Chapter 431

Ulric was clearly saying that Melody was ugly.

Melody sneered in her heart. The scar had existed on her for too long. Even if it was mentioned by Ulric, she was already used to it. However, she vaguely felt that something was wrong.

Melody was about to speak when she heard Ken chuckle softly. Then, he said to Ulric in the tone of an elder, “Ulric, you can only grow up when you find bickering meaningless.” Ulric’s face darkened. He clenched his fists tightly on the wheelchair, and a vicious expression instantly appeared on his gentle face.

However, Ken did not care about Ulric’s expression at all. He directly pulled Melody out.

“Ken! Let’s see how mature you are!” Ulric’s exasperated voice came from behind.

Melody could not help but glance at Ken in admiration. For a moment, she automatically ignored the fact that Ken had interlocked fingers with her.

After getting into the car, Melody could not help but praise,” You’re really good. You’re the first person I’ve seen who can anger him and make him reveal his true form.”

Ken looked at her deeply. “You know him well.”

Melody choked. She knew that she had unintentionally revealed something.

“I

This was because according to the development of this life, she shouldn’t know Ulric so well, let alone what his original form” was.

Melody coughed dryly and changed the topic. “Ulric is a little strange today. Previously, every time he saw me, his tone was normal, but today, he doesn’t seem to care about my thoughts at all.”

“What do you mean?”

Melody thought for a moment and said, “I have a feeling that he’s going to deal with us… Only a hypocrite would tear off his disguise when facing a dead person, right?”

Ken tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Don’t worry. When I’m not around, James will be watching you 24/7.”

Melody nodded. “I’m not worried about myself. I just have a bad feeling.”

Ken was silent for a while. He held the steering wheel tightly with one hand and dialed James with the other.

After the call went through, he went straight to the point. Get the people lurking around Ulric to keep a close eye on him. If he does anything abnormal, let me know immediately.”

“Yes.” After the call ended, Melody’s tense heart relaxed slightly.

She handed the check in her hand to Ken. “I’ll return this to you.”

Ken did not take it. Without even looking up, he said, “Your father-in-law gave you a meeting gift. Why are you giving it to me?”

Melody choked and said, “If you say that, I’ll cash the check immediately.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the car stopped in front of a bank. “Get out.”

A question mark slowly appeared in Melody’s mind.

Ken tilted his head and looked at the entrance of the bank. He reminded her, “Hurry up and cash it in before Ramon cancels the check.”

Melody’s lips twitched. “Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking? Hurry up and go. I’ll take 30% and you take 70%.”

Melody thought, ‘As expected of you, you evil capitalist.’ Melody gritted her teeth and quickly got out of the car to cash the check. Then, she gave 6 million dollars to him.

Melody buckled her seatbelt and said, “Ken, I’ve realized that you’re a decent person. You actually gave me the money.”

Ken looked at the smiling Melody and could not help but ask, “Can you be so happy just because you have money?”

“Of course!”

“Then I’ll give you the 6 million dollars too.”

Melody looked at Ken in shock. However, Ken said with a half-smile, “Forget it. 6 million dollars is not a small sum.” Melody suddenly found Ken so annoying.

At this moment, Ken’s phone rang. It was Janet.

After listening to what Janet said, he responded, “Got it.” Then, he hung up.

Melody tactfully said, “Go do what you have to do. There’s no need to send me back. I’ll go to the nearby supermarket to buy some daily necessities.”

“There’s no need to buy daily necessities,” Ken said with a natural expression, “Move to my place.”

Before Melody could refuse, Ken added, “You have to act in full. This 14 million is your performance fee.”

Melody immediately felt that the 14 million was a little hot to keep.

Ken did not give her a chance to refuse and drove straight to Serenity Villa. “I’ll get James to send your things over later. Didn’t you think that Ulric would take action? It’s safer to stay here for the next few days.”

Melody clenched his fists. She could not find a reason to refuse.

She did have a bad feeling about Ulric.

After hesitating for two seconds, Melody took a step back and said, “Then I’ll stay on the first floor.”

“Up to you. There’s a problem with a product at Ximber Tech. I need to go take a look. I’ll try my best to rush over for the chess game.”

“It’s fine. I can handle it myself. Go ahead.”

Melody got out of the car.

By the time she walked into the villa, Susan was already making lunch.

The table was filled with dishes as if she had known that Melody would come.”

Melody thought, ‘However, I have been with Ken today. He had no time to inform Susan about this:

“Mrs. Swanson, you’re back!” Susan changed the way she addressed her very naturally. She smiled and said, “Mr. Swanson said that you’ll be staying here in the future. I specially made some meat for you. You’re so thin. You have to nourish yourself more so that you can have a fair and chubby child.”

Melody automatically ignored the second half of Susan’s sentence. She frowned and asked, “When did he tell you?” Susan did not sense that something was wrong. She said directly, “Around eight in the morning. what’s wrong?”

Melody’s expression froze. It was past eight o’clock when she was woken up by James.

She thought, ‘Ken has actually guessed that I was going to move in at that time? Why do I feel like… I have fallen into Ken’s trap? But he doesn’t seem to have the reason to set a trap for me just to let me live here…’

The more Melody thought about it, the more her head hurt. Her thoughts were like a ball of yarn. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

On the other side, at Ximber Tech’s conference room, Janet pointed at the product report and said, “The test users are very dissatisfied with the remote control and surveillance function of our product. They are worried that their personal data will be transmitted to our company and leak privacy. So I think… it’s better for us to cancel this function.” Sid disagreed. “This function was a technical hurdle that we spent more than a year to break through. We spent more than a year developing this function. Are you going to cancel it just like that?”

The two argued for a long time before looking at Ken at the same time. However, Ken was looking out of the window without any focus. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly as if he were in a good mood.

Janet instantly frowned. As far as she could remember, Ken had never been distracted in a meeting before.

She thought, ‘Something is off. It wasn’t just during meetings. No matter what he did, he never got distracted. Could it be that he is thinking about Melody?”

