounded like a good deal and wanted to get your opinion,” he explained.

“Just the internship certificate, huh…” she hesitated.

It seemed that these interns were eager to start.

Considering the opportunity to help and their willingness to work for free, Melody decided to agree. “When will they arrive? I’ll come over in half an hour.”

“They should be arriving soon. They just messaged me saying they’re on their way,” David said.

“Alright, I’ll head over now,” Melody said.

“Great, see you soon,” he said.

“Okay.” Melody hung up, freshened up, and went downstairs, where she happened to run into Susan coming back with a delivery.

Seeing Melody dressed and ready to go out, Susan hurried over and asked, “Miss Fox? Are you going out?”

“Yes.” Melody nodded.

“Mr. Swanson instructed that you must stay home and rest properly until he returns,” Susan said, positioning herself in front of Melody as if to block her path.

Melody stopped in her tracks, a look of frustration crossing her face.

‘He actually had Susan keep an eye on me, she thought.

Taking a deep breath, she put on a bright smile and approached Susan, linking her arm with hers in a playful manner. “Susan, please let me go out. I just need some fresh air. I really can’t stay cooped up at home…”

“That’s not possible. Mr. Swanson said you’re not feeling well. I absolutely can’t let you go out. I was planning to plant some new flowers in the backyard. If you’re bored, how about I teach you how to garden?” she offered.

Melody was taken aback. “I’m not interested in gardening…”

“Well then, how about you teach me to cook? Your cooking skills are so impressive. Maybe if I learn a bit, you’ll find my cooking more to your taste next time,” she asked.

“I can teach you to cook another time when I have more free time. I really need to go out now. I have an appointment,” Melody said, tugging gently at Susan’s sleeve. “Please, Susan, just let me go. I promise I’ll be back before Ken returns.”

Susan, finally unable to refuse, sighed. “But you must return before Mr. Swanson gets back. He said he’d be home by eleven. You’d better keep track of the time. Otherwise, he’ll give me a death stare.”

Melody couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s not as scary as you make him out to be.”

“He is! Haven’t you noticed? There are hardly any mosquitoes in this house, thanks to Mr. Swanson’s cold aura,” she joked.

Melody couldn’t argue with that and finally agreed. “I promise I’ll be back before eleven.”

Susan then relented, allowing her to leave.

“You’re the best, Susan. I’m off now.” Melody waved goodbye and, with a resigned look from Susan, left Serenity Villa.

However, not long after she got into the Seventeen, Ken’s call came through. “Are you out?”

Melody felt a throb at her temples and gave Seventeen a cold look.

‘No wonder Seventeen couldn’t start the car for a while. It was probably reporting me,’ she thought.

Seventeen was sweating nervously, unable to meet her gaze.

Melody sighed, knowing she couldn’t hide the truth, and admitted it. “Yes, I’m heading to Herbathrive.”

“No way. You promised me you’d get enough rest.” Ken’s tone was as firm as Susan’s.

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