Chapter 531

“Zaza…” Melody called softly as she entered the room. Over the past couple of days, their bond had grown stronger.

When she stepped in, Zara was deeply focused, using pen and paper to write something.

“What are you up to?” Melody asked, intrigued by Zara’s serious expression as she approached.

Zara immediately put down her pen when she heard Melody’s voice. “I just watched a classic movie and picked up some tips on acting. I was afraid I’d forget them, so I wrote down a little bit.”

Melody glanced at the desk and couldn’t help but be astonished.

This wasn’t just “a little bit.” Zara had filled four or five A4 pages. Melody was increasingly convinced that Zara resembled herself from her previous life in many ways.

“You should be resting this morning, but you’re working instead,” Melody said with a hint of exasperation.

“Don’t worry. If I feel tired, I’ll stop and rest,” Zara replied with a playful tongue-out gesture. She suddenly remembered the incident in the hall earlier and asked, “Did those two scammers leave?”

Melody was surprised. “How did you know about that?”

Zara replied, “The staff told me. They were quite angry when they mentioned it.”

Melody chuckled. “They’ve already left. I’m here because I need to borrow something.”

“What do you need? I can give you for free!” To Zara, Melody was not only someone who had helped her out of difficult situations multiple times but also her only friend in Silverlake.

Melody said, “You don’t have to. I just need to borrow some makeup.”

When meeting Owen, Melody was using the alias Wilona Knowles and had altered her appearance with makeup, so cosmetics were essential.

Although she had makeup at Serenity Villa, she only had an hour before her appointment. Making a trip there would be too rushed.

“Makeup? I thought you didn’t like wearing makeup. I have a full set with me…” Zara began pulling out various items from her bag.

Melody looked at the array of cosmetics and felt a bit overwhelmed. She rarely wore makeup and wasn’t even sure where some of these products should be applied.

Zara noticed her hesitation and said, “Let me do it for you! I might not be good at many things, but I can do makeup pretty well.”

Melody smiled. “Alright then! Just do the top half of my face.”

Zara was puzzled by this unusual request. “Why only half?”

“Well…”

“No need to explain if you don’t want to. But I’m not used to doing just half a face. How about this? I’ll do the whole face first, and then you can wipe off the bottom half with makeup remover.”

“Sounds good.” Melody agreed, trusting Zara with her face.

Zara’s makeup skills were impressive and quick, a talent she had honed during her early days in the industry.

In less than fifteen minutes, she was down to the final step, applying lipstick. Just as Melody was about to say it wasn’t necessary, she noticed Zara staring at her, completely entranced.

“Zaza, what’s wrong?” Melody asked, puzzled.

But Zara didn’t respond. She continued to stare at Melody as if she had just seen something incredible.

Melody frowned and waved her hand in front of Zara’s eyes. “Zaza?”

Zara finally snapped out of her daze, pointing at Melody with a look of disbelief. “Melody, you… you… you…”

She stammered for a while, unable to form a complete sentence. It wasn’t her fault. Melody’s transformation was genuinely shocking.

The person standing before her was almost unrecognizable from the one she had seen just moments before.

Melody’s lips were naturally red, her eyes radiated a striking brilliance, and the foundation had covered the red blotches on her skin, revealing her originally near-perfect features. She was truly a sight to behold.

Melody quickly realized why Zara was acting this way. She touched her face and half-jokingly asked, “What, did I mesmerize you?”

Zara nodded vigorously. “Melody, you look stunning! You’re gorgeous! If you joined the entertainment industry, you’d be a million times more famous than me… no, you’d become an instant sensation! Other actresses won’t stand a chance!”

“You’re exaggerating…” Melody said.

But Zara shook her head. “No! I’m not exaggerating! It’s so strange. How did I not notice how beautiful you are before?”

Melody shrugged. Because of those terrifying red blotches, people’s first impression was that she was unattractive, so they never really paid attention to her features.

Moreover, the toxins in her body had made her facial features larger than they originally were. With makeup and subtly correcting the flaws, she naturally appeared very different from her usual self.

Once the toxins were fully purged, her features would be even more refined, several times over.

Of course, Melody wouldn’t tell Zara these things. Instead, she said, “Alright, my appointment is coming up soon. Could you hand me the makeup remover? I’ll take off some of the makeup.”

Zara was reluctant to see her hard work undone, but she understood that Melody had her reasons and didn’t press further. She quickly handed over the makeup remover.

A few minutes later, Melody had removed most of the makeup, leaving only her eye makeup intact. Even so, the difference from her usual appearance, marred by red blotches, was significant.

Zara sighed regretfully. “You were a perfect ten just now, but now you’re down to a six. You’ve got such a great canvas. You should wear makeup more often.”

Melody smiled and said, “I know. But maybe in a little while, I won’t need makeup at all.”

Zara asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Melody teased her with a grin, “You’ll see when the time comes!”

She checked the time on her wrist and said, “I’ve got forty minutes left. I should get going. When I get back, we’ll have a meal together, and I’ll take you to the set.”

Zara was curious why Melody would allow others to think she was unattractive when she had a beautiful foundation, but she held back her questions. She believed Melody had her reasons for everything she did.

She nodded. “I’ll wait for you.”

“Alright.” Melody ruffled Zara’s hair and then left.

The driver Ken had arranged was already waiting at the entrance of Herbathrive. The off-road vehicle, which resembled an armored car, caught everyone’s attention.

The staff at Herbathrive were shocked when they saw Melody get into the vehicle.

“Who exactly is Miss Fox? The sports car she drove last time was a limited edition, and this one is even more…”

One of the less car-savvy staff members asked, “Is this one more expensive than the last?”

“I see you’re clueless. The cost of modifying this car alone could buy that sports car from before.”

“No way!”

“Ahem!” David cleared his throat as he approached. “Do you have

nothing to do? There’s a whole batch of herbs that just arrived in the

backyard. If you’re so idle, go sort them out!”

The crowd at the entrance quickly dispersed.

Meanwhile, the car carrying Melody arrived at Owen’s house half an hour later. However…

Chapter 532

Melody suddenly noticed a crowd gathered not far ahead, with a person lying on the ground amidst them. The crowd was conveniently blocking the parking spot.

The death warrior, assigned as her driver, turned his head and said, “Miss Fox, the parking spot is taken by that crowd. Would you like to get out and go inside first, or should I clear them away, park the car, and then accompany you inside?”

Death warriors were trained from a young age to be like machines, devoid of emotions, with only the command “obey” ingrained in their minds. Naturally, they wouldn’t care why the crowd had gathered.

Melody frowned and said, “You stay in the car. I’ll go see what’s happening.”

The death warrior hesitated. “Miss Fox, this isn’t according to the rules…”

Before he could finish speaking, Melody had already swiftly exited the car.

As she approached the crowd, Melody understood the situation.

A young girl had suddenly fallen ill, writhing on the ground in pain. Her mother, overwhelmed with panic, was crying for help. However, none of the bystanders knew any medical skills. They could only call for an ambulance.

A nearby resident said sympathetically, “The nearest hospital is at least twenty minutes away, and it’s rush hour, with traffic jams everywhere. By the time help arrives, I’m afraid the child will be…”

The person didn’t finish, but everyone understood what was implied.

The child’s mother began crying even more desperately, screaming for help.

While the bystanders felt sorry for the mother and daughter, none of them wanted to get involved. They feared trouble, so no one offered to drive the girl to the hospital.

Melody was about to step forward and check on the girl when a familiar voice cut through the crowd ahead of her. “I’m a doctor. Everyone, step aside. Let me see what’s going on.”

The crowd immediately made way for the newcomer. The child’s mother tearfully thanked him. “Thank you! Please save my child!”

The man nodded, squatted beside the girl, and began examining her. From that angle, Melody could see his face.

Melody raised an eyebrow in surprise. It was Cason, who had claimed to be a renowned doctor returned from abroad.

Back when Lucas urgently needed surgery, his aunt, Sienna, had invited Cason to treat him. But when Cason discovered a vascular tumor in Lucas’s brain, he refused to operate and even made some snide remarks. It led to him being kicked out by the Morgan family.

She had assumed Cason had returned abroad, but it seemed he was still around.

However, this worked out well. She had an appointment with Owen soon. If she lingered here, she might be late.

While Cason’s character and medical ethics were questionable, his skills were probably adequate for handling a situation like this. With that in mind, Melody decided not to get involved further.

However, in the next second, Cason spoke up. “Your daughter’s condition

is critical, but I can treat her. I can keep her stable until the ambulance arrives. However, the consultation fee…”

The girl’s mother quickly said, “As long as you can save my daughter, I’ll give you all the money I have!”

With that, she took out her wallet. Inside, there was a small stack of bills, adding up to about sixty dollars.

“Sixty dollars?” Cason’s expression changed. Ignoring the little girl writhing on the ground, he stood up and said, “That’s an insult! My expertise doesn’t come cheap. I am a renowned doctor who came back from abroad to treat wealthy patients. My consultation fee is at least six thousand dollars!”

“Six thousand dollars?” The mother became panicked. “But we don’t have that kind of money…”

“I don’t do charity. What a waste of my time!” Cason rolled his eyes, without caring about the disapproving looks from the crowd. The others were bewildered.

The girl’s mother collapsed to the ground, her expression was full of worry and despair.

Melody couldn’t believe that Cason’s character and medical ethics were this rotten.

Most doctors in Halcyon took the well-being of their patients as their duty. However, people like Cason and Adrian ruined the reputation of the profession, leading to a decline in public trust and a rise in doctor-patient disputes.

Melody clenched her jaw angrily and grabbed Cason’s arm as he passed by her. “How can you see someone in such a condition and not help? How could you call yourself a doctor? You don’t even deserve to be a human being!”

Cason was stunned, clearly not expecting someone to scold him so directly. He glared at Melody, finding her somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her.

Melody’s makeup was partially done, so it was understandable that Cason didn’t recognize her. She continued coldly, “Even if she has six thousand dollars, won’t you feel guilty if you take them?”

“Mind your own business!” Cason shook off Melody’s hand and pointed at her. “Do you know who I am? How dare you scold me! You should be grateful that I have other things to do right now, or else I wouldn’t let this go!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of Cason. With a swift move, the death warrior pinned him to the ground.

Cason cried out in pain. “Who are you people? Let me go! Help! I’m being attacked!”

Melody saw the death warrior appear and was tempted to let him teach Cason a lesson. However, knowing the death warrior’s lack of restraint, she realized that a harsh lesson might cause more trouble for her.

“Let him go,” Melody ordered. “It’s not worth wasting energy on garbage like him.”

The death warrior, obedient to Melody’s commands, immediately released Cason.

Looking at the menacing figure of the death warrior, Cason choked back the insults he wanted to hurl and fled. He shouted, “You’re done for!” He ran into a nearby house.

Melody recognized Cason was heading to the address Owen had given her. She didn’t have time to dwell on it, and the girl’s cries of pain pulled her attention. She turned to the crowd.

The death warrior, guessing her intentions, quickly followed and whispered, “Miss Fox, the meeting time with the Nathan family has already arrived. We don’t have time for delays.”

“It’s fine. Being a little late won’t matter,” Melody replied, pushing through the crowd. “Excuse me, I’m a doctor. Let me take a look at her…”

However, due to what had just happened with Cason, the girl’s mother hesitated and said timidly, “I… I only have sixty dollars…”

Melody shook her head. “Not all doctors only care about money like that guy. Don’t worry. I won’t charge you.”

The mother was stunned for a moment before expressing her gratitude with tears in her eyes. “Thank you, thank you so much…”

Melody nodded slightly, not wasting any more time. She immediately checked the girl.

Chapter 533

A few minutes later, Melody took off her jacket and laid it on the ground, carefully positioning the girl on top of it. She gently pressed on the girl’s abdomen while asking, “Little one, can you tell me if it hurts here, or is it somewhere else?”

As soon as Melody pressed a certain spot, the girl immediately curled up in pain. Within seconds, she lost consciousness.

Melody quickly lifted the girl’s hand and examined her fingers, noticing that her nails had turned a frightening shade of blue-purple.

The mother was panicked. She knelt beside her daughter and asked Melody, “Doctor, what is wrong with my daughter?”

Having figured out the situation, Melody calmly replied, “Don’t worry. Your daughter has cold-induced symptoms and poor circulation. I’ll treat her now, and once she’s feeling a bit better, you can take her to a nearby traditional medicine clinic to get some herbal medicine.”

The girl’s condition was similar to that of Mr. Yager, whom Melody had treated in Sky City. The girl’s sickness was induced by coldness, while Mr. Yager had a heatstroke. Both had severe symptoms.

The mother asked, “Is this illness not serious?”

Melody explained, “Not really. If treated properly, she’ll recover in about ten minutes. However, if left untreated, it could be life-threatening.”

The mother nodded repeatedly, pleading, “Please… please treat my daughter quickly. Our family will be forever grateful to you!”

Melody nodded and looked around, her gaze quickly falling on a stone by the roadside.

She gestured for the death warrior to bring it over. After rubbing it between her hands, she lifted the girl’s shirt and began gently scraping her abdomen with the flat stone.

Within a few strokes, the skin where the stone touched turned a dark red. Over the next few minutes, several areas on the girl’s abdomen, the back of her neck, and her shoulders developed similar dark red marks.

At that moment, the little girl finally regained consciousness.

Her mother, overwhelmed with joy, cried as she asked, “Sweetheart, are you okay? Does your stomach still hurt? Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable?”

The girl was still weak but more alert. She shook her head and said, “I’m not uncomfortable anymore, Mom. My stomach doesn’t hurt, and my head doesn’t hurt either.”

“Amazing!” The mother, holding her daughter, thanked Melody profusely. “You are a miracle worker, thank you!”

Melody shook his head and said, “This is not a difficult illness to treat. It’s just that you have never encountered it before. If it happens again, use my method to alleviate the symptoms…”

The mother nodded enthusiastically. The little girl showed her gratitude and said, “Thank you.”

Melody smiled and gently ruffled the girl’s hair. Suddenly, she remembered something important.

This mother and daughter only had about sixty dollars, which likely wouldn’t be enough to buy the necessary medicine.

With that in mind, Melody took a pen and paper from her bag. She wrote down a prescription and an address, which she handed to the mother. “I’ve prescribed for her. Take it to this address. The clinic is mine. The herbs there are affordable, and they’ll also help prepare the medicine for you. Once it’s ready, she can take it immediately.”

The mother quickly thanked her again.

Melody nodded and said, “You should go get the medicine now. I have to get going.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

With the sound of the mother’s gratitude behind her, Melody turned and walked away.

On the way to Owen’s place, she called David.

“A mother and daughter will come by soon to pick up a prescription | wrote. Make sure to give them a good discount, and if you can, find a way to waive the cost without making it obvious. Just put the cost on my tab,” Melody instructed.

On the other end, David quickly agreed.

After ending the call, Melody noticed an elderly woman walking in the same direction as her. The old lady smiled warmly at her.

“You have a kind heart, young lady. You will be blessed,” the old woman said.

Melody, slightly taken aback, offered her thanks. “Thank you, I appreciate your kind words.”

The elderly woman smiled again and headed toward a nearby shop selling coffee beans. Melody didn’t dwell on the encounter and soon arrived at Owen’s residence.

The death warrior quietly reminded her, “Miss Fox, you’re twenty minutes late.”

“I know,” Melody replied, then asked in a low voice, “Are there any suspicious individuals around?”

“None. While you were treating that girl, I discreetly checked the area with the others and found no trace of Ulric’s men.”

“That’s strange…”

Ulric should have stationed someone to keep an eye on Owen to prevent him from switching sides back to Ken. But then she quickly reasoned it out.

For all his cruelty and cunning, Ulric had a fatal flaw. It was his arrogance.

With Ken having been away from the Swanson Group for some time and seemingly in a passive position, Ulric likely believed Ken could not return to the headquarters for now. Hence, he pulled back his surveillance on Owen.

Another possibility crossed Melody’s mind. Ulric might have orchestrated the illness of Owen’s daughter, knowing she was his only vulnerability. He believed that no one on Ken’s side could cure her, so he didn’t need to keep watching Owen.

Regardless of the reason, Melody was determined not to leave empty-handed today.

Steeling herself, she walked up to the door. As she entered, a servant immediately approached, asking, “Are you the doctor Mr. Nathan hired, Dr. Wilona Knowles?”

Melody, now very accustomed to this alias, nodded without hesitation. “Yes, that’s me.”

The servant’s smile grew more respectful. Leading the way, they explained, “Mr. Nathan has been waiting for you. He even asked me to check if you had arrived.”

“Apologies. I was delayed by something on the way,” Melody said.

The servant quickly waved their hand. “No, I didn’t mean to blame you. Please don’t misunderstand.”

Melody smiled. “I understand.”

Though her smile was polite, her presence was so commanding that the servant dared not look her in the eye or say anything further. The servant feared they might say something else that could be misinterpreted. They silently led the way up to the third floor of the villa.

The servant stopped before a pink door, about to knock when an elderly voice from inside called out.

“The doctor you invited is almost half an hour late and is still not here. If she’s this unpunctual, her medical skills must be mediocre! We don’t need to wait for her. Dr. Baxter, go ahead and start the treatment! If that doctor does show up, I’ll send her away!”

‘Dr. Baxter…’

Melody raised an eyebrow, realizing now why Cason had headed toward Owen’s home. It turned out that Cason had been invited by Owen’s father, Albert Nathan.

Melody thought, ‘What a small world!

Chapter 534

Melody was indeed surprised to discover that the doctor Albert had invited was none other than Cason. But her surprise quickly faded as she reasoned it out.

Cason was known for being greedy. The Nathan family couldn’t compare to the Swanson family, and their company was on the verge of being acquired by the Swanson Group. However, A wealthy family in decline was still valuable enough to be a lucrative opportunity in Cason’s eyes.

The servant glanced at Melody awkwardly before finally knocking on the door. “Mr. Albert, Mr. Nathan, Dr. Knowles has arrived.”

The grumbling inside the room immediately ceased, and Albert’s displeased voice came through. “Let her in!”

The servant quickly opened the door, let Melody enter, and hurriedly left. It was best to get out of such an awkward situation when the person being badmouthed had overheard it.

However, Melody showed no sign of discomfort. She walked in with poise and confidence.

The room was a suite, clearly designed for a young girl. The bedroom door was tightly shut, leaving Melody unsure of the condition of Owen’s daughter.

Albert was already seated on the sofa, his posture rigid, his gaze scrutinizing as he looked Melody up and down.

Cason was surprised to see her. He did not expect to run into her again.

Owen broke the silence. “Dr. Knowles, you’re here. Let me introduce you.

This is my father. The other gentleman is the doctor my father invited.”

Cason lifted his chin, his expression full of disdain. “I never expected someone with such a foul mouth could be a doctor!”

Owen was taken aback and asked in confusion, “Dr. Baxter, what do you mean? Do you know Miss Knowles?”

Cason snapped, “Know her? Hardly! We just met at the door. This rude young lady started yelling at me without reason. She said I wasn’t fit to be human! She had humiliated me! Mr. Nathan, your choice of people is rather disappointing!”

“This…” Owen felt caught in a difficult situation.

Though his interactions with Wilona had been limited, her manner of speaking had convinced him that she wouldn’t insult others without cause.

Forcing a smile, Owen said, “Dr. Baxter, I believe there must be some misunderstanding between you two.”

Cason retorted, “Misunderstanding? Nonsense! If you don’t believe me, ask her if she had insulted me just now!”

Owen hesitated and looked at Melody. “Dr. Knowles?”

Melody didn’t deny it. She replied with a blank expression, “I did insult him. And if hitting someone wasn’t illegal, I would’ve given him a beating as well.”

“You!” Cason was so enraged that he nearly lost his composure. But when he thought about the generous fee offered by the Nathan family, he managed to restrain himself. He turned to Albert and said, “Mr. Albert, did you invite me here just so this young girl could humiliate me?”

“Of course not!” Albert, who had great respect for Cason, hurriedly stood up from the sofa. “Dr. Baxter, please calm down. I’ll have her leave right now. And to express my gratitude, I hope you won’t mind accepting this.”

As Albert spoke, he took off the pocket watch he had been wearing and offered it to Cason.

Cason inspected the pocket watch in his hand. “A pocket watch? An antique?”

Albert smiled. “Calling it an antique is just a way to make it sound more valuable. It’s just a trinket. Please accept it.”

A flash of greed crossed Cason’s eyes, though he quickly masked it, putting on an air of reluctant acceptance. “Since it’s a token of your appreciation, I’ll accept it. But I don’t want to see this woman here anymore!”

“Dr. Baxter, please calm down,” Albert said. His face turned stern as he turned to Melody. “Dr. Knowles, I believe you know the way out. I won’t need to ‘invite’ you to leave, will I?”

The emphasis on the word “invite” made it clear that if Melody didn’t leave on her own, Albert would have her thrown out.

“Dad…” Owen wanted to defend Melody, but he was silenced by a sharp glare from his father.

Melody remained calm, speaking with measured confidence. “Mr. Albert, I’m here to treat your granddaughter, not to engage in arguments. If you want to cure her, I suggest you take back what you just said.”

Albert wasn’t an unreasonable man, but he had great faith in Cason’s ability to heal his beloved granddaughter.

Now, hearing Melody’s words, doubt began to creep into his mind.

Owen had spoken highly of Wilona multiple times, indicating she must have impressive medical skills. The more doctors looking at Shindy, the better the chances of curing her.

“…

“Albert hesitated, but Cason quickly interjected, his tone dripping with disdain.

“What a joke! Are you implying you can cure Miss Nathan? How long have you been practicing medicine? Oh wait, have you been out of medical school for two years? Just because you know some tricks doesn’t make you a miracle worker! Young people shouldn’t be so arrogant!”

Cason’s reminder brought Albert back to his senses. He thought, ‘This so-called Dr. Knowles is so young. How can her medical skills compare to Cason’s?’ Offending a renowned doctor like Cason for someone so inexperienced wasn’t worth the risk.

With this thought, Albert made up his mind. “Dr. Knowles, we don’t require your services here. Please leave immediately. Don’t worry. We’ll pay you exactly what was promised. Owen, how much did she ask for? Pay her now, and take her out.”

Owen responded awkwardly, “Dad, Miss Knowles didn’t ask for money. She only requested that I agree to one thing.”

“What thing?”

“I’m not sure. She said she’d let me know after she cured Shindy.”

Cason chimed in, “Mr. Nathan, you’re being naive! She might request your entire family’s wealth!”

Owen’s disdain for Cason was growing. Frowning, he replied, “If it could cure my daughter, I’m willing to lose everything.”

“You…” Cason was at a loss for words, his indignation growing. He shot a glance at Albert, signaling him to kick Melody out immediately.

Albert’s face hardened as he declared, “Dr. Knowles, I will say this one last time. Leave now!”

Owen clenched his fists. “Dad! You brought in Dr. Baxter unexpectedly, but I had already asked Dr. Knowles to see Shindy. She hasn’t complained about us bringing in another doctor, and I already feel bad about it. Why do you still insist on driving her away?”

“Enough! How old is she? How could her medical skills possibly compare to Dr. Baxter’s? Take her out now. Don’t make me do it myself!”

“Dad, you…”

“Mr. Nathan.” Melody interrupted calmly. “Since Dr. Baxter doesn’t want me here, I’ll leave for now. If he fails to cure Miss Nathan, I’ll return when needed.”

She wasn’t in a hurry. Given the situation with Cason, the Nathan family would only owe her more, and she could afford to wait.

However, just as Melody turned to leave, she noticed a familiar figure standing at the door.

Chapter 535

The person who arrived was the elderly lady, who had praised Melody after she cured the little girl earlier. Melody didn’t know why she was at the Nathan family’s house.

Melody was puzzled. The elderly lady was also curious.

“You…” Melody had only managed to say one word when the previously stern Albert suddenly transformed. He eagerly approached the elderly lady and took the bag from her hands.

He asked, “Why did you buy coffee beans yourself? You could have sent a servant.”

“It was on my way, and besides making coffee for the two doctors, there’s not much else I can do to help Shindy.” The elderly lady, Laura Nathan, finished speaking and glanced at Melody. “And this is?”

Melody was about to answer when Albert’s face darkened slightly, and he spoke first. “She’s the doctor Owen invited.”

Melody thought, ‘So… they are husband and wife.’

Melody smiled at the thought, and she greeted the elderly lady. “Hello, I didn’t expect we’d meet again.”

As she greeted, she glanced at Cason, who looked confused, and her smile deepened.

Laura’s eyes instantly lit up, and she quickly stepped forward to take Melody’s hand. “Yes, we meet again. I never expected you to be the doctor Owen invited. I’m relieved to have a kind person like you treating my granddaughter!”

Before Melody could respond, Albert asked in surprise, “You two know each other?”

“Indeed.” Laura immediately recounted in vivid detail. She told how Melody had acted bravely, reprimanding that money-obsessed, heartless doctor. Then, she figured out a way to save money for mother and daughter on their medication…

Melody glanced coolly at Cason.

With each word from Laura, Cason’s face grew more anxious.

By the end, he had nearly turned his entire body away, afraid Laura would recognize him.

Melody chuckled inwardly.

People said kindness could be exploited and mistaken for weakness. However, justice would eventually be served. Cason’s retribution had finally arrived.

Laura eventually finished recounting the story, looking at Melody with admiration.

Owen didn’t realize that the “money-obsessed, heartless doctor” Laura mentioned was Cason. But hearing her praise Melody, he couldn’t help. but smile.

His father had never feared much in his life, but the one thing he did fear was his mother.

Now that his mother was praising Wilona so highly, there was no way his father could insist on kicking her out.

Owen, barely containing his smile, raised his voice deliberately. “I didn’t know you were late for this reason, Dr. Knowles. You were misunderstood, yet you didn’t even bother to explain yourself. Your poise and composure make me feel both humbled and impressed! On behalf of my father, I sincerely apologize to you!”

He then bowed deeply to Melody, leaving Albert with an awkward expression.

Though his words seemed to praise Melody, they were a slap in the face to his father.

And yet, Albert couldn’t find a single word to refute them.

“It’s fine.” Melody ignored Albert’s expression and reached out to support Owen. She knew that Owen still did not want her to leave, and she felt the same way. It would be best if this matter could be resolved quickly.

However, even without Laura’s involvement, Melody had already planned for contingencies and would soon return to the Nathan family. Now, there was just a bit less unnecessary hassle.

Thinking this, she intentionally put on a reluctant expression and said, “Mr. Albert dislikes me whether I was late or not. Since he doesn’t want me to treat Miss Nathan, I will leave. Farewell.”

Melody nodded to Owen and Laura before stepping towards the door.

Laura looked bewildered but instinctively grabbed Melody’s sleeve and asked, “Young lady, why are you leaving? Aren’t you here to treat Shindy? Also, how could my husband dislike you and not want you to stay? Have you misunderstood something?”

Melody pursed her lips and looked at Albert. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Albert.”

Laura’s face darkened, and she turned a questioning gaze at Albert. “What is going on!”

Albert’s eyelids twitched, and he cleared his throat before saying, “It’s not me. It’s Dr. Baxter…”

He paused, hesitated, and then said to Cason, “Dr. Baxter, could you possibly let Dr. Knowles stay for now?”

Cason, however, did not respond at all. He maintained his back to everyone.

Melody smiled as she imagined Cason must be wearing a very complex expression right now.

She tilted her chin slightly and deliberately asked, “Dr. Baxter, why aren’t you speaking? Mr. Albert is asking you a question. Why are you not facing us?”

Albert and Owen also found it odd and spoke up.

“Dr. Baxter, what’s wrong?”

“Dr. Baxter?”

Cason’s back stiffened, and he was seething with rage towards Melody. ‘Why did this elderly lady have to be in the crowd?’

He clenched his teeth. Under everyone’s puzzled gazes, he turned around stiffly.

He said, “I-I have no objections…”

Although he turned around, he kept his head bowed, praying desperately that Laura wouldn’t recognize him.

But the next moment, Laura’s eyes widened in surprise. “You! Aren’t you that doctor?”

Cason’s face changed drastically, and he instinctively lowered his head even more.

Owen quickly put things together and asked, “Mom, do you recognize him?”

Laura clenched her fist, her face darkening.

She said, “Of course I recognize him! He’s the other doctor from the story I just told! He left because the patient could only pay sixty dollars and couldn’t afford his consultation fee! He ignored the people in desperate need! He’s completely unworthy to be a doctor! Did you actually invite him?”

Albert was stunned.

He connected the dots with Owen’s earlier accusations against Melody and his eyelids twitched violently. He asked, “So… Dr. Knowles’s insult was because of that incident…”

He recalled Melody’s words. “I did insult him. And if hitting someone wasn’t illegal, I would’ve given him a beating as well.”

Now, he knew what had happened.

Albert glared coldly at Cason. “Dr. Baxter, is this why Dr. Knowles scolded you? And you wanted me to throw her out because of this?”

Knowing there was no way out, Cason decided to face it head-on. Meeting everyone’s gaze, he said, “Yes! I value money, but my medical skills are certainly superior to hers! So what if she has good character? She can’t treat Miss Nathan’s illness!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Albert fell into a troubled silence.

At that moment, a voice came from the doorway. “Who says her skills are not superior to yours?”

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Chapter 526

Melody kept walking and thinking, unable to pinpoint why she felt so unsettled.

When she saw Ken’s name on her phone screen, an instinctive fear gripped her, as if Ken’s name had morphed into something terrifying she couldn’t see.

She hesitated for a long time but eventually let the call go unanswered.

At that moment, a taxi approached. Just as Melody was about to hail it, a bodyguard emerged from the shadows and approached her.

“Miss Fox, Mr. Swanson is looking for you,” the bodyguard said, extending a hand with a phone already connected to a call.

Melody frowned, realizing she had forgotten about the many people Ken had placed around her. Even if she didn’t answer his call, he could still track her movements.

This realization made her uncomfortable. It felt like being stripped naked with nowhere to hide in front of Ken.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the phone to her ear, suppressing her anger. “Hello?”

“I’m on my way to pick you up,” Ken commanded. “Stay where you are.”

Melody replied, “I don’t need-“

“Melody!” Ken’s tone was stern. “Whatever you’re upset about, don’t hurt yourself.”

Melody retorted, “When did I ever hurt myself? And I’m not mad at you.”

Ken replied, “Not hurting yourself? You walked from Herbathrive to the outskirts for three hours, and you’re saying you’re not hurting yourself?”

Melody was momentarily speechless, and her irritation rose again. “Tell your people to stop following me. I’m a person, and I need privacy.”

Ken was silent for two seconds before he spoke with a softer tone. “Wait for me there. We’ll talk in person, okay?”

The taxi had long since driven away. Melody looked down without responding. Ken took her silence as agreement and hung up, accelerating his car.

Within five minutes, a black sports car pulled up in front of Melody.

The door opened, and Ken quickly stepped out. His handsome face was filled with worry. Seeing Melody, he visibly relaxed, the anxiety on his face dissipating.

He asked, “Get in the car? Or… shall I walk back with you?”

Melody didn’t answer, instead opening the back door and getting in. Despite the appearance of a choice, there was only one real option.

She couldn’t make Ken walk three hours back to Herbathrive with her. Even if he didn’t mind, she certainly did.

Seeing Melody get into the back seat, the bodyguard said, “Mr. Swanson, I’ll drive.”

“No need. I’ll do it,” Ken replied, walking around to the driver’s seat.

The bodyguard was stunned. They had never seen Ken drive for anyone else. It seemed Melody was indeed special to Ken.

However, the “special one” didn’t seem to notice anything unusual.

By the time Ken got into the car, Melody had already composed herself.

Regardless of her erratic behavior today, she still had to do what needed to be done and maintain relationships as required. As for exposing Janet, she had to find the right moment.

She couldn’t help but wonder how Ken would feel when the truth came out. No matter what his feelings, they certainly wouldn’t be happy ones.

Melody looked at Ken, who had stepped on the accelerator, and suddenly felt sorry for him.

His trusted friends, old classmates, and business partners had been lying to him all along. They had even caused the death of the person he liked when he first fell in love. This was undoubtedly a huge blow.

Ken glanced at the rearview mirror and happened to meet Melody’s gaze.

He smiled and asked, “Have you calmed down a little?”

Melody was puzzled. “Why do you think I’m angry?”

Ken raised his eyebrows and said with one hand on the steering wheel, “Because I asked you to treat people you don’t like.”

Melody thought, “That’s what he meant.

On the contrary, she was the least angry about this.

She did not want to continue this topic. If she became too emotional, she would only disrupt her path to revenge. She would not allow a situation like today to happen again.

Melody changed the topic. “I let Nana to work in Herbathrive.”

“Okay.” Ken nodded without any change in expression.

Melody could not help but ask in confusion, “You’re not surprised?”

Ken replied, “There’s nothing to be surprised about. Turning an enemy into a friend is the same as defeating them. And I trust your judgment. If Nana isn’t worthy of your trust now, you won’t keep her.”

Melody smiled bitterly and said, “You’re wrong about that. My judgment has never been good.”

Otherwise, she would not have died at the hands of Ulric in her previous life.

She suddenly became curious about Ken’s romantic history.

She couldn’t help but ask, “I want to ask you something.”

Ken replied, “Go ahead. I’ll tell you anything.”

Melody paused for a moment. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but it seemed like Ken was becoming easier to talk to. Ken was now a completely different person from the one she first met on the cruise ship. It made her wonder if he had been replaced by someone else entirely.

Taking a deep breath, she asked, “Have you ever… liked someone?”

“In the past or now?”

“Obviously in the past. I’ve been around you for months now. I’d know if you liked someone currently.”

Ken glanced meaningfully at the rearview mirror and calmly replied, “If you’re talking about the past, then no. I haven’t.”