Anger surged in her chest. Janet could not take it anymore and knocked her fingers on the table. “Ken?”

Only then did Ken look away. Janet took a deep breath and tried her best to remain calm as she asked, “Did you hear what we just said?”

Chapter 432

Ken felt the gazes from Janet and Sid. His expression did not change as he naturally continued Sid’s words. “Sid is right. This function is a technical hurdle that we’ve finally broken through with great difficulty. We’ve already applied for a patent. It’s one of our important selling points.

“If we remove this function, many of our products are no different from the smart products on the market now.

“However, since the users have doubts, we need to resolve them. Our cloud disk must be upgraded to the highest and safest level before it officially goes on the market, and we have to ensure that the user information received by the system will never be leaked.

“That’s what you’re gonna do next, Janet.”

Ken arranged the work in an orderly manner. This made Janet even suspect whether Ken had gone offline just now. Janet lowered her eyes and said, “But our S-grade product will soon enter the final development process. I might not have that much time to deal with it…”

She brought this up today so that she would have less work to do and more time to deal with Melody and win Ken’s heart.

If work piled up on her again, not to mention Ken’s heart, she might not even have time to eat and sleep.

Ken looked at Janet in confusion. “There’s still a lot of time before this series of products goes on the market, didn’t ask you to complete everything in a day. Compared to when the company first started, you still have plenty of time.”

Janet gritted her teeth and took out her trump card. “But I still have to find time to treat my illness.”

As soon as she said this, she saw Ken slowly frown.

After two seconds of silence, Ken said, “No matter what, your health is more important. Focus on recuperating first. As for work… Zack will be working in our company soon. At

that time, he can help you share a lot of work.”

“Zack?” Janet’s eyes flashed with surprise.

If Ken had not been mentioned, she would have forgotten about Zack.

There had been no news from Zack. She thought that Melody had failed to poach him. She did not expect that it was still in progress.

She thought, ‘In order to win Ken’s favor, that bitch has surely been persevering.’

Janet pursed her lips and said with a faint smile, “Rather than waiting for Melody to poach Zack, it’s better to transfer more people from overseas headquarters. Otherwise, I really don’t know how long we’ll have to wait…”

“Don’t worry,” Ken said confidently, “She’ll be able to poach Zack soon.

Janet shrugged noncommittally. She thought, ‘We’ll see about that.’

Sid, who had been silent all this while, suddenly said, “Ken, will Zack really come to our company? Ever since I went to the hospital for a checkup, I’ve been recuperating. I’m afraid I can’t work overtime as often as before.”

Ken said, “Let’s wait. I believe in Melody’s ability.”

Janet could not help but say, “I trust Melody’s medical skills, but poaching people has little to do with medical skills, right? If you really want Zack to come over, we’d better find a professional headhunting company. We can’t place all our bets on her alone.”

Sid was silent for a while before saying, “Janet is right. Melody is very smart, but we really need to poach Zack…” Ken rubbed his temples in frustration and said, “Give her two more days. If she still can’t poach Zack in two days, I’ll personally look for a headhunting company.”

When Janet heard this, she secretly smiled.

She thought, ‘Two days? Unless Melody was immortal, she couldn’t poach Zack Nelson in such a short period of time.’ “Let’s continue the meeting.” Ken flipped through the documents in his hand. “Regarding product X-series…”

*****

At Serenity Villa.

The chess match was at two in the afternoon. James packed up all of Melody’s things and sent them over at almost one o’clock.

Melody looked at the pile of things and could not help but smile. “Why did you even pack the napkins?”

James shrugged. “This is all Mr. Swanson’s orders. In case you leave something behind and need to retrieve it again, I might as well take everything.”

However, James was also very puzzled. He thought, ‘Didn’t Miss Fox come over to stay temporarily for “acting”? Why did Mr. Swanson insist on not leaving anything behind?’

Melody was speechless, but the competition time was coming up soon. She did not have time to pack her luggage, so she could only leave this job to Susan.

Susan happily said, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely arrange everything neatly for you before you come back.”

Melody nodded. She changed into navy blue clothes and asked James to drive her.

James introduced the competition to her as he drove, There are two different types of chess games going on today. Zack is very interested in both of them. I’m not sure which one he will participate in, so I signed you up for both. However, our focus is not on the game to begin with. You just have to find a chance to talk to him.”

Melody hummed softly and looked out of the window.

She thought, ‘Is it really the right decision to cooperate with Ken and act as a loving couple? Why do I feel a little anxious? Why do I like that I have jumped from one fire pit to another? Am I thinking too much?”

Melody pinched the space between her eyebrows and forced herself to focus on Zack. As for the rest, she would think about it after she poached Zack.

At the same time, over at the Swanson villa.

After Melody and Ken left, Ulric was extremely frustrated. However, he quickly calmed down and called his

subordinate to the room to give orders, “This operation is only allowed to succeed. Failure is not allowed. If it fails, none of you can come back.”

“Yes!” Everyone lowered their heads and their bodies were extremely tense.

One of the subordinates hesitated for a moment and boldly confirmed, “Mr. Swanson, are we really going to do this? The number of people at the competition venue is probably more than we expected… If we really do that, many innocent people will lose their lives. One more thing… I’ve investigated and found that the business genius you want to rope in, Zack Nelson, will also be at the competition venue.”

“Zack?” Ulric frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier that he would be at the scene?”

The subordinate lowered his head nervously and said, “He was still in a meeting outside the city a few days ago. We thought that he wouldn’t be able to make it back in time. Even if he did, he probably wouldn’t have the time to go to such an occasion. But who would have thought that… when I was confirming the list of participants just now, his name appeared on it.”

The subordinate paused for a moment and continued, “Our people are in contact with Zack. He has the intention to leave his current company… In that case, if he dies there, it will be a huge loss for us.”

There seemed to be a deeper meaning in Ulric’s eyes.

He thought, ‘No wonder Melody suddenly wanted to participate in the chess competition. It turns out that she is aiming for Zack. Once Melody poaches Zack for Ken, it will undoubtedly be a heavy blow to me. This Melody… She has to die.’

Ulric said solemnly, “Try your best to stop Zack. Don’t let him go to the competition venue. As for the others, whether they live or die will depend on their luck.”

The viciousness in his eyes made his subordinates tremble in fear. They said, YES!

Chapter 433

As Ulric’s men quietly left the manor, Astrid entered Ramon’s study with a cup of coffee. As soon as she entered, she smelled strong smoke.

Astrid could not help but frown. She walked in a few steps and took the cigarette between Ulric’s fingers.

She asked knowingly, “Why are you smoking again? You’ve quit smoking for a long time… Don’t tell me Ken doesn’t agree to the divorce?”

As soon as Astrid said this, Ramon’s expression darkened. She pretended to be surprised and asked, “Ken really didn’t agree? When our mother asked him to marry Melody, I saw he was quite resistant to it. Could it be that Melody really attracted him in some way?”

Ramon took a deep breath and suppressed his anger. “That’ s impossible! The reason why he refused to get a divorce was to deliberately go against me! It’s impossible for a sane man in this world to like that Melody.”

Astrid looked down and said, “Ken’s words might be a little unpleasant sometimes, but hasn’t his personality always been like this? How can there be a problem between you and him? How about this? I’ll call him over again and have a good chat with you.”

“There’s no need for that!” Ramon said coldly, “Let the media spread the news again. Tell them that Melody forced us to let her in through the threat of a previous agreement between our family and her family. The daughter-in-law that our family really wants is Mabel, not Melody.”

Astrid was overjoyed, but her expression did not reveal

anything. “Alright, I understand.”

She was about to leave when Ramon suddenly stopped her.

“Are you sure Mabel can really join Ander’s scientific research team?”

For some reason, Ken’s last sentence, “Don’t expect too much from Mabel”, made Ramon feel a little uneasy.

Astrid quickly replied, “I’m very sure of that. Ander also went to the Fox family personally to let Mabel complete the question he set as soon as possible. I also checked later. Out of the ten students selected by the school, Ander only went to the Fox family. This is enough to show that Mabel is valued highly by Ander.”

Ramon heaved a sigh of relief. “That’s good. I don’t want to invite another piece of trash into our family after we chase away one. If there’s a mistake, it will affect the Swanson family’s reputation greatly.”

“I understand. I can vouch for Mabel. She can definitely join Ander’s laboratory.”

Ramon nodded. “Then I’m relieved. I’ll leave Melody’s matter to you. I’m a little tired today and want to rest.”

“Okay.” Astrid cared about Ramon and did not stay any longer. Soon, she called the media under Time Entertainment and asked them to spare no effort to continue defaming Melody online.

Astrid thought, ‘In this way, even if Melody died, everyone would only think that she deserved it. People will only suffer retribution for asking for things they shouldn’t have!”

*****

At the same time, Melody was on her way to the competition venue.

There was usually no traffic jam at this time, but when the car crossed the bridge, the road was congested.

James said as he unbuckled his seatbelt, “I’ll go down and see what’s going on.”

“Okay.” Melody didn’t think too much about it and only thought that there was a car accident ahead.

However, not long after, James ran back to report with a worried expression.

“Miss Fox, bad news. Zack’s car was rear-ended. Some people even threatened to beat him up.” James took a deep breath and added, “There are a lot of people on the other side. They look like they have undergone professional training. Moreover, they have tools in their hands. We don’t have enough people. We have to call Mr. Swanson to send someone over immediately.”

“Not enough people?”

“That’s right.” James counted the number of people. “There are only 11 of us, including the 10 bodyguards who are secretly protecting you. However, there are over two dozen people on the other side…”

Melody said as she got out of the car, “There’s no need to call anyone. I’m enough.”

As soon as she finished speaking, James suddenly remembered that Melody had previously displayed her skills in front of him.

James cursed in his heart. He had actually forgotten that Melody was even more skilled in combat than him.

While he was in a daze, Melody had already run towards the scene of the incident.

James was shocked and quickly chased after her with the bodyguards. “Miss Fox, slow down!”

He thought, ‘Even if she is skilled, it is impossible for her to defeat more than 30 people alone, right? She is still too young!’

Melody ignored James who was chasing after her and quickly arrived at the scene of the incident. When they arrived, they saw a group of people surrounding Zack. The man in the lead had a full beard and said arrogantly, “If you compensate us 200 thousand dollars, this matter will be over. Otherwise, don’t even think about leaving this place with your hands and feet intact today!”

Zack said coldly, “In your dreams!”

The man laughed and tightened his grip on the baseball bat. “Kid, do you know who we are? We’re the Death Riders! 200 thousand dollars is not a bad deal for you…”

Zack obviously did not know who the Death Riders were. He clenched his fists and said, “If you have the ability, just attack. Stop talking nonsense here!”

“Alright! Guys, break his legs!” the bearded man gave the order, and the group quickly approached Zack.

Zack was about to counterattack when a familiar voice suddenly sounded, “Stop!”

The moment that person finished speaking, the Death Riders paused and looked in the direction of the voice. Zack also subconsciously looked over.

Astonishment flashed across his eyes when he saw who it was. “Melody?”

Melody took a few steps forward and scanned the group of people fearlessly. She warned coldly, “If you don’t want to die, get lost!”

When the group of people saw that it was an ugly and thin girl, they were stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.

The bearded man wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said with disdain, “Where did this ugly monster come from? Are you blind? Look at how many of us there are! With your small body, I advise you to go back to where you came from! The stick in my hand is quite fierce!”

Zack also frowned and said, “Melody, this has nothing to do with you. Go back quickly.”

Melody ignored Zack’s words and walked up to him in a few steps. She looked at the bearded man and said, “You guys are from the Death Riders?”