Melody’s eyes widened in surprise, thinking, ‘If he had never liked anyone, then who was the girl Nana mentioned?’

Nana now had every reason to hate Janet. Since Nana was staying at Herbathrive, she didn’t have to make something up to deceive Melody. So, the one lying must be Ken.

Melody pressed her lips together and gently probed, “You’re not young anymore, and you’ve never liked anyone before? That doesn’t seem possible…”

Ken replied, “Why not? I never focused on that sort of thing. The only woman who was even remotely close to me was Janet, and she and I have always been just friends.”

Melody’s eyes flickered with thought as she smiled. “Having liked someone isn’t something to be ashamed of. Why not just admit it?”

“I haven’t liked anyone,” Ken said, his expression calm, showing no signs of dishonesty.

A complicated emotion passed through Melody’s eyes. Since Ken had made his stance clear, it would be impolite to press further. Just then, the car arrived at Herbathrive.

Sensing it was time to change the subject, Melody said, “Thanks for driving me back. I’ll head in now.”

“Wait.” Ken turned to look at her. “Today… you were acting strange because of Janet, right?”

Melody wasn’t even sure herself, but she didn’t feel like making up an excuse. So, she nodded. “That’s right.”

Ken nodded. “I understand. From now on, I won’t let you handle anything involving her. I’m sorry for today.”

Chapter 527

Melody shrugged and said, “No need to apologize. Even if you hadn’t said anything, I would have saved her.”

Janet was the rival of her two lifetimes.

Melody was competitive and wouldn’t take advantage of Janet while she was unconscious. She wanted to defeat her fair and square. Besides, Janet only slit her wrist. It was nothing like Sid’s injuries that affected his internal organs.

Melody got out of the car. As she closed the door, she suddenly remembered something. “Tomorrow, I plan to visit Wendell. If anything happens at the hospital, let me know right away.”

Things had been piling up on Wendell’s end because of her recent matters, delaying things for quite a while.

Since Sid hadn’t woken up yet and she had nothing urgent to deal with, Melody decided to visit the Hunter family tomorrow.

She was curious about what illness Wendell’s daughter had that could make him turn to Ulric’s side, which caused Ken to be transferred by Ramon from the Swanson Group headquarters to Swanson Universal Entertainment.

“Alright.” Ken nodded.

Before Ken had taken the cruise back to Silverlake from Insterimond, he had no intention of inheriting the Swanson Group. He only wanted to reclaim Pearly Antiques, which had belonged to his mother.

But now, with all the dirty deeds Ulric had done, he was beginning to reconsider his thoughts about the heir position.

He didn’t care about the Swanson Group’s ownership. But now, he couldn’t let Ulric take that position even if he didn’t want it.

“If you need any help, just let me know anytime,” Ken said.

“Okay.” Melody nodded and stepped into Herbathrive.

“Wait…” Ken’s voice sounded again. “Once Zara leaves tomorrow, you should return to Serenity Villa, right?”

Melody paused briefly and said, “We’ll see when the time comes.” Then, she quickened her pace to enter the door.

Ken watched as Melody disappeared into the entrance of Herbathrive, his eyes gradually deepening.

He dialed James’s number and asked expressionlessly, “Have you ever mentioned anything about Mango to Melody?”

“Mango?” James hesitated for a moment before realizing that Ken was referring to Mango, not the fruit.

He quickly replied, “No, I haven’t. Why would I bring that up with Miss Fox? Besides, Miss Mango has been out of touch for so many years. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve almost forgotten about her…”

Ken connected the call to the car’s Bluetooth, pressing his temples in frustration. He said, “If it wasn’t you, it could only be Sid.”

Janet and Melody didn’t get along, so she definitely wouldn’t have mentioned Mango to Melody.

James asked in confusion, “What happened to Miss Mango? Has she returned after all this time?”

Ken replied, “No.”

Ken paused. He hadn’t wanted to bring up this matter with James, but recalling Melody’s unusual behavior today, he couldn’t help but ask, “Did you all misunderstand my relationship with Mango back then?”

“You and Miss Mango…” James stammered, and Ken’s voice grew cold as he said, “Tell me the truth!”

James had no choice but to tell the truth. “There was a time when you were frequently going out on dates alone with Miss Mango, so we all assumed that the two of you were together.”

“In a relationship?” Ken frowned.

James added, “But when they asked Miss Mango, she didn’t confirm it. So, we thought you two were still in a flirtatious stage but not far from officially being together. We were surprised when Miss Mango suddenly disappeared after leaving a letter. We didn’t bring her up before you, fearing it might upset you. But why did you suddenly remember this today?”

Curious, James mustered the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind.

“It’s nothing. It crossed my mind. That’s all,” Ken replied, giving some instructions regarding Sid’s safety before hanging up the phone.

The car fell silent, and Ken was lost in thought.

His feelings for Mango were different from those for Janet. Besides being friends, he also saw Mango as a sister.

As for those so-called “dates,” they were actually him helping Mango with something. But that matter was a secret, and he couldn’t tell anyone about it.

Ken closed his eyes, silently vowing that once Sid recovered, he would give him a good beating.

*****

The next day came in no time.

Melody had slept well and woke up immediately at the slightest noise outside.

After washing up and stepping out, she discovered that the noise came from the kitchen in the back courtyard.

Nana and Talia were conversing.

“Mom, I didn’t know you could still use a wood stove!” Nana said in surprise.

Talia sighed and said, “Before I married your father, I lived through some hard times too.”

“You’ve been through so much, Mom…”

“What are you saying, silly child? Miss Fox gave us an opportunity, so I have to seize it. I can tell she’s not an ordinary person. She might even help us get revenge in the future! You should follow her closely. You might even achieve more than your dad did. Make him regret and beg us to come back.”

“Mom… even if he begged us, I wouldn’t want to. I used to think he loved me more than you did, but now I know you’re the one who truly cares for me.”

Nana’s expression was complicated as she silently vowed to work hard and prove herself to those two-faced friends and relatives.

“Alright, let’s not talk about those unhappy things. Help me cut these vegetables…” As Talia spoke, she noticed Melody approaching them.

The mother and daughter immediately greeted her respectfully, “Miss Fox…”

Talia added, “Breakfast will be ready soon. Please wait a little longer.”

“Alright, thank you.” Melody nodded slightly, then turned to see Zara coming out, having just woken up.

“Why not rest a bit longer?” Melody asked as she took Zara’s wrist to check her pulse.

After the treatment with traditional medicine and yesterday’s rest, Zara’s condition improved significantly.

“I lay down for too long yesterday, and I’m used to waking up early. I don’t want to sleep anymore…” Zara said, then asked, “Am I well enough now? Can I return to the film set?”

Melody smiled wryly. “You’re really eager to get back to work, aren’t you?”

Zara sheepishly stuck out her tongue and said, “When I first entered the entertainment industry, I had no roles at all. Now that I finally have something, I don’t want to waste a single day…”

Melody replied, “Having ambition is good, but your health is more important. How about this, you rest for the morning, and I’ll let you return to the set in the afternoon.”

“Alright.” Zara reluctantly agreed.

Breakfast was soon ready.

Many dishes were prepared, and even the orange juice was freshly made, filling the air with its aroma from afar.

Herbathrive staff began arriving one after another. They were drawn by the smell. After tasting the food, they didn’t hold back their praise for Talia’s cooking skills.

Talia was delighted, feeling she was finally being of some use.

However, just as everyone enjoyed their meal, unexpected guests arrived at the clinic.

Chapter 528

“Miss Fox…” David held half of a cinnamon roll in his mouth and walked into the kitchen in a panic.

Melody asked in confusion, “What happened?”

“Out… outside…” David stammered, pointing in a direction. He couldn’t manage to get out a full sentence.

Melody put down her fork, not waiting for him to finish speaking, and headed straight for the clinic’s main hall. The others quickly followed, including Zara, who instinctively joined them.

In just a few seconds, Melody arrived at the main hall. It was only 7 am, and the clinic hadn’t opened yet, but two people were standing in the hall.

Melody looked at the visitors and immediately understood why David was so nervous.

It was the couple who had previously pretended to die at the clinic in an attempt to blackmail them. That incident had nearly driven David to despair.

David, who had followed Melody into the hall, pointed at the couple. His voice was filled with anger and fear. “What… what are you doing here again? You’re not welcome here!”

“David…” Melody gave him a calm look and then turned to the couple. “Considering the timing, it’s about right for you to be back.”

David was confused. “Miss Fox, you knew they would return?”

Melody raised an eyebrow and looked at the couple again. The staff at Herbathrive didn’t welcome them. Knowing they were in the wrong, the couple hesitated to speak.

Seeing this, Melody addressed the staff. “There’s no need to gather here. Go have your breakfast, and be ready to open the clinic for patients afterward.”

The staff were now accustomed to following Melody’s instructions without question. They quickly dispersed, leaving only Nana, David, and Zara behind.

With most people gone, the couple began to plead.

“Miss Fox, please save me…

“We know we were wrong. Please save my husband!”

David’s mouth twitched. He was dumbfounded by this situation.

Melody explained, “If my diagnosis was correct, your husband hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in days, right? Palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, nausea… The lingering effects of that ‘near-death experience’ must be quite uncomfortable.”

The couple’s faces grew even more panicked. The man begged in a tearful tone. “You’re right! I’ve been suffering these past few days, especially at night! No matter how I lie down, I feel like… I’m about to die at any moment… Please, I’m begging you to forgive me and save my life!”

Melody’s expression remained unchanged, her voice cold as she said, “It’s a bit late for regret. I told you before, if you want to live, you’d better reveal who was behind you. Otherwise, whether or not I would save your life would depend on my mood. Unfortunately, I’m not in a good mood today.”

The man’s face drained of color, leaving him pale and visibly terrified. “Miss Fox, I know I was wrong! I’ll do anything you ask. Just save my life!”

The woman quickly added, “Yes! You wanted us to reveal who was behind us, right? We can tell you now!”

“Hold on…” Melody made a “pause” gesture. “There’s no need for that anymore. I’ve lost interest in knowing. No matter who is behind you, I can handle it. Now… please leave Herbathrive immediately, or I’ll have to call the police.”

The couple had initially planned to seek treatment and extort some money from Melody.

But now, seeing their last bargaining chip turn worthless, they were at a loss.

“Still not leaving?” Melody narrowed her eyes, clearly losing patience.

“Miss Fox! Please, don’t chase us away! I don’t want to die!” The man, now utterly desperate, broke down in tears.

The woman also began to plead. “Please, save my husband! We are willing to do anything for you!”

She added, “The person who instructed us is also a doctor. We don’t know his name… but we know where he lives! He lives on the eleventh floor of the West Bridge Hotel on West Bridge South Road! The eleventh floor is filled with his people!”

Melody silently noted the location, the West Bridge Hotel, eleventh floor.

She took a deep breath, feigning impatience. “As I said, I don’t care who he is or where he lives. But since this is a clinic, we don’t turn away business. Come back at eight when we open. I’m off duty now!”

With that, Melody signaled to David to escort the couple out.

David wanted to kick them out, but he restrained his anger to avoid causing trouble for Herbathrive or Melody. He ushered the couple out, closing the clinic doors with a loud “bang,” leaving the couple outside with complex expressions.

“Did she mean she’ll treat me?” The man hesitated.

The woman, equally uncertain, replied, “It seems so. If she didn’t intend to treat you, she wouldn’t have told us to come back at eight.”

“That’s good… that’s good…” The man sighed in relief and sat on the ground, planning to return at eight for treatment immediately.

The woman’s eyes darted back and forth, whispered, “Dear, I accidentally gave away that address. Do you think… since she agreed to treat us, should we warn them?”

“What are you thinking?” The man glared at her. “Didn’t you hear what she said? She’s arrogant! She doesn’t care about who’s after her. Warning them would be pointless, and it might just cause them unnecessary panic. Besides, we came here without telling them. If we inform them, they might turn on us later!”

“Yeah… you’re right. We better keep this to ourselves. They know where we live. If they find out, we’re done for. They have so many people, we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“Exactly!”

Meanwhile, inside Herbathrive, Melody returned to her room and called in Ken’s men stationed around her. She instructed them to investigate the couple’s claims about the West Bridge Hotel.

Ken’s people worked swiftly and returned with the information in no time.

A bodyguard reported, “Miss Fox, we’ve confirmed it. On the eleventh floor of the West Bridge Hotel, there’s a man named Michael Hudson staying there, along with over a dozen others he took from Herbathrive.”

Melody nodded slightly, dismissed the bodyguard, and dialed Ken’s number. “Ken, I need your help with a personal matter…”

Chapter 529

Ken paused mid-contract review, covering his phone with one hand as he addressed the room. “I need to take this call. You all continue.”

With that, he set down his pen and strode out of the meeting room, leaving the group at the table exchanging puzzled looks.

Ken, though new to Swanson Universal Entertainment, was known for his unyielding seriousness. He had never left a meeting halfway through to answer a call.

During a previous meeting, a senior executive had forgotten to silence his phone. When it rang, Ken’s expression had left a lasting impression on everyone, making them uneasy to this day.

Now, they wondered who was on the other end of this call.

“What happened?” a bold executive whispered to the person next to them.

The other executive mumbled, “Could it be Zara…”

“Who?” Someone nearby, with keen ears, caught the name. “Zara?”

The first executive quickly faked a cough. “What? I was just saying how hot it is here. I need to turn on the AC.”

His colleague looked puzzled. He was sure he’d heard Zara’s name. Recently, there have been rumors within the company suggesting that Zara had caught Ken’s eye.

The room was filled with seasoned and keen professionals. They silently noted Zara’s name in their minds.

Meanwhile, outside the conference room. Although holding the phone close to keep his voice down, Ken couldn’t prevent Melody from hearing his words.

She quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, am I interrupting your meeting? I can call back later.”

This wasn’t the first time she’d accidentally disturbed Ken during a meeting, and it happened again this time.

But Ken’s voice came through the phone, calm and reassuring. “No problem, just a Monday briefing. It doesn’t matter if I’m there or not. Go ahead, what’s up?”

Hearing his relaxed tone, Melody hesitated for a moment, then decided not to be overly polite. She explained the situation with the couple who had previously tried to scam Herbathrive and how they had returned. She also mentioned Michael was now staying at the West Bridge Hotel.

Ken listened intently and then asked, “Do you want me to send someone to arrest him now, or would you prefer we keep a low profile and monitor them?”

“I was thinking we should monitor them first,” Melody replied. “Even though the operation to eliminate the malicious doctors was intense back then, many of them escaped capture, going underground and changing their identities. Michael wasn’t a prominent figure among them, and he stayed well-hidden, so he didn’t even bother changing his name.”

She continued, “There’s a chance that after leaving Herbathrive, he might reconnect with other remnants of the malicious doctors or attempt to rebuild their faction. I’d rather we keep an eye on them for now and see if we can catch something bigger.”

Ken responded, “I was thinking the same. Plus, there’s been a recent post on the black market forum from someone claiming to be a malicious doctor…”

Melody’s interest was piqued as she confirmed with Ken that the post he mentioned was the one she had seen earlier.

The post brazenly advertised the poster’s identity as a malicious doctor, inviting those in need of certain drugs to contact him.

No one would dare to impersonate a malicious doctor unless they were extremely well-connected or incredibly reckless. Melody believed it was the latter.

Pausing briefly, Melody said, “I used a new email address to contact them. I haven’t checked for a reply in the past two days. Give me a moment. I’ll log in and see.”

“Go ahead,” Ken replied, leaning against the wall with one leg slightly bent, exuding a patient demeanor.

Within ten seconds, Melody had logged into her email. Her eyes widened as she saw the response, gripping her phone tightly. “Ken, guess what I just found out?”

Ken smiled as he asked, “Don’t tell me. Michael is the one who posted that ad.”

“Exactly! And the address he provided is a cafe near the West Bridge Hotel,” Melody exclaimed, both surprised and amused. “He is an idiot! He’s practically inviting trouble.”

Ken raised an eyebrow and commented, “He might be reckless, but not entirely foolish. He’s using an overseas ID that I can’t trace, so he’s covered his tracks to some extent. I guess he’s desperate for money and trying to cash in on his status as a malicious doctor.”

“That makes sense.” Melody agreed. “The pay at Herbathrive isn’t great, and he’s been spending lavishly, plus supporting the group he took from the clinic. His expenses must be enormous, so he probably came up with this scheme.”

“I’ll send someone to the cafe to scout the area and gather evidence of his activities as a malicious doctor. We’ll have it on hand if we need to act sooner.”

“Good idea. I’ll deal with the couple here, then head over to Owen’s place. Tell me the update when I get back.”

“Alright.” Ken paused briefly before adding, “You handled things well today.”

Melody was momentarily confused. “What do you mean?”

He was referring to her decision to reach out to him for help, but instead, Ken said, “I meant the way you handled Michael. You didn’t act impulsively. That’s good.”

“Oh, I see… I’ll call you when I’m done. Talk to you later.” Melody didn’t dwell on his words, hanging up before dialing Colin.

Since Michael had come from Colin’s clinic, Melody felt it was her duty to inform him of the situation. Colin was livid upon hearing what had happened.

He snapped, “That bastard! How dare he openly declare himself a malicious doctor and sell their drugs! Does he think he can escape the law? And that incident with the scam… I’m not letting him get away with it!”

Despite his anger, Colin managed to keep his cool and said, “I understand. I’ll follow your and Mr. Swanson’s lead and won’t do anything rash.”

Melody said, “Good. How is Beverly’s recovery going? I haven’t had time to visit her lately, sorry…”

“Don’t apologize. You’ve been a tremendous help at Herbathrive. That’s more important than visiting. Don’t worry, Beverly is recovering well.

She’s still weak, so it’s slower than usual. But with the treatment plan you provided, she should be fully recovered and ready to leave the hospital in a couple of weeks.”

“That’s a relief. I’ll come by to check her pulse when I get the chance and see if the prescription needs any adjustments.”

“Sure thing!”

Melody gave Colin a few more reminders. He chuckled and said, “Melody, don’t forget, I am a doctor too.”

Melody finally stopped her nagging and ended the call. When she returned to the clinic’s main hall, it was just about opening time.

She gave David a look, signaling him to open the door. As soon as the door was slightly ajar, the couple from earlier squeezed through, eager to be first in line.

Chapter 530

“Doctor…”

“Miss Fox…”

The couple rushed over to Melody. They had ingratiating smiles as if desperate to show they were here for treatment.

David observed their obsequious behavior and finally felt a sense of satisfaction.

He secretly hoped Melody would be a bit harsh, perhaps not completely curing the man’s condition, so they wouldn’t harm others again.

After all, if Melody hadn’t exposed them in time, he might have been dead, and Herbathrive would likely have been shut down.

With this in mind, David tried to signal Melody with his eyes. Being as perceptive as she was, Melody understood David’s intentions immediately.

However, the man wasn’t sick at all. The symptoms he displayed were intentionally induced by Melody through acupuncture while he was feigning his death.

Moreover, she needed to keep the couple under control to ensure that Michael wouldn’t notice anything amiss.

Melody said, “You’re quite eager today. You should have foreseen the consequences before scamming us.”

“Yes! It was all my greed. I swear I’ll never do it again!” The man vowed earnestly, with the woman eagerly agreeing.

Melody put on an air of superiority as she led them to the consultation room and ordered, “Hold out your hand.”

The man obediently extended his hand, and after a mock examination, Melody wrote out a prescription.

Melody said, “Follow this prescription to get the medicine.”

The man took the prescription and asked, “How long do I have to take this before I’m better?”

Melody responded calmly, “The toxin that nearly killed you has spread throughout your body. This prescription is only for initial detoxification. After a week, your dizziness and nausea should ease up a bit. Come back after a week, and I’ll adjust the prescription based on how well your body is detoxifying.”

The woman anxiously asked, “How many times will we have to come back before he’s fully cured?”

Melody thought for a moment and said, “At least two months. During that time, he can’t drink or smoke and must run two hours every morning to help expel the toxins faster.”

“Running for two hours…” The overweight man’s calves began to tremble at the thought.

Melody raised an eyebrow and said, “You can choose not to run and just sit at home waiting to die. At least that way, you can save some money for a coffin.”

The man was scarred, and he quickly agreed. “I’ll run for two hours every day. I promise!”

“That’s more like it. I don’t take patients who won’t cooperate.” As she spoke, Melody pulled a small ceramic bottle from her pocket and tossed it to the man.

“What’s this?” the man asked, confused.

Melody replied, “This is to be taken along with the prescription, a secret remedy from Herbathrive. It’s for detoxification and strengthening your body. Only take one pill a week, no more. If you overdo it, it could cause other cardiovascular issues.”

The man hurriedly and carefully stored the porcelain bottle away.

“Alright, go get your medicine and leave.” Melody waved them off. The couple quickly stood up, thanked her profusely, and rushed to get their prescription filled.

As she watched them leave, Melody smiled meaningfully.

The acupuncture had created the illusion of illness, but its effects wouldn’t last long. However, the pills she gave them would maintain the symptoms.

The prescription she provided was designed to protect the heart, preventing any severe damage from prolonged use of the pills.

By having them return weekly for new prescriptions, she ensured they would stay under control and wouldn’t dare to betray her until they were “cured.”

David couldn’t help but grumble, “Miss Fox, you shouldn’t be treating people like them! They brought this on themselves!”

“True, but…” Melody acknowledged that while the couple was despicable, they didn’t deserve to die. The suffering they’d endure over the next few months would be enough to make up for the trouble they caused Herbathrive.

However, she kept these thoughts to herself. David knew a little about Michael’s involvement with malicious doctors, but it was better to keep such details limited.

Melody paused before saying, “We’re a clinic. If they’re not here to cause trouble, we have to treat them.”

David still felt resentful. “But they nearly caused Herbathrive to shut down!”

Melody’s face turned stern. “Haven’t you studied ‘A Doctor’s Code’? It teaches that when someone comes seeking help for an illness, we must not inquire about their status or wealth… We must treat everyone equally, with the same care as we would our dearest kin.”

This was a text her mentor had made her memorize since she was young, emphasizing the core ethics of being a doctor.

Even if that couple were unforgivable, Melody wouldn’t use her medical skills to harm them. She’d find another way to deal with them. Otherwise, she would be no different from the malicious doctors everyone despised.

This was also one of the reasons she had intervened to save Janet the previous day.

David lowered his gaze, feeling ashamed.

Seeing this, Melody calmed down and said, “If you want to be a really good doctor, your temperament still needs to be honed more. However, it’s understandable that you think this way. Everyone has temperament. However, since you’re studying medicine with me, I still have to punish you. After work tonight, go back and copy ‘A Doctor’s Code’ ten times. Leave it to me tomorrow.”

“Yes…” David nodded quickly, not daring to argue. But when he looked up again, his eyes shone with admiration for Melody.

He was convinced that studying under someone like her would teach him a great deal, and he resolved to learn as much as he could.

He clenched his fists with determination. Melody didn’t notice David’s resolve. She stood up and said, “I have to go out for a bit, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. The usual rules apply. Call me immediately if anything happens, and try not to disturb Mr. Herbert.”

“Understood!” David straightened up and responded firmly.

As Melody left the consultation room, her phone rang. It was Owen.

He said, “Dr. Knowles, you mentioned yesterday that you’d have time to come by today?”

Melody replied, “That’s right. I’m just about to head out.”

“Well, there’s a bit of a situation…” Owen hesitated before continuing, “My father came to Silverlake to visit my daughter, and he brought another doctor with him. The doctor is also supposed to come by today… I’m really sorry about this! Maybe you could come tomorrow instead? My father is very stubborn, and I couldn’t convince him otherwise…”

Melody could sense Owen’s discomfort. Scheduling another doctor after already arranging with her made him feel awkward and apologetic. But Owen was considerate enough to inform her ahead of time. It showed he was a decent person.

“No problem,” Melody said as she walked towards the courtyard. “I haven’t seen your daughter’s condition yet, so I can’t guarantee that I can cure her. Since your father has also found a doctor, we can all take a look at her together. A second opinion might bring more treatment options.”

Owen was even more grateful and apologetic after hearing her response.

“I apologize, Dr. Knowles… I should’ve planned this better. Let me make it up to you by taking you out to dinner tonight.”

“That’s fine,” Melody replied.

After finalizing the time with Owen, Melody ended the call and opened Zara’s door.

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Chapter 521

“Hold on, I have to take this call,” said Zara.

“Okay,” Melody responded. She tightened the leash and led Lucky back to the small room.

Lucky seemed dissatisfied with being locked up again, but Lucky’s temper had softened considerably after the surgery. In addition, it was Melody. Although it was unhappy, Lucky only snorted twice.

“Be good. When you completely change your previous bad temper, I’ll let you out to play,” Melody said.

Lucky seemed to understand. Its tail wagged from side to side.

Dogs acted like their masters. Melody believed that Lucky would become more obedient and docile after her teachings.

On the other side in the private hospital.

Not long after Melody left, James received news that Melody had a conflict with Adrian.

He immediately reported to Ken and asked with a puzzled expression, “Mr. Swanson, what do you think Miss Fox is thinking? She was the one who performed the surgery. She saw Adrian take her credit, but she didn’t say anything. Besides, I’ve already told her Mr. Quant is biased against you. If she had told the truth back then, you and Mr. Quant might have been able to bury the hatchet.”

Ken glanced at James as if he was looking at a fool. “You should eat something good for your brain.”

James’s expression froze. He said rather aggrievedly, “Mr. Swanson, stop teasing me. Just tell me. What is she thinking?”

Ken couldn’t be bothered to explain too much to James. He said calmly, “You don’t need to know this. You only need to know that she did this to ease my relationship with Sebastian.”

Sebastian was prejudiced against Ken, to begin with. If Ken exposed Adrian directly, Sebastian might not have believed him.

Even if Sebastian believed Ken, he couldn’t change his opinion of Ken that soon. He would only think that this was what Ken and Melody should do.

However, if Sebastian were to come back to his senses after experiencing all this and come to them, the meaning would be completely different.

Ken knew about Melody’s plan, so he did not expose Adrian.

“But-“

“No buts.” Ken interrupted James and asked, “Have you gotten the surveillance footage?”

James realized that Ken was asking about the surveillance cameras he had set up at the airport. He could not help but feel surprised. “Miss Murphy cut her wrist out of guilt… Are you still suspicious of her?”

Ken narrowed his eyes. “Speak less and do more.”

“Okay…” James immediately did not dare to ask anymore. He made a call to retrieve the surveillance footage.

James was about to look at the surveillance footage when Ken said, “Send it to my email. I’ll look at it myself.”

James was shocked.

‘He is suspecting Miss Murphy… However, if there was a problem with Miss Murphy, would she have to slit her wrist?’ James realized that he was not smart enough.

However, he did not dare to say anything else. After replying with an “okay”, he sent the surveillance footage to Ken’s email.

“I’ll go to the car to watch the surveillance footage. Keep an eye on Janet and Sid. Also, during this time, check the identity of anyone who enters and exits the hospital before letting them go.”

James straightened his chest and tapped his feet together. He answered firmly, “Okay!”

Melody settled the dog down. After she returned to the courtyard, she heard Zara apologizing non-stop on her phone

Melody didn’t know what the person on the other end of the phone said. But Zara’s expression changed drastically Zara immediately said. “I’ll be right back.”

The call ended there. Melody walked over and asked, “What happened?”

“It’s the production team” Zara pursed her lips and said, “The director saidd everyone is waiting for me. If I delay everyone’s time, he will let someone else replace me as the female lead…

The more she spoke, the lower her voice became. It was obvious that she was afraid of the director.

Melody frowned and said. “Didn’t I speak up for you the last time I was on set with Ken? And I even chased Yana out of the production team. How dare this director treat you like this now?”

“I-I don’t know…” Zara lowered her head, looking confused and aggrieved.

However, Melody immediately understood. “This is a society where good people are bullied. Even if Ken and I had helped Zara, as time passed, they would have forgotten the lesson Ken and I had taught them back then if Zara had not changed. Naturally, they will bully Zara again.

However, Melody realized the director probably dared to shout at Zara because Yana had done something again.

‘It was just that Yana’s identity as a socialite had been exposed. Logically speaking, she shouldn’t be able to cause any trouble. Could it be that… Yana had found another backer?’ Melody raised her eyebrows slightly, and a thoughtful look flashed across her eyes.

A moment later, she said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll get Ken to help you apply for leave. Stay here and recuperate today. You can return to the production team when you’ve fully recovered.”

“No, please don’t… I don’t want to trouble Mr. Swanson with such a small matter. I’ll go back now,” Zara said and was about to leave.

However, she had only taken two steps when her vision suddenly darkened and she felt dizzy.

Melody quickly went forward to support Zara. Only then did Zara stabilize herself.

“What did I say?” Melody glanced at Zara and said, “With your current state, you must recuperate well. You can’t force yourself. Listen to me.”

Zara was helpless. She wanted to say something but…hesitated. Then, she nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll apply for leave from the director myself.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll take care of it for you. Lie on my bed and rest first. You’ll feel dizzy again later.” After Melody finished speaking, she pulled Zara into the room.

She only heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Zara lying down properly.

“This girl probably doesn’t know who she had saved at all. However, this is also good. I don’t want Zara to get involved in this mess, Melody thought.

Once Ulric was involved, it was difficult for her to ensure she could take care of Zara at any time.

“Have a good rest. Leave the production team to me. I’ll go and see if your medicine is ready,” said Melody.

“Okay.” Zara nodded honestly. After the dizziness just now, she also understood that she could not continue to hold on with her health condition now.

Melody covered Zara with the blanket and left the room with the phone in her hand.

A moment later, she dialed Ken’s number.

The call was picked up almost instantly. Melody only heard the rustling of human voices from the other side, as if Ken was watching a movie.

‘At this juncture, he is still in the mood to watch a movie?” With that thought in mind, Melody’s tone carried a hint of displeasure as she said calmly, “Please send someone to Zara’s production team. They don’t know she ran out of the production team to save Sid and blame her for skipping work.”

“Alright…” Ken had just responded when Melody had already hung up.

The expression on Ken’s handsome face darkened as he was hung up like that.

Chapter 522

However, Ken immediately composed himself.

Melody was angry with him, though he wasn’t sure why. Still, he considered it a good sign.

Over the past few days, Ken had sensed a coolness in Melody’s demeanor. Hence, her current emotions were a positive development.

Ken immediately dialed a high-ranking executive at Swanson Universal Entertainment.

The call was promptly answered, and the executive’s voice sounded anxious. “Mr. Swanson, what can I do for you?”

Ken was straight to the point. “There’s an artist in our company, Zara. She hasn’t feeling well for the past two days. I want you to go to her set and get her a two-day… No, a three-day leave. If she needs more time, extend it accordingly.”

The executive was shocked. “Z-Zara?”

Every artist in the company underwent a thorough background check. As far as he knew, Zara was one of the least connected individuals in the company. He wondered what she had done to warrant this level of attention from Ken.

Ken replied, “That’s right, Zara.”

After confirming Ken’s instructions, the executive felt even more astonished but dared not question further and promptly answered, “Yes.” Then, he quickly drove to Zara’s film set.

The film set was at a school just ten minutes away from the company.

His arrival caused a stir among the crew. The director himself greeted the executive with heightened vigilance.

The director was dumbfounded when informed that the executive was there to secure leave for Zara. “Z-Zara?”

The executive noticed the director’s reaction and was reminded of his own initial shock. He understood the director’s surprise but knew he must get the job done.

He cleared his throat and said authoritatively, “That’s right! Zara is not feeling well. Please bear with us and reschedule her scenes for later. The company will compensate for any losses incurred during this time. Just continue doing your work as planned.”

The director was flabbergasted. He still couldn’t process what was happening.

Yana had assured him that Zara was a simple country girl who got a bit lucky and gained some fame, leading her to where she was today.

Ken’s earlier defense for Zara was supposedly out of sympathy for the underdog. But now, even a high-level executive was here for her.

Sweat trickled down the director’s forehead as he caught the high-level executive’s stern gaze. Snapping back to attention, he hurriedly agreed. “Yes, of course. Her health is the most important. We wouldn’t want her to strain herself or compromise the quality of the footage.”

“Good.” The executive nodded and added, “Take good care of her. She’s not someone you can afford to offend!”

The director was shaken and nodded with a complex expression. He replied, “Understood.”

The executive raised an eyebrow and then gave detailed instructions. He meticulously ensured that Zara’s resting area in the set was well arranged before leaving.

Leaving the set, the executive called the agent with the most resources in Swanson Universal Entertainment, speaking bluntly. “Starting today, you’ll be managing Zara.”

“What…?” The agent, Thomas Bush, was taken aback. He hesitated and asked, “Did you say Zara? All my artists are top-tier, and she’s barely a third or fourth-tier…”

The executive questioned, “What? You don’t understand my orders or you’re unwilling to comply?”

Thomas nervously replied, “No, of course not…”

“Then it’s settled.” The executive paused and added, “Also, Zara will be a permanent guest on the upcoming variety show ‘Artist’s Wardrobe’ next month.”

“What?” Thomas exclaimed, raising his voice. “But there are only two permanent guest spots aside from the host, and the female spot is already assigned to Yana…”

“Then find another show for Yana!” The executive grew impatient and hung up.

Thomas gripped his phone tightly, unable to snap out of shock. “Artist’s Wardrobe” was now in its second season, and the first season was incredibly popular. Everyone knew it was an invaluable opportunity.

He didn’t know how Zara was able to seize this opportunity. He was also curious how this wretched girl gained favor from the executive.

After a moment of shock, Thomas dialed Yana’s number. “Yana, come to the office immediately. We need to talk!”

On the other end, Yana was having dinner with an important benefactor. Hearing this, she frowned and said, “I’m busy right now, Thomas-“

Thomas interrupted. “I don’t care what you’re doing. If you don’t want to lose another opportunity, get back here now!”

Yana was alarmed and quickly agreed. “Yes, I’ll be there right away.”

*****

Meanwhile, Melody closely supervised the pharmacist as he prepared the medicine.

Despite Herbathrive’s well-equipped apothecary room, which required minimal manual intervention, Melody insisted on overseeing the process herself. It made the pharmacist quite nervous.

At that moment, David rushed in urgently and reported, “Miss Fox, bad news! The woman who caused trouble the other day is back!”

Melody was puzzled. “The woman causing trouble?”

Melody’s eyes narrowed as she quickly recalled the incident where Ken and Janet’s classmate, Nana, had come to the clinic and caused a commotion. Melody had dealt with her and sent her away.

To avoid further hassle from Nana, she informed Ken about the matter.

She had assumed that Ken would resolve the issue completely, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. Or perhaps he didn’t care about her problems.

With a frown, Melody instructed the pharmacist to watch over the medicine before heading toward the clinic’s main hall with a stern expression.

As Melody approached the back entrance of the hall, she saw Nana standing in the middle, accompanied by an older woman who bore a resemblance to Nana. She wondered who this woman was to Nana.

Melody paused briefly before striding up to them. She asked with an unkind tone, “Nana, what do you want now? Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?”

Nana’s eyes lit up upon seeing her, but she quickly shook her head. “No, Miss Fox, you misunderstand. We’re not here to cause trouble…”

“Oh?” Melody raised an eyebrow in surprise.

She scrutinized Nana, noting the stark contrast from her previous aggressive demeanor. Now, Nana appeared utterly defeated, as if she hadn’t slept for days, with sunken eyes and wearing the same clothes from her last visit to Herbathrive. Her demeanor was low, and her eyes held a hint of pleading.

Something was definitely off. Someone like Nana, who always prided herself on appearances, wouldn’t wear the same clothes for several days. It didn’t seem like she was here to pick a fight again.

“We aren’t here to cause trouble!” the middle-aged woman beside Nana hurriedly added, worried Melody wouldn’t believe them. She introduced herself, “I’m Nana’s mother. We’ve come today to apologize for what happened the other day.”

Chapter 523

Talia quickly gave Nana a look, which she immediately understood.

She offered a bag of fruits with a flattering smile. “Miss Fox, I didn’t know what fruits you like, so I bought some. Please accept it.”

Talia chimed in, “Nana has been spoiled by me since she was a child and made the mistake of offending you. Please forgive her this time! I assure you, she won’t trouble you again.”

Their unusual behavior piqued Melody’s curiosity.

Unsure if they were setting her up, she maintained her stern tone and gave a mocking smile. “This is interesting. A few days ago, you were threatening me to have people beat me up and smash my place. Now, you’re here to apologize. What exactly are you two trying to pull? Speak up. I’m busy and don’t have time to waste.”

Her words were full of disdain. Based on what she knew of Nana’s temper, Nana would not tolerate such open contempt. If she were pretending, she would surely slip up.

As Melody finished speaking, she watched Nana closely, scrutinizing her every expression. She determined not to miss any subtle change in her expression. However, Nana lowered her eyes, looking unsure of where to start.

This surprised Melody even more. She couldn’t believe this was the same Nana from before.

She seemed to have lost all her edge in just a few days. Even Talia, who briefly showed a flash of embarrassment, displayed no signs of anger.

The next moment, Talia became even more submissive. She said, “Miss Fox, Nana truly knows she was wrong this time. She understands she has offended the wrong person. She understands she shouldn’t have relied on her family’s past status to trouble anyone.”

Melody caught the key phrase. “Past status?”

Nana gritted her teeth and said, “Miss Fox, to be honest, because of what happened with you, my father has kicked my mom and me out of the house. We had nowhere to go, all our cards were frozen, and even my mom’s savings were taken back. The fruits we brought for you cost us our last bit of money.”

“Your father?” Melody’s eyes narrowed as she quickly realized what had happened. Ken hadn’t been indifferent to the situation. He had quietly taken action without her knowledge. It was no wonder Nana and her mother had come to apologize in person.

Melody repressed her mocking expression and said indifferently, “This isn’t the place to talk. You’ll disturb my patients. If you don’t mind, let’s go to the lounge upstairs.”

Nana and Talia were visibly relieved and nodded eagerly. “Thank you for giving us a chance to apologize, Miss Fox!”

Melody didn’t respond but led the way upstairs. It wasn’t out of compassion but because Nana had a unique background.

She was Janet’s classmate and was close to her. If Melody wanted to expose Janet’s true nature, she might find a lead through Nana.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the lounge.

David was concerned about Melody being alone with them. He followed and stood guard at the door like a sentinel. Melody, though a bit exasperated, did not refuse his well-intended protection.

As soon as Melody sat down, Nana began to recount the past few days’ events like a torrent. “My dad is really determined to cut ties with us. We’ve also just discovered that he has a secret lover and even has an illegitimate child…”

She continued, “We tried seeking help from relatives and friends, but once they found out we were kicked out, not a single one was willing to take us in. They even refused to let us step inside their homes!”

Nana was trembling as she spoke, either from sadness or anger. Melody’s face remained impassive as she asked, “Didn’t you seek help from your good friend, Janet?”

At the mention of Janet, Nana’s fists clenched tightly, veins standing out on her arms from the force.

It was Talia who spoke up. “The first thing Nana did after we were kicked out was to seek out her friend. But she was thrown out and mocked. Janet even threatened to call the police if Nana bothered her again.”

Nana bit her lip hard and then said, “It was then I realized she was using me all along! The conflicts between us were all stirred up by her. You and I were never at odds until she intervened. Otherwise, why would I be bothering you?” Nana’s voice shook with anger.

However, Melody wasn’t surprised upon hearing this. It was indeed the kind of thing Janet would do. She would cut ties with someone when they were no longer needed.

When the airport project hadn’t started, Janet must have known Nana and her mother were kicked out because of Ken’s intervention. Janet wasn’t foolish enough to openly defy Ken. Besides, Nana had no value to Janet anymore.

Melody raised an eyebrow. “I sympathize with should know that since your father has another woman, he you, but you might not take you back even if I forgive you.”

“I know…” Nana lowered her eyes. “I didn’t come here hoping everything would return to how it was if you forgave me.”

Melody was puzzled. “Then why go through the trouble of apologizing?”

Nana bit her lip and looked up. “I wanted to make a clean break from the past. My previous life ended here with you, and I want to start anew. After apologizing to you, I can fully move on and start living a better life. Also, I wanted to make it clear that Janet was the one causing you trouble, not me. But seeing your reaction, you already knew that.”

Melody was somewhat surprised but understood Nana’s change in attitude. Only after a significant setback did a person reassess and change themselves. Melody herself had changed profoundly after she died once. She was not the Melody of her past life.

After a moment of silence, Melody said with a hint of admiration, “Nana, you’ve really made me see you in a new light.”

Nana pursed her lips and stood up, bowing deeply to Melody. “I’m sorry for what happened before. I won’t appear in your life again. Rest assured.”

With that, Nana and Talia prepared to leave.

Melody stood up as well. “Wait, what are your plans now?”

Nana replied with some embarrassment, “My major is in finance, but without the Jensen family’s backing, I can’t find any job in my field… My mom and I plan to find work somewhere that offers food and accommodation.”

Melody nodded thoughtfully. “If you’re looking for work anyway, why not stay and work here?”

Chapter 524

Nana was stunned. She asked in disbelief, “You are willing to take us in? I caused you so much trouble before and even framed you at the class reunion…”

It wasn’t just that Nana considered herself an enemy of Melody. Even their relatives and friends avoided them like the plague.

Melody’s expression remained unchanged as she said calmly, “It’s not about taking you in. I happen to need help here, and you need a job. It’s mutually beneficial.”

Talia tugged at Nana’s sleeve excitedly. “Nana…”

However, Nana was still hesitant and did not immediately agree.

Melody could tell what Nana was thinking. She decided to be direct. “If you decide to stay, you’ll be part of my team. You will need to tell me everything you know about Janet, in detail. Take your time to think it over. I’ll be waiting for your answer.”

With that, Melody left the lounge. She instructed David, who stood at the door, “Once they’ve made their decision, bring them to the backyard to inform me.”

“Yes,” David responded. Although he didn’t like Nana, he wouldn’t question Melody’s decision.

*****

When Melody returned to the backyard, she saw Zara laughing over her phone. Melody couldn’t help but smile as well and walked over to ask, “What’s making you so happy? Did the director approve your leave?”

“Not just that!” Zara exclaimed excitedly, sitting up too quickly and feeling a bit dizzy. Melody quickly supported her and softly said, “Take it easy. There’s no rush.”

“Okay!” Zara said. She rubbed her nose with her finger. “The company suddenly changed my agent.”

Melody was unfamiliar with the entertainment industry. She asked in confusion, “Is changing agents a good thing?”

Zara patiently explained, “My previous agent was nice, but she was a junior agent with very few resources. I only got the role in this film because the Clark family incident boosted my popularity and landed me the opportunity.”

Melody asked, “So, your new agent has more resources?”

“Exactly!” Zara said. She was unable to hide her excitement. “His name is Thomas Bush, a well-known top agent in the industry. He’s launched many A-list celebrities and award-winning actors. He’s the agent with the most resources at Swanson Universal Entertainment.”

Melody was genuinely happy for Zara but couldn’t shake the feeling that this change was due to someone else’s influence.

The same feeling surfaced when she learned about Nana being kicked out by her family. She realized she had misunderstood Ken. He was taking action, just not openly.

Melody composed herself and was about to congratulate Zara when she noticed Zara’s mood deflate. Zara said,

“But… Thomas is also Yana’s agent.”

Melody understood Zara’s concern. She placed a reassuring hand on Zara’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. So what if you two share an agent? Do you think she’ll openly undermine you? Remember, you have me as your backing.”

Zara gave a bitter smile, clearly not convinced that Melody could wield much influence within Swanson Universal Entertainment.

To Zara, Melody was just another employee under Ken, someone who might have some sway on a film set but not within the entire company.

Melody chose not to explain further and continued, “I believe Thomas will recognize your talent. If he starts favoring Yana and neglecting you, just let me know.”

“Okay,” Zara replied, but she didn’t want to burden Melody with her problems.

Zara quickly regained her spirits. “There’s more good news. Thomas invited me to participate in a popular variety show next month called ‘Artist’s Wardrobe. The first season was a huge hit. Normally, with my current standing, I wouldn’t have access to this kind of opportunity. I’m not sure why he chose to give me this chance.”

“Artist’s Wardrobe…” Melody remembered the show. It wasn’t that she enjoyed watching variety shows, but this one had become a cultural phenomenon. If she recalled correctly, the second season would be as popular as the first.

Melody vaguely remembered that in the second season, Yana was a regular. Moreover, Mabel made her first significant mark in the entertainment industry during one of the episodes. She eventually rose to become the next top female star.

Mabel’s participation in that variety show significantly boosted the sales of the Justalion Group’s clothing line. It ultimately led Russell to elevate Mabel to an executive position within the company.

With Yana being replaced by Zara, Melody wondered if Mabel’s career would still follow the same trajectory as she did in her previous life.

She didn’t share these thoughts with Zara but said, “It shows that Thomas sees potential in you. Don’t worry about Yana. Just focus on doing your best.”

“Yeah!” Zara responded. Her confidence had been restored.

Just then, the herbal medicine was ready. A cup of dark, thick liquid was brought to Zara.

The bitter smell permeated the air, but Zara didn’t hesitate and drank it all in one gulp. Melody noted her resilience. Zara was a girl who could endure hardships, though she was too kind-hearted.

Melody saw in Zara a reflection of her past self in her previous life. She subconsciously clenched her fists and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

Zara smiled and replied, “I should be the one saying that. Once I make it big, I’ll protect you!”

Their eyes met, and they both sensed the sincerity in each other.

At that moment, David entered the room. “Miss Fox…”

Melody looked up. “Have they made their decision?”

David replied, “Yes, they have decided to stay.”

Zara quickly said, “Melody, go ahead. I’m feeling a bit sleepy and want to take a nap.”

“Alright.” Melody nodded and followed David out.

She saw Nana and her mother sitting on a stone bench in the backyard. As she approached, they both stood up.

Nana was the first to speak. “We’ve decided. We’re willing to work here. We’ll do our best wherever you need us.”

Melody replied, “Good. Then you can stay. As for accommodations, I’ll have David take you to the dormitory after the clinic closes at night.”

Talia nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, Miss Fox. Your generosity is more than we deserve. We are willing to work for you, but we don’t have any medical skills. What can we do?”

Melody had already thought about this. She asked Talia, “Can you cook?”

Talia’s eyes brightened with confidence. “I’ve been a housewife for many years. While I’m not skilled in other areas, I’m a good cook.”

Melody nodded. “Great. You can handle the clinic’s meals.”

Since Beverly had been hospitalized, the clinic staff had been relying on takeout. Having someone cook was a welcome change.

“And what about me?” Nana asked eagerly.

Melody considered for a moment. “The clinic’s accountant is quite busy. You can assist with accounting and procurement. Your salary will be determined by the accountant.”

“Okay!” Nana agreed immediately.

“But…” Melody continued, “There’s something even more important than assisting.”

Chapter 525

Nana was not naive. Hearing Melody’s words, she immediately understood that she wanted to discuss Janet.

She promptly suggested, “Let’s find a place to talk in detail.”

Melody nodded and instructed David, “Please show Mrs. Jensen around the clinic and the kitchen, and inform the accountant. Nana and I will discuss some matters at the coffee shop across the street.”

David did not question this and nodded. “Yes, Miss Fox.”

Soon, the two of them were at the coffee shop across from the clinic. The coffee shop offered good privacy, so they didn’t have to worry about eavesdroppers.

Melody got straight to the point. “I believe you have something to tell me regarding Janet, whether from your school days or after graduation…”

Nana took a sip of coffee, seemingly using it to bolster her courage. Betraying Janet was not an easy decision for her.

Melody was patient. She waited for Nana to gather her thoughts.

Fortunately, Nana didn’t take long before she began. “Janet and I kept in touch frequently during university, but less so after graduation. However, I’ve always known she is a dangerous person.”

Melody raised an eyebrow and asked, “What do you mean?”

Nana replied, “We both attended university abroad. The Halcyon students at our school often gathered together. Janet knew Ken and Sid before university, so she was closer to them. They even started a business together during university.”

Melody listened attentively.

Nana paused for a moment before continuing, “The three of them had always been close, but not many people in Halcyon knew that they weren’t just a trio during university. It had been a group of four.”

Melody was surprised. “A quartet? Was it James?”

Nana shook her head. “No, James was just one of Ken’s subordinates.”

“Then who was the fourth?”

“It was a girl… She was beautiful, a mix of three nationalities, with stunning blue eyes. She joined their group later. I wasn’t very familiar with her, but everyone called her Mango because she loved eating mangoes. Mango’s family was originally wealthy, but after they went bankrupt, she had to work part-time to pay for her tuition while studying.”

Nana continued, “Initially, she and Ken were just friends, but they grew closer and often went out together. But one day, Mango suddenly dropped out of school. None of us could contact her. Ken looked for her for a long time, and so did we…”

She added, “In the end, all we found was a letter she left behind, saying she was tired of this life and had returned to her home country. If Mango hadn’t suddenly disappeared, she would still be with Ken today.”

Melody’s grip on her coffee cup tightened.

“Do you know something about Mango?” Melody asked.

Nana nodded, seeming to summon all her courage to continue, “Mango… she died.”

Melody was shocked. “What did you say?”

“I saw with my own eyes that Janet pushed her off the back hill of the school…” Nana’s voice trembled. “Janet doesn’t know I saw it, and I’ve never told anyone. But Janet used me and then discarded me, so I don’t want to keep her secret anymore.”

Melody remained silent for a long time before asking, “Does Ken know about this?”

Nana shook her head. “Ken doesn’t know, but there’s another person who does.”

“Who?”

“Sid.”

Melody felt a turmoil in her chest, struggling to digest this information.

She couldn’t help but wonder if Sid would expose Janet even if he regained consciousness. She thought probably not. Melody realized she couldn’t rely on Sid alone to reveal Janet’s true nature.

Nana continued, “Sid was there, but he didn’t see me. I always thought he would speak out, but he chose to remain silent.”

Melody asked with a complex expression, “Was Mango’s body ever found?”

“No.” Nana shook her head. “I’ve been keeping an eye on this, but there’s never been any news from the school. I think either Janet and her family managed to suppress it, or Mango’s body was never discovered.”

Melody noted this information, listening as Nana recounted more of Janet’s minor misdeeds.

As the sky darkened, Melody finally interrupted. “Let’s leave it at that for today. If you remember anything important, let me know.”

“Okay.” Nana agreed.

As they were about to leave the coffee shop, Nana suddenly said, “Miss Fox, there’s one more thing. I’m not sure if I should mention it.”

Melody responded, “Go ahead.”

Nana hesitated and said, “Your eyes… They look a lot like Mango’s.”

Melody’s eyelids flickered, a complex emotion surging in her heart. She quickly composed herself, smiling faintly. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“What?” Nana was puzzled.

Melody’s smile deepened. “Didn’t you say Mango was a beautiful girl?”

Nana was momentarily stunned but understood Melody’s meaning. Melody indeed wasn’t conventionally “pretty,” but her eyes were reminiscent of Mango’s. However, they held a steadiness and sharpness Mango lacked.

Back at Herbathrive, Melody handed Nana to David and went to the backyard.

Zara was sound asleep, and after a glance, Melody returned to the front hall to help. She worked until past eleven.

David said, “Miss Fox, there’s one last patient. Let me handle it. You haven’t rested for hours.”

Melody replied, “It’s alright, I’ll take the last one.”

David was puzzled. “Miss Fox, are you in a bad mood?”

Melody looked up in confusion. “Why do you say that?”

David shook his head. “Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems you’re deliberately keeping yourself busy.”

Melody was startled and suddenly lost the desire to continue. She stood up and said, “I am a bit tired. You take the last patient.”

“Alright, you should rest.” David nodded.

自

Melody tried to smile but couldn’t manage it. She felt lost and upset and couldn’t tell why.

She wandered the streets aimlessly, unsure of how long she walked until her phone’s vibration stopped her.

Mechanically, she took out her phone and saw “Ken” on the caller ID. The name seemed to snap her back to reality.

Looking up, Melody realized she had walked from the city center to the outskirts. It was already past 2 am.

She had been walking for three hours! Her feet ached, and even her knees felt sore.

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Chapter 511

Melody stopped talking, but her eyes narrowed coldly, thinking, ‘Sid was so badly injured, but Janet was only hit on the back of her head?’

She had thought Janet would be the traitor but did not expect something to happen to Sid.

However, after thinking about it, Melody still did not say that she suspected Janet. She just followed in silence.

‘Ken probably can’t care less who the traitor is at this juncture. It’s more important to save Sid. We must save him. He must know something, such as who hurt him,’ Melody thought.

As the car sped along, Melody was not idle either. She searched for the latest news about Averi’s flight on her phone. The news was updating the progress of the search and rescue on the flight.

Regrettably, officials have announced that all passengers and crew members on the flight were not spared. All had lost their lives in this disaster.

Melody closed her eyes. Her heart was filled with endless anger and self-blame.

‘I’m the one who saved Averi, and I’m the one who caused her death. Perhaps Yolanda was right. I’m a jinx. I can only bring disaster to the people around me.’ With this thought in mind, Melody could not help but look sideways at Ken.

His originally black and white eyes were now filled with red blood vessels. His hands were tightly clenched into fists. She could see the veins on his arms bulging from clenching his fists too hard.

She had never seen Ken reveal such an expression. It was so uncomfortable that her heart skipped a beat.

She did not know when it started, but his emotions directly affected her heart.

Melody could not help but clench her fists as well.

*****

About twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of a small hospital. According to the coordinates James gave, Sid and Janet were resuscitated and treated here.

Ken opened the car door and went to the emergency room.

His leg was fractured, but he was running faster than Melody.

Melody believed her speed had surpassed ordinary people, but she could not catch up to Ken now.

Fortunately, the resuscitation room was on the first floor.

James had been telling Ken about Sid’s situation when Melody arrived there.

Melody quickened her pace and walked up to the two of them. She heard James say quickly, “This hospital often receives car accident patients, so they happen to have a few bags of RH-negative blood. However, Mr. Quant has lost too much blood. I’m afraid this bit of blood is not enough.”

“Have you contacted the other hospitals?” Ken asked. James nodded. “Yes, but we only found a few blood bags. We might have to find people with the same blood type alive.”

“Then look for it! No matter what compensation they want, I’ll satisfy them all as long as they can come over immediately and give blood to Sid.”

“Okay.”

Melody was about to walk into the resuscitation room to check on the situation when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She looked at Ken and said, “I remember someone who also has Rh-negative blood.”

“Who?” Ken asked,

“Zara. She mentioned to me by chance that she has Rh- Rh-negative blood,” Melody said as she dialed Zara’s number.

After two rings, Zara picked up. She seemed to be on set. The voice on the other end of the phone was noisy.

“Melody, why did you suddenly call me?” Zara asked.

Sid did not have much time left. Melody told Zara her request in the shortest terms.

When Zara heard this, she agreed without thinking. She said, “Alright, tell me the address. I’ll come over now.”

“Thank you…” said Melody.

“We’re friends. Besides, you’ve helped me before.”

“Yeah! We’re at…” Melody gave the hospital’s address and hung up the phone. She said to Ken, “Please wait for Zara at the door. I’ll go into the operating theater to check on the situation first. And James needs to contact the person in charge of this hospital. I’m afraid the doctors inside won’t let me participate in the rescue.”

“No problem.” Ken and James agreed at the same time.

The three of them did their jobs. Melody changed into sterile clothes in the medical corridor and quickly entered the resuscitation room.

In the resuscitation room, disinfectant mixed with the smell of blood. The smell was unbearable, but Melody did not even frown as she went to the operating table.

She looked up at the detector connected to Sid. The instrument showed that Sid had low body values.

His left and right hands were receiving blood transfusions, but the value did not increase at all.

The group of people did not notice Melody. They only saw the doctor in the lead check on Sid and heard him say, “He injured his heart. He has to undergo surgery immediately. Go outside and get the family members to sign it. After signing it, we’ll carry out the surgery, and there won’t be a dispute if we can’t save him.”

The assistant beside him said hesitantly, “Dr. Russo, the patient was sent by his friends. I’m afraid his family is not around. The situation is so urgent. Why don’t we operate first?”

“No! From his clothes, I can tell that his identity isn’t ordinary. If something happens, I won’t be able to bear the responsibility. Moreover, there are not enough blood bags. To put it bluntly, this bit of blood won’t last until we finish the surgery.”

Melody was about to go forward and communicate with the doctor about Sid’s condition. When she heard this, she immediately stopped in her tracks.

The doctor continued, “Instead of undergoing this impossible surgery, we might as well return this problem to them. Tsk, I’m unlucky to encounter such a surgery that will fail in a row.

The assistants and surgical nurses looked at each other, and the operating theater fell into an awkward silence.

Adrian also realized he had misspoken and accidentally said what was on his mind. He rubbed his nose and coughed dryly. “What are you waiting for? Go out and tell his friends.”

The assistants and nurses were unhappy but did not dare to refute. However, no one was willing to go against their conscience and say those words to the patient’s friends.

“You guys…-

Just as Adrian was about to curse, a cold voice filled with displeasure sounded. “Dr. Russo, right? You asked the family to sign it to give you a reason not to operate so you won’t get implicated? Where’s your professional ethics as a doctor? You’re not worthy of being a doctor at all. No, you’re not even worthy of being a human.”

The sudden scolding stunned Adrian. Who dared to scold me like that?”

He looked furiously in the direction of the voice, only to see it was a stranger he had never seen before.

‘Is she new here? How dare a newcomer say that about me? Does she not want to do it anymore? Adrian’s expression became even darker as he thought. His eyes burned with anger as he questioned, “What does a newcomer like you know? How did you get in? Who let you in? Get out of here quickly. If you continue talking nonsense here, I’ll let you leave immediately.”

Melody narrowed her eyes coldly and said. “You’re the one who should leave. Get out of my sight before I get angry.”

“You…” Adrian was furious. He took a few steps forward and reached out to slap Melody.

However, as soon as he raised his hand, Melody grabbed it tightly.

The next second, Melody turned around and kicked him in the back.

Adrian was caught off guard and fell to his knees. His knees hit the ground with a dull thud.

“Hiss…” Adrian was in so much pain that tears flew out of his eyes.

He was even more exasperated and shouted, “Are you all blind? Hurry up and catch her.”

Chapter 512

The doctors and nurses looked at each other. No one came forward for a long time. Instead, they felt relieved.

Melody could tell that the others still had medical ethics, but they did not dare to refute Adrian in person because of his identity.

Her expression softened slightly. ‘Fortunately, not everyone in this hospital is as inhumane as Adrian.’

Seeing that no one came up to help him, Adrian was even angrier. He threatened, “If you don’t come over and catch this lunatic, I’ll get all of you out of the hospital.”

As soon as he said this, a few people dared not pretend to be deaf and mute anymore. They took a few steps forward and surrounded Melody.

However, they did not attack Melody. They only advised,” Young lady, we’re undergoing surgery. You should go out first…”

“Yes, young lady, this is not a place for you to mess around. Dr. Russo… His father is the director.”

Melody frowned and asked, “The director of this hospital?” “Yes…”

Melody’s expression darkened. ‘No wonder these people look so afraid of him. When a father behaves wrongly, his son will do the same. The reverse is also true. If the director has a conscience and medical ethics, he won’t indulge his son to this extent. That director can’t be a good person.’

Adrian saw that Melody did not speak for a moment and thought she was afraid.

He immediately sneered and got up from the ground. “Bitch, now you’re afraid? Am I someone you can fight? But I can give you a chance since you’re new here. As long as you get down on your knees and lick my shoes clean, I’ll forgive you for not knowing what’s good for you. Otherwise, I can make you lose your job anytime.”

When the others in the resuscitation room heard this, they looked at Melody sympathetically but were not too surprised.

‘This can’t be the first time Adrian has bullied someone.

With this thought in mind, Melody let out a cold snort.

She said, “You want me to lick your shoes? Do you think you’re worthy?”

Adrian’s expression changed. “Bitch! Do you want to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit? Alright, I’ll fulfill your wish.”

He called out two people’s names and ordered with a dark expression, “Lock her up first. I’ll settle the score with her after I’m done with this patient.”

The two people who were called out felt they were unlucky. They looked at Melody with even more sympathy.

“Young lady, you’d better do as Dr. Russo says. Otherwise… we can’t help you.”

“Yes, young lady, you’ll suffer even more.”

“Hmph!” Adrian crossed his arms and raised his chin. He looked at Melody as if he were looking at an ant he could crush at will.

Melody narrowed her eyes coldly, but she heard footsteps. They’re coming…

She raised her right eyebrow and looked in the direction of the footsteps.

When Adrian saw her look away, he subconsciously turned to look behind him.

A muscular stranger led his father into the resuscitation room.

“Dad?” Adrian asked in confusion, “What brings you here?” Just as Lennon Russo, the director, was about to speak, Adrian said again, “You came at the right time. A lunatic barged into the emergency room and kicked me the moment she came up. Bring her out now. Teach her a lesson.”

Lennon’s face was filled with fear. He widened his eyes and said, “Idiot! Shut up!”

Adrian did not understand. “Dad, why did you tell me to shut up? She started it. Also, these people in the emergency room dared to disobey me and let this bitch teach me a lesson. Fire them.”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Lennon stepped forward in horror. Seeing that Adrian was about to continue speaking, he raised his hand and slapped Adrian hard.

With a crisp slap, Adrian’s eyes widened as he covered his face and looked at his father in disbelief. “Dad?”

“Stupid thing, don’t call me Dad. I don’t have a stupid son like you.” Lennon scolded. Feeling that his anger was not appeased, he raised his hand and slapped Adrian again. The slap this time was even harder, and Adrian’s face was directly slapped to the side.

This time, Adrian was stunned. He almost saw stars. He looked at his father and was completely speechless.

However, Lennon did not care about Adrian’s feelings at all. He walked to Melody and bowed deeply to her.

Adrian’s eyes widened when he saw this. ‘Did Father make a mistake? Why did he bow to a newcomer?

Lennon bowed three times in a row and apologized to Melody with an apologetic expression. “Miss Fox, I’m sorry. My stupid pig-like son failed to recognize you. I hope you can forgive me and not lower yourself to the level of a pig.” Melody said indifferently, “Your son’s mistake is not just his lack of upbringing. A person like him who has no respect for life is not qualified to be a doctor.”

Although Lennon did not know what had happened, with his understanding of Adrian, he roughly knew why Melody was angry.

He smiled apologetically and said, “I didn’t teach my son well. I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you. But he’s not like this usually… Moreover, he’s an idiot. How can he compare to a famous doctor like you, Miss Fox?”

Adrian was stunned and could not help but ask, “Famous doctor? What famous doctor?”

Lennon glared at Adrian and said, “This is the miracle-working doctor from First Hospital. Apologize to Dr. Fox now.”

“Her? Dad, are you mistaken? She looks younger than me. How can she be a famous doctor? Don’t be fooled by her.” “Bastard!” Lennon kicked Adrian and said, “The director of First Hospital called personally. How can it be fake?”

Melody looked up at James when she heard this.

James quickly walked to her and said in a voice that only he and Melody could hear, “Mr. Quant’s identity is special, so I didn’t tell them our identity, I only contacted the director of First Hospital and asked them to lend you their resuscitation room.”

Melody nodded.

Sid’s identity was indeed special. Quant family’s main branch could be said to be a top-notch wealthy family in Insterimond. If the news of Sid’s sudden accident spread to Insterimond, there would probably be chaos.

At the same time, Lennon had already pulled Adrian over to bow and apologize to Melody.

Adrian was still skeptical about Melody’s identity, but he did not dare to disobey his father’s order for the time being. He could only endure the humiliation and say, “Dr. Fox, I was blind. Please give me a chance to turn over a new leaf…

Melody frowned and said, “I don’t have time to deal with you now. After the surgery, we’ll settle all the scores slowly.” At that time, not only would she seek justice for Sid and herself, but she would also investigate how many ridiculous things this hospital had done under the father and son’s management.

Adrian sneered in his heart. ‘Settling scores? This hospital belongs to my father. Once this woman leaves, who will dare to settle scores with me? Adrian thought so in his heart, but on the surface, he nodded hypocritically. “Yes, yes, yes. The patient is more important. However, do you mean that you want to be the chief surgeon for the patient yourself?

Chapter 513

Melody looked at Adrian expressionlessly. “If it’s not me, are you willing to be the chief surgeon?”

“No, no, no…” Adrian waved his hands. ‘How can I take over this mess? I’m not stupid.

However, Adrian quickly realized that it was not good for him to reject Melody like this. He added, “You’re a miracle-working doctor. With you here, I might not as well cause trouble.”

Melody could not be bothered with Adrian anymore. After letting the unrelated personnel, including Lennon and James, leave, she walked to the operating table and asked a few surgical assistants about Sid’s situation.

These assistants were very professional. They reported every detail to Melody. “The patient’s blood pressure and heart rate…”

Melody frowned when she heard this because Sid’s situation was worse than she had imagined.

He had been stabbed a total of three times, almost fatally. If the people in the ambulance did not do as she said, Sid would have died long ago.

However, what sent chills down Melody’s spine was that she was afraid she couldn’t change anyone’s fate.

In his previous life, Sid had never suffered such a serious injury. In the end, he died suddenly. Although the situation in this life was different, unfortunately, his life was in anger. ‘What if fate can not be changed at all? Even if I save Sid’s life this time, will there be a next time? If a person is destined to die, no matter how hard I try, will that person still die young in the end? Even if I changed the process, the time of the incident, and the cause of the incident itself, if the outcome does not change no matter what, then not only will Sid’s fate be unchanged, but my fate will also be unchanged. I’ll still die at the hands of the Fox family and Ulric.’ Looking at Sid before her, Melody felt that she was not fighting against death, but against fate…

The more Melody thought about it, the more afraid she became. The helplessness and despair assaulted her heart. A layer of cold sweat even appeared on her forehead.

Adrian, who had shamelessly stayed in the resuscitation room, saw Melody’s pale face and sweat all over her body. His heart was filled with mockery.

‘It seems that this woman is afraid. She had vowed to be the chief surgeon but did not know how serious the patient’s injuries were. Now that she hears about the patient’s condition, she probably only feels regret. However, this is good, too. This patient looks like he comes from a wealthy family. Perhaps he has a strong background. If he dies and his family investigates, not only can I escape responsibility, but even my father’s hospital will not get implicated because we had only “kindly” provided the resuscitation room. The person who operates on the patient is not us at all, but this ungrateful woman in front of me.’ The more Adrian thought about it, the more he felt that even God was helping him.

At the thought of this, Adrian even deliberately stepped forward to flatter Melody. “Yes, the patient’s injuries are serious, but with a miracle-working doctor like Miss Fox, I’m sure she can turn the tide.”

At this moment, Melody also came back to her senses. She coldly told Adrian to shut up and then asked a few surgical assistants to prepare before the surgery.

She still had time to argue with Adrian and the others just now because Zara had not arrived yet.

Before she had enough blood bags, she could not undergo surgery rashly.

However, looking at the time now, she knew Zara should be arriving soon and that she could start preoperative preparations first.

When Adrian saw that Melody focused on her preoperative preparations, he thought it was because of his “flatter” that Melody was in a difficult position and could only brace herself and go ahead even if the surgery was not easy. He was so happy that he almost laughed out loud.

Fortunately, no one noticed his expression.

At this moment, someone brought Zara into the emergency room.

The resuscitation room was filled with the smell of blood.

Zara had never seen such a scene before. The moment she entered the resuscitation room, she felt her stomach churning and she almost vomited. Even so, Zara endured the discomfort and walked forward. ‘Melody, I’m here Melody nodded and said gratefully and guiltily, “Thank you” Although there were only two words, she and Zara hit it off at first sight. There was no need for more words between them.

Zara smiled, but when she realized she was wearing a mask and Melody could not see it, she said, “No need. I often donate blood. Not only for the sake of doing good but also so that someone can be like me when I encounter danger in the future.”

Melody nodded again and led Zara to the small bed beside the operating table.

The small bed was prepared just now. Melody knew that Zara probably did not want to see a bloody scene, so she specially called a few assistant doctors to separate a piece of cloth between the two beds.

Soon, everything was ready. The surgery had begun.

In the resuscitation room, the surgery was being carried out nervously.

Outside the resuscitation room, Ken wasn’t idle either. After pacing back and forth, he still found the number of Sid’s father, Sebastian Quant, in his contact list.

When James saw this, he boldly reminded him, “Mr. Swanson, Quant family people already had many misunderstandings about you. Now that Mr. Quant has such a thing, are you sure you want to tell them? This will make them dislike you even more.”

Ken turned to look at James. “Don’t forget that Sid is their son. They have the right to know how dangerous Sid’s situation is now.

Moreover, Sid is too seriously injured. Although Melody’s medical skills are superb, there are always accidents.”

James opened his mouth, but in the end, he closed it. ‘Mr. Swanson is right. It will be best if Melody can save Mr. Quant, but if Mr. Quant dies and people of the Quant family don’t even see Mr. Quant for the last time, they will only hate Mr. Swanson, who hid it from them, even more.’

A few seconds after the call was made, the call ended.

Sebastian hung up. It was enough to show how much Sebastian disliked Ken.

However, Ken’s expression did not change at all. He dialed that number again.

This time, Sebastian finally picked up the call, but his tone was unfriendly. “I was wondering why Insterimond’s wind was so strong today. I didn’t expect it to be Mr. Swanson calling. I wonder what you want, Mr. Swanson?”

Anyone of good sense could hear the mockery in Sebastian’s words, but Ken didn’t seem to notice it at all. He maintained politeness and said, “Sebastian, I have something to tell you.”

“Oh, I can’t afford to be treated so respectfully by you. Those who don’t know better would think that I conspired with you to cripple your brother’s leg,” Sebastian said.

As soon as he said this, James, standing at the side, instantly got furious.

However, Ken acted as if he didn’t hear that at all. Ignoring Sebastian’s words, he continued, “Sid was seriously injured at the airport and was stabbed three times. One of the stabs pierced his heart and he’s currently in the emergency room.’

The person on the other end of the phone instantly fell silent.

After a few seconds, Sebastian’s crazy roar came from the phone, “Ken, if my son doesn’t wake up safely, I won’t let you off.”

“Don’t worry. If Sid doesn’t make it, I’ll cripple my right arm. You don’t have to do it yourself.” Ken’s expression remained unchanged.

Chapter 514

James was instantly shocked by Ken’s words.

However, on the other end of the phone, Sebastian’s tone became even crazier. “Crippling your right arm? Save it! Sid is naive and deceived by you. You can’t deceive me. If something happens to him, I’ll take your life.”

Ken did not answer and only gave the hospital’s address.

As soon as he said the address, Sebastian hung up the phone. ‘He must have left directly to come over, Ken thought.

James asked carefully, “Mr. Swanson. If something happens to Mr. Quant, are you going to cripple your right arm for real?”

“A gentleman never goes back on his word,” Ken said. “But-“

At this moment, a nurse rushed over.

However, when she saw the extraordinarily handsome Ken, she suddenly stopped. Her eyes lit up, and she forgot why she was there.

It was only when James reminded her that the young nurse returned to her senses and said, “Is the patient in Ward 1101 your friend?’ She’s awake.”

James immediately turned to Ken and asked, “Miss Murphy is awake. Do you want to go over and take a look?”

“Okay.” Ken nodded and walked toward Ward 1101.

While they carried out the mission, they turned off all the surveillance cameras at the airport to prevent the Blevins family from checking the surveillance footage after Averi went missing.

Therefore, no one else knew what had happened other than the witnesses. And Janet might very well be the only witness.

Ken couldn’t help but quicken his pace and walk toward the elevator.

After entering the elevator, James could not help but say,” Mr. Swanson, there’s something I don’t know if I should say.” Ken gave James a look that said, “Just say it.”

James carefully recounted what Sid had told him to Ken. Then, he observed Ken’s expression and asked, “Do you think Mr. Quant was injured because…”

“Shut up,” Ken said.

“Okay.” James immediately lowered his head and said, “I shouldn’t have speculated about Miss Murphy. Please punish me.”

However, after James finished speaking, Ken remained silent.

His gaze was fixed on the display screen on the elevator, but it didn’t seem to be there at all.

James felt puzzled. ‘It’s hard to guess what Mr. Swanson is thinking. I’ve been with Mr. Swanson for so many years,

but even today, I can’t read his mind.’ He couldn’t judge from Ken’s reaction whether he trusted Janet or suspected her.

Before James could look at Ken’s expression carefully, the elevator had already reached the eleventh floor.

Ken strode out of the elevator and went to Ward 1101. Just as they reached the door, they heard Janet arguing with the medical staff.

“Don’t stop me. I’m going to see how my friend is,” said Janet.

“Miss, just chill. You just woke up from a concussion. If you’re agitated, you’ll easily faint again. We’ll help you ask your friend about the situation. Lie down and rest first,” the nurse persuaded.

“Rest? If your friend’s life is in danger, can you rest? Get lost! Don’t stop me.”

“But… Miss…”

Ken stepped through the door. “Janet.”

Janet stopped pushing the nurse and looked up at Ken and James. They were walking toward her.

She ran out of bed the next second and grabbed Ken’s hand. “How is Sid? Is he alright now?”

Ken pursed his lips and did not reply.

Janet’s eyes darkened. She looked at James and said, ” James, just tell me.”

James lowered his head and said, “Miss Fox is operating on Mr. Quant in the emergency room. We don’t know the details, but they said the situation is dangerous.”

Janet’s legs went weak. She sat on the ground dejectedly and muttered to herself, “It’s all my fault… It’s all my fault…” “James.” Ken glanced at James.

James immediately understood and went forward to pull Janet up from the ground. “Miss Murphy, you’re injured too. Go and sit on the bed first.”

Janet shook her head. Tears flowed down her face as she said, “You guys don’t know. Sid was injured to save me.”

Ken frowned and asked James to help Janet to the bed while he gestured for the nurse to leave first.

After the nurse closed the door and left, Ken asked, “Janet, calm down and tell me slowly. What exactly happened?” “That’s right,” James also asked anxiously, “Didn’t I tell you to run west? Why did you go east?”

Janet lowered her eyes and said in a self-reproaching tone, I was going to run west, but I saw two people staring at me from the west. I was sure those two people were not our men, so I subconsciously ran in the opposite direction.

I thought the mission was to get the portrait anyway. And at that time, I thought as long as I could get it, it didn’t matter where I ran. So I took the little girl to the bathroom on the west side. But after I got the painting and told the young lady to leave, I was about to walk out of the bathroom when the two men staring at me appeared at the door.

“They had knives in their hands. I had to give them the painting first. However, they wanted to silence me after they took the painting away. Fortunately, Sid appeared in time and fought with those two people. Later on, you also knew that he was stabbed three times and fell to the

ground. I wanted to avenge Sid, but I was no match for them. They knocked me out. I don’t know what happened after that.”

Ken said calmly, “You said that they wanted to silence you, but you only have blunt weapon injuries on you.”

Janet’s eyelids twitched as she asked in disbelief, “Ken, what do you mean by that? Are you suspecting me?”

Ken shook his head. “I don’t mean that. I only want to restore the scene.

“I don’t know why they didn’t kill me…” Janet shook her head and said in despair, “I would rather be the one who was stabbed. If something happens to Sid, I will never forgive myself for the rest of my life. But I think it was because someone happened to pass by the bathroom door. They didn’t want to be discovered, so they ran away.”

Ken was silent for two seconds before saying, “Rest well first. Don’t worry about anything else. Sid has Melody. On the other hand, if your concussion becomes serious, your life will be in danger.”

Janet nodded with an uncomfortable expression. She bit her lower lip hard and said, “Alright, I’ll rest well and not cause trouble for you. But you must tell me immediately after Sid’s surgery is successful.”

“Okay.” Ken nodded and turned to leave.

They walked out of the ward. After James closed the door, he asked in a low voice, “Mr. Swanson, do you need me to check if the two people Miss Murphy said watching her existed at the airport?”

As James spoke, he was afraid Ken would blame him. He added, “I’m not suspecting Miss Murphy. But if we check the surveillance cameras, we might catch those guys who attacked Sid.”

“Didn’t you turn off the airport surveillance cameras?”

“But we installed our surveillance cameras nearby to monitor Averi’s family’s every move.”

Ken was silent for two seconds. His voice was so faint that there was no emotion. “Then go and check it.”

“Okay.” James nodded.

However, something happened.

♡

Chapter 515

Behind the door of the ward, Janet retracted the ear pressed against the door.

She heard every word of their conversation outside.

Her expression was indifferent, and there was no trace of the previous sadness and self-blame. Instead, it was cold.” Ken is suspecting me…’

James might not have noticed it, but she knew Ken better than James.

From his tone, it was obvious that he wanted to check the surveillance footage because he did not trust her, not to catch those two people who did not exist, as James had said.

However, she did not understand. She had already followed what Ulric had taught her. She also believed that her acting skills were flawless. Even she almost believed it.

‘But why did Ken still suspect me? Melody must have said something to Ken. That’s why he planted the seed of doubt in his heart.’ With this thought in mind, Janet bit her lower lip hard. Her eyes were filled with hatred, but at the same time, she was also filled with panic. ‘If that damn bitch Melody saves Sid, won’t everything I did be exposed?’

Janet regretted that she hadn’t stabbed Sid more times. ‘I should have just cut his neck with a knife.’

The more Janet thought about it, the angrier she became. She cursed Melody in her heart.

But soon, Janet narrowed her eyes coldly and her mind slowly calmed down.

‘Even if Sid’s surgery is successful, it’ll take some time for him to wake up. I can join forces with Ulric and find a suitable time to attack Sid. As for Ken’s doubts…’ The corners of Janet’s lips curled up, and her originally exquisite face revealed a sly smile.

‘Ken is a loyal person. If something happens to Sid, he must be blaming himself. What if something happens to me too? At that time, Ken probably would forget about investigating those surveillance cameras, Janet thought.

*****

At the same time, in the emergency room.

Under the operation of Melody, the surgery entered the most dangerous moment.

Of the three slashes Sid suffered, two had hit the liver and one had pierced the heart.

It was already a medical miracle that he didn’t die at the airport and persevered until he was sent to the emergency room. Or rather, his willpower was strong.

He did not want to die. Or rather, he was unwilling to die just like that.

As the chief surgeon and Sid’s friend, Melody could

naturally feel Sid’s tenacious willpower. She was even more careful when performing the surgery.

Sweat kept appearing on her forehead. The nurse who wiped her sweat changed her sweat wipes one after another.

However, while Melody tried hard to save Sid on the operating table, Adrian was in the resuscitation room’s corner. He was scrolling through his phone in boredom. Occasionally, he found the Instagram of one of his university roommates.

If he remembered correctly, this roommate was currently working at First Hospital.

‘First Hospital… Didn’t Father say that Melody was First Hospital’s famous doctor?’ Adrian decisively found that friend to type and chat to find out if Melody had any background and if her medical skills were good.

Adrian: [Are you there?]

Adrian’s roommate quickly replied: [Hey, I can’t believe the future director has the time to chat with a nobody like me.]

Adrian: [Don’t tease me. You’ll get a lot of benefits in the future. I have something to ask you.]

Adrian’s roommate: [Go ahead.]

Adrian looked in the direction of Melody and typed quickly. [Is there a famous doctor in your hospital who is young and a woman?]

Adrian’s roommate: [Yes. Didn’t I mention it when we were gaming last week?]

Adrian’s temples throbbed. His roommate had mentioned it to him, but he did not care about First Hospital, so he did not pay much attention.

However, now that he thought about it, his roommate said that the miracle-working doctor’s medical skills were superb. She was the apple of First Hospital’s director’s eye. Adrian continued to ask: [Where did this miracle-working doctor come from? Is her medical skills as superb as the rumors say?]

Adrian’s roommate: [How can this be fake? Don’t you know what kind of person our hospital director is? If she doesn’t have some ability, how can he cherish her? Also, even our hospital’s Rodney, known as Golden Scalpel, admires her.] Adrian gritted his teeth in jealousy. ‘Previously, I wanted Rodney to be my teacher. Unexpectedly, Rodney turned around and took this little girl as his teacher. Still…’

Adrian suddenly thought of something. ‘If Melody has no background and the surgery is successful, I can take all the credit. In any case, the people in the emergency room are all employees of my hospital. What I say is the truth. However, if the surgery fails, I can get away with it. Why not?’ Adrian tried his best to suppress the smile on his face and continued typing. [Then, does this miracle-working doctor have any powerful background or backing?]

Adrian’s roommate: [I’ve never heard of that. I only learned from a few nurses that she seems to have been chased out by her family. Oh, right, she also majored in both traditional and modern medicine. She usually consults at Herbathrive.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. ‘Herbathrive? It’s only a traditional medicine clinic that modern medicine will completely be replaced soon.

(Is this the background of Melody?] Adrian confirmed.

[Melody?] Adrian’s roommate sent a question mark over and said: [The famous doctor in our hospital is Wilona Knowles, not Melody.]

Adrian’s expression froze. [Wilona? Are you sure her last name is not Fox?]

Adrian’s roommate: [I’m sure. I even saw her employment form in the human resources department by chance.

However, why are you suddenly asking about the miracle-working doctor in our hospital? Do you want to acknowledge her as your teacher? You’re outstanding, man. Your family runs a hospital, but you still try to improve your medical skills. Oh, outstanding people work harder than me, a nobody. How can ordinary people like me survive?] Adrian’s roommate was flattering him, so Adrian agreed. [It’s only right to work hard. Thank you for the information. I’ll get back to work.]

After that, he turned off his phone and looked coldly at Melody beside the operating table.

‘Miracle-working doctor? Bullshit! It seems that this bitch faked the phone call from the director of First Hospital. Damn it! How dare she pretend to be a famous doctor, causing my father to slap me a few times and even kick me? I have to teach her a lesson.’ with those thoughts in mind, Adrian walked toward the operating table, intending to teach Melody a lesson.

“Bitch!” Adrian’s eyes shone with pride as he said coldly, Stop immediately. I’ve already found out your identity. You’re not a miracle-working doctor at all. The miracle-working doctor from First Hospital’s name is Wilona. What an idiot. You don’t even know her name when you pretend to be someone else,”

When Melody heard Adrian’s words, she pursed her lips coldly.

The name she used when she joined Silverlake Central Hospital was Wilona.

However, the surgery was at the most critical moment. She

did not want to be distracted, so she did not even look at Adrian.

When Adrian saw that Melody dared to ignore him, he was furious. “Bitch, you’re courting death.”

♡

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Chapter 506

“Damn it!” Janet gritted her teeth. If she used any more strength, her white teeth would have been crushed by her.

She had to wait at least 15 minutes for Ulric, but now that Averi’s family was about to arrive at the airport, she couldn’t wait that long.

For now, she could only rely on herself.

Janet took a deep breath and tried to maintain a calm appearance.

She took out a retractable dagger from her pocket. The dagger emitted a faint cold light, but Janet’s eyes were colder.

She closed her eyes, a clear plan forming in her mind.

Janet left the bathroom two minutes later and saw Sid washing his hands at the sink.

Janet was shocked. She had lost control of her emotions for a few seconds and spoke slightly too loudly on the phone. She wondered if Sid had heard anything…

While feeling nervous, Janet observed the expression on Sid’s face while maintaining her calmness. She asked tentatively, “Why are you in the bathroom too? Didn’t you mock me for going to the bathroom at a time like this?”

Sid shook off the water stains on his hands and said, “I don’t want to go to the bathroom either, but as a man ages, his functions of the lower body are not as good as before.”

When Janet saw that Sid still looked cheeky, the doubts in her heart immediately dissipated.

She replied as usual, “Sid, can you talk like a normal person?” Sid smiled. Then, he said even more shamelessly, “You’re not the first one to say that. The girls I dated all said that I’m not a normal person. They said I’m a perpetual motion machine and never get tired in bed.”

Janet’s expression darkened. She was not in the mood to continue fooling around with Sid. She changed the topic and asked, “How many minutes until the Blevins family arrives?”

“I just received a message from James. They just arrived at the underground garage, and it will probably take them seven to eight minutes to get to this floor. You can go and prepare now,” Sid said. He turned around, looked at her, and asked, “Why did James say he couldn’t get through to you just now? Did you turn off your phone?”

Janet pretended to be calm. “No, I thought I was almost done, so I didn’t answer.”

“Oh…” Sid raised his eyebrows and put his hand on her shoulder. “Let’s go, old comrade. We’ve fought together for so many years, from school to work. It is the first time you’re taking on the responsibility alone. Honestly, I came here today because I’m a little nervous. I specially came to relieve some pressure for you.”

Janet’s expression stiffened slightly. But she quickly regained her calm smile and said, “Thank you. I’ve always known you’re not as unreliable as you look.”

“Yeah.” Sid patted her shoulder and said, “Janet, I’m sure you can complete the mission. You only have to let go of all the pressure and distracting thoughts. I’ll wait for you in the west. Remember, don’t run in another direction. We don’t have anyone planted elsewhere. It’s difficult for you to complete the mission alone. If the Blevins family’s bodyguards find Averi, our plan will fail.”

‘They didn’t plant anyone else… Janet silently remembered Sid’s words and nodded. “Okay.”

Soon, the two of them returned to the small room.

Janet picked up the bag with pen and paper inside and turned to look at James and Sid. “Wait for my good news. I’ Il come back with the portrait.”

Sid smiled and gave her a praising sign. James also said, ” Best of luck.”

The two of them watched Janet leave the small room.

After the footsteps faded, James could not help but turn to

ask Sid, “Mr. Quant, did you hear something when you went to the bathroom?”

Sid nodded and shook his head. 1 only hope that she can turn back and repent.”

James was shocked. ‘She contacted Ulric-

“Shh.” Sid made a shushing gesture and said, “Give her one last chance. If she can turn back, we’ll pretend that we don’t know anything. Don’t tell Ken either.”

James nodded with difficulty, wondering, Why did Miss Murphy betray us?

Compared to Melody, he trusted Janet 100%. However, this person had become a spy among them.

A pained expression appeared in James’s eyes. He asked Sid sadly, “Mr. Quant, do you think everyone will change? Yes and no. It all depends on what that person wants

James shook his head in confusion. I’m sorry, Mr. Quant. I’m slow. I don’t understand.”

“There’s no need to understand.” Sid stared at the screen Averi and the others were here. I’ll wait for Janet in the west.”

“Okay…”

As soon as Sid left, James’s gaze fell on the surveillance footage.

Averi’s family had already appeared in the surveillance camera. Dozens of bodyguards followed behind them, attracting the attention of many passengers.

Averi’s parents seemed to be in a good mood. They were chatting and laughing, but Averi frowned deeply, looking depressed.

At the airport lobby.

“Averi, Averi, slow down!” Therese Blevins, Aver’s mother, caught up in Avery’s footsteps and said, “Didn’t I tell you to follow us closely?”

Averi stopped and said, “Mom, Dad, I don’t want to go overseas. Aren’t we living well in Silverlake? Why do we have to go overseas and choose such an urgent time? I don t even have the chance to say goodbye to my friend.”

Therese unhurriedly swept away Averi’s hair and said, “My good daughter, everything Mom and Dad have done is for you. Someone has already arranged for us to live overseas, and your father’s company has also obtained the qualifications to be stationed overseas. From now on, it will be an international company. Also, the school you went to is the best overseas…”

Averi covered her ears. “Stop talking. You must be hiding something from me.”

Therese looked at her husband awkwardly.

Gustave Blevins frowned and said, “You’re not a child anymore. Why are you still so willful? Our entire family will be in danger if we stay in the country. Isn’t it good to continue living your life as a rich young lady overseas?” “What danger? Why am I in danger? Averi asked.

Gustave’s expression softened. “I will explain everything to you when we are overseas. But before that, you are not allowed to be willful.”

Averi took a deep breath and her expression turned even darker. However, she was still a child. She couldn’t go against her parents’ wishes.

Soon, the family of three arrived at the registration counter and queued up.

However, just as they reached the back of the line, a group of airport staff immediately walked toward them.

Averi’s parents immediately became alert. Gustave asked solemnly, “What do you want?”

The leading staff revealed a standard smile and said, “Sir, there’s no need to panic. Here is the thing. We noticed a group of people following behind you-*

Gustave interrupted the staff, “Oh, they are my bodyguards, not bad people.”

“No.” The staff continued, “The security at the airport hasn’t been good recently. The higher-ups are very strict. You brought too many bodyguards. We have to confirm their identities one after another and confirm that they are all people with no criminal records.”

Chapter 507

Gustave asked with a dark expression, “What do you mean by that? What do you mean by no criminal record? Who do you think I am?”

The staff maintained a polite smile. “Sir, you’ve misunderstood us. We’re just following the rules. It’s not just you. We’ve already checked many batches of passengers today. And don’t worry, once we confirm their identities, we’ll bring them back.”

“There’s nothing wrong with their identities. They were all hired by a legitimate bodyguard company. There’s no need to investigate,” said Gustave.

Therese echoed unhappily, “Who knows how long it will take you to check? It’s almost time for us to board the plane. Can you afford to bear the responsibility if it delays?” “Please don’t make things difficult for us. We’re only doing things according to the rules…” the staff explained.

The two sides were in a deadlock for a long time, attracting the attention of many passing passengers.

Then, the airport broadcast suddenly reminded them that Averi’s family’s flight would be delayed by an hour because of the control tower.

“Dad, Mom.” Averi couldn’t stand the gazes of the passers-by and urged, “Didn’t they say that the others will have to be investigated if they brought bodyguards? Just cooperate with them. Besides, we have an extra hour now. We have enough time.”

Averi’s parents were decent people. They didn’t want to be treated as street shrews by passers-by, so they could only nod with a dark expression. “Hurry up and investigate. We don’t have much patience.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.” The staff thanked them politely and left with a group of bodyguards.

Gustave looked at the group of people leaving and pursed his lips in frustration. “What’s going on? It wasn’t so troublesome to register in the past…”

Therese said in a low voice, “Is it related to the fire? That day, there were more than 20 places on fire.”

Gustave’s eyes darkened and he warned in a low voice, What do you think this place is? Be careful what you say.” “Got it.” Therese knew that she had misspoken. She kept quiet and looked elsewhere.

A few staff members walked toward them with a bunch of balloons.

The staff member in the lead sensed their gaze and walked forward with a smile. “Madam, it’s the 20th anniversary of Peace Airlines. Scan the QR code and follow us, and we can give you a balloon.”

“No need.” Therese frowned.

However, the staff member was enthusiastic. He continued, “Madam, the balloon is free. It has Peace Airlines’

trademark corporate logo printed on it. Take one for your child.”

A few other staff members with a bunch of balloons also gathered around.

The balloons almost blocked Gustave and his wife’s line of sight. “Madam, take a balloon. This balloon is specially made by our airline. You can bring it on the flight…”

Averi was young but matured early and was not interested in these things.

She subconsciously took a few steps back to prevent the staff from pestering her.

However, in the next second, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

Averi subconsciously followed the hand and looked up, only to see a slightly cold face.

This woman looks familiar. I think I’ve seen her somewhere before. With this thought in mind, Averi asked, “Are you-” Before Averi could finish, the woman said, “I’m Melody’s friend. My name is Janet. Can you come with me?”

“Melody?” Averi’s eyes immediately lit up. She remembered that this woman was indeed Melody’s friend. She had seen her at the entrance of the youth center.

However, Averi still subconsciously looked in her parents’ direction. Seeing that the balloon pile had blocked their figures, she hesitated before nodding and saying, “Okay.”

Janet tightened her grip on the girl’s hand. Then, without any hesitation, she ran in the opposite direction.

Averi’s parents finally broke away from the difficult staff two minutes later.

“I don’t know what’s happening today, but there are so many troubles,” Gustave complained and looked in Averi’s direction.

However, after walking around, he did not find Averi.

Gustave was shocked and asked Therese loudly, “Where’s Averi?”

“Isn’t Averi…” Therese realized that Averi was gone. She was shocked and shouted, “Averi! Averi!”

“Quick! Make a call,” Gustave urged her.

Their panicked voices were buried in the crowd in the airport lobby.

*****

However, Janet had taken Averi to the bathroom in the east. Janet quickly took out a maintenance sign from the utility room and led Averi into the bathroom.

While Janet was busy, Averi was not idle either.

After turning off her phone, she looked around the bathroom and did not see Melody. Confused, Averi could not help but ask Janet, “Janet, where’s Melody? I’m going overseas soon. I want to see her one last time. By the way, how did you know I was at the airport?”

“She was injured in the fire. She can’t come in person.” Janet casually came up with a reason and ignored Averi’s last question. She asked Averi, “Previously, Melody asked you to draw a portrait. Did you draw it?”

“Yes. My parents won’t let me participate in this matter, but I promised Melody that I would draw one for her, so I secretly drew one. I happened to bring it here.” As Averi spoke, she took her backpack off her shoulder. After rummaging through it, she pulled out a piece of sketch paper.

“This is it.” Janet immediately reached out to take it.

On the sketch paper was a lifelike human face. One could track down the person soon if they ran face comparisons through this.

A dark glint flashed across Janet’s eyes, but she quickly regained her smile and said, “Thank you. You’ve worked hard. Hurry up and go back to your parents. They must be anxious.”

“Okay. Please tell Melody that I’m grateful to her. I won’t forget her.”

“Alright, Janet replied perfunctorily. She pushed Averi’s back and said, “Hurry up and leave. Don’t tell your parents that you saw me.”

“I know. Goodbye, Janet.” Averi waved her hand and left the bathroom.

As soon as Averi left, Janet’s eyes suddenly turned cold.

She took out the lighter in her hand and lit it up. Then, she placed the flame close to the sketch paper. The burnt smell immediately spread in the air.

The corners of Janet’s lips curled up. When she was

waiting for the flame to devour the sketch paper, footsteps suddenly sounded at the door.

Before she could react, Sid’s face came into view. “Janet, what are you doing?”

“Sid…” Janet’s pupils suddenly shrank to a point. Because she was too frightened, she even reflexively hid the lit sketch paper behind her.

However, this action was no different from exposing herself. Soon, the flame burned her fingers.

She was in so much pain that she subconsciously threw away the sketch paper.

Janet wanted to pick it up again, but Sid had already stepped on the sketch paper and extinguished the fire.

Chapter 508

Seeing Sid’s actions, Janet’s entire body stiffened and she could barely speak.

Sid picked up the sketch paper on the ground. After confirming that he could still recognize the portrait, he looked at Janet coldly.

Janet’s back stiffened under that gaze and she subconsciously took two steps back. “Sid, you…”

Janet couldn’t help but think, ‘His gaze is like looking at a stranger. No! He won’t look at strangers so coldly.

Sid closed his eyes in disappointment. “Janet, is this what you meant by ‘waiting for your good news’?”

Janet quickly shook her head and said with trembling lips,” No, Sid, it’s not what you see.”

“Huh…” Sid laughed and asked, “It’s not what I think. Do you think I’m blind, or do you think I’m not smart? Janet, don’t forget that my results were better than yours when studying.”

No color could be seen on Janet’s face. Even her lips were pale.

She wanted to explain but didn’t know how because Sid had seen everything.

Seeing that she was silent, Sid said expressionlessly, “Let me guess what the ‘good news’ you brought back is. It should be that the portrait was burned by Ulric’s people, right? I think you might deliberately injure yourself to gain our trust.” As Sid spoke, he glanced at Janet’s pocket. Janet subconsciously looked down and saw that the extendable dagger was half-exposed from her pocket. She quickly stuffed the retractable dagger back, but this action was meaningless: And her explanation made no sense.

Janet gritted her teeth and asked, “When did you find out…” Her voice was trembling.

Janet’s words were equivalent to admitting that she had betrayed them.

However, the two of them had been good friends for many years. In the end, Sid could not bear to see it. He decided to let her “die” in peace, so he answered patiently, “On the day the youth center caught fire.”

Janet’s eyelids twitched. “You heard what I said when I called in the alley?”

“Only a few words. I didn’t hear them very well. At that time, it was just suspicion, but I’m sure today in the bathroom.”

“You heard everything?”

Sid frowned and said, “That’s right. Also, James didn’t call you at all. I was the one who called you. You’re smart and cautious. You even knew to change your card when you called so we wouldn’t find out. But Janet, have you heard the saying that God watches what you do? As long as you have a guilty conscience, you can’t keep a secret forever.” Janet’s eyes were filled with despair. She smiled sadly and asked, “If you know, Ken should know it too, right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent me for today’s mission.” “You’re wrong.” Sid shook his head and said, “Ken doesn’t know anything. I didn’t tell him. Firstly, I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake and misunderstand you. Secondly, I want to give you one last chance.”

He lifted the sketch and said, “Unfortunately, you didn’t take this last chance.”

Janet’s eyes lit up. She automatically ignored everything else and only heard the words “Ken doesn’t know anything.”

She lowered her eyes slowly, and a cold light filled with hostility was hidden deep in her eyes.

However, her long and thick eyelashes covered the change in her expression. When she looked up, she already had a self-reproaching and aggrieved expression.

Janet’s expression was usually cold and aloof, like a high and mighty goddess. Now, her expression made her look a little more lively.

She swallowed her saliva and her throat moved up and down with her actions. She smiled bitterly and said, “Sid, if I had a choice, would I choose to betray you? You know me. For Ken, I can become enemies with the entire world. If I wasn’t forced, why would I do such a thing? Just take it that I’m begging you. Just pretend that you didn’t see anything, okay?”

When Sid saw tears flowing from Janet’s eyes, he closed his eyes with mixed feelings. But his tone was resolute.” Janet, it’s too late for you to say this now. Since you chose to work for Ulric, you should have known from the beginning that you are already our enemy. I can’t pretend that I didn’t see anything. Come back with me now and tell Ken everything.”

After Sid finished speaking, he grabbed the painting with one hand and Janet’s wrist with the other. He was about to pull her out.

“No, Sid! Just take it that I’m begging you. I’m begging you, alright? This is the first time I’ve helped him. I swear there won’t be a next time.” As Janet spoke, she bent her legs and knelt before Sid.

“I’m begging you, Sid. We’ve been friends for so many years. Are you going to leave me in the lurch? If you take me to see Ken, he won’t forgive me. From now on, we’ll be strangers when we meet again. Are you going to let things develop like this?” Janet asked.

Sid frowned and said coldly, “Did I let things develop like this? If you don’t want others to know, don’t do it. This time, you’ve disappointed all of us. Don’t kneel anymore. Come with me. Otherwise, I’ll directly inform them to come here and take you away in public.”

Janet’s expression was dark. “Sid, I didn’t expect you to be so cruel to me when we grew up together.”

–

Sid wanted to say something, but Janet interrupted him. “It’s all because of Melody, right? Ever since she came, you don’t care about me anymore. Whether it’s you, James, or Ken himself, all of you are biased toward that useless ugly freak. I don’t understand why. Why? What exactly did she attract you to be so biased toward her?”

Sid’s frown deepened. “Janet, what nonsense are you talking about? You did something wrong yourself. What does it have to do with Melody? If she were the one who betrayed us today, I would expose her without hesitation and bring her to Ken.”

“You make it sound so nice. But if she makes a mistake, you’ll side with her,” Janet said furiously.

Sid shook his head and said weakly, “Janet, you’re completely possessed. But I advise you to calm down before you see Ken. Otherwise… he’ll only punish you more severely.” After saying that, Sid did not want to waste his breath on Janet. After all, one couldn’t wake someone who was pretending to be asleep no matter what.

He exerted force and easily pulled Janet up from the ground. “Come with me.

“Let go!” Janet broke free from Sid’s grip. “I can walk on my own. I don’t need you to pull me.”

Sid looked at her indifferently. “You’d better follow me obediently. The airport is filled with our people. You won’t be able to escape.”

“Huh.” Janet laughed self-deprecatingly and said, “Run? Don’t worry, I won’t run. I will ask Ken for an explanation. Let’s ask clearly who is more important to him. Me or Melody.”

“You’re so hopeless…” Sid shook his head but did not say anything else. He walked ahead.

However, he had only taken two steps when a dagger suddenly pierced his back and pierced through his entire chest.

Chapter 509

The immense pain caused Sid to lose all mobility instantly. His body was like a machine that had lost power as he knelt on the ground.

Blood slowly seeped out from the corner of his mouth. His white casual clothes turned red. It was a shocking sight.

He heard the sound of his heart beating rapidly. It was as if the gates of hell were slowly opening for him. He could feel the blood in his body gushing out, and his ears seemed to be wearing noise-canceling headphones.

He wanted to speak, but not a single word came out.

“Sid…” Janet walked to Sid with a sad expression and squatted down to look at him at eye level.

Sid widened his eyes in disbelief. His eyes seemed to be on fire as she stared at Janet. It was as if he wanted to poke a hole in her with his eyes.

Janet didn’t like people looking at her like that. It made her feel like a bad woman. She had always thought that she was not a bad person. She had just been forced into a corner. It was the same now.

If Sid had not forced her to meet Ken and explain everything clearly, she would not have killed Sid.

She averted her gaze and avoided Sid’s gaze before sighing. “I don’t want to kill you either. After all, before that slut Melody appeared, you were my closest friend. But everything changed the moment she appeared. There were several times when I wanted to strangle her to death, drink her blood, skin her, and pull out her tendons when I saw her. You should be very curious about why I’m helping Ulric. Well, I’m not helping him. I made a deal with him. Ulric and I caused the fire in the youth center. The goal was to let Melody die inside. Unfortunately, the plan failed…”

After that, Janet turned to look at Sid again.

His face was pale and he was about to faint, but he still stared at her. His gaze was filled with disgust, disappointment, fear, unwillingness, and hatred…

Janet felt very uncomfortable. She frowned and said, “I’m telling you this because you’re already a dead person, and I’Il let you die in peace. Since you’ve heard it, you definitely can’t continue living.”

As Janet spoke, she grabbed the handle of the dagger and said, “Sid, if there’s a chance, we’ll be good friends again in our next life. But don’t worry, in my next life, I’ll repay this life debt and be your slave… But this is the end of our fate in this life. Goodbye!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Janet gripped the handle tightly and pulled out the dagger without hesitation.

In an instant, blood splattered everywhere. Sid could no longer hold on. He fell to the ground heavily and lost all signs of life.

However, Janet was still worried. She gripped the dagger tightly and stabbed Sid twice. The clean tiles reflected in her eyes. That face was almost ferocious…

Janet could not help but frown. Even she was a little afraid of the face reflected on the tiles.

She slowly retracted her dagger and completely burned the drawing paper in Sid’s hand.

After the portrait was burned to ashes, she turned to look at Sid., who lay motionless in a pool of blood.

Only at this moment did she realize what she had just done. She had killed someone. She actually… killed Sid.

After the adrenaline had worn off, Janet’s fear came late, but it was overwhelming. The overwhelming fear almost made her unsteady on her feet.

This was also her first time killing someone. No matter how much mental preparation she put in, her hands still trembled uncontrollably.

At that moment, her phone suddenly rang. Janet was shocked. She subconsciously wanted to turn off her phone, but the caller ID made her fingers pause. Instead, she pressed the answer button.

“Hello? Miss Murphy, this is Ulric. I’m sorry, I fell asleep just now. The person who answered the call was my private doctor.”

Janet was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She took a few deep breaths and tried hard to calm herself down.

On the other end of the phone, Ulric felt something was wrong. “Miss Murphy? Are you okay?”

“Phew…” Janet exhaled heavily and said, “Ulric, I killed someone… I killed Sid.”

Ulric, who was on the other end of the line, was stunned. Then, he slowly smiled.

Two seconds later, he said with concern, “Don’t be afraid and anxious. I’ll immediately get my men to find you by following your phone’s location. Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you settle it.”

Janet was at a loss. ‘I seem to treat Ulric as my life-saving straw. Ulric is unreliable, but no one else can help me now? Janet swallowed hard and said, “I’m at Silverlake Airport. How long will it take for your people to come over?”

“The airport? It just so happens that I have spies there,” Ulric said as he winked at his subordinate, Daniel.

Daniel understood and dialed a number. “I’ll give you a location. Find Miss Murphy in three minutes and help her solve all her problems.”

After the call ended, Ulric continued to comfort Janet. “In less than three minutes, they will find you. If you don’t want Ken to know what you’ve done and don’t want to be arrested and imprisoned, quickly calm down and listen to me. My men will help you remove the traces you left at the scene. Moreover, I will help you arrange a scapegoat. However, you have to be injured too. Pretend that my men hurt you.”

Janet slowly calmed down. She understood that Ulric wanted to pin all the blame on him.

She knew Ulric had paid a huge price to help her this time.

“Thank you…” she said awkwardly.

Ulric chuckled softly and said, “There’s no need to thank me. Miss Murphy, you can pay it off slowly.”

Janet frowned. “What do you mean? Are you threatening me to work for you in the future and become a spy you planted beside Ken?”

“Miss Murphy, you’re smart. Since you’re smart, you should know you can only agree to my blackmail…”

*****

AT CEO’s office in Ximber Tech.

Melody walked back and forth anxiously in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

After signing the document in his hand, Ken looked up and saw Melody pacing back and forth for more than ten minutes. He could not help but chuckle. “What are you doing? Aren’t you dizzy?”

Melody stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Ken. She asked, “James hasn’t called yet? Look at your phone. Did you accidentally mute it?”

Ken picked up his phone helplessly and confirmed it. He said, “I didn’t mute it. He hasn’t called yet.”

“But it’s been almost half an hour since Averi and the others arrived at the airport. Logically speaking, the draft paper should have been obtained ten minutes ago…”

Ken put down the document and looked at Melody in confusion. “Melody, come and sit down first.”

Melody took a deep breath. Then, she took a few steps to sit opposite Ken.

Ken comforted her, “You’re a little too nervous today. It’s just an easy mission. They will bring good news back.”

Chapter 510

After Ken comforted her, he reached out and poured her a glass of water and said, “Melody, do you want some water? Perhaps the alcohol hasn’t completely worn off, so it’s easier for you to be anxious.”

Melody lowered her eyes and took a sip of the water. She was indeed a little more anxious than usual. No, she was a lot more so.

But Melody was certain that the effects of last night’s alcohol had completely passed. She was anxious because she had a bad premonition, a sixth sense.

Sometimes, a person’s sixth sense was very accurate, so this bad feeling kept pressing on her heart like a heavy rock. She had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

However, looking at Ken’s calm eyes, she could only tell herself that it might be caused by drinking too much.

Seeing that she had calmed down a little, Ken felt slightly relieved.

“There’s still no news from James. Perhaps something else happened and extended the timeline of the plan. After all, there are many people at the airport. They can’t carry out this mission as smoothly as planned. How about this? You watch television first to distract yourself,” Ken said, picked up the remote control, and turned on the local news.

The news happened to be promoting a local snack street in Silverlake. There were many things on the snack street, including crayfish, fried chicken, beer, roast meat, and other local snacks. The vitality assaulted their senses.

To completely relieve Melody’s emotions, Ken suggested, ” Why don’t the few of us go here for supper tonight? Speaking of it, I haven’t looked for Sid and the others for supper for a long time. The last time might have been when I was still studying overseas.”

Melody’s attention was successfully diverted.

She shook her head and said, “You can have supper, but you have to wait until your injuries are healed. Your foot is still swollen. Eating those things is harmful to your body.”

Ken shrugged and deliberately said, “The swelling in my foot has already gone down quite a bit.”

“But you still can’t…”

They talked and more than an hour passed quietly.

Melody was still persuading Ken to take care of his health. The news anchor was about to announce that the day’s news had ended when he suddenly picked up the latest manuscript. “There’s an urgent news broadcast below. Flight MH2937 to Hawarmildes exploded when it was preparing to take off at 10:20 a.m. Halcyon time. The fire has been extinguished, but no signs of life have been found. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation…

Melody and Ken fell silent at the same time. ‘MH2937… It’s Averi’s family’s flight!’

Melody’s face turned pale. She quickly turned to look at Ken. “Ken, they…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll ask about the situation first.” Ken took out his phone and prepared to call James.

Usually, when carrying out a mission, he would not call casually before his subordinate called to report, lest he would affect the mission.

However, when he saw the news about the plane crash, although Ken remained calm on the surface, his heart was in turmoil.

However, before Ken could finish typing in James’s number, James called him.

He immediately answered the call and pressed the loudspeaker button. The next second, James’s voice sounded in the office. “Mr. Swanson, something bad has happened…”

James’s voice sounded like he was about to cry. He was also a tough man and never spoke in such a tone. Moreover, along with James’s voice, there was a commotion, screams, and cries.

The ominous feeling that Melody had just suppressed instantly swelled again.

Ken frowned deeply and asked, “Tell me slowly, why did the plane that Averi was on explode?”

“Mr. Swanson…” On the other end of the phone, James took two deep breaths. It was as if he was trying his best to maintain his composure. However, he finally could not hold it in and cried, “I’ve let you down, and I’ve let Mr. Quant down even more…”

“Sid?” Ken’s eyelids twitched. Ignoring his foot injury, he suddenly stood up from his office chair. “He got on that plane too?”

“No, that’s not it…” James broke down emotionally and said, “Sid was stabbed three times. There was blood all over his body. We’re in the ambulance now. The medical staff are trying to stop the bleeding, but they said that the chances of survival are not high.”

“What did you say?” Ken’s voice was icy, making people feel like they were in an ice cave.

Melody’s face also lost all color. Her premonition came true. James was shocked by the voice. But he continued to cry, We were originally carrying out the plan normally, but for some reason, we didn’t see Miss Murphy and Averi at the pickup point. By the time we found them, we saw Mr. Quant lying in a pool of blood. Miss Murphy also fainted on the side beside him…”

Ken’s eyes trembled violently. Whether it was Janet or Sid, they had been his friends, comrades, and partners for many years.

Something had happened to them now. He blamed himself so much that he opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound.

Seeing this, Melody pressed on Ken’s shoulder and took the phone. “James, has Sid’s bleeding not stopped yet?”

“Yes… they can’t stop it.”

“Listen, switch the call to video, and give the phone to the paramedics.”

James suddenly remembered that Melody’s medical skills

were superb. After replying with an “okay”, he immediately followed Melody’s instructions.

Soon, Melody saw the image of two medical staff resuscitating Sid on the phone screen.

However, because James had informed them before, one medical staff looked at the camera and asked, “Miss Fox, what should we do?”

Melody calmed herself down. Then, she said, “Do you know the acupuncture points to stop bleeding?”

The medical staff was stunned and said, “I studied modern medicine. I don’t know much about the acupuncture points…

“It’s okay. I’ll tell you where the acupuncture points are.

Then, together with James, press these acupuncture points hard…”

About five or six minutes later, James’s sobbing voice sounded again. “Miss Fox, the bleeding has stopped!”

Melody also heaved a sigh of relief.

She was guiding them through the video, but she felt even more tired than if she had done it herself. She almost collapsed on the chair.

However, at this moment, the medical staff said to James nervously, “The patient has lost too much blood. We don’t have enough blood bags. He might not be able to last long enough to go to the big hospital.”

James quickly said, “I can give him a blood transfusion.”

The medical staff shook her head. “His blood is the special RH-negative blood. We, including you, can’t match his blood type. We can only go to the nearest small hospital to find blood for the patient.”

“Alright, alright. We’ll do as you say…” James nodded in a daze.

Ken recovered from his extreme self-blame. He took the phone from Melody’s hand and said, “James, we’ll come over now. Call me if anything happens.”

“Okay, Mr. Swanson,” James replied.

After the call ended, Ken picked up his jacket and walked out.

Melody was about to remind him to sit in a wheelchair, but she swallowed her words, thinking, ‘At this time, I’d better let him do what he wants to.

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Chapter 501

Melody could not help but frown when she heard Janet’s name.

If one of the three people, James, Sid, and Janet could be a “traitor”, in her opinion, Janet must be the most suspicious.

However, Melody could not tell if it was because of her prejudice against Janet or her sixth sense.

After hesitating for a moment, Melody slowly relaxed her furrowed brows.

If the traitor were Janet, this move would fail. She could use this incident to verify her guess. After all, catching the traitor was more important than catching Ulric. They did not lose their lives in this fire, but keeping the traitor alive would give Ulric another chance to cause them a fatal blow.

Life-saving was the prerequisite for all revenge. If they lost their lives, how could they take revenge?

“Alright.” Melody nodded and did not raise any objections.

Ken observed her expression and asked softly, “You don’t trust Janet?”

“No,” Melody said against her will, “She has fought alongside you for so many years. I have no reason to doubt her.”

Ken paused and said, “If you want to clear up the misunderstanding with her, I can help you and be the middleman between you two.”

“A middleman?” Melody smiled with a complicated expression and said, “There’s no misunderstanding between me and Miss Murphy, and I don’t need you to be the middleman. But I’m sorry, I’m afraid she and I can’t be friends.”

Ken was silent for two seconds before saying, “Janet is not bad. On the contrary, she is a very reliable partner. When I first founded the black market, I encountered many obstacles. She helped me a lot.”

Melody subconsciously clenched her fists. She knew what Janet meant to Ken. ‘Janet is no different from James and Sid to Ken. The three of them had known Ken earlier than me. My status will never be comparable to Janet’s, she thought.

‘If Ken has to choose between Janet and me, he will choose Janet, right? Melody thought.

However, when she heard Ken praise Janet, the feeling of stomachache in her heart came uncontrollably.

She wanted to ask Ken what he would do if he realized the traitor was Janet. But when the words were about to come out of her mouth, they became “I’m a little tired. I want to rest.”

‘Since I already know the answer, why should I ask? Melody thought.

Ken glanced at her and said, “Then sleep for a while. I’ll wake you up when we get home.”

‘Home… Melody was in a daze. ‘Do I still have a home?

Melody was probably indeed tired. Her vision gradually became blurry, and sleepiness slowly overwhelmed her.

*****

After Melody stopped talking, Ken opened the black market forum.

Unlike Melody’s forum interface, his interface was red. This was the founder’s login interface.

From time to time, the administrators of all the forums summarized some recent questions and sent some abnormal private messages to him.

Therefore, Ken would log in every few days to deal with it.

However, when he logged in now, he saw a very abnormal post. “Those who need medicine, come here. Those who know will understand.”

‘Medicine?’ Ken clicked on the post without hesitation and saw a string of codes.

He opened another interface on the tablet and entered the code. Soon, he analyzed the code and got the sentence, “I’m one of the malicious doctors. If you need any help, you can contact me via my email. Of course, you can also contact me if you’re a malicious doctor. We can rebuild the team. My email is…”

‘Malicious doctors… Ken pondered.

Anyone who had a forum account had an extraordinary status. This also meant that most people on the forum could analyze the code.

‘How dare malicious doctors to appear so openly? Is it because the person who posted this post is stupid, or is this faction unknowingly so large that they dare to be so arrogant?’ Ken narrowed his eyes dangerously. Just as he was about to mention this to Melody, he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder.

He realized Melody’s head was leaning on his shoulder.

He looked down and saw her closed eyes under her hair. She frowned deeply. It was as if she was uneasy and constantly on guard…

It was the first time he had seen Melody up close.

Her facial features were beautiful, but the red spots on her face made it easy to ignore her facial features.

But when Ken loved someone, he only loved that person’s soul. He did not care much about her appearance.

The car drove steadily. Ken sat with his back straight, afraid he would wake Melody from her deep sleep if he moved. The driver also vaguely sensed the unusual atmosphere and subconsciously drove even more carefully.

As a result, it took more than half an hour to reach the destination. It usually only took about twenty minutes. “Mr. Swanson, we’re here.”

Most of the people called Ken “Mr. Swanson” were death warriors trained by him after he founded the black market, and the people who called him “Mr. Swanson” were all Ken’s subordinates he had trained since he was young.

The two groups were loyal, but the death warriors were more skilled and fearless of death.

If he arranged for the death warriors to be by Melody’s side, they would use their lives to protect her. Ken would be slightly more at ease.

Ken nodded lightly. After letting the death warrior get out of the car, his shoulders and arms, which Melody was leaning against, moved slightly.

Because his blood vessels and nerves had been suppressed for a long time, he immediately felt an electric shock when he moved. It was as if countless ants were crawling on his left arm.

However, he didn’t hate this feeling. He even felt as “sweet as honey.”

However, he could not maintain this state forever.

Ken moved again and reminded Melody, “Wake up, we’re here.”

However, Melody did not react at all after he said that. He thought someone as vigilant as her must be a very light sleeper. He did not expect her to be in such a deep sleep.

“Melody?” Ken said again, a little louder this time.

However, Melody still did not respond.

‘How deep her sleep is!’ Ken pursed his lips into an inconspicuous smile.

“Melody.” He reached out and grabbed Melody’s left shoulder, wanting to use the opportunity to straighten her body to wake her up. However, when he straightened Melody, her head leaned back on his shoulder the next second.

At this moment, Ken finally felt that something was wrong. He frowned as he called her, his voice neither too loud nor soft. “Melody, it’s time to wake up.”

“Shut up…” Melody mumbled. Then, she frowned and looked unhappy but did not open her eyes.

However, as she spoke, Ken could smell the sweet smell of alcohol from her mouth.

Usually, this kind of wine was specially made. When it first entered one’s mouth, one would feel like drinking fruit juice. However, half an hour later, the alcohol would come up. It was even more intoxicating than drinking hard liquor directly.

‘She is drunk. No wonder.’ Ken smiled bitterly. Without any hesitation, he opened the car door and got out. Then, he carried Melody horizontally.

When the death warrior waiting outside the car saw this scene, he reminded in horror, “Mr. Swanson, you can’t use force on your leg…”

Chapter 502

“Let me do it, Mr. Swanson.” The death warrior took a few steps forward and wanted to help Ken carry Melody.

Ken’s eyes darkened when he was dissuaded. A powerful pressure immediately pressed down on that death warrior. The death warrior panicked. After realizing his identity, he did not dare to say anything no matter how worried he was. “Just do your job,” said Ken.

“Got it.” The death warrior lowered his head and dared not even breathe heavily.

Ken expressionlessly glanced at the death warrior, who had his head lowered. Then, he carried Melody back to the villa. Melody was very thin, and her frame was small. Usually, she looked like she would collapse with a gust of wind, but when Ken carried her, he had a different feeling. That was, she had everything girls had.

Ken, who had never hugged a woman in such a position before, couldn’t help but blush. He tried his best not to touch certain parts of her.

However, once he started to worry, Ken, who already had injuries on his foot, would hurt his foot even more when he carried her. However, he did not hesitate at all. He carried Melody into the villa.

Then, he said, “Susan, open the door.”

Not long after the voice sounded, Susan opened the door.

When she saw Melody lying in Ken’s arms, her eyes immediately revealed a pleasantly surprised expression. “M -Mr…”

“Go make a bowl of hangover soup. Mrs. Swanson is drunk,” Ken instructed.

“Okay, okay!” Susan nodded her head quickly. Because she was so happy, she forgot that Ken’s foot was still injured. She turned around and went to the kitchen.

Ken endured the pain in his feet and finally placed Melody on the bed in the master bedroom.

However, when he was about to get up, Melody did not let go of his neck.

He tugged at her, but it didn’t work. She was holding him tight.

Ken looked helpless, but the light in his eyes became even gentler. “Melody, let go first. I’ll get a towel for you to apply.” Unconsciously, he stopped talking to her in a businesslike tone. His tone was like he was coaxing a child.

“No…” Melody mumbled. Not only did she not let go, but she hugged him tighter.

Ken felt even more helpless. What was worse than helplessness was that her body was pressed against his. Because of the alcohol, her body temperature was much higher than his. It was like a ball of fire that made him want to help her put it out.

“Melody, let go first. If you have anything to say, we’ll talk after you sober up, okay?” As soon as he finished speaking, Ken realized his voice had become hoarse. This was a bad sign.

Ken frowned. He did not want things to go out of control, but he was afraid that he would hurt her if he forcefully pulled her hand away.

Conflicted, he was even more unable to pry open Melody’s hand.

In the end, he gave up. He took off his shoes and crossed Melody to lie beside her. He pulled her hand down to his neck so he wouldn’t press her hand. This way, they could lie face to face, and he did not need to maintain a half-bow.

The two of them were only separated by two thin layers of fabric.

Ken tried his best not to look at her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

As time passed, the uncontrollable feeling slowly dissipated.

But at that moment, Melody’s foot suddenly landed on his waist. Like a koala bear, she hung on to him.

“You’re so cold, so comfortable…” Melody murmured as her head kept burrowing into his arms.

Ken suddenly opened his eyes. The emotions that he had just calmed down surged up again. It was even stronger than before.

Helpless, he could only look at Melody who was right in front of him. He pulled her head out of his arms with his right hand and tried to wake her up again. “Melody, open your eyes and look what you’re doing.”

Melody frowned, but her eyes were still closed. She was still drunk.

Ken’s thoughts could not help but wander around. He did not expect her to be in such a state when she was drunk. Melody was usually cold and aloof, and her mind was filled with work. But she was completely different now.

‘Or could it be that her true state was actually like this? Was she pretending to be very powerful just not to get hurt? I wonder what expression she will have if she sobers up now. She might run away quickly as if she had seen a ghost. With this thought in mind, Ken suddenly did not want her to wake up so soon.

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. It was Susan.

Ken subconsciously said, “Susan, put the things at the door.”

Outside the door, Susan stopped and immediately revealed a knowing smile.

“Okay, Mr. Swanson. I’ll be downstairs. I definitely won’t disturb you.” After saying that, Susan put down the things and left.

Ken felt a little relieved when he heard the fading footsteps. He carefully traced Melody’s eyebrows with his index finger and looked at the girl in front of him seriously.

Girls at this age were free and should enjoy their youth the most. However, he rarely saw Melody smile from the bottom of her heart.

Sometimes, he wanted to knock her head open to see what made her look invulnerable when she was so fragile.

“Melody…” Ken sighed softly. “When can I fully understand you?”

*****

The hangover soup at the door slowly turned cold. In the blink of an eye, dawn arrived.

The light through the curtains awakened Melody.

She frowned slightly and felt a splitting headache. Her back ached as if she had been beaten up. She tried to open her eyes, but they seemed sewn shut. She couldn’t open them, so she gave up and closed her eyes to recover.

Last night, she seemed to have a very long dream. In her dream, there was a cold and soft little bear. For some reason, Janet and Mabel appeared in her dream at the same time. The two of them wanted to snatch the little bear.

She held the teddy bear stubbornly and refused to let go. At last, she snatched the teddy bear back and hugged it while crying and saying many things.

‘What a strange dream. After lying down for a while, Melody finally recovered from her discomfort and slowly opened her eyes.

However, the moment she opened her eyes, Ken’s handsome face, magnified countless times, immediately came into her view.

Melody’s eyes suddenly widened. Because she was too shocked, her pupils quickly shrank to a point. ‘Ken! Why is he here? And he is lying on the same bed as me.

“No!” Melody subconsciously exclaimed and used the blanket to roll herself up.

Her mind was blank at this moment, but she suddenly saw from the corner of her eye that this was Ken’s room.

‘What am I doing here? Melody tried hard to search for her memories, but it was as if a part of her memory had disappeared. She only remembered she seemed to have fallen asleep in the car at the last moment of her consciousness.

‘However, even if I had fallen asleep, I should have woken up when the car arrived because I’m a light sleeper. Could it be Ken… Her thoughts were in a mess. She looked at Ken in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Ken woke up when he heard the sound. His eyes were dazed for a few seconds before he completely woke up.

Chapter 503

“Don’t worry. Nothing happened between us.” When Ken said this, he realized that his voice was extremely hoarse. Even his throat hurt as if he was about to catch a cold.

But he quickly remembered why he was like this.

Last night, Melody, the clingy little koala, had pestered him for a whole night, forcing him to take cold showers several times to calm himself down.

Now that the weather had started to turn cold, it would be strange if he didn’t catch a cold.

However, looking at the terrified Melody, he was glad that he had suppressed the demon in his heart and did not do anything to her. Otherwise… they might not even be friends anymore.

Ken felt a sense of loss for some reason, and his mood plummeted.

Meanwhile, Melody had slowly calmed down from her initial panic.

‘It’s impossible for Ken to be interested in me. Or rather, no man will be interested in me, who is extremely ugly.’ It was the basic understanding she had of herself in her new life. Moreover, although she felt sore all over, there was no pain in that part.

Although she had never really experienced the sex between a man and a woman, as a doctor, she still knew a little more about this common sense than ordinary girls.

Melody calmed down and looked down at her clothes. Her clothes were also intact. Nothing had happened between them…

“I’m sorry.” Melody smiled awkwardly and said, “I was just too surprised…” As she spoke, she got off the bed.

“You’re drunk.” Ken sat up and explained, “Did you drink a lot at Mr. Chapman’s birthday party?”

“No.” Melody shook her head. “I only drank two glasses of sweet wine. Although I don’t drink much, my alcohol tolerance should be not bad.”

Ken could not help but lower his eyes and laugh. ‘Not bad? How could she get drunk if her alcohol tolerance is not bad?’

From the look on her face, he knew she could not remember anything that had happened in bed, including what she had said in the latter half of the night.

“What are you laughing at?” Melody felt even more embarrassed. She also realized that she must have blacked out. Otherwise, all her memories after falling asleep in the car wouldn’t have disappeared.

“Nothing.” Ken shook his head and said, “Don’t drink those sweet wines at cocktail parties or banquets again. These are all specially made wines. They are mixed with many types of wines. The concentration is high and the aftereffects are strong. Even I usually won’t drink two glasses in a row.”

Although Melody didn’t say she drank it in one gulp, judging from the extent of her drunkenness, Ken knew she drank two glasses of wine in a row. ‘No wonder she blacked out.’

However, he was very curious why Melody, who usually did not drink, would drink two glasses of wine in a row for no reason.

‘She isn’t gluttonous. She wouldn’t drink just because it tasted good. Of course, I won’t get answers to these questions. Melody likes to bury everything in her heart and not tell anyone, Ken thought.

“I understand. I’ll try not to drink it in the future…” Melody said. She hesitated and asked, “Then why didn’t you put me in the guest room?”

Ken looked at her meaningfully and said, “When you suddenly remember what happened at that moment, you will know why we slept together.” He stopped talking and got out of bed with some difficulty.

As a doctor, Melody immediately felt that something was wrong with Ken.

She took a few steps forward and asked, “What happened to your foot?”

“I’m fine. Maybe I accidentally touched the bone fracture when I went out yesterday,” Ken said casually. He did not mention that he had personally carried her upstairs last night.

Melody immediately frowned and said, “I’ve already told you not to walk around casually before your leg injury recovers. Look, your injury must have worsened.”

After that, she shook her head and said, “No, don’t move yet. I’ll get the wheelchair up. Come with me to the hospital immediately for a CT scan to check on the bone.”

“No need,” Ken said casually, “It should be fine.”

Melody’s expression immediately darkened. “Ken, you always say that I don’t take my health seriously and that! always like to put on a brave front. But aren’t you the same? You don’t have to go to the hospital, but you don’t have to care about my safety in the future.”

Ken looked up at her and finally nodded in compromise. Alright, but we have to hurry. The plan at the airport will begin soon. Averi’s family is already on their way to the airport. As soon as they reach the airport, Janet will start moving.”

Melody knew the mission at the airport was important, but nothing was more important than his health. Moreover, the reason why Ken’s leg was fractured was because he risked his life to rush into the fire to save her.

“Then I’ll ask your men to send the wheelchair up. We’ll wash up and set off.” With that, Melody walked out.

However, the moment she opened the door, she saw a bowl with an unknown liquid inside.

Melody picked up the bowl and smelled it. It was hangover soup.

“Why did Ken not give me hangover soup when someone had made it? What exactly happened last night?’ Melody tried hard to recall, but her head started to hurt as she thought.

Helpless, she could only put this matter aside for the time being and carry the bowl downstairs.

“Mrs. Swanson, you’re awake?” Susan greeted her with a meaningful smile.

Melody nodded and told the bodyguards guarding the door to bring the wheelchair up and bring Ken down. Then, she went to the guest room on the first floor to wash up.

Susan was behind Melody the whole time, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Melody washed her face and looked at Susan in confusion. “Susan, why are you following me?”

Susan wanted to say something but hesitated. Under Melody’s urging, she said, “I’m just a maid. I have no right to say what I want to say. However, I’ve been through this before. I can’t help but remind you…

拜

Melody looked at her watch and said helplessly, “Susan, I’m in a hurry. If you have something to say, you can say it.”

Only then did Susan say, “Mrs. Swanson, if you don’t use condoms when you’re doing that with Mr. Swanson, you’d better not drink alcohol. It might not be good for the fetus if you get pregnant.”

Melody’s face quickly turned red to the roots of her neck.” Susan, you got the wrong idea. The two of us-“

Before Melody could finish, Susan had already revealed a look of realization. She exhaled and said, “So there are measures taken. Then I’m relieved. When you plan to prepare for pregnancy, I’ll tell you some things to take note of. Although you’re good at medicine, I know more about such things as an experienced person.”

Melody felt even more helpless. ‘What is going on?”

She felt that the more she explained, the bigger the misunderstanding was.

At this moment, Ken arrived at the living room.

He said, “Melody, are you done?” Unknowingly, he no longer talked to Melody in a distant tone.

Melody did not notice the change in the way he talked to her. After replying with “Coming right up,” she whispered to Susan, “Susan, there are some things about Ken and me that you don’t know. I’ll tell you when I find a suitable opportunity another day. I’ll go get busy now.”

Susan nodded as she watched Melody leave.

At the same time, at Airport Road.

Janet sat in the car with an extremely dark expression.

Chapter 504

Janet never expected that Ken would send her on this mission.

‘Is it purely because my identity as a woman can easily deceive Averi’s parents’ trust and take the opportunity to take Averi away, or is it because Ken is already suspecting me? If Ken is already suspicious of me, I can only succeed in today’s mission and not fail. However, if it succeeds, Ulric might use me as a shield when Ken and Melody find out about Ulric, Janet thought.

She had fought alongside Ken for so many years. She knew very well how much Ken’s younger brother could sacrifice for his goals.

If she had a choice, she would not work with Ulric. However, she had already intervened in the matter. Even if it was for self-preservation, she could not let Averi draw a portrait…

Janet gripped her phone tightly and wanted to send a message to Ulric.

However, she was afraid that Ken had already started monitoring her phone.

After much hesitation, Janet gritted her teeth. ‘I can only let today’s mission fail.’

“Are we almost there?” Janet tried her best to calm down and asked the driver.

“We’ll need another half an hour. When you arrive at the airport, meet up with Mr. Deeds first. He will tell you the exact timing.”

“I understand.” Janet nodded and clenched her fists tightly.

*****

At the same time, at Silverlake Hospital.

Time was tight. Melody could only call the director in advance and ask him to arrange a checkup for Ken as soon as possible.

It just so happened that the hospital had just bought a new batch of machines to take X-rays. They were not officially in use yet. Ken could use this new equipment room to take X-rays.

With the director’s help, the journey was smooth. The results were out very quickly.

Rodney was personally in charge of the scans. He used the hospital’s computer to retrieve the scans. Then, he

checked Ken’s leg and said solemnly, “His bones are not injured, but his entire foot is starting to swell because of the excessive force. I’m afraid we have to remove the cast and wait for the swelling to dissipate before putting on a new cast.”

When Melody heard that the bone was fine, she heaved a sigh of relief and said, “Let’s do as you say and treat him.” Rodney nodded. As he asked the nurse to prepare the tools, he asked, “Mr. Swanson, didn’t you go home to recuperate? Why did you use so much strength in your feet? With the degree of redness and swelling, don’t tell me you went to the gym even when your bones were fractured.”

“Ahem…” Ken coughed lightly and said, “No.”

Rodney said seriously, “You have to tell me what you did. It’s very likely to be an infection in the flesh if it’s not because of external forces. If it’s an infection, it can’t be as easy as treated with anti-inflammatory medicine.”

Melody also looked solemn. She said, “Other than coming to the Naymar Manor yesterday, what else did you do?” Ken opened his mouth but hesitated. “I don’t think there’s a need to say it.”

Melody frowned deeply. “Do you want to cripple your leg at a time like this? Tell Mr. Stanton what other strenuous exercise you did.”

Ken looked at Melody meaningfully and said to Rodney casually, “Last night, Melody was drunk. I carried her out of the… – “

“Ahem!” Melody coughed heavily. Then, she blushed and said, “It was because of an external force. There’s indeed no need to say anything.”

Rodney seemed to have discovered a huge piece of gossip.

A smile subconsciously appeared on his lips.

However, he quickly became serious again and said, “It’s good to have a good relationship, but you still have to take care of your health. Especially in this situation, young people like you should more or less restrain yourselves.” Rodney got the wrong idea, but not completely.

Melody’s cheeks turned even redder. She turned and glared at Ken.

Ken had an innocent look on his face. His gaze seemed to say, ‘You forced me to say it.’

Melody pursed her lips in embarrassment. She regretted bringing Ken to the hospital.

Fortunately, the nurse quickly brought over a tool to ease her awkwardness.

Rodney’s movements were very skillful. In less than ten minutes, he treated the wound again.

After treating the wound, Rodney reminded him, “Without a cast, you should be more careful of your foot. Don’t walk around casually. If you must go out, take a wheelchair.”

Ken nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Rodney smiled. Then, he remembered something and said, “Mr. Swanson, I’m sorry… There’s something about the hospital. I want to talk to Miss Fox alone. Can you…

Ken understood. He looked at Melody and said, “I’ll wait for you in the car. After you’re done with the hospital, we’ll go to the company to wait for news.”

“Okay.” Melody nodded. After watching Ken leave, she turned to ask Rodney, “Did something happen in the hospital?

Rodney sighed and said, “Do you remember Liam and Dan?” Melody recalled and said, “I remember. When Beverly was undergoing surgery here, Dan almost killed her. And Liam is the vice director. Because of favoritism, he was demoted.” She paused, not understanding why Rodney mentioned these two people again.

‘Even if these two people caused trouble, it’s the director’s business and has nothing to do with me. Moreover, these two people are not qualified to cause trouble in front of me.’ Confused, Melody asked, “What did they do?”

Rodney sighed again and said, “After Dan was publicly expelled by us, logically speaking, no hospital would hire him anymore. However, I accidentally learned from the director that he came to First Hospital to take over. And just yesterday, Liam also submitted his resignation letter. If the director and I are not wrong, he should be going to First Hospital soon.”

Melody frowned and said, “I heard from a nurse that our director has a bad relationship with the director of First Hospital. Could this be the reason why they’re willing to hire them?”

“That’s impossible,” Rodney said with certainty. “I’ve interacted with that director a few times. He was not the kind of person who would hire two people with tainted reputations because he wanted to compete with Mr. Williams.”

“So what’s the reason?” Melody asked.

Rodney paused and said with a complicated expression, “I also heard some rumors that it was… said it was…”

Melody looked at Rodney’s expression and said, “Rodney, feel free to speak your mind.”

Rodney then made up his mind. He said, “They said the director there wants you to take over the position. He has made a condition for Liam and Dan. The condition is to poach you over.”

Melody immediately understood what Rodney meant. She smiled bitterly and asked, “Do you think I also went to First Hospital to work behind your backs, and that’s why Dan could join First Hospital, and Liam dared to submit his resignation letter directly?”

Rodney quickly waved his hands. “Miss Fox, I didn’t mean that. We’ve known each other for so long. How can I not know your character?”

Chapter 505

Rodney was afraid that Melody would get the wrong idea. He was so anxious that he scratched his head.

However, the more anxious he was, the more he did not know how to explain.

Melody could not help but smile when she saw Rodney’s expression. She said, “I was just joking, Dr. Stanton. You trust me, so I won’t let you trust me for nothing. I didn’t take that Central Hospital’s position. They don’t even know my identity. Don’t forget the name I used here is Wilona.”

Rodney nodded repeatedly. “I swear I didn’t mean to doubt you. I was only worried that the director would think much, so I specially told you in advance.”

“Thank you.” Melody nodded and said, “According to what you said, I suspect they found someone to replace me. Don”t worry, I will settle this matter before the director finds me.”

Her reputation was at stake. If the impostor had done anything bad with her identity, it would be a major problem for her.

Rodney replied, “You guys seem to be in a hurry today. When you’re free, we can go to Central Hospital to take a look.”

“Okay.” Melody looked at the time, said goodbye to Rodney, and went downstairs.

Ken was already waiting for her in the car. When he saw her coming over, he put away the tablet computer on his lap. “What?” Melody asked half-jokingly, “Is there anything I can’t see?”

When Ken heard this, he opened his tablet and said, “Take a look. This is the income of Ximber Tech this season…”

Melody immediately looked away. Only the financial staff and Ken could see such things. She was indeed not suitable to see it.

Seeing that she was shocked, Ken smiled and said, “What are you afraid of? Other than me, you’re the most qualified to see it.”

Melody realized that Ken was referring to that she was his wife. She covered her nose and coughed dryly. “How long are we going to continue acting?”

Ken said slowly, “There’s no hurry. Let’s wait for everything to be there.”

Melody subconsciously frowned. “You have to give me an approximate time.”

“Why?” Ken gave her a sidelong glance and asked, “You have someone you like, so you’re in a hurry to divorce me?”

“No,” Melody answered truthfully. “I don’t have anyone I like and won’t have anyone in the future.”

Ken’s eyes darkened, but he quickly regained his natural expression and changed the topic. “At this time, they should have already arrived at the airport.”

“Yeah.” Melody looked out the car window. Soon, she would know if this traitor was Janet.

*****

At the same time, Janet successfully met with James at the airport.

James said softly, “When they check in, I’ll arrange for someone to snatch their luggage. That’s when you’ll take Averi away. Averi should know you. If she forgets you, mention Melody’s name. She’ll go with you.”

“Alright.” Janet nodded solemnly. She took a deep breath and said, “I’m suddenly very nervous.”

James said comfortingly, “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Everything has been arranged. The surveillance cameras and the nearby staff are already under our control. You only need to let Averi draw the portrait, and you will complete the mission.”

As James spoke, he handed her a bag containing a pen and paper.

He added, “Remember, head west. Our people are all there. Just lead her there and our people will come to pick you up.” Janet took the bag with a serious expression. Just as she was about to wait at the designated location, someone suddenly opened the door to the small room.

Perhaps because of guilt, Janet’s heart beat faster for no reason.

She quickly looked up at the door and saw that the man who entered was wearing expensive casual clothes. He was thin, but his muscles were firm. His face was very handsome, and his facial features were well-defined. He was Sid.

Janet blurted out, “Sid, what are you doing here? You’re not scheduled for today’s mission.”

Sid smiled and asked playfully, “Why? From your tone, you don’t want me to come?”

Janet choked and said with a smile, “Of course not.” For some reason, she felt that Sid was looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze. She did not know if it was because she was too guilty or because Sid had never been so serious like this.

Sid turned around and closed the door. He walked in with his usual profligate smile. “Don’t worry. Although I’m usually a little out of tune, I’m still reliable at critical moments and won’t cause trouble for you. I only feel that this matter is too important, so I came to see if there’s anything I can help with.”

Janet carefully observed Sid. When she saw that his eyes were no longer as scrutinizing as before, the huge burden in her heart slowly lifted.

She set the bag on the seat and said, “There’s still a little time. I’m going to use the bathroom. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Sid frowned. “Why do you seem to be switching roles with me today? Why are you still going to the bathroom at this time?”

Janet pretended to be calm and glared at Sid. “Girls need to go to the bathroom often these few days every month. Don’t talk nonsense about role-swapping. I’ll be back soon.* After saying that, Janet quickly walked out of the small room.

As the footsteps faded away, the playful smile on Sid’s face faded bit by bit.

James could not help but say, “Mr. Quant, are you suspecting…”

“Shh.” Sid made a shushing gesture and smiled. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m just here to take a look. Just take it that I’m here to join in the fun.”

James was not stupid. After Sid called him, he already knew why Sid had come over. He quickly fell silent and did not say anything else.

At the same time, Janet came to the female bathroom.

After confirming no one was in each cubicle, she quickly took out the phone card she had bought from the airport on the way to the bathroom. After changing into it, she quickly dialed a number. “Ulric, listen, I need your help-“

However, a female voice came from the other end of the phone. “Are you looking for Mr. Swanson? He’s sleeping.” Janet’s expression darkened. She said coldly, “How can he still be sleeping at a time like this? I don’t care who you are. Wake him up immediately. Otherwise, he and I will be finished!”

She had thought that Ulric was someone who knew what he wanted. She did not expect him to be such a woman-indulgent fool.

Janet was suppressing her anger, but the woman’s tone on the other end of the phone was as calm as before. “As I said, Mr. Swanson is sleeping. He has to sleep for two hours before he wakes up. According to the time, there are fifteen minutes left. Just wait. I’ll get him to call you back.” “Hey, you-” Janet was about to curse when a busy tone sounded on the other end. Then, the call ended.

“Damn it!” Janet cursed and dialed that number again.

However, this time, the call was hung up after two rings. When she called the third time, the woman had turned off the phone.

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Chapter 496

After the exclamation, it was followed by beatings and scoldings and the cries of children. The sound was very ear-piercing and drilled straight into Melody’s eardrums.

Melody and Samuel looked at each other at the same time. They instinctively felt that something had happened and walked downstairs almost simultaneously.

However, Samuel was old and needed to walk with a stick, so he naturally fell behind Melody.

When Melody went downstairs, she saw that the child who had just delivered the painting to Nickolas was being beaten up by his parents.

Meanwhile, Nickolas covered his face with his hands awkwardly.

“What happened?” Melody took a few steps to Warner’s side and asked.

Warner said with awkwardness, “My grandfather has a strange illness. His eyes are scary, so he has been wearing sunglasses. I didn’t expect that when he was playing with that child just now, that child accidentally took off his sunglasses. My grandfather wasn’t angry, but the child’s parents were frightened and had been hitting the child. No matter how we stop them, it’s useless.” Warner said and pointed to the ground.

Nickolas’s sunglasses had fallen to the ground. Judging from the extent of the damage, someone must have stepped on it a few times in the chaos.

At this moment, Nickolas had already recovered from his awkwardness.

Men were not like women. It did not matter if they were ugly, not to mention it was someone of Nickolas’s age.

When Melody looked up, Nickolas had already removed his hand from his eyes.

Nickolas’s eyes were drooping heavily, and his eyelids were almost black. His entire face looked extremely strange.

Seeing Nickolas like this, everyone felt he was even more terrifying than Melody’s red-spotted face.

However, with Nickolas’s status, the guests had already adjusted their emotions and suppressed their surprise and fear when Melody came down.

However, everyone had a curious mindset. The stranger Nickolas’s face looked, the more everyone wanted to see it. Hence, people at the scene would glance at Nickolas occasionally before quickly looking away.

They looked like a thief.

“Mr. Chapman, the sunglasses are here!” The Chapman family’s butler hurriedly handed a pair of sunglasses to Nickolas.

Nickolas did not take it. He smiled and said, “Since everyone has seen it, there’s nothing to hide. It’s just that you two don’t have to blame the child. He was just careless. The couple had already turned pale from fear. It was not that they did not care about their child, but they were afraid of offending the Chapman family.

They were slightly relieved when they saw that Nickolas

had no intention of blaming them. After saying goodbye to Nickolas, they ran away as if they feared their child would cause trouble again.

After the family of three left, Nickolas still did not put on his sunglasses.

He swept his gaze across the crowd and said, “I invited you guys here today not only to have fun with me but also to tell you something. I plan to retire next year, and Warner, my grandson, will take over my position.”

The entire venue fell silent.

Everyone knew that Nickolas had retired from politics more than 20 years ago and started doing business after his retirement.

The business empire he founded was second only to the Swanson Group.

Everyone had guessed that Nickolas would leave his foundation to one of his two sons, but they did not expect him to leave it to his grandson.

For a moment, the two sons of Nickolas revealed complicated expressions.

Warner’s father, Wade Chapman, was the first to react. He took a few steps forward and thanked Nickolas. “Thank you, Dad, for taking such a fancy to Warner. I will supervise him and let him familiarize himself with all your businesses within this year.”

“Wait!” Wade’s younger brother, Benson Chapman, said unhappily, “Dad, how can you make such a hasty decision? Yes, I’ve been living overseas and rarely stay by your side. But I’m also your son. It’s fine if you don’t give me anything, but how can you leave the assets to Warner, a completely unreliable little punk?”

Wade laughed coldly and said, “Benson, who are you calling a little punk? Warner is already 26 years old this year. He’s not a kid anymore. He only lacks experience. Since Dad has already decided, you shouldn’t interfere too much. Didn’t I also not get anything?”

Benson glared fiercely at Wade and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? The person who inherits Dad’s estate is your son. So, of course, you’re happy. In my opinion, Dad, you should still split the estate into two. Give half to Wade and the other half to me.”

Nickolas had already expected such a thing as his two sons fighting for the inheritance to happen.

However, when it happened, it was more disgusting and uncomfortable than he had imagined.

Nickolas closed his eyes and said, “I’ve already decided. You don’t have to say anything else.”

Nickolas also knew that Warne was not capable enough to inherit his business. However, since he had this problem with his eyes, Nickolas did not know when he would die suddenly, so he decided to announce it today.

“Dad!” Benson rarely said with dissatisfaction, “Aren’t you afraid that after Warner inherits your assets, he will immediately lose them?”

Initially, Warner did not care about the family assets at all. However, when he heard this, his youthful temper was infuriated. “Uncle Benson, what do you mean by that? What right do you have to say that I’ll lose all my assets after I inherit the family business?”

“Isn’t that so?” Benson said disdainfully, “It’s been two years since you graduated, but you’re still like a child. All you do is enjoy yourself and play with some strange toys. Don’t think I don’t know your situation just because I’m overseas all year round.”

Warner’s expression turned even darker. “That’s not a toy. That’s my invention.”

“Huh!” Benson laughed when he heard that. “Dad, listen to this. The grandson you valued thought that he would be an inventor. He even invented… How old is he? Why don’t you dream of something more realistic?”

“You…” Warner was so angry that his face turned red.

After a while, Warner suddenly calmed down. He turned to look at Nickolas and said, “Grandfather, you only will retire in a year anyway. I will prove I’m not the prodigal man Uncle Benson said I was in this year.”

Nickolas was happy to have ignited Warner’s fighting spirit. He nodded and said, “I didn’t make this decision on a whim. Although Warner is still slightly immature, his character is superior to the two of you as elders. However, since you have objections, we’ll do as Warner said. You can’t object to it anymore if he can prove his ability in a year. How about that?”

Seeing there was still room for negotiation, Benson was sure that Warner, the indecent playboy, couldn’t complete the transformation and advancement within a year.

Therefore, he immediately agreed. “I have no objections. Let’s do as you say, Father. But let me say this first. If Warner is still like this, my brother and I will each get half of the family assets.”

Warner’s father, Wade, was dissatisfied that the benefits were gone just like that. Just as he was about to speak, Melody said, “Mr. Chapman, are you in such a hurry to retire because of your eye disease?”

Chapter 497

None of the guests present dared to interrupt the Chapman family’s family matters. They were afraid that they would be implicated.

They were even more afraid that they would accidentally take the wrong side and suffer revenge from the person who won at last.

Melody’s sudden voice made everyone subconsciously look at her.

There were also whispers.

“This ugly woman is so arrogant just because she’s Morin. She even dares to interrupt such a thing.”

“Isn’t that so? Compared to that beauty Mabel, she is unpresentable. If not for Nickolas’s hobby of Halcyon paintings, I’m afraid she wouldn’t even be qualified to enter the Chapman family.”

“Let’s wait and see what will happen to her after taking the wrong side! In my opinion, the successor of the Chapman family won’t be Warner in the end. He’s too young!”

“Shh, stop talking. It’s not good to attract attention.”

Upon being reminded, the whispers immediately disappeared.

Nickolas’s sons were also very unhappy with Melody’s sudden interruption.

However, Nickolas was unlike the others. He did not care about Melody’s interruption. He was even happy that she could come out and change the topic.

The scene of the two sons fighting was embarrassing. He did not want to continue embarrassing himself.

Therefore, Nickolas immediately answered Melody’s question, “That’s right. I’ve already visited many hospitals because of this eye disease, but they can’t tell what illness I have. They even said that it was a strange illness. I’m afraid that my body might not be able to last long, so I want to choose an heir in advance.”

Melody nodded and said, “Your illness is rare, but I wonder if you’ve seen traditional doctors?”

“Yes, but there was nothing they could do. They said that if Quentin was here, he might be able to treat it. However, it’s said that Quentin passed away a long time ago, so I don’t plan to continue seeing a doctor. Let me leave everything to fate.”

When Melody heard her teacher’s name, she subconsciously raised her eyebrows. But she quickly restrained her expression.

She said, “Well, you don’t have to be so pessimistic. If this illness doesn’t receive the correct treatment, it will indeed be life-threatening in the long run. However, if we treat it correctly, you will recover in a few days.”

Nickolas’s eyelids twitched as he asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Warner grabbed Melody’s hand excitedly and asked,” Melody, do you know someone who can cure my grandfather’s illness?”

“That’s right.” Melody nodded and said, “But it’s not that! know anyone. It’s that I can treat it.”

As soon as she said this, Warner said to Nickolas happily, Grandpa, that’s great! If your illness is cured, you won’t have to be in a hurry to choose an heir.”

Warner’s father, Wade, immediately showed dissatisfaction when he heard Nickolas might delay choosing his heir again. “Dad, isn’t she an artist? How can she know how to treat illnesses? Don’t believe her words casually. It won’t be good if she’s careless and causes more serious problems during treatment…”

Benson’s eyes darted around. He thought about how if Nickolas suddenly died, what he said today would become a verbal will. ‘In that case, won’t all the assets have to go to Warner?’ With this thought in mind, he said anxiously, “That’s right, Dad. She’s just a young girl. You’ve seen so many famous doctors, but they’re all helpless. What can she do?” Melody looked at the two of them coldly and completely understood. ‘No wonder Nickolas did not pass the family

assets to his two sons, but passed it on to Warner, his grandson. The two of them are simply jackals of the same tribe. They only care about the family assets and do not care about Nickolas’s safety. After all, if it were anyone else, they would try it now that they know even famous doctors can do nothing about Nickolas’s illness. However, they did not even let Nickolas try. Their intentions can be said to be obvious at a glance.

She looked up at Nickolas and saw that Nickolas also felt that his two sons did not care about his life and death at all. His drooping eyes looked even more dejected.

Melody could empathize with this feeling of being abandoned by his family. Her impression of the two sons of the Chapman family became worse.

Nickolas was silent for two seconds. He no longer looked at his two sons and asked Melody, “Ms. Palmer, do you know how to treat illnesses? Can you cure my illness?”

“That’s right.” Melody nodded. “If you’re willing to believe me this time, why don’t you let me check your pulse?”

“Of course.” Nickolas ignored his two sons’ efforts to dissuade him. He walked up to Melody and extended his hand.

In less than half a minute, Melody retracted her hand and said, “I was right just now. Your disease is caused by the virus attacking the liver, causing blood to get stored in the liver, which damages the eye, so your eye is severely drooped. Without the virus, the veins of the eye won’t dilate that much. If this virus persists, you’ll have blood in your stool. If my diagnosis is correct, you should have lots of blood in your stool recently, right?”

Nickolas asked in shock, “How did you know…”

He only thought the blood in his stool was because of an unhealthy diet, so he didn’t tell anyone.

Melody said indifferently, “Mr. Chapman, traditional medicine focuses on inferences from a patient’s state and pulse. I’ve seen your complexion and checked your pulse. I can almost diagnose all the illnesses in your body. I can still see these symptoms.”

Samuel also spoke at the right time, “Nickolas, I happened to talk to Melody in the study room upstairs just now. Her painting skills are amazing, and she’s also a doctor of Herbathrive and Silverlake Hospital. Perhaps she can treat your illness.”

Benson said anxiously, “But she’s still young. Her medical skills can’t be as good as those of famous doctors, Dad, your status is extraordinary. You can’t just let her treat you casually.”

Wade also chimed in, “Dad, Benson is right. If you want to see a doctor, we can continue to look for famous doctors, We can’t ask such a young lady to treat you blindly.”

“Enough!” Nickolas said coldly, “Don’t think I don’t know what the two of you are up to. Shut up!”

The two of them were shocked and dared not say anything else.

Warner gritted his teeth and glared at Benson and Wade. Even though Wade was his biological father, he was still burning with anger at this moment. He even hoped that he was not Wade’s son.

Melody glanced at Benson and Wade expressionlessly and said, “Actually, there’s no need for the two of you to have such a big reaction. I’ve already said it just now. Other famous doctors can’t treat Mr. Chapman’s illness because they don’t have the right medicine. Coincidentally, I’ve encountered this illness before, so I naturally know how to treat it.”

Warner said anxiously, “Melody, don’t bother about them. Just tell me directly. How can I treat my grandfather’s illness? Chemotherapy? Surgery?” He had already named all the treatment methods he could think of.

However, Melody only shook her head lightly and said, ” Neither. He only needs to take a few portions of traditional medicine. In less than three days, he will recover.”

Chapter 498

As soon as she said this, everyone was shocked. “Three days? Isn’t that too arrogant?”

“That’s right. We can all tell Mr. Chapman’s illness is not easy to treat. Even the most conservative treatment has to be through surgery. But she said he only needs to take a few portions of traditional medicine. She’s simply joking.” Initially, Wade and Benson did not dare to speak anymore. However, they immediately sneered when they heard Melody say she could cure it in three days.

Benson could not hold it in anymore and said, “Miss Fox, there has to be a limit even if you want to brag.”

Melody said calmly, “I’m not bragging. If Mr. Chapman still hasn’t recovered from his illness in three days after taking my medicine, you can come to me for an explanation.”

Benson found it even more funny. “Alright, I’ll believe you this time since you said so.”

Although he said that, Benson did not think Melody could cure Nickolas’s strange illness. ‘If Melody can cure Dad’s illness in three days, won’t all the famous doctors Dad had seen become a joke?’

Melody raised her eyebrows slightly and asked Nickolas, Mr. Chapman. If you’re willing to believe me, I’ll prescribe medicine for you now.”

Nickolas hesitated for a moment before making up his mind. “I believe you.”

Humans were afraid of death, and so was he.

If she couldn’t cure his illness, he would treat it as drinking three more days of medicine. If he recovered, everyone would be happy. He would have more time to teach Warner. That way, Warner could sit firmly after taking over.

“All right, pen and paper, please,” said Melody.

Nickolas gave the butler a look. The butler immediately understood and quickly brought over a pen and paper.

Melody began to prescribe without thinking. As she wrote,

she explained the prescription she had written. “My prescription requires a lot of notopterygium root. Notopterygium root can cure headaches, fever, vomiting, and arthralgia. Coupled with other traditional medicine materials that can remove the virus, even if it can’t cure your illness, it’s harmless to your body. You can rest assured.”

Nickolas nodded and said, “Most traditional medicine ingredients are indeed harmless. Don’t worry, I’ll go to the Herbathrive you work for tomorrow and get the medicine according to this prescription.”

Melody nodded. After handing the prescription to Warner, she stopped trying to steal the limelight and quietly retreated into the crowd.

The birthday party quickly continued.

Wade and Benson had ulterior motives and quickly found an excuse to leave.

Melody had already finished her business and wanted to leave as soon as possible, but Nickolas warmly asked her to stay and play for a while.

Helpless, she could only continue to stay in the hall.

She thought that no one would pay attention to an ugly woman like her. However, she was eye-catching wherever she went after the Morin and the prescription incidents. Occasionally, people would approach her with ulterior motives, hoping to get some useful information from her. Melody could answer most of the questions, but soon, two socialites from Insterimond came to her with ill intentions and asked, “Miss Fox, is it true that you’re married to Mr. Swanson?”

Melody did not know how to answer this question. She did not want everyone to know about this. After all, it was a marriage that was about to end. ‘Who would have thought Ulric would say it in front of everyone and forcefully tie me to Ken?’

However, it was one thing for Ulric to say it. But it was another for her to say it. The meaning was completely different.

After thinking about it, Melody could only stiffly find an excuse. “I’m sorry, my stomach suddenly feels a little uncomfortable. Excuse me.” With that, she turned and left the two of them.

However, Melody had just taken two steps when she heard the two socialites sneer and mock, “What did I say? How could my idol like such an ugly woman?”

“That’s right. Men only like beautiful women. Even if they registered their marriage as Mr. Ulric Swanson said, it must be for some reason.”

“You’re right. It’s just like how Mr. Chapman likes paintings. Perhaps Margaret also likes Halcyon paintings and wants my idol to marry her.”

“Huh, if that’s the reason, they’ll get a divorce soon. Ken isn’t the kind of person who can be manipulated. You still have a chance.”

“Then thank you for your blessings.”

Melody’s eyes darkened and she felt uncomfortable. This feeling was indescribable, but it was like a person who was extremely hungry and his stomach began to ache.

She calmed down and cursed herself for feeling uncomfortable because of such words. ‘They are right. Ken had indeed married me because Margaret wanted him to in the beginning. We did not even have a basic wedding. Our marriage doesn’t live up to its name. They’re also right about we’re getting a divorce soon.’

However, the more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

She scolded herself in her heart in frustration. ‘Melody, are you crazy? Wake up!’

Coincidentally, a servant passed by her with a tray of wine glasses. For some reason, Melody stopped the servant and said, “Please give me a glass.”

“Alright…” After the servant finished speaking, Melody had already taken a glass from the tray. She raised her head and finished the wine in the glass.

She didn’t like to drink and had only drunk it once or twice. This time, the wine didn’t have a bitter taste at all. Instead, it had a fragrant sweetness.

Melody grabbed another glass and downed it again.

The servant was shocked and said, “Miss Fox, this wine is-” The servant wanted to say it was specially made and was strong.

However, before the servant could finish his sentence, Melody had already left.

The servant hesitated but did not chase after Melody, thinking, ‘Perhaps Miss Fox’s alcohol tolerance is good. After all, she is a great painter even Mr. Chapman respects. Artists generally have good alcohol tolerance.’ With this thought in mind, the servant stopped caring about this matter and continued to deliver wine everywhere.

After Melody drank two glasses of mixed wine, she wanted to find a quiet place to wait for the birthday party to end, but Yannick blocked her way.

He said, “Melody.”

“What is it?”

“There’s something. I want to ask you if you’re interested.” “Go ahead.”

Yannick deliberated over his next words and said, “Here is the thing. The University of Insterimond wants to recruit some special talents this year. I thought… Melody, your education level is not high. Why don’t you sign up to participate? It can be considered as gilding yourself. It’s to prevent those who don’t like you from always attacking you with your education level.”

“University of Insterimond?” Melody hesitated before asking, “How do we do that?”

“You can sign up for any of their special talents. There are paintings and chess skills and so on. Anyway, there are many types. After signing up, you only need to be their student in name and represent the school to participate in

the competition occasionally. Then, you can obtain a graduation certificate from the University of Insterimond. Moreover, this graduation certificate is even more valuable than those who got into this school by taking the SAT.” Yannick explained.

Melody was interested.

Back then, she had only enrolled in a community college. One reason was that she did not want to be far from her teacher. The other reason was that the tuition fees for community colleges were very cheap. She did not want to burden her teacher, so she deliberately filled in the wrong answer sheet during the SAT.

Now, she needed to have a degree. It would be best if she had a university degree from the University of Insterimond, the number one university in Halcyon.

Chapter 499

However, she had so many things going on lately that she might not have time to take the exam.

Melody was silent for two seconds before asking, “What’s the exact time?”

“The exact time hasn’t been announced yet. It’ll probably be announced next month at the earliest. These people wanted me to sign up, so I knew about this news in advance. But I’m already so old, and my energy is limited. Moreover, they still need the written test. I heard that the questions for the written test don’t seem easy, so I wanted to ask if you want to try,” said Yannick.

Melody hesitated and said, “Okay, please let me know after you announce the time. I’ll find time to attend.”

“Alright!” Yannick rubbed his hands and said, “With your painting skills, applying for painting is the most stable. However, you can also apply for other things together. You can choose whichever major you’re best at. Anyway, our goal is clear. We want to obtain the graduation certificate from the University of Insterimond.”

Melody asked in surprise, “Can we enroll in many subjects simultaneously?”

“Of course! If you have enough time, you can apply for all of them. The people from the University of Insterimond told me that some geniuses have many skills. This condition allows these geniuses with many skills to perform fully, so the examination time for every subject is staggered.” “Alright.” Melody nodded.

She had countless skills. If she had enough time, it would indeed not be a problem for her to register for eight or ten.

Melody was about to ask for more details when a commotion sounded at the hall’s entrance.

The two of them subconsciously looked at the door.

When Melody saw the handsome man in the wheelchair, her expression was blank for a few seconds. ‘Am I hallucinating? Why do I seem to see Ken?’

As soon as she had this thought, Ken’s gaze had already accurately locked onto her position in the crowd. He looked up at her.

The moment their eyes met, Melody’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

She was very sure that she was not hallucinating. Ken was here.

‘But why is he here?’ Before Melody could figure out why, Ken said something to the bodyguard behind him. The bodyguard pushed the wheelchair with a clear purpose and looked straight at her.

Coincidentally, the two socialites who had mocked and questioned Melody just now were also standing not far away.

When they saw Ken coming over, they were immediately surprised and delighted.

“It’s your idol. He seems to be walking toward you.” One of the girls nudged the other on the shoulder.

The girl blushed and said embarrassedly, “Don’t talk nonsense. I only met him a few times at some cocktail parties and didn’t even say a word to him. He can’t remember me…”

Love could easily make people lose their rationality. Although the girl said that, she hoped Ken was here for her. The other girl looked at her best friend’s blushing face and couldn’t help but laugh. “Even if he’s not here for you, you’re the most beautiful person in the hall. He’ll notice you. You didn’t speak to him before, so you must seize the opportunity this time.”

The two girls’ whispers reached Melody’s ears.

She didn’t want to listen, but her hearing was naturally better than ordinary people’s.

The uncomfortable feeling in her stomach like she had been hungry for a long time came again.

However, she quickly convinced herself. ‘If Ken can find someone who is suitable for him earlier, won’t I be able to take this opportunity to distance myself from him and not implicate him again?

Just as she was thinking about this, Ken, sitting in a wheelchair, was less than six feet away.

However, from six feet away, Ken said, “Honey, why did it take you so long to attend a birthday party?”

As soon as he said this, the surroundings instantly fell silent.

The two girls widened their eyes in disbelief. Especially the girl who regarded Ken as her idol. Her expression instantly turned from blushed to dark.

She had thought Ken was not there for her, but she couldn’t believe Ken had called Melody “Honey” in public. This was undoubtedly a slap to her face.

For a moment, the girl could not even stand steadily.

And the person involved, Melody, was no less surprised than the girl. She was stunned for a few seconds before she realized that Ken was acting.

After all, they had acted before Ramon, showing him they were in love. ‘What happens today will reach Ramon’s ears. In that case, Ken is almost acting for Ramon.’ With this thought in mind, Melody quickly came back to her senses and asked with a stiff expression, “What are you doing here?” Ken glanced at her and asked, “What do you think? Didn’t you say that you would be back soon?”

Melody was a little unsure of what Ken meant by saying this. She could only go along with his words. “I was just about to say goodbye to Mr. Chapman and the rest.” Ken nodded.

As they talked, Nickolas had already walked over. “Long time no see, Ken. I sent you an invitation but you didn’t come. I thought you weren’t coming.”

Ken was also stunned when he saw Nickolas’s eyes, but his expression quickly returned to normal. He nodded and said, “It’s your birthday. I should have come earlier, but my leg is slightly injured. It’s inconvenient, so I specially asked my wife to come.”

Nickolas looked at Ken and Melody with a smile. No matter how he looked at them, they did not match. However, if he ignored Melody’s face, Melody and Ken were alike in temperament.

He said, “I didn’t expect you two to get married. Why didn’t you inform me so I could give you a wedding gift.”

Ken smiled and said, “That’s easy. We’re preparing for the wedding. You must come to support us.”

“That’s for sure! Even if it’s not for you, it’s impossible for me not to attend Ms. Palmer’s wedding.”

Hearing the words “Ms. Palmer”, Ken raised his eyebrows and a hint of pride appeared in his eyes.

They exchanged pleasantries for a while, and almost every word was about Melody.

Coincidentally, Warner came over. Ken’s gaze landed on his face, and a moment of admiration appeared in Ken’s eyes. He asked, “Mr. Warner, when did you come back?”

“Last month,” Warner replied, but his gaze kept moving between Ken and Melody. When he saw Ken call Melody’ Honey”, he had an indescribable strange feeling in his heart for some reason.

The topic quickly shifted to Melody.

Nickolas asked, “When is your wedding?”

“Soon,” Ken answered naturally. Melody felt that something was wrong with her body. She said to interrupt the two of them, “Mr. Chapman, it’s getting late. We’ll go back first.” “You’re going back just like that?” Nickolas said regretfully, Originally, I wanted to keep you in the study room to look at your painting after the birthday party. But now, I guess I shouldn’t disturb the two of you.

Melody smiled stiffly. Just as she was about to speak, Ken suddenly held her hand and said, “Since Mr. Chapman has let you go, let’s go back.”

Ken’s hands were cold, but Melody felt her palms burning.

She nodded and did not stay any longer. She pushed Ken’s wheelchair out.

Chapter 500

As soon as they were far from the villa’s door, Melody immediately put away the fake smile and asked with a frown, “Why are you here? Didn’t I say that you must recuperate during this period to recover quickly from your leg injury?”

“What’s there to be afraid of? Isn’t my wife a famous doctor?” Ken said with a smile.

Melody’s back stiffened, and her heart beat uncontrollably faster again. She realized that she really couldn’t stand Ken calling her his wife.

Melody swallowed hard, adjusted her breathing, and asked, “Can you be more serious? Why didn’t I realize that you were so indecent before?”

Ken’s lips curved into a smile, but his eyes were filled with bitterness. Of course, he was not an indecent person. It was just that he could only use this joking opportunity to call her his wife.

However, Ken quickly put away his emotions and said seriously, “I heard that Ulric is also here. I’m worried that he will do something bad to you.”

Melody’s heart skipped a beat. She coughed dryly and said, “He won’t dare to do anything to me in public.”

“He naturally won’t do anything to you at the venue, but what about on your way home? If he sets up an ambush on the way, you might not escape unscathed.”

“-“

“Don’t say that you can. It’s always better to be careful. I’d rather do something unnecessary than let such a thing happen.” Ken paused for a moment and said, “We’re here. Help me out of the wheelchair.”

Melody looked up and realized that they had arrived at the parking lot.

However, they were in front of an off-road vehicle. She had never seen this license plate before.

“Stop looking. It’s this one, Ken said. He raised his hand naturally and gestured for her to help him up.

Melody did not know why, but her body subconsciously bent down. She put his arm on her and helped him up from the wheelchair.

Ken sucked in a breath of cold air, probably their move was too fast.

Melody was shocked and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry. I was too careless. I’ll try to be as slow as possible.”

“Okay…” Ken frowned as if he was in great pain.

Melody could not help but be even more careful. With every step she took, she observed Ken’s expression to see if it would pull on his wound.

When the bodyguard beside them saw this scene, he did not know what expression to show. ‘Mr. Swanson’s right foot is fractured, but his left foot is fine. Before seeing Miss Fox, he didn’t need our help to get out of the car, and he did not even need a wheelchair. He walked for a long time by himself. But now, he looks like he is paralyzed:

“Ahem!” The bodyguard coughed to hide the confusion in his eyes and stepped forward to open the car door for them.

Melody helped Ken into the car with difficulty. Just as she exhaled, she noticed something was wrong with it.

She reached out to touch the car window. “This-“

“It’s bulletproof glass,” Ken explained before she could ask. The car has been specially modified. There are guns and some self-defense tools under the seat. When an external force attacks, the car will immediately call the police and connect to my phone.”

Melody was shocked. She had only heard of Halcyon’s high-ranking politicians improving cars like this.

After two seconds, Melody returned to her senses and asked, “When did you prepare this car?”

“After the incident at the youth center, I asked someone to start improving it. It has just been done,” Ken replied.

Melody suddenly remembered that when she went to

Serenity Villa today, she saw a floor plan of the car on his tablet.

She thought it was a product of Ximber Tech, but she did not expect it to be for her to use…

Melody couldn’t help but think, ‘Isn’t Ken treating me a little too well? But… why? Is it because I had saved his and Margaret’s lives? However, he doesn’t need to do these things at all.’

While Melody was stunned, Ken said again, “From today onward, don’t drive your weak car anymore. Take this. Just tell the driver where you’re going. He’ll be on standby 24 hours a day.”

As soon as Ken finished speaking, the bodyguard driving said to the rearview mirror in the car, “Miss Fox, I’m your full-time driver. I’m Ted. You can contact me anytime if you need anything.”

Melody nodded subconsciously. But she quickly reacted and said, “I don’t need this car. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Melody.” Ken frowned unhappily. “I can promise you everything, but you must listen to me regarding your safety.” His tone was unquestionable. Melody could not refuse.” Alright then…”

‘This car after modification must not be cheap. This way, I owe him even more before I can repay him.’ With this thought in mind, Melody took a deep breath and tried to cheer herself up. ‘Ken is so good to me. I have to work harder to repay him.’

She didn’t say anything else and went straight to business.” Mr. Grover has already helped me settle the matter. The ruins of the youth center will be preserved. Our people can investigate at any time.”

“Got it.” Ken nodded and said, “It’s too conspicuous to investigate during the day. To avoid alerting the enemy, I’ll get them to investigate at night.”

Melody nodded and asked, “Is there any news from James? Could it be that he hasn’t gotten the portrait yet?”

Ken’s eyes darkened. He said coldly, “Yes, he didn’t get it. Moreover, Averi’s family has already bought a plane ticket overseas. The entire family will go to the airport tomorrow morning.”

“What?” Melody was shocked and asked, “Don’t tell me Ulric had found out Averi and had seen their faces.”

“Yes,” Ken said in a deep voice, “According to the reaction of the Blevins family, it’s what happened.”

Melody frowned deeply. “But that shouldn’t be the case. Only Averi and a few of us know about this. It’s impossible for the news to leak out…”

Ken’s hand subconsciously reached into his pants pocket, wanting to smoke a cigarette.

However, he remembered that Melody did not like him smoking. Therefore. he quickly retracted his hand and said, “There should be a traitor on our side.”

When she heard the word “traitor”, Janet’s face subconsciously appeared in Melody’s mind.

However, she rejected it in an instant. ‘Janet is indeed my enemy, but her feelings for Ken are sincere. She can’t betray Ken.’

After hesitating for a moment, Melody still did not mention Janet. She only asked, “Have you checked who leaked the news?”

“Not yet.” Ken shook his head and said, “I haven’t told James about this. The traitor thing is just my guess. However, I will personally investigate in secret.”

Melody nodded and asked melancholically, “But without the portrait, we can’t testify that Ulric is the mastermind of the arson.”

“Don’t worry.” Ken gave her a reassuring look and said, Previously, they didn’t go out, so we didn’t have the chance to meet Averi. But now that they are going to the airport, we have an opportunity.”

Melody’s eyes lit up. She asked, “Are you planning to ask Averi for the painting at the airport tomorrow?”

“Yes, there are too many people at the airport. Averi is still young. It’s normal for her to be separated from her family, Ken said calmly.

Melody immediately understood what Ken meant. She volunteered, “I can be the one to separate them.”

Ken shook his head and said, “You can’t. Ulric’s people will keep an eye on you.”

“But if James goes, won’t he attract their attention too?” “So I didn’t let him go.”

“Then who are you going to send?”

“Janet.”

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Chapter 491

Nickolas praised the painting endlessly. His hands trembled as he stroked his beard and said, “The rarest thing is that such an unprecedented masterpiece only took ten minutes to complete. This is a height that I can’t reach in my entire life.”

Nickolas carefully analyzed Melody’s painting, letting those who did not know about the paintings see how perfect and rare this painting was.

They looked at Melody in surprise and fell into a strange silence again.

As for those who knew Halcyon paintings, their jaws almost dropped. Who would dare to believe it?

Who would believe such a painting was from a young girl whose looks were inferior to “ordinary people”? And she only used ten minutes.

‘This is a genius!’ they all thought.

However, Warner did not have the patience to listen to his grandfather continue to praise the painting. He asked impatiently again, “Grandpa, don’t say how good this painting is. Anyway, I don’t understand it. Just tell us the result. Can you tell if she’s Morin from this painting?”

Melody raised her chin slightly and looked at Nickolas calmly. She showed no panic or anxiety.

Nickolas also looked at her at this moment. The expression in his eyes was indescribable, and his face was filled with embarrassment.

However, under Warner’s constant urging, Nickolas finally said, “Ms. Palmer, it’s my fault for being blind. After your repeated explanations, I still insisted that you’re a fake. I’m old and blind. Please forgive me this time.” Nickolas’s tone was filled with guilt and reverence.

Hearing that, everyone knew what Nickolas meant.

They knew Melody was the legendary Morin.

Shock, surprise, embarrassment, and guilt were all expressed on the faces of the guests present. After all, many of them had also spoken up for Mabel and said that Melody could not be Morin.

Warner’s face was filled with ecstasy. ‘She is Morin! She is not a liar! I had not misjudged…’

However, when he thought of his attitude toward Melody, the ecstasy in his eyes turned into a deep sorry. ‘I shouldn’t have doubted and wanted to chase her out because of Mabel’s words.’

“Melody, I-I’ve let you down too.” Warner lowered his head deeply, the apology in his eyes extremely sincere.

Melody was neither servile nor overbearing in the face of Nickolas and Warner’s apologetic gazes. She said neither arrogantly nor impatiently, “The name Morin is indeed easy for everyone to misunderstand. You haven’t seen me before, so it makes sense that you don’t know I’m Morin. I’ve never been angry before, so you don’t need to ask for forgiveness. You two don’t have to apologize to me.”

Nickolas felt even more embarrassed. “I admire how generous you are. However, even if you’re not angry, I must apologize,” Nickolas said as he looked coldly at Mabel.

Mabel was shocked and subconsciously shrunk her neck guiltily.

The next second, Nickolas said coldly, “Men, chase this woman who was sowing discord out of the manor. From now on, she is not allowed to enter any territory under the Chapman family’s name.”

“No…” Mabel said with a pale face, “Mr. Chapman, I didn’t know she was Morin. If I knew, why would I say that?”

As Mabel spoke, she secretly pinched the flesh on her waist. The pain made her cry instantly, and her eyes turned red.

A beauty’s tears were always the most lethal weapon. It instantly turned Mabel into a victim. It was as if the person who had just become the target of public criticism was not Melody, but her.

Some male guests present could not help but feel their hearts ache as they spoke up for Mabel.

“Mr. Chapman, Miss Mabel is the same as us. She doesn’t know that Morin is Melody. As the saying goes, the ignorant are not guilty.”

“That’s right. You have to be lenient. She’s just a young girl after all. Moreover, she’s been pleading for Melody just now, right?”

When Mabel heard this, more tears fell. She said, her voice hoarse, “Melody, I’m doing this for your good. I didn’t know you were Morin, so I pleaded for you. I didn’t mean to smear your reputation on purpose.”

Mabel’s fragile appearance made Melody want to laugh coldly in her heart.

Mabel’s act of pretending to be pitiful was something she had seen too many times in her past and present lives, and it worked every time.

‘Wasn’t I also deceived by Mabel’s acting skills in my previous life? Didn’t I always think that Mabel had done something bad out of kindness? Let alone the guests present. However, after the reborn, I won’t be stupid enough to believe Mabel again, Melody thought.

This time, she did not intend to let Mabel off easily.

Melody laughed mockingly and said, “For my good? Mabel, do you believe your own words?”

Mabel looked embarrassed. “I-“

Melody did not give her a chance to defend herself at all. She continued to question. “You came up and said that I’m from the countryside, thus making everyone automatically believe that I don’t have any painting foundation and can’t be Morin. Is this for my good? Not only that, but you also deliberately blurred the facts to make everyone think that I was the one who caused your mother to go to jail. Is this for my good? I’ve only met Mr. Grover once, but he’s willing to take my side and trust me. He asked Mr. Chapman to give me a chance to prove myself. It is truly for my good.”

As Melody spoke, she removed the last layer of Mabel’s disguise and said, “Furthermore, your mother went to prison because she stole trade secrets and poisoned Grandma. She even kidnapped Grandma’s trusted aide, Hattie. She tried to kill Hattie overseas. She didn’t go to jail because of me.”

Mabel’s face instantly turned ashen.

News of Yolanda’s imprisonment had already spread, but no one knew the exact reason. Those who knew were also bribed with a lot of money.

Under Mabel’s and her father’s deliberate smearing, they blamed all the blame on Melody.

But now, Melody had directly revealed the matter before this group of big shots.

Anger rose in Mabel’s heart, and her rationality fell into chaos at this moment. She said, “You’re talking nonsense! You’re talking nonsense all the time! It’s obvious that you framed my mother and sentenced her to ten years of imprisonment. Also,” Mabel was desperate. She turned to Nickolas and said, “Mr. Chapman, she’s a scheming and vicious woman. Don’t assume Melody is Morin just

because the structure of her painting is similar to Morin’s. Who knows if she drew this painting because she learned Morin’s style before coming here? Think about it carefully. How could a person whom the Fox family raised in the countryside since she was young become the Morin that even you admire? Think about it again. No one at the scene has seen Morin’s true appearance. If she intended to impersonate Morin, you couldn’t tell. There must be something wrong with this. Please investigate clearly. Don’t believe her nonsense.”

After Mabel finished speaking, she turned to look at Ulric for help.

‘Only when Ulric is on my side will Nickolas wonder if Melody is the rumored Morin, she thought.

Chapter 492

Mabel looked at Ulric. Ulric naturally understood that she was looking at him to ask for his help.

He had never stepped into such troubles.

‘However, Mabel is about to enter Ander’s laboratory and is very useful. If I let Mabel fight against others alone and do nothing, it will be difficult to explain later.’ While hesitating, Ulric also made a judgment. He decided to help her.

After all, just as Mabel had said, no one present had seen Morin. If Melody deliberately wanted to impersonate Morin, Nickolas could be wrong when he thought Melody was Morin.

However, just as Ulric was about to step forward to help Mabel, a voice came from the hall’s entrance. “Nickolas! I’m late. You don’t mind, do you?”

The voice attracted everyone subconsciously. Melody also looked in the direction of the voice.

Yannick walked in happily with a basket of eggs.

“Mr. Frost?” Soon, someone recognized Yannick and greeted him.

Yannick smiled and greeted them one by one. Then, he walked straight toward Nickolas.

Warner coincidentally blocked Melody’s figure, so Yannick did not see Melody immediately.

He raised the eggs proudly and stuffed them into Nickolas’s hand. “The few chickens I told you about last time have laid eggs. The eggs in this basket are all newborn. I can’t bear to eat them myself. Here you go!”

If someone else sent a basket of eggs over for Nickolas’s birthday, they would be laughed at.

However, Yannick was famous because of his oil paintings in Halcyon. He had a pivotal position in the art world, and because he had the same hobbies as Nickolas, he and Nickolas were close friends.

In addition, this was his usual style. It was very normal for him to send a basket of eggs. Therefore, other than the stunned Mabel, no one else revealed any strange expression.

Nickolas was also used to it. After taking the eggs, he handed them to the servant cherishingly. Then, he turned to Yannick and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll eat them sparingly.”

Yannick revealed a satisfied expression. Then, he realized that something was wrong. “What are you all doing? Why aren’t you saying anything?”

This atmosphere is a little strange. How could the atmosphere of a birthday party be more deathly silent than a funeral?’ Yannick wondered.

Nickolas gave Yannick a look that said, “You finally felt it.”

However, Nickolas suddenly remembered that Yannick had seen Morin in person. With Yannick around, they could know if Melody was Morin.

He was about to tell Yannick what had happened and ask him to identify the person.

However, at that moment, Yannick saw Melody beside Warner.

Before Nickolas could say anything, Yannick had already widened his eyes and shouted in surprise, “Melody! What are you doing here?”

As he spoke, he ignored Nickolas and strode to Melody. He said as if no one was around, “Melody, as your student, I’ve been waiting for your call for the past few days. Why didn’t you contact me?”

Everyone was instantly dumbfounded. ‘What’s going on? Why did Yannick say this girl is his teacher?’

However, what was even more shocking was Samuel walked forward unhappily and stood in front of the two of them. Before Melody could speak, he frowned and said, Why should she contact you? She’s my teacher.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Yannick rolled his eyes at Samuel and said, “I’ve already been her student for a few years. When did you become her student? Also, when did you start learning painting?”

“What painting? She’s my chess teacher. I got down on my knees to her in public to ask her to be my teacher. Did you kneel?” Samuel asked proudly.

“…” Yannick felt a lump in his throat. Indeed, he had never knelt before…

However, in the blink of an eye, Yannick’s eyes lit up. ‘I didn’t kneel back then, but I can still do it now! At the thought of this, Yannick was about to kneel,

Melody quickly grabbed Yannick’s hands. “Yannick, stop fooling around. How can I let you get down on your knees to me?”

Yannick said with an aggrieved expression, “But Samuel has done that. Why don’t you let me do it…” His tone and expression made him look like an old child.

The surrounding people were stunned by this scene. ‘What kind of ridiculous thing is this? Yannick and Samuel are fighting to kneel to this country girl? Is there something wrong with my eyes?’

Mabel’s eyes were so full of jealousy that they turned red.’ That is Yannick! I even sold my luxury goods to buy a class from Yannick. However, such a person felt wronged because he could not kneel to Melody.

Mabel bit her lower lip hard, and her lips turned pale. She hated it. ‘What right does Melody, the bitch, have to enjoy such treatment?’

When Mabel’s heart collapsed, Nickolas recovered from his shock.

He staggered to Yannick and asked, “Yannick, is she… Morin or not?”

Yannick hesitated because he knew that Melody did not like to publicize it. He could not help but look at Melody, trying to seek her opinion.

Melody said, “Just tell the truth. It’s fine.”

Yannick was relieved. He had kept this secret in his heart for a long time. Now, he could finally say it.

He grabbed Nickolas’s wrist impatiently and introduced him. “Nickolas, haven’t you wanted to meet Morin for a long time? She’s right in front of you now. Her name is Melody, also Morin.”

When Yannick called Melody his teacher, Nickolas had already confirmed that Melody was Morin because Yannick only had two teachers he respected so much. One was long gone, and the other was Morin, whom he had always wanted to meet.

However, when he heard this from Yannick, he still felt shocked.

However, what made Nickolas feel awkward was that after hearing what Mabel said, he doubted if Melody was Morin. After all, Melody was too young.

For a moment, guilt, excitement, and embarrassment lingered in his heart, making him speechless for a long time.

Yannick did not know what had just happened. Seeing that Nickolas did not speak for a long time, he thought Nickolas was too excited.

Yannick immediately laughed and said, “You didn’t expect it, did you? My teacher is so young. The person you admire is the same age as your grandson. I’ve wanted to tell you this secret for a long time. But my teacher doesn’t want me to tell others her identity, so I’ve been hiding it from you. But now, I don’t have to hold it in anymore.”

Yannick was extremely pleased, but Nickolas’s expression became even more complicated.

“Ahem…” He coughed and took two steps back. He bowed deeply to Melody and greeted her formally, “Ms. Palmer, I’ve heard a lot about you. Now, I officially greet you. I hope you can forget about the past and give me a chance to compensate you.”

Chapter 493

Nickolas’s bow gave Melody complete respect.

Everyone present subconsciously looked at Melody with politeness.

Mabel was so jealous that she didn’t even notice that the nails on her hands had dug deep into her flesh. Beside her, Ulric was not in a good mood either.

However, Ulric had always been good at hiding. Almost no one noticed the dark light hidden in his eyes.

Nickolas bowed deeply. The next moment, Melody quickly held Nickolas’s hands, afraid that he would kneel to her.

Fortunately, Nickolas was more mature than Yannick and Samuel. He did not kneel but looked at her with a burning gaze that seemed to want to swallow her.

Melody would have misunderstood if she didn’t know that he only admired her painting skills.

“Mr. Chapman, you don’t have to stand on ceremony.” Melody smiled and said, “I’ll say the same. No blame attaches to the unconscious doer of wrong. I drew this painting hurriedly and didn’t have time to draw some details. If you don’t mind, I’ll help you fill in the details later and give it to you.”

“That’s great!” Nickolas could not hide the joy in his eyes.

However, Warner took the opportunity to go forward and ask for credit. “Grandpa, I did surprise you this time, didn’t I?” Nickolas raised his eyelids and said to Warner with a rare but amiable expression, “Well, I’m indeed satisfied with this gift. Whatever reward you want, feel free to say it.”

Warner’s eyes lit up, but then he remembered the trouble he had caused and his expression became complicated.

“If you have something to say, just say it!” Nickolas urged impatiently. He was still waiting to compensate Melody. Warner did not hesitate anymore. He took a deep breath and said, “Here is the thing, Grandpa. I accidentally destroyed the item painting in the study…”

Nickolas was stunned for a moment before his eyes widened in anger. He raised his hand and was about to hit Warner.

Warner shrunk his neck and hid behind Melody.

He only stuck out half his head and said, “Grandpa, although I destroyed that painting, I brought Ms. Palmer herself, right? Can’t you treat it as atonement and spare me this time?”

With Melody in front of him, it was not convenient for Nickolas to make a move. He could only suppress his anger and say, “For the sake of Ms. Palmer, I’ll let it go this time. But there can’t be a next time.”

“Okay, okay, okay!” Warner nodded in agreement repeatedly. Nickolas could not be bothered with Warner anymore. He turned to instruct the butler, “Follow what I said just now and ask Miss Mabel to leave. From now on, she is not allowed to set foot on any territory of the Chapman family.”

Mabel was shocked. She thought that Nickolas couldn’t care less about her now. She didn’t expect that what was supposed to come would still come.

Mabel turned pale and quickly asked Ulric for help. “Ulric, help me…”

Ulric came here to curry favor with the Chapman family. But now, because of Mabel, it was all ruined.

The only way was to cut ties with Mabel.

However, Ulric looked at the woman in front of him. Her pitiful appearance and her usefulness made him unable to decide to cut ties with her.

In the blink of an eye, Ulric was no longer conflicted. He could only choose one from the Chapman family and Mabel.

He looked deeply at the expressionless Melody and then at the red-eyed Mabel. Then, he looked up at Nickolas. “Mr. Chapman, Mabel did say something wrong today, but I believe she had good intentions. It’s just that she’s too straightforward and innocent. She did something bad with good intentions. I can take her away now, but please take the sentence that you won’t let Mabel set foot on the Chapman family’s territory again back for the sake of me. As an apology, I’ll bring her over tomorrow to apologize.”

Nickolas frowned in confusion. “Mr. Ulric Swanson, why are you speaking up for this stupid woman?”

Ulric’s expression froze, but he quickly regained his composure. “Mr. Chapman, you might not know this, but Mabel is my girlfriend. Logically speaking, I have to ask you to spare her.”

Mabel’s heart skipped a beat, and the fear instantly dissipated. ‘Ulric finally introduced me as his girlfriend: “What? She’s your girlfriend?” Nickolas was shocked. Ulric and Mabel were indeed very compatible in appearance, but judging from Mabel’s performance today, her intelligence was average.

Nickolas was surprised that Ulric would speak up for Mabel at the risk of upsetting him because he liked a beautiful appearance.

‘Could it be that Mabel was not as useless as I thought? Nickolas suddenly remembered that Mabel was Silverlake’s Best Celebrity last year. The person who could sit in this position naturally had some ability. ‘Unfortunately… she had offended the wrong person!”

Even if Mabel and Ulric were combined, they were not as important as Morin in Nickolas’s heart.

Melody was also surprised. She did not expect Mabel to be so important to Ulric.

Based on her understanding of Ulric, he should disassociate himself from it and not bring Mabel anymore. He should explain to Mabel later.

However, whatever the reason, Ulric openly admitted that Mabel was his girlfriend, which was a good thing for Melody.

‘Ulric is an extremely cautious person. It was difficult for me to find any loopholes in him. However, once he made it public, Mabel and Ulric would be one. I can’t find any loopholes in Ulric, but how can I not find loopholes in Mabel?’

With this thought in mind, Melody’s lips curled into a faint and imperceptible smile.

She looked up at Nickolas. She had already gained a lot today. It did not matter if Nickolas dealt with Mabel or not.

Nickolas’s eyes darkened as he said, “Mr. Ulric Swanson, I naturally have to agree since you said so.”

Mabel felt relieved when she heard this.

However, in the next second, Nickolas said again, “Don’t worry, this matter has nothing to do with you. I won’t blame you, so I’m only targeting this woman who maliciously defamed Ms. Palmer.”

Mabel’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Nickolas didn’t even agree to Ulric’s request and deliberately pretended to be stupid, Is Melody’s painting so attractive to him? Damn it, where did this bitch learn her painting skills, chess skills, and medical skills?’

Mabel hated Melody to death, but she was even more afraid that Ulric would look at Melody because of this.

Fortunately, Ulric did not even look at Melody. He only lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly. “I understand what you mean, Mr. Chapman. I’ll take her away now and come here to apologize another day.”

As Ulric spoke, he glanced at Mabel, telling her to follow him.

Mabel had countless grievances in her heart, but the fact Ulric could publicize their relationship made the grievances fade a lot. ‘I had offended Nickolas but got Ulric. This deal is very worth it.’

However, at this moment, Nickolas suddenly said, “Wait.”

Ulric stopped in his tracks. He and Mabel turned around at the same time.

Ulric asked, “Mr. Chapman, is there anything else?”

Chapter 494

Ulric asked. He still had that gentle smile on his face. His elegant appearance made people unable to bear to criticize him.

Nickolas, who wanted to say something harsh to warn Ulric and Mabel, could not help but soften his tone. “You don’t have to let your girlfriend apologize to me. If you want to apologize, apologize to Ms. Palmer. After all, she’s the victim.”

Mabel immediately felt humiliated and jealous.

She clenched her fists even harder. Her palms turned into a bloody mess, but she did not let go.

Under the reminder of Ulric’s gaze, she tried hard to suppress the anger in her heart and squeezed out a sentence, “Thank you for your reminder, Mr. Chapman. I’ll apologize to my sister another day…”

Nickolas waved his hand in satisfaction and urged Ulric to take Mabel away. That disdainful and impatient tone almost made Ulric lose control of his emotions.

He took a deep breath and almost used all his restraint to maintain the gentle expression on his face. Then, he left with Mabel.

As soon as he walked out, Ulric’s eyes turned cold.

However, Mabel was still in her emotions. She held Ulric’s arm and complained, “Ulric, if you ask me, Nickolas is muddle-headed. I can’t believe he made the two of us-“

“Mabel.” Ulric suddenly stopped.

Mabel immediately felt that something was wrong. ‘This tone… is too cold.

She subconsciously looked at Ulric’s face and saw a mist in his gentle and charming eyes, making it difficult for her to see what he was thinking.

However, no matter how slow Mabel’s reaction was, she could tell Ulric was in a bad mood.

She was shocked and swallowed her saliva reflexively.”

Ulric, what’s wrong? Are you blaming me?”

As Mabel’s voice sounded, Ulric realized he had almost lost control of his emotions.

In the blink of an eye, Ulric returned to his usual gentleness. He smiled as he gently tucked the hair on Mabel’s

forehead behind her ear. He said gently, “Why would! blame you? I was the one who asked you to speak up for Melody. In the end, it’s my fault.”

Mabel immediately heaved a sigh of relief and said, “It’s good that you’re not angry. I thought you-“

“No, I’m not the kind of person who gets angry easily.” Ulric paused and pretended to ask casually, “Has Mr. Morgan still not contacted you?”

“Yes.” Mabel was also very anxious. She sighed helplessly and said, “I’ve already submitted the test questions he gave us for a few days. However, I later asked around and found out that his son’s condition had stabilized. I believe he can return to his post in less than a week. Then, he will have time to check the test questions we submitted.”

“Alright.” Ulric nodded. His eyes were meaningful as he said, “Then I won’t disturb you for the next few days. After passing the test questions, there will probably be other tests. Prepare yourself in advance so that nothing will go wrong.

Mabel was shocked again. “Other than the test questions, are there other tests?” She thought that as long as she passed, she would be able to join the laboratory.

“Of course, Ander’s laboratory has such a high status in Halcyon because the threshold is too high. Those who can enter are all geniuses in some aspect.” As Ulric spoke, he reached out and rubbed her head. “But you don’t have to worry. You can pass the test. I’ve also seen the questions Ander set this time and found it difficult. I’ve called some experts in this field, but none can completely answer it. Since you can answer it, you’re also a genius.”

Mabel smiled guiltily. She couldn’t even understand the questions, let alone answer them. If not for the whiz on the forum, how could she have solved it?

Ulric, what’s wrong? Are you blaming me?”

As Mabel’s voice sounded, Ulric realized he had almost lost control of his emotions.

In the blink of an eye, Ulric returned to his usual gentleness. He smiled as he gently tucked the hair on Mabel’s

forehead behind her ear. He said gently, “Why would! blame you? I was the one who asked you to speak up for Melody. In the end, it’s my fault.”

Mabel immediately heaved a sigh of relief and said, “It’s good that you’re not angry. I thought you-“

“No, I’m not the kind of person who gets angry easily.” Ulric paused and pretended to ask casually, “Has Mr. Morgan still not contacted you?”

“Yes.” Mabel was also very anxious. She sighed helplessly and said, “I’ve already submitted the test questions he gave us for a few days. However, I later asked around and found out that his son’s condition had stabilized. I believe he can return to his post in less than a week. Then, he will have time to check the test questions we submitted.”

“Alright.” Ulric nodded. His eyes were meaningful as he said, “Then I won’t disturb you for the next few days. After passing the test questions, there will probably be other tests. Prepare yourself in advance so that nothing will go wrong.

Mabel was shocked again. “Other than the test questions, are there other tests?” She thought that as long as she passed, she would be able to join the laboratory.

“Of course, Ander’s laboratory has such a high status in Halcyon because the threshold is too high. Those who can enter are all geniuses in some aspect.” As Ulric spoke, he reached out and rubbed her head. “But you don’t have to worry. You can pass the test. I’ve also seen the questions Ander set this time and found it difficult. I’ve called some experts in this field, but none can completely answer it. Since you can answer it, you’re also a genius.”

Mabel smiled guiltily. She couldn’t even understand the questions, let alone answer them. If not for the whiz on the forum, how could she have solved it?

After thinking about it, Mabel asked uneasily, “Then do you know what kind of test there will be later? Will it be like this time, a difficult problem?”

Ulric shook his head. “I don’t know about that, but I remember the tests change each year. Last year, it seemed that it was for you people who wanted to enter the laboratory to complete a difficult experiment. After you go home, go online and check what tests are for the previous years. Prepare well.”

“Well…” Mabel was no longer in the mood to care about Melody.

For some reason, she was not confident in front of Ulric. She felt that if she could not enter Ander’s laboratory, he might not love her so much.

At the thought of this, Mabel’s heart burned with anxiety. She wished she could fly home immediately and start preparing.

*****

On the other side.

After Mabel and Ulric left, the atmosphere quickly became relaxed and happy.

The surrounding people came forward to compliment Melody. Some people wanted to ask Melody for a painting, but Yannick stopped them. “If you want my teacher’s painting, come to me and queue up to sign up.”

Yannick half-jokingly helped Melody block a lot of trouble. On Melody’s side, Nickolas took out the pendant at his waist and presented it to Melody with both hands. “This is what I’ve always carried with me. Ms. Palmer, please accept it. From now on, as long as it’s the Chapman family’s place, no matter what you want to do, as long as you take out this pendant, they will listen to you.”

Melody quickly refused. “I can’t accept such an important thing…”

“Please accept it, or I’ll feel guilty. Just take it that I misunderstood you just now and gave you compensation.”

Melody saw that she could not refuse, and the Chapman family did have a profound foundation. Thinking that this pendant might help, she did not refuse and took it with both hands.

This pendant was made of top-grade ruby and had a bullet head embedded in the middle.

On the side, Warner explained enviously, “One of my grandfather’s comrades used his life to block this bullet for him. My grandfather has always kept it with him and was unwilling to give it to even me. With this thing, all people of the Chapman family will listen to your orders. Melody, you’re so lucky.”

Melody was even more shocked. She bowed and thanked Nickolas. “Thanks, Mr. Chapman, for being willing to give me this precious treasure.”

“This is what I should give you.” Nickolas chuckled and said, “I wonder when you will have the time to help me complete the painting. If I can obtain this complete painting of yours, I will have no regrets.”

Warner frowned. “Grandpa, you don’t have to say that. It’s just a painting. She’s already taken my money and your pendant. She’ll finish it properly, right, Melody?”

However, after Warner said that, Nickolas bent his finger and knocked Warner’s head. “Who allowed you to speak to Ms. Palmer in such a tone? Apologize now!”

“Grandpa…” Warner looked aggrieved.

“Hurry up!” Nickolas ordered with a dark expression.

Warner glared at Melody and said reluctantly, “I’m sorry.”

Melody could not help but laugh. “There’s no need to apologize, Mr. Chapman. I’m friends with Warner, and he’s right. Since I’ve accepted his money, I’ll complete the painting well. It’s just that there are too many people in the hall, so I’m afraid I can’t calm down and draw…”

“That’s easy.” Nickolas waved his hand and said, “I’ll bring you to my study. There are more tools upstairs, you can use them as you wish.”

Warner could not help but feel even more jealous. ‘I can’t even enter Grandpa’s study at will. Grandpa is too biased!’

Chapter 495

Melody smiled and said, “Today is your birthday party. It’s unreasonable for you not to be in the hall. Moreover, I’ll spend more time on the details. How about this…”

She turned to look at Samuel, who immediately understood and walked forward. Then, Samuel said, “Nickolas, my legs are not healthy enough to stand for a long time. I’ll accompany Melody to paint on your behalf. You can stay here and entertain your guests.”

Nickolas wanted to see Melody complete the painting with his eyes, but today was indeed his 80th birthday. It was indeed inappropriate for him not to be present.

With this thought in mind, Nickolas revealed a pained expression and said, “Alright, I’ll come up to take a look after I’m done entertaining them.”

Melody nodded and followed Samuel to Nickolas’s study.

Warner wanted to follow them, but Samuel found a way to send him away.

Samuel closed the study’s door and asked curiously, Melody, why are you so anxious to look for me? You even went through so much trouble to come here as Morin. What urgent matter do you have to look for me for?”

“Here is the thing…” Melody weighed her words in her heart and said, “My men and I have investigated. The fire at the crime scene was not an accident, but a malicious arson.” “What?” Samuel’s expression immediately darkened as he asked, “Who is so vicious that he wants to kill hundreds of people at once? What exactly is his motive? Have you found out who did it?”

Melody did not mention Ulric. She only said, “I can’t confirm this person’s identity for the time being, but he destroyed a lot of evidence, including the surveillance cameras in the surrounding roads.”

Samuel’s expression became even more solemn. “Doesn’t that mean we won’t be able to catch this arsonist?”

“Not necessarily,” Melody said, “I’ve investigated and found that before the fire, someone had changed the doors and windows of the youth center. If we follow this lead, we might be able to find some clues. However, they will clean up the ruins soon. When that time comes, there will be no way to investigate. Therefore, I want you to interfere and temporarily keep the ruins to buy us time to investigate.” “When you say ‘us’, do you mean you and Ken?” Samuel asked.

“Yes.” Melody nodded and said, “The two of us are doing our best to investigate, but the other party is too cunning. We don’t dare to let the officials get involved lest we alert the enemy. So, please help us once.”

“You’re being too distant by saying that. You’re the one who saved my life. Moreover, I’m calling you a teacher. It’s just a small favor. You can ask for it through the phone. I can’t believe you came personally.” Samuel pretended to be angry and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll call the person in charge of Silverlake later and ask him not to deal with the ruins first.”

“Thank you…”

“You’re being distant again. I’m also a victim. I also want to know which beast did it.” The more Samuel spoke, the angrier he became.

He had been in the military his entire life, but he had almost lost his life in the fire. No one would be able to take this lying down.

He added, “Feel free to call me anytime if you need my help. I’ll help if I can.”

“Okay!” Melody nodded vigorously. Then, she remembered that Samuel was critically ill in her previous life and asked indirectly, “Mr. Grover, well, I know some medical skills. I’m currently working as an external doctor in Herbathrive and Silverlake Hospital. I see that you don’t look too good. Have you been feeling unwell recently?”

Samuel first sighed and said, “You know so much.” Then, he said, “But I haven’t been feeling unwell recently. If I have to say a problem, it’s just that I occasionally feel like needles pricking me.”

Melody recalled that Samuel had died of a cerebral hemorrhage in his previous life. Coupled with Samuel’s current statement, she had already confirmed it.

She used Nickolas’s pen and paper to write a prescription and handed it to Samuel. “If you follow this to get the medicine, this feeling will disappear in less than a month.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you.” Samuel trusted her very much and carefully put away the prescription.

Melody hesitated before saying again, “But I have another presumptuous request…”

“Tell me. I’ll still say the same thing. I’ll help you if I can.” Melody’s expression softened slightly, but she quickly became serious and said, “It’s about malicious doctors…” Samuel’s eyelids twitched, and he subconsciously lowered his voice. “Malicious doctors? Melody, in Halcyon,

malicious doctors’ crime is even greater than murder. Back then, to suppress malicious doctors, the entire Halcyon was almost thrown into chaos. Till the end, they mobilized the army to eliminate malicious doctors’s faction. Although we’ve cleaned them up, the higher-ups still hate malicious doctors. Don’t get involved in this matter.”

He paused and said, “If you have malicious doctors as your friends, you should draw a line with them as soon as possible! Otherwise, I won’t be able to protect you.”

Samuel misunderstood what Melody meant. He thought that she had friends of malicious doctors and wanted Samuel’s help.

When Melody realized this, she quickly explained, “No, I don’t have malicious doctors as my friends. Here is the thing. The Herbathrive I work for used to have a doctor called Michael Hudson…”

She told Samuel about Michael and said, “I can vouch for Herbathrive. They have no intention of covering up for malicious doctors. Before I went there, they had no idea Michael would be one of the malicious doctors.”

Samuel’s expression relaxed slightly. “So that’s what happened. The malicious doctors’ faction has been hiding since the extermination many years ago. It made sense that Herbathrive didn’t find out. I was scared to death. I thought you wanted me to help malicious doctors clear their names.”

“How can that be? There are no good people in malicious doctors. Since I’m a doctor, I can’t associate with them even more.”

“Then you mentioned this to me because you want me to help you keep Herbathrive?”

“That’s right,” Melody said sincerely, “I’ll find Michael, but I’m afraid that after I find him, the higher-ups will still

investigate Herbathrive. If a medical center is related to malicious doctors, its operations are probably over. So, I wonder if you can inform the higher-ups first.”

Samuel thought for a while and said, “Sure. I’ll tell the person in charge of malicious doctors that you’ve found traces of malicious doctors and are thinking of a way to work with them to find him. In this way, you’ll be heroes. After they catch him, the higher-ups won’t make things difficult for you.”

Melody finally felt relieved. “Then I’ll thank you in advance on behalf of Herbathrive.”

“No problem. It’s not a big deal.” Samuel pointed at the landscape painting they had brought and said, “We’ve wasted lots of time. You can draw first. I’ll go and inform them about Herbathrive now.”

“Okay!” Melody also calmed down and began to draw the details.

The landscape painting was about the structure and framework, and she had completed them in those ten minutes.

Therefore, Melody did not need to spend much effort on the details. She completed it soon. At the same time, Samuel had also finished his call.

He said, “I’ve already done the two things you instructed me to do.”

“Thank you, Mr. Grover!”

“Melody, you only treat me as your disciple when you stop standing on ceremony.”

Melody smiled bitterly. “I’m afraid that’s difficult for me.”

The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Suddenly, they heard exclamations coming from downstairs.

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Chapter 486

However, when Ulric noticed that everyone’s hearts were racing when they saw Mabel’s face, that displeasure slowly dissipated.

‘The woman I will marry should be a peerless beauty like Mabel, Ulric thought.

He could not help but rejoice. ‘Fortunately, Margaret had asked Ken to complete the engagement with the Fox family and not me. Otherwise, if I attend all kinds of parties and activities, I can only bring Melody, the ugly girl who will only embarrass me.

It was just that… he did not know what gift Mabel had prepared. He still couldn’t believe she would dare to stand up and give a gift after the “priceless golden royal seal” and “child painting filled with sincerity”.

A hint of surprise flashed past Nickolas’s eyes as Mabel walked out of the crowd. He subconsciously looked at his grandson. It was as if he was wondering if Warner and Mabel were compatible.

However, when he looked at Warner, he saw that the ignorant Warner was playing with his phone with his head lowered. He immediately shook his head. ‘Forget it, this grandson of mine has a few years to go before starting a family.’

Nickolas quickly retracted his gaze and looked at Mabel with a smile. “I know you. You were rated Best Celebrity in Silverlake last year, right?”

Mabel smiled shyly and generously. “Yes, it’s my honor that you remember me, Mr. Chapman.”

Nickolas laughed out loud and said, “It’s a human nature. I’m not immune to a beauty like you, Miss Fox. I naturally remember you.”

Although he said that, the truth was that it was because Nickolas had a granddaughter who had mentioned Mabel to him a few times and even showed him a photo. That was why he subconsciously remembered Mabel.

“Mr. Chapman, you’re flattering me.” As Mabel spoke, she took out a painting from the long strip.

Nickolas was obsessed with painting, and interest immediately surfaced in his eyes. “And this is?”

Mabel opened the painting and said, “Mr. Chapman, it is a painting I drew for you. I visited the famous Mr. Frost and asked for his guidance for this painting. However, my time to learn painting is limited. Please don’t mind it.”

“Of course, I won’t.” Nickolas looked at Mabel in admiration.

Compared to those priceless gifts, he appreciated these gifts that were made with one’s heart.

However, Warner knew that Mabel was also giving him a painting. He could not help but feel a sense of competition in his heart.

However, after hearing that Mabel had only received Yannick’s guidance, Warner’s tense nerves immediately relaxed. He turned around and whispered to Melody,” Fortunately, she isn’t giving him Morin’s painting. Ours is different from hers.”

Melody asked meaningfully, “What? To you, the paintings that Yannick had guided aren’t a threat? He’s one of the best in oil painting. Compared to him, Morin is not that famous.”

“You don’t know this, but Yannick is an old friend of my grandfather’s. He was also coming today, but he’s out of town sketching. The plane is delayed. He’ll probably be here in a while,” said Warner.

Melody understood.

Nickolas could have as many of his friends’ paintings as he needed. The rarer something was, the more precious it was. The principle also applied to the paintings. Moreover, Mabel had only received Yannick’s guidance.

At this moment, Nickolas also took the painting from Mabel.

He roughly looked up and down.

This was a classic landscape painting with Yannick’s style.

The blank part was handled very well.

However, Mabel’s basic skills were too poor. Even though she was already trying her best to imitate Yannick’s style, this landscape painting still could not withstand scrutiny. However, Nickolas naturally wouldn’t say these words in front of Mabel. After all, it was her sincerity.

After looking at the painting, he smiled and said, “Miss Fox, you’re very talented in painting. I’ll accept this painting.”

After saying that, he asked the servant to put the painting away, but he no longer commented on the painting or Mabel herself.

Mabel had not slept for almost two days because of this painting. She even spent a lot of money to get Yannick to guide her. Even Yannick thought that this painting was 70% similar to his style.

However, Nickolas’s reaction was mediocre. Although he had accepted the painting, there was no joy or admiration in his eyes.

No matter how stupid she was, Mabel could tell that Nickolas did not think this painting she had painstakingly drawn was outstanding.

For a moment, Mabel felt frustrated and embarrassed.

The people present were all smart. They could tell that this stunning beauty did not have much attainment in painting. They could not help but look at Mabel. It was as if they were watching a good show.

Especially the female guests who were jealous of Mabel’s looks. They almost had the word “mockery” written on their faces.

Mabel noticed everyone’s gaze and forced a smile with a stiff expression. With strong unwillingness, she turned around and returned to where she was standing just now. ‘Who would have thought that? I thought it was a good opportunity to show off, but unexpectedly, it gave others a chance to mock me.’ Mabel pursed her lips and her eyes reddened uncontrollably.

At this moment, Ulric handed her a handkerchief and said gently, “Drawing isn’t your specialty. Don’t think much about it. It’s a gift. The most important thing is the sincerity.”

Mabel looked at Ulric’s concerned gaze, and the uncomfortable feeling in her heart dissipated slightly. However, the fact that Ulric did not introduce her as his girlfriend in public still weighed on her heart.

On the other side, Nickolas also felt the change in Mabel. However, to him, the sanctity of the painting was much more important than a person like Mabel. He could not lower his aesthetic standards because of Mabel’s sincerity and deliberately said some words to praise her.

With his status, he didn’t have to care too much about how others might feel.

“Okay.” Nickolas cleared his throat before continuing, “I can feel your sincerity, but my birthday is just for fun. At my age, if you don’t seize the opportunity to have fun, you can only see me at my funeral. In the future, when I hold parties, please don’t bring gifts. I’m already happy you can be here to talk to me.”

Nickolas was speaking the truth. However, the people present did not dare to come empty-handed. They only smiled cooperatively.

Nickolas raised his hand and said, “Then let’s officially start the birthday party now. As usual, we’ll cut the cake first and everyone will get a share.”

Nickolas loved cutting the cake and making wishes. It was a must every year.

However, at this moment, Warner walked out of the crowd. Grandpa, you can choose not to look at other people’s gifts in person, but you must look at the gift I give you now. I guarantee that you’ll like my gift this year!”

Nickolas’s face was full of disdain when he heard this. “If you want me to live a few more years, forget it.”

Warner’s expression darkened as he recalled the gift he had given Nickolas last year.

It was a robot dog that he had made himself. In the end,

when Nickolas tried it out, the robot dog suddenly made a mistake in its programming. It knocked into Nickolas like a madman and shattered his leg. It took more than half a year to recover.

Of course, Warner was also hospitalized for a month because of a beating.

But soon, Warner regained his confidence. He said again, You’ll like this year’s gift. I swear to God!”

Chapter 487

When the guests saw this scene, they all laughed.

Someone unfamiliar with the Chapman family could not help but ask curiously in a low voice, “Is the relationship between this grandfather and grandson bad?”

The person next to him answered cautiously, “Then you’re mistaken. Nickolas has a total of three children, two sons and a daughter. Two of them live overseas all year round, but Warner’s parents stay in the country. Moreover, among Nickolas’s three children, only Warner’s parents give birth to a son. Warner is Nickolas’s only grandson, who grew up by Nickolas’s side since he was young. How can their relationship not be good? This is their way of getting along.” “I see. The more Mr. Chapman despises Mr. Warner on the surface, the more he dotes on Mr. Warner in his heart.”

“That’s right. When a person has deep affection for another person, his expectations and demands of the other person will increase accordingly. Therefore, you should start with Mr. Warner to please the Chapman family.”

“Thank you for the reminder…”

Melody listened to the mutterings of the two people behind her and confirmed that Warner had a good relationship with Nickolas.

At this moment, Warner was still patting his chest and guaranteeing that Nickolas would like his gift.

Nickolas was also tired of listening. He pursed his lips and said, “Then don’t waste your time. Bring it up!”

However, although Nickolas was impatient, the anticipation in his eyes exposed him.

However, only Warner felt that Nickolas was impatient, but he was an optimist. He only felt uncomfortable for two seconds before he was filled with anticipation again. He turned his head and waved at Melody. “Melody, come here.” Melody had been waiting for this moment for a long time. After all, she could look for Samuel after completing this job according to the agreement.

She took a few steps forward with the painting in her hand.

Everyone could not help but look disgusted when they saw Melody’s appearance.

“What an ugly woman!”

“Why would Mr. Warner hang out with such an ugly woman?”

“What do you mean by hanging out with her? I’m afraid she’s just Mr. Warner’s maid. But even if she’s a maid, her looks are completely unqualified. Isn’t Mr. Warner afraid of having nightmares at night?” After that, the guest even burst out laughing.

“Compared to the beauty just now, this one is really…. unsightly.”

“Alright, cut it out. It won’t be good if Mr. Warner hears it.” Someone reminded them, and the discussions calmed down a little. However, everyone’s disgusted expressions did not dissipate.

When Mabel saw this scene, the corners of her mouth curled into an inconspicuous smile. ‘Look. This is the huge difference between me and Melody.

She subconsciously looked at Ulric’s expression from the corner of her eye, but he showed no abnormalities.

Mabel sighed and looked at the painting in Melody’s hand. Could it be that Melody had drawn it herself and wanted to send it up? Even my painting did not catch Mr. Chapman’s eye. How could a village girl like Melody, who lived in the countryside all year round, have the cheek to bring her painting up?”

Melody did not care about the gazes of the others. She stood beside Warner in a neither servile nor overbearing manner and looked up to meet Nickolas’s probing gaze. “Hello, Mr. Chapman. My name is Melody,” said Melody. Samuel was standing not far away. He could not help but be happy when he saw Melody.

However, he knew Melody would come in advance, so he quickly suppressed his excitement. He was afraid of disturbing Melody’s process of giving the gift, so he did not go forward to greet her. He just stood there and looked at Melody.

Nickolas could sense that although the girl in front of him was not good-looking, her temperament was extraordinary. It was not inferior to that of Best Celebrity just now. “Hello, are you Warner’s friend?” Nickolas asked.

Melody nodded. Beside her, Warner urged, “Melody, quickly take out the painting.”

He could not wait to see his grandfather’s surprised expression.

“Oh? It’s also a painting?” Even with Mabel’s copied landscape painting, Nickolas’s enthusiasm for the painting did not diminish. He walked to Melody in a few steps and prepared to admire the painting sent by Melody.

Melody was about to speak, but Warner, standing beside her, could not hold it in anymore. He took the painting in her hand and opened it. Then, he said, “Grandpa, look, whose painting this is.”

His tone was full of smugness, making Nickolas even more curious about this painting.

Warner quickly spread out the painting in front of everyone. But in the next second, everyone fell into a strange silence.

It was blank! The painting was blank. Or rather, what Warner was holding was not a painting at all, but a piece of white paper.

The guests present exploded into an uproar…

“What the hell? It’s a piece of white paper?”

“Isn’t this Mr. Warner’s gift to Mr. Chapman? Perhaps there’s something else in the painting, such as… roasting it over a fire to reveal the pattern or something.”

“What do you mean there’s something else? I think Mr. Warner is just teasing Mr. Chapman.”

“Wait, maybe that ugly woman switched it when she saw the painting was priceless.”

“How bold!”

Mabel looked like he was waiting to watch a good show. ‘If Melody dares to swap the painting, Nickolas will kill her. Although Nickolas seems easygoing, it’s said that he is very terrifying when angry. Melody is doomed.

She couldn’t help but want to see what Ulric was thinking. She asked in a low voice, “Ulric, what do you think is going on? Could it be that my sister switched the painting?”

Ulric’s expression did not change. He said, “She shouldn’t be so stupid.”

Mabel’s expression froze. ‘What does Ulric mean? Does he trust Melody that much?”

Mabel’s good mood instantly disappeared, and her expression darkened.

*****

“Well…”

Seeing this scene, even someone as knowledgeable as Nickolas could not control his facial expression. However, he did not suspect Melody. He only thought that Warner was playing with him. ‘After all, this kid may do such a ridiculous thing, Nickolas thought.

“Warner!” Nickolas’s expression darkened as he reprimanded coldly, “Even if you want to joke, you should consider the occasion. At your age, you still don’t know your limits. After the birthday party ends, come to my study.” Nickolas was indeed a little unhappy.

It was not because Warner had tricked him but because he had hoped that Warner would become a capable person. However, Warner’s actions were very childish, and Warner did not seem like someone who could become a capable person.

Warner heard Nickolas’s words, his expression was confused.

He was not interested in paintings at all. He chose to give a painting only to suit Nickolas’s taste. Therefore, after

opening the painting, he opened it without looking at it so that everyone could see what was drawn on it.

In addition, Melody had framed the painting in advance. It was not transparent. Therefore, he did not know there was nothing on it at all.

However, when he saw Nickolas’s and everyone’s complicated expressions, he finally felt something was wrong and hurriedly flipped the painting over.

When he flipped the painting, the whiteness almost blinded him.

He saw White paper with nothing on it.

“How could this be?” Warner was stunned for a moment before looking at Melody beside him quickly.

Chapter 488

“What’s going on? Why isn’t there anything on the painting?” Warner was anxious and angry. His black eyes stared fixedly at Melody, trying to seek an explanation.

If Nickolas hadn’t forbidden him from tainting a place like the black market, he would have told everyone about what happened on the black market forum.

Melody was innocent in the face of Warner’s questioning.

She explained, “I’ve wanted to tell you long ago that there’s nothing on the painting, but you never gave me the chance.” Only then did Warner remember that since he and Melody” recognized” each other, Melody seemed to have something to say to him. However, to prevent the news that he wanted to give Morin’s painting to his grandfather from leaking, he kept stopping Melody from speaking.

He calmed himself down. ‘If Melody wanted to fool me with a piece of paper, she did not have to come personally. Wouldn’t she be courting death if she came personally? There must be something wrong.”

Warner tried his best to calm down. Then, he asked, “Then why did you give me a piece of white paper?”

Nickolas realized that Warner was not joking with him, but that the painting existed.

“Warner, what’s going on?” Nickolas asked Warner, but his gaze was fixed on Melody. However, this time, there was less politeness and more questioning in his eyes.

“Hurry up and explain what’s going on. Otherwise… don’t blame me for not treating you as a friend,” said Warner. In his heart, they were friends if they knew each other’s names.

He did not want the two of them to fall out with each other like they did on the forum.

Melody’s expression did not change. She looked at Warner and said, “Didn’t you tell me your grandfather likes my paintings very much? Today is his eightieth birthday, so I thought that instead of bringing a painting over, I might as well draw a painting for him in front of him.”

Warner was speechless. “Melody, are you mistaken? My grandfather likes Morin’s paintings, not yours.”

Melody spread her hands and said, “Because I’m the Morin you mentioned.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Warner was stunned for a moment. Then, he said with an awkward expression, Melody, if you didn’t have Morin’s painting, you should have told me a long time ago instead of lying here. I hate people who are hypocritical and like to lie.”

“I’m not lying,” Melody said helplessly, “I’m Morin. I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but I never had the chance. Please believe me.”

Warner closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He suppressed his anger and said, “Melody, I misjudged you. Leave! I don’t want to pursue your responsibility anymore. I’ll take those 2 million dollars as a lesson, but I hope you won’t deceive others again.”

“Warner, I-“

Melody was about to explain when Nickolas coughed heavily twice. He said earnestly, “Young lady, the most important thing for a person is integrity. Today is my birthday, and I don’t want to make things unhappy. You can leave. After you leave, remember to be a new person.”

Melody had expected that no one would believe her. Although slightly anxious, she said unhurriedly, “Mr. Chapman, Warner, I’m not lying to you. Morin Palmer is the name I used after I learned how to draw. You can let me draw a painting if you don’t believe me. After seeing the painting, you’ll know that I’m not lying.”

When Nickolas heard this, he could not help but scrutinize Melody.

Melody’s expression was calm and her eyes did not look like she was hiding anything. She did not look like she was lying.

‘Moreover, this little girl has already cheated 2 million dollars out of my grandson’s hands. It’s enough to support

her living for the rest of her life. There is no need for her to continue lying here. At the thought of this, Nickolas could not help but waver.

“If that’s the case-” However, just as Nickolas was about to get someone to prepare a brush, Ulric gave Mabel a look and said instigatingly, “Mabel, she’s your sister after all. Tell her to stop being stubborn and stop her.”

Mabel had long wanted to expose Melody’s hypocritical side. But she couldn’t show her aggressive side because Ulric was beside her.

But now that Ulric had said so, she nodded slightly and quickly walked out of the crowd a second before Nickolas asked the servants to prepare a brush. “Mr. Chapman.”

Nickolas looked at Mabel in shock and asked in confusion, Miss Fox, what’s the matter?”

Melody also frowned as she looked at Mabel, who had walked out of the crowd.

When their eyes met, a cold glint flashed across Mabel’s eyes, but it disappeared instantly. It turned into a complicated expression as she walked up to Melody.

Melody pursed her lips coldly. She wanted to see what else Mabel could do.

After Mabel walked to Melody’s side, she looked up at Nickolas and said, “Nickolas, Melody is my elder sister.”

“What?” Nickolas looked at the difference in their appearances and asked in surprise, “You’re sisters?” “Yes.” Mabel nodded and said, “However, my father has chased Melody out of the house because she made a mistake. I was also surprised to meet her here today. However, she is my only sister. Please be merciful and don’t blame her. Because of her health, my father raised her in the countryside since she was young. She wasn’t educated and didn’t know how to draw. She lied to you in public because she was led astray by her friends in the

countryside. But I promise to persuade her to turn over a new leaf.”

As Mabel spoke, she bowed to Nickolas and lowered her head apologetically. “Please!”

Such a sincere attitude and actions shocked everyone present.

However, the more Mabel’s sincerity moved everyone, the more they felt disgusted when they looked at Melody.

“As an elder sister, I can’t believe she needs a younger sister like Mabel to bow and apologize on her behalf.”

“As expected of a girl from the countryside. Although I’ve never been to the countryside, I heard that people from the countryside are cunning and dishonest.” The surrounding people felt injustice for Mabel.

“Miss Mabel, stop bowing. It’s not worth apologizing for such a person.”

“That’s right. You’ve already bowed and apologized, but she doesn’t react. She’s a stubborn person.”

Melody could not help but laugh when she heard that.

She lowered her eyes and chuckled. Her gaze swept across the people who were reprimanding her. Wherever her gaze went, there was pressure, making those people subconsciously fall silent.

After everyone quieted down, Melody looked at Mabel who was still bowing. “I’ve already cut ties with the Fox family. You don’t have to call me sister.” She did not hide her disgust toward Mabel.

However, her attitude once again incited “people’s anger”.

Ulric was the first to speak. “Miss Melody, Mabel is doing this for your good. That’s why she bowed to plead with Mr. Chapman, asking for his forgiveness. It’s fine if you’re not grateful, but don’t you think you’ve gone a little overboard by treating her like this?”

Chapter 489

With Ulric taking the lead, the others also started to criticize Melody.

As she listened to everyone’s disgust and reprimand of Melody, a hint of smugness flashed across Mabel’s eyes. However, she immediately turned around and tugged at Melody’s sleeve, revealing an even more forbearing expression. “Melody, I know you’re dissatisfied with me in many ways. You even sent Mom to prison because you hate me and Mom. But I don’t want to see you walk down a path of no return. Apologize to Mr. Chapman and Mr. Warner now!”

Nickolas’s eyelids twitched violently, and his expression turned cold. “You sent your mother to prison with your own hands?”

Melody straightened her back and said indifferently, “If you want to frame someone, you can always find excuses. Moreover, a person who relied on being a mistress to become my stepmother is not worthy of me calling her mother.”

‘A mistress!’ Mabel’s face turned pale as she tried hard not to flare up.

She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. Melody, how can you turn black into white? You disappoint me.”

With that, Mabel stopped bowing and pretended to be sad as she returned to Ulric’s side.

Nickolas could not help but fall into thought when he saw this scene.

He wasn’t sure which of them was telling the truth. However, Nickolas was a sober person. He would not confirm something he did not know just because of a few words from others.

Nickolas was silent for a moment. He frowned and said, “I can’t interfere in your family matters. It doesn’t matter what the truth is. But the fact that you deceived my grandson of 2 million dollars and impersonated Morin is a certainty. I don’t need you to apologize, nor will I accept your apology. Since Mabel pleaded for you, you can take the 2 million dollars. Think of it as the Chapman family’s poverty relief fund for you. Leave immediately, or I will immediately hold you accountable.”

Warner’s expression also darkened as he said, “Melody, my family doesn’t welcome liars like you. Please leave immediately.”

This was the second time Warner tried to chase Melody away.

However, Melody knew that Warner was a soft-hearted person. She looked at Warner with a burning gaze and said, “I’m not lying to you. If I’m a liar, I would have taken your 2 million dollars and left. Why would I come to the Naymar Manor?”

As expected, a wavering expression appeared in Warner’s eyes.

“Warner,” Nickolas said, his expression dark. “Don’t listen to her lies. With Morin’s painting skills, it will take at least 30 to 50 years to master it. And Melody is only in her early twenties. She can’t be Morin.”

“That’s right.” The guests chimed in one after another. “She only dared to come because she wanted more than 2 million dollars. Mr. Warner, don’t be cheated by her again.”

Warner gritted his teeth and looked at Melody coldly. “I’ll say it one last time. Leave immediately! Otherwise, you won’t be able to leave even if you want to.”

“Stop talking nonsense with her.” Nickolas waved his hand and ordered, “Throw her out of the manor.”

Melody frowned deeply. If the Warner family did not even give her a chance to draw, she would not be able to prove her identity.

However, Yannick, who knew her identity as Morin, had yet to arrive.

The only thing she could do was stall for time. Therefore, she didn’t stop Mabel when she knew Mabel would discredit her after walking out of the crowd just now.

But now, it seemed that she could not delay much longer. In the crowd, Mabel’s eyes were filled with anticipation when she heard this. ‘The people present today are all dignitaries among dignitaries. I heard Ramon and Astrid were originally going to come, but because they were busy, they did not have time to come, so they sent Ulric over. What a pity. How good it would be if Ramon and Astrid could see Melody being thrown out. They will divorce Ken and Melody immediately.’

On the other hand, Ulric seized the opportunity and stepped forward. He said, “Mr. Chapman, please don’t throw her out for the sake of my brother. Let her go out by herself.”

“Your brother? Ken?” Nickolas asked in confusion, “What does this have to do with Ken?”

Melody looked at Ulric coldly, but Ulric did not even look at her. He told Nickolas, “It seems you don’t know that my brother and Miss Melody have already registered their marriage. Logically speaking, I have to call her sister-in-law.”

“What?” Nickolas asked in shock, “Ken married such a woman?”

He had never believed those rumors in Silverlake about Ken.

However, now that he heard that Ken had married a swindler, he could not help but start to suspect that those rumors might be true.

Thinking of this, Nickolas could not help but feel regretful. ‘I had always thought that Ken would have a bright future. It seems like I had misjudged him. But no matter what, since Melody is the Swanson family’s daughter-in-law, it is inappropriate for me to ask the servants to throw her out directly.’

In the entirety of Silverlake, he could ignore everyone’s feelings, but he had to show some respect to the Swanson Group, the business leader of Halcyon.

At the thought of this, Nickolas frowned and looked at Melody. “Although I don’t know why Ken would marry a liar, I won’t throw you out on his account. You can leave by yourself.” Nickolas was starting to get impatient.

Melody clenched her fists tightly and glanced coldly at Ulric.

‘If Ulric had not revealed that I’m Ken’s wife, I would not have cared if I exposed my identity as “Morin” today. But Ulric said it. In that case, what happens to me will affect Ken’s reputation. I have to prove that I’m Morin. Otherwise, Ken’s reputation will be implicated.’ With this thought in mind, Melody retracted her gaze and looked at Samuel, standing not far away. She wanted to use her eyes to seek help.

Ulric noticed Melody’s pleading gaze and sneered in his heart. ‘I had already checked. No one present today knows Melody. No one will speak up for a “liar.” She has nowhere to turn for help.’

In the crowd, Samuel had long wanted to speak up for Melody. He also thought that Melody would have a backup plan. Who would have thought that the incident would develop into this?

When he saw Melody looking at him for help, he stopped being a spectator and immediately strode forward. Nickolas, Melody is my teacher. Her chess skills are superb. Perhaps her painting skills are also superb. In short, I believe that she is not a liar.”

Nickolas was surprised. “Samuel, you said she’s your teacher?”

‘Exactly. Not only that, she saved my life, and if it hadn’t been for her, I’m afraid you’d have had to attend my funeral, said Samuel.

Nickolas could not help but fall silent. He couldn’t believe Morin, his idol, was a young girl. According to his previous guess, Morin should be a man about his age. However, now that his old comrade, Samuel, had said so, he could not help but waver.

Chapter 490

Ulric did not expect Samuel, a big shot on the same level as Nickolas, to stand up for Melody. His expression was a little dark.

However, he quickly controlled his emotions and silently retreated into the crowd.

On the other side, Samuel saw that Nickolas was starting to waver, so he hurriedly tried to persuade him. “Also, Mr. Ulric Swanson said she’s the Swanson family’s daughter-in- law just now. I believe that the Swanson family’s taste can’t be bad. Why don’t you give her a chance and let her draw a painting? Since you like Morin’s paintings very much, you must be able to tell if she’s Morin.”

“Grandpa.” Warner, already hesitating, could not help but say, “Since Mr. Grover has said so, please give her a chance. Anyway, it won’t take long for her to draw a painting, right?” “What do you mean it won’t take long?” Nickolas frowned and said, “It will take me at least an hour to draw a painting.” Melody suddenly said, “Ten minutes. Just give me ten minutes and I’ll be able to draw a painting you’re satisfied with.”

“Ten minutes?” Nickolas looked at her deeply and asked, ” Are you sure you only need ten minutes?”

“That’s right.” Melody nodded.

“Nickolas!” Samuel pushed Nickolas’s shoulder and said, ” Isn’t our friendship worth ten minutes? Is your time that precious? Stop dawdling. Just give her ten minutes.”

Nickolas sighed heavily. “Alright, then I’ll give you ten minutes! But let me say this first. I admire Morin’s paintings almost every day. I can tell at a glance if you’re Morin. If I can tell that you’re not Morin, then…”

“Then I will apologize in front of everyone and get out of the Naymar Manor!” Melody’s voice was loud. She regretted using the identity “Morin” instead of her real name when she drew in the past. If she had used her real name, she could have saved herself the trouble today.

However, it was not too late to prove it now.

“Alright, since that’s the case, the two of you, bring out the drawing materials in my study, Nickolas ordered the butler.

“Okay,” The butler replied. Then, he brought the two servants to the study quickly.

Soon, the servants set up a table with all the materials needed to draw an oil painting neatly displayed on it.

“Miss Fox, let’s begin.” Nickolas pressed the timer. Even though Samuel had vouched for Melody, he still did not think Melody would be the Morin he respected. Therefore, he did not even give her a second more.

“Okay,” Melody nodded. She picked up her paintbrush and began to think.

When Mabel, who was in the crowd, saw this scene, she subconsciously broke out in a cold sweat.

She seemed to have seen this scene before. ‘Oh, right!’

Mabel suddenly remembered how she and Melody displayed the art of making coffee in front of Astrid on Margaret’s birthday. At that time, she did not think Melody would be good at making coffee. However, in the end, Melody was better than Mabel at making coffee. Melody used the truth to embarrass her. The scene now was very similar to when they competed in making coffee.

The more she thought about it, the more nervous Mabel became. She closed her eyes and silently prayed to God.” Please. Melody can’t be Morin. As long as Melody is chased out of the Naymar Manor today, I’ll be a vegetarian for three months.

While Mabel was praying with her eyes closed, Melody had already thought of what to draw.

She picked up her brush. After the first stroke, her thoughts surged like a spring. The brush in her hand seemed to move by itself.

As she waved the brush, a vast mountain appeared under the brush. Above it were clouds and a few wild cranes. Amidst the distant mountains and rivers, the red spider lilies bloomed one after another, and the scene was breathtaking.

For a moment, everyone was immersed in the beautiful scenery Melody painted. It was as if they were already in this painting.

It was not until the timer in Nickolas’s hand beeped that everyone regained their senses.

Melody retracted her brush and looked up at Nickolas. “Mr. Chapman, I’ve already drawn it. I drew this painting hurriedly and didn’t have time to continue drawing many details, but if you know me, you can already tell if I’m Morin.”

Nickolas stared at the painting on the table in shock. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Mabel looked at Nickolas’s reaction and subconsciously took two steps forward, She raised her neck and looked at the painting.

When she saw the complete and extraordinary landscape painting, her pupils constricted. ‘This painting… And the painting skill…’

Not to mention anything else, this artistic conception alone was enough to surpass the painting she had given

Nickolas completely.

No, it wasn’t just her. Mabel could be sure that this painting that Melody took ten minutes to paint was several times better than Yannick’s, whom she had spent a lot of money to buy a class from.

She didn’t want to admit that Melody had drawn it, but it was a fact. Everyone watched as Melody drew it herself. There was no way it was fake.

Mabel felt her blood surging. At the same time, a chill ran down her back. Even her stomach felt constricted and nauseous because she knew that since Melody had drawn such a level of painting, whether she was Morin or not was no longer important.

‘I… had lost completely in the painting.’ Mabel’s face was pale. She stood rooted to the ground in a daze and could not recover from her jealousy for a long time.

She did not notice that Ulric had already quietly arrived behind her. When he saw Melody’s painting, his seemingly gentle eyes narrowed meaningfully.

Melody did not care about Mabel and Ulric’s reaction at all. She saw Nickolas staring at the painting with shock and did not answer her. She could not help but speak again, “Mr. Chapman?”

“Grandpa!” Warner also stepped forward and patted Nickolas’s shoulder as he asked, “Is she Morin? I don’t understand paintings, so please say something.”

“Yeah, say something, Nickolas.” Samuel urged from the side.

Although he believed in Melody, he had not known her for long. ‘What if, what if Melody isn’t that Morin? Won’t I become a joke too?’ Therefore, Samuel was also eager to get an answer from Nickolas.

Nickolas finally came back to his senses. He took a deep breath, his lips trembling slightly.

He looked up at Melody with disbelief in his eyes.

Under everyone’s expectant gazes, Nickolas tried his best to suppress the surging emotions in his heart. He pointed at the painting and said, “Morin’s painting has an obvious characteristic. It has three structures, left, middle, and right. “And this painting is the same. On the left side, a mountain spring gurgles and flows into the stream at the foot of the mountain. It shows that this painting has stillness in motion and motion in stillness.

“And this bridge in the foothills connects the left and the middle. The pavilion is decorated with water, like a paradise in a poem.

“As for the paradise and the far right side, they are separated by lofty mountains with dense forests.

Ingeniously, she uses the mist cage on the mountainside to show the height of the lofty mountains.

“Beyond the tall mountain is an endless river. Near the shore, reeds are overgrown, and in the distance, there are loggers, vivid and lifelike.

“Looking at the entire painting, I can only evaluate it with one word. That is… ‘wonderful’.

“It’s so exquisite, really exquisite!”

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