The bearded man was surprised. “You know that we are the Death Riders and still dare to come up and join in the fun? You’re ugly, but you’re quite bold! If you continue to be an eyesore here, we’ll beat you up too!”

“Hurry up and leave! I can handle it myself!” Zack reminded her again and reached out to push her away.

However, Melody seemed to have eyes on her back. She accurately grabbed Zack’s wrist and said, “Go back to the car. Leave this to me.”

Zack’s eyes were filled with confusion. “Melody, are you crazy?”

Chapter 434

Zack felt a little vexed. He thought, ‘Why does this girl seem to not understand human language? These guys who call themselves the Death Riders are obviously from the hood. She would be crazy to get involved in such matters.

Thinking back to the last time he almost got into a car accident and Melody ran over and pushed him away as if she didn’t care about her life, he looked at Melody with even more confusion.

He said, “How can you deal with so many people? Don’t be stupid! I know you want to poach me, but don’t forget that life is more important than anything else! These people are capable of anything! Leave quickly!”

Melody frowned and was about to ask Zack to believe her when she heard the bearded man say, “Ugly monster; since you know that we are the Death Riders, you should know that this is not something you can get involved in. Get lost while I still have the last bit of patience!”

“Melody!” Zack anxiously urged Melody to leave.

Melody did not care about Zack anymore. She looked up at the bearded man and said, “I’m returning these words to you. If you don’t want to suffer, get lost!”

The bearded man lost all his patience. “Both of you aren’t fucking afraid of me, are you?”

Melody sneered and said, “I am not even afraid of your boss, let alone you. After your boss was beaten up by me last time, he should be in jail now. Don’t tell me you want to go in and see if the food in prison is delicious?”

The bearded man thought that Melody was just boasting and deliberately scaring them.

He said in amusement, “Idiot, you dare to say that you beat up our boss? Since you insist on getting involved, don’t blame me for hitting a woman! Guys, attack and cripple their legs!”

Following the bearded man’s order, the group quickly approached Melody and Zack.

Zack knew that Melody had completely angered this group of people. He subconsciously wanted to stand in front of her. After all, Melody was helping him.

However, just as Zack took a step forward, Melody leaped with a speed that was invisible to the naked eye and kicked two people away at the same time.

Then, before anyone could react, she quickly arrived behind the bearded man and pressed him to the ground with a grab.

With a bang, the baseball bat in the bearded man’s hand fell to the ground. Half of his face was pressed to the ground by Melody.

The man immediately let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

One of his guys said, “What the fuck?”

Another said, “Dude!”

Zack was stunned on the spot. He thought, ‘What is going on? Melody’s figure is slender and thin, and her waist is even more slender. Where did she get her explosive power and strength from?’

The bearded man’s subordinates could not care less about Zack now. They turned around and wanted to rush towards Melody.

Melody tightened her grip and looked coldly at the people rushing towards her. “Stop right there! Otherwise, I’ll dislocate his arm immediately!”

Everyone subconsciously stopped in their tracks and looked at each other.

There were also those who hesitated and wanted to go forward. Seeing this, Melody increased her strength again. The piercing pain made the bearded man immediately shout, “Stop! Everyone, freeze! My hand is about to break!” As soon as he said this, the few people who hesitated stopped in their tracks.

Seeing this, the man endured the pain and smiled apologetically. “Little girl, I was foolish. Let go of me and I won’t pursue the rear-end collision. How about that?”

Melody ignored the man’s words. As she restrained him, she questioned coldly, “Speak! Who sent you to cause trouble for Zack!”

The bearded man’s expression froze, and a hint of guilt flashed across his eyes.

However, he immediately regained his composure and said with a smile, “Little girl, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. No one sent us here… We’re just a little tight on money and came out to find a living… What are you talking about? We don’t know Zack at all!”

“Stop pretending! Which normal person would scam in a place with so much traffic? If you don’t tell the truth, say goodbye to your arm!”

The bearded man’s face turned pale, but he still forced himself to say, “Miss, I really don’t know what you’re talking about! Let me go. I promise I won’t do such immoral things again.”

“So you still won’t tell the truth!” Melody was about to make a move when Zack bypassed the Death Riders and quickly walked behind Melody. He grabbed her hand and said, ” Miss Fox, I saw a guy going to call for help. Don’t waste time. Let’s leave now!”

Melody frowned slightly and reminded in a low voice, “Zack, they’re definitely not here for money. Their target is you.”

Zack was stunned. “I didn’t offend anyone from the underworld…”

“That’s why I need to find out who attacked you.”

Zack hesitated for a moment before confirming, “Are you sure? Could it be that you’re thinking too much and made a mistake?”

“No. Although the Death Riders are disgusting, they wouldn’t do such a thing. They’re an organization that specializes in doing shameful things for the rich and powerful.”

“Well…” Zack wondered if he had offended anyone recently.

At this moment, James finally arrived with his men.

He ran until he was out of breath. He took a few breaths

before he could speak, “Miss Fox, you were running too fast…

Zack looked at James and the others in shock. “These people are…”

Melody explained, “They are with me.”

Zack nodded and secretly estimated the number of people on his side and on the other side.

In terms of numbers, they still did not have the advantage. Fortunately, Melody held the bearded man hostage.

He said in a low voice, “It doesn’t matter if they were instructed to find trouble with me. Let’s leave now.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the bearded man suddenly shouted in ecstasy, “Boss, you’re here! Save me!” The few of them subconsciously followed the bearded man’s line of sight and saw a man wearing a helmet appear not far in front of them. Behind him were more than 20 people armed with weapons.

With more than 20 people and the original 30 people, Melody was at a great disadvantage.

“There are too many of them. Let’s run!” Zack grabbed Melody’s hand and wanted her to run with him.

However, Melody did not move at all. “Don’t worry, they won’t do anything to me.”

Hearing this, the bearded man laughed wildly. “You can’t escape anymore! If you want to suffer less, let go of me quickly and kneel down to apologize to me!”

Melody kicked the man’s butt. “Shut up!”

“You-” The bearded man was furious. However, he was pinned to the ground by Melody. He could not exert any strength at all and could not break free.

He gritted his teeth and shouted at the group of people who were getting closer and closer, “Boss! Save me!”

“Useless trash. Even a woman…” The man in the helmet was halfway through his sentence when his gaze landed on Melody. His voice instantly stopped. “You…”

Chapter 435

The man was wearing a helmet. For a moment, he thought that he had recognized the wrong person.

After a moment of shock, he quickly took off his helmet and looked at Melody again.

This time, he was completely sure that this woman was the woman who had caused him so much pain on the mountain back then. He was shocked to bump into her again.

The man instantly recalled the pain at that time. Fear spread to his limbs and bones like ants.

However, the bearded man was pressed to the ground and could not see the expression on the man’s face. He only shouted, “Boss, I’m useless. Hurry up and save me… She’s going to dislocate my arm!”

“Miss Fox…” James lowered his voice and said, “I didn’t expect them to have more people. We are outnumbered. Let’s retreat first…”

Zack quickly nodded in agreement. “Melody, I know you’ve reached out to help me, but there are too many people on the other side. Let’s not take this loss.”

Melody did not respond to the two of them. She let go of the bearded man who was trapped on the ground by her. The bearded man only thought that Melody was afraid.

He glared at Melody smugly. He got up and ran behind his boss. He pointed at Melody and scolded, “Boss, it’s this woman who ruined our plan. She even attacked me when I wasn’t paying attention! She disrespects the Death Riders. This is contempt for us. Kill her quickly!”

“Melody…” Zack and James urged again.

Melody took two steps forward and looked up at the man who had taken off his helmet to reveal his birthmark. “How have you been?” She greeted him with a faint smile.

The bearded man looked at his boss in surprise, only to see that his boss’s face was pale to the point of turning green, and his entire body seemed to be trembling slightly.

He thought, ‘What is wrong with Boss? Why does he look like he has seen a ghost?’

He tugged at his boss’s sleeve in confusion and asked tentatively, “Boss, you…”

As soon as he finished speaking, he was slapped hard in the face.

With a crisp slap, not only was the bearded man stunned, but even James and Zack were stunned. They wondered what was going on.

“Boss?” The bearded man’s eyes widened in horror and confusion.

“Stupid pig! How dare you talk nonsense to Miss Fox! Hurry up and kneel down and apologize to Miss Fox!” The man ordered sternly.

The bearded man was even more dumbfounded. “Boss, are you serious? You want me to…”

Before he could finish, the birthmark guy kicked the bearded man in the stomach.

The bearded man felt as if his internal organs were squeezed into a ball.

The bearded man screamed and spat out a mouthful of blood before collapsing to the ground.

Before he could recover from the pain, he saw his boss bend his knees and kneel down in front of Melody. “Miss Fox, please forgive my subordinate’s doing. I’ll definitely teach him a lesson when I get back.”

The bearded man’s pupils shrunk to a point in shock. The entire Death Riders usually didn’t dare to speak too loudly in front of their boss, but now, their boss actually knelt down in front of Melody. He was greatly shocked by it. James and Zack were no less shocked than the bearded man.

Zack stared deeply at Melody. He secretly wondered who she was to be able to make the leaders of this group of people disregard their dignity and kneel down to her.

However, James quickly remembered the birthmark guy.

He thought, ‘This guy has been taught a lesson by Melody on the way down from Sky City. But later on, I clearly sent him to the police station. How could he still appear here?” While the two of them were having their own thoughts, the birthmark guy had already apologized to Melody several times. “Miss Fox, please let me go this time… I really know my mistake this time. I won’t do bad things again!”

Melody said with a disgusted expression, “You’ve said this once before. Do you think I’ll believe you again?”

The birthmark guy immediately raised his finger. “I swear to God, it’s true this time!”

Melody snorted coldly and said, “I can trust you again. Come here.”

She crooked a finger at the birthmark guy.

The birthmark guy was about to walk towards Melody.

When the bearded man saw this, he ignored the pain in his stomach and hugged his leg. “Boss, why are you so obedient to a little girl?”

The birthmark guy’s expression turned cold as he kicked him again. “What little girl? This is Miss Fox! If you dare to say anything bad about Miss Fox again, I’ll cripple you immediately!”

The bearded man grimaced from the kick. He suddenly recalled what Melody had said earlier.

He thought, ‘This ugly monster said that she had beaten up Boss. Could it be true?’

“Get over here!” Melody urged coldly, “I have something to ask you!”

The birthmark guy gritted his teeth and braced himself to walk forward. He smiled apologetically. “Miss Fox…”

Melody lowered her voice and asked expressionlessly,” Shouldn’t you be in jail? Why did you suddenly attack Zack in such a place? Who released you from jail? Did that person instruct you to attack Zack?”

The birthmark guy’s heart was in turmoil. He was hesitating if he should tell the truth.

Melody smiled gently and said, “Looks like the lesson I taught you last time wasn’t enough…”

When the birthmark guy heard this, his back suddenly stiffened.

He did not want to experience that feeling of living a life worse than death ever again in his life. He would rather go back to prison.

At the thought of this, the birthmark guy gritted his teeth and said, “Someone saved me, but the condition is… I have to stop Zack from participating in the competition…”

Zack looked at the birthmark guy in surprise.

He thought, ‘Melody’s guess was actually true!’

He quickly asked, “Who is it?”

The birthmark guy shook his head in confusion. “I don’t know the other party’s identity…”

“Really?” A cold glint flashed past Melody’s eyes.

The birthmark guy quickly replied in horror, “Although I don’t know the other party’s identity, I secretly took a photo of him to prevent them from setting me up later!”

As he spoke, he quickly took out his phone from his pocket and pulled out a photo. It was a man in the photo. There was only a side profile of him, but Melody recognized him in the blink of an eye.

This person was none other than Ulric’s trusted aide.

Melody narrowed her eyes and asked the birthmark guy, Did he say why you need to stop Zack?”

“He didn’t say.” The birthmark guy shook his head. He was afraid that Melody wouldn’t believe him, so he quickly added, “He really didn’t tell me. We usually don’t ask the employer for the reason when we take on jobs…” “Alright, I understand.”

“Then what now…”

Melody looked at the bearded man who was still lying on the ground. She raised her chin slightly and said, “You can leave if you cripple his legs.

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Chapter 426

When he made the call, Russell’s mind was quickly calculating what benefits he could get before Melody divorced.

He even wanted Melody to temporarily move back until he squeezed Melody dry before chasing her out.

However, after a few rings, the robotic female voice sounded, “I’m sorry, the user you called is temporarily unavailable…” It was obvious that Melody had rejected the call.

The anger in Russell’s heart burned even more fiercely.

“Damn it! How dare she hang up on me!” Russell angrily called Melody again, but this time, he could not get through. Melody had blocked him.

“Bastard!” Russell was so angry that he stomped his feet. However, when he turned around, he saw Mabel staring at him with disappointment and sadness in her eyes.

Russell was stunned. He quickly put down his phone and smiled. “Mabel, I’m just angry that that girl hid her marriage from our entire family. I never thought of bringing her back…” However, as soon as he said this, it made it even more obvious that he was exposing himself. Mabel sneered in her heart, but she put on a very understanding expression.

She said obediently, “Dad, don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I don’t want Melody to come back. As long as it’s your decision, I’ll support it.

“It’s just that… you’ve already told Mrs. Swanson that you’ve cut ties with Melody. If you bring her home at this time, wouldn’t it make things difficult for Mrs. Swanson?

“Besides, Melody will get a divorce sooner or later. Now that Mrs. Swanson has finally accepted me. If you bring Melody back, won’t it be all for nothing?”

Russell was shocked by Mabel’s words.

He thought, ‘That’s right. I was only thinking about how to take advantage of Melody. For a moment, I have forgotten about Mabel’s long-term way of earning money. Mabel is different from Melody. With her ability, she will definitely make a lot of money after entering the Swanson family. Moreover, Mabel has always been much more obedient than Melody.’

Thinking of this, Russell made up his mind and ignored Melody. Instead, he said to Mabel, “Girl, don’t think too much. From the day Melody left, you’re my only daughter. I will prioritize you.”

Mabel nodded. “I will also prioritize the Fox family. I will not be like my sister who only thinks about herself and never thinks about her family.”

Russell patted Mabel’s shoulder in relief and said, “Professor Morgan will definitely see the answers submitted by your school tomorrow. Rest early today. You might be called to school early in the morning.”

“Okay, Dad. I’ll go up first.” Mabel smiled gently and walked upstairs.

When she reached the corner of the stairs and Russell could not see her, the smile on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a sharp coldness.

She thought, ‘It is nonsense that he said he would prioritize me. In Russell’s heart, I am not even a person, but a tool to make money. Since that is the case, there is no need for me to think for the Fox family. When I marry into the Swanson family, I will no longer care about Russell. In any case, he had never cared about my mother.’

Mabel narrowed her eyes coldly and walked upstairs with a cold expression.

Downstairs, Russell was still feeling smug.

He thought, ‘So what if Melody and I parted ways? As long as I can firmly control Mabel, it will only be a matter of time before the Justalion Group returns to its former glory!’

On the other side, in the courtyard house, after Melody blocked Russell’s number, she stood up and walked to the courtyard to talk to James Deeds, who was hiding in the dark. “Miss Fox, what is it?”

Melody went straight to the point and asked, “What’s going on at the Fox family?”

“I was just about to report to you…” James said, “Half an hour ago, Astrid went to the Fox family with a gift. The expression on her face when she left was very intriguing…”

As James spoke, he pulled up the photos sent by his subordinates.

Although the photo was secretly taken, the image was very clear.

Melody could clearly see the smile on Astrid’s face.

James muttered, “Didn’t you say that Astrid never liked your family? Why did she suddenly bring gifts to them?”

Melody raised her eyebrows and reminded, “Correction, it’s not my family. I have nothing to do with the Fox family anymore.”

James nodded repeatedly. “Alright. I was wrong. However, Astrid’s reaction is too strange. When she went, she brought a gift. When she left, her face was filled with smiles, as if she had obtained a treasure.”

Melody lowered her eyes and smiled. “Didn’t she get a treasure? The person she once looked down on has a chance to enter Professor Morgan’s laboratory, and this person can’t wait to be her daughter-in-law. Isn’t this supposed to make her happy?”

James asked in shock, “Professor Morgan? Ander Morgan?

Who has the chance to enter his laboratory? You’re not talking about Mabel, are you?”

Melody said faintly, “That’s right. Mabel. Ander gave their school a question. Whoever can solve the question in ten days will have the chance to participate in their assessment. After passing the assessment… she can enter his laboratory. And today is the last day of the ten-day agreement.”

James said in surprise, “It’s very hard to enter Ander’s laboratory. I always thought that Mabel was just a pretty girl without skills. I didn’t expect her to be so impressive.”

The smile on Melody’s face became even brighter. “She’s quite impressive. Being thick-skinned is also an ability and talent.” James was confused. “What do you mean by that?”

Melody did not hide it from James. She said calmly, “I helped her with her question.”

James immediately laughed when he heard that. “Miss Fox, you don’t have to joke around. I know very well that you graduated from a community college. Mabel is a proper undergraduate student after all. Although she entered Silverlake University as an art student, her SAT score won’t be lower than yours. If you can solve that question, Mabel can do it herself.”

James paused for a moment. He was afraid that Melody would feel uncomfortable, so he quickly added, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not looking down on you. The SAT score doesn’t mean everything. Moreover, the education you received in the countryside is definitely not as good as Silverlake. Your studies are not as good as Mabel’s, but your medical skills are better than hers!”

Melody did not know whether to laugh or cry when she heard this. She was too lazy to explain. So she let James be.

She instructed, “Inform Ken about what happened to Astrid. Also, don’t forget to get me the participation letter for tomorrow’s chess competition. I’ll go prepare for tomorrow.”

James was stunned. He chased after her and asked in confusion, “Why don’t you tell Mr. Swanson about this yourself?”

Melody stopped in her tracks. The scene of Truth or Dare replayed in her mind again.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to say calmly, “I have to look at the recording of chess matches for a while. You should tell Ken about these small matters.”

After saying that, she suddenly remembered that Janet was pretending to be sick. She paused for a moment and said, “Don’t forget the bet you made with me previously. Bring Janet for a physical examination.”

Chapter 427

“Don’t worry, I didn’t forget. There will be a team checkup in the company in a couple of days. I will think of a way to let her participate.” James paused for a moment and asked

suspiciously, “Why are you so concerned about her physical examination? Isn’t your relationship with her bad?”

Melody said, “You don’t have to know that. You just have to fulfill your bet.”

“Alright.” James shrugged and took out his phone to report to Ken.

At the same time, in a bar in Silverlake.

As soon as Sid walked through the door, the noisy music filled the air. As soon as he left the pub, Ken called him to this bar.

Sid quickly scanned the bar and immediately saw Ken sitting in the corner.

He quickly walked over and asked with a surprised expression, “Ken, you rarely come to such a place. Why are you in the mood today? Do you want me to call a few friends over to drink with you?”

Ken glared at Sid and pointed at the spot opposite him. “Sit down. I have something to tell you.”

Sid asked in confusion, “What do you want to say? Why are you so serious?”

Ken hesitated for a while and said, “I have a friend who likes a girl, but he doesn’t know how to woo a girl, so he asked me.”

“Wait!” Sid raised his hand and said, “Who in their right mind would ask you about relationship problems? Are they crazy? What’s your friend’s name? Tell me and give me a laugh.”

Ken’s face darkened. “What do you mean?”

Sid quickly put on a frightened expression and laughed dryly. “Nothing, I’m just joking. But usually, when someone starts with ‘I have a friend’, it usually refers to that person…”

Ken’s heart sank. Just as he was about to speak, Sid spoke again. “But you’re different. You don’t even care when it comes to relationships…”

Ken’s expression turned even uglier. However, he held back his anger and covered his nose. He coughed dryly and said, “You have more experience in this aspect. I’m also here to help him learn.”

Sid shrugged. He was even more curious about who that friend was. However, Ken would not say anything that he did not want to say.

Sid knew this very well, so he simply did not ask. He only asked, “Does your friend not have any relationship experience?”

“I guess so… He once tried to woo a girl, but he failed. Now that he finally has a girl he likes, he doesn’t want to fail again.”

Sid nodded. “If that person doesn’t have any experience in relationships, he only needs to follow one sentence when chasing girls.”

“What sentence?”

“Women are emotional creatures. If you want her to fall in love with you, you have to make her owe you first.”

“Debt?”

“That’s right. Just ask your friend to do things for her. The more the girl owes him, the more guilty she will feel. To a woman, guilt is always the best way to maintain and produce love.”

Ken looked at Sid in surprise. “How many romance novels have you read to reach such a conclusion?”

“Why would I read those things? These are all practical experiences!”

Ken scoffed on the surface, but he secretly remembered what he said in his heart. “Let’s drink!” He raised his glass and clinked it against Sid.

After drinking a few glasses of wine, Sid began to feel a little tipsy. He even spoke with more confidence, “Ken… I have a question that I really want to ask you now…”

Ken frowned and said, “You drank too much. Let me help you out.”

“I didn’t drink too much. This little bit of wine is nothing.” Sid pushed away Ken’s outstretched hand and said, “I just want to ask you, if one day, you have to choose between Melody and Janet, which one do you choose?”

Ken’s hand that was supporting Sid paused. He asked with a deep gaze, “Why are you asking this?”

Sid hiccupped and said, “Never mind why I asked. Just tell me, between Janet and Melody, who would you choose?”

“That’s a boring question. Come find me when you’re sober.”

“No…” Sid grabbed Ken’s collar and said, “You have to choose.”

Ken’s eyes darkened. If there was such a compulsory question, he would follow his heart.

He opened his mouth and was about to speak when he heard Sid say with a pained expression, “You can’t choose Melody. Let me tell you… Janet and I have worked hard with you for so many years. Even if we did something wrong, you can’t abandon us. Otherwise, you will disappoint the entire Ximber Tech’s executives…”

Ken frowned. He could tell that Sid was implying something. He lowered his eyes and asked, “What did you do wrong?” “No… We didn’t do anything,” Sid said nonsensically, “I just wanted to say that you have to… stand on our side. You can’t forget your old friends just because there’s a new one. Also, my stomach hurts. I feel like the spaghetti I ate tonight is coming out…”

Ken’s expression darkened. He pushed Sid away and raised his hand to make a gesture. “Guys!”

Soon, a group of disguised bodyguards ran over.

On the other side, Sid was already vomiting violently. Ken took a few steps back with a disgusted expression. “Take him back.” “Yes, Mr. Swanson!” Soon, the bodyguards dragged Sid away.

Ken looked at Sid’s back as he left. The gloominess in his eyes became even more serious.

He wasn’t sure if Sid was talking in a drunken stupor or a drunken mantra.

He thought, ‘If I chose Melody, would the entire Ximber Tech be disappointed?’

At that moment, his phone rang. It was James.

Ken only answered the call after leaving the bar. “What is it?”

“Mr. Swanson…” James immediately told Ken about what happened to Astrid. Then, he smiled and said, “Miss Fox is quite good at joking. She even said that she helped Mabel with the question Ander came up with.”

Ken stopped in his tracks. “What if… she’s not joking?”

“How is that possible?” James blurted out as he held his phone, “If she’s so smart, how did she get into a community college? Besides, we all know her relationship with the Fox family. How could she help Mabel to get into Ander’s laboratory?”

Ken bent and got into the car. He changed the topic expressionlessly and asked, “Where is she now?”

“In the room, she said that she wants to look at the chess records and prepare for tomorrow’s chess match,” James reminded him, “Zack will also be going to that match. Do you want to go? If you do, I’ll get you a participation letter.”

“I’ll see,” Ken massaged his temples and said, “Keep a close eye on Astrid. Report to me if she makes any moves. Also, keep a close eye on Ulric. Find out the identity of the woman he has been in contact with recently as soon as possible.”

“Yes!”

After the call ended, Ken pressed his temples again. For some reason, he had a bad feeling.

Chapter 428

In the blink of an eye, it was the next day.

Melody was woken up by the ringing of the phone and James’s knocking on the door.

Since the chess game was in the afternoon, she had specially taken a sleeping pill before going to bed last night. At this moment, her head was dizzy. She sat up in frustration and shouted at the door, “What’s the matter?”

James’s anxious voice sounded, “Miss Fox, wake up. Mr. Ramon wants to see you.”

Melody’s brain instantly became extremely clear. She quickly sat up from the bed, washed up, and quickly went out.

She went straight to the point and asked James, “Why does Ramon suddenly want to see me?”

As James brought her into the car, he said, “I don’t know who exposed the matter of you and Mr. Swanson registering your marriage early this morning. There was a huge commotion online and everyone was scolding you… Now, the public opinion has been suppressed by Mr. Swanson. I think Mr. Ramon looked for you because of this.”

Melody frowned and thought quickly.

The only people who knew about this were the members of the Swanson family, Janet, and the people from the class reunion last night.

However, Janet had tried to expose it before and it was discovered by Ken. Melody felt that she couldn’t repeat it not long after the incident.

As for the people from the class reunion, no one dared to openly go against the Swanson Group.

She thought, ‘So the only possibility is…’

Melody massaged her temples and said, “It looks like Astrid wants Mabel to marry into the family, so she can’t wait to force me to give up my position.”

James said as he drove, “We haven’t found out who has spread the news yet. I’ll take you to Ximber Tech to meet up with Mr. Swanson first.”

Melody nodded and did not say anything else.

However, this matter was not important to her. At most, she would divorce Ken. She and Ken had already planned to do this.

Compared to the calmness on Melody’s side, the atmosphere on Ken’s side was like a black cloud pressing down.

Under Ken’s orders, a group of technicians typed rapidly on the keyboard, trying to find the IP address of the person who first spread the news.

“Found it!” Sid pushed the door open and entered with a stack of documents in his hand.

“All of you may leave,” Ken ordered coldly.

“Yes.” Soon, only Sid and Ken were left in the office.

Sid handed over a document and went straight to the point. “The first to release this news was a media company under Times Entertainment.”

Ken flipped through the documents, his frown deepening. He put down the document and said, “The executives of this media were very close to Astrid previously. It seems like Astrid released the news.

Yes! Sid nodded, when he saw the ugly expression on Ken’s face, he could not help but say: Ken, this is actually not a bad thing. You can take this opportunity to divorce Melody. Anyway, you two did not have love before. Why are you tied to her by marriage?

Ken’s expression did not change, but his eyes darkened.

He was about to speak when Melody’s voice sounded at the door. “Sid is right

Ken was stunned. Together with Sid, they looked at the door. Melody nodded at Sid and walked into the office, “The last time I called the city hall, they said that there was a system error. It’s been a few days, and I think the system should be fixed, After I see Mr. Ramon, we’ll go for a divorce?

When Sid heard this, he looked at Melody in surprise.

He thought, ‘No woman will be willing to let go of Ken after marrying him. Why does she not seem to care about this? Sid’s mind quickly recalled his interactions with Melody during this period of time. He was even more certain that Melody was completely different from the one that Janet had described to him before.

He clenched his fists and looked at Ken again. “This is indeed not a big deal. Perhaps we can take this opportunity to expose Astrid’s little tricks privately.”

Ken’s brows furrowed deeper.

His thin lips parted slightly and he said, “Do you think Astrid’s motive is really just to get us divorced?

Sid asked in confusion, “What else?”

Melody also looked at Ken inquiringly.

Ken said, “Although the news has been suppressed, most people have already noticed it. This is no different from sending a signal to the outside world that the Swanson family has given up on me to a certain extent. That’s why I am asked to fulfill the engagement with the Fox family.”

Melody lowered her eyes. “In that case, you can take this opportunity to find a reason to divorce me.”

Ken shook his head. “If I really do that, it will give Astrid the chance to stir up drama again.”

“How so?”

“She could have spread the news that I’m a treacherous person who has no pity for you. It would prove that I’m cold-blooded and heartless. For the sake of my future, I could cripple my brother’s leg or divorce my wife.”

Melody’s expression instantly turned grave. “But in this case, aren’t you in a dilemma? Not getting a divorce is equivalent to telling everyone that you’ve been abandoned by the Swanson family. Those who are watching between you and Ulric will quickly take Ulric’s side.”

She paused for a moment and continued, “But if you divorce me, things will turn out like what you said. It will confirm your reputation as a heartless man. No one will dare to cooperate with you, afraid that they will be betrayed by you…”

Sid was getting anxious as he listened from the side. “What should we do now?”

Ken was surprisingly calm. “Very easy. We should put on an act.”

“Act? What act?”

Ken raised his eyebrows and said, “What if I married Melody not because of an arranged marriage, but because we liked each other and truly loved each other?”

Sid subconsciously said, “Who would believe that?”

Ken looked at Melody and said, “As long as we act realistically, we’re not afraid that they won’t believe us.”

Melody bit her lower lip and asked, “You want me to cooperate with you and let everyone think that we are truly in love?”

“Yes. Can you do it?” Ken said and added, “Don’t worry, during this period of acting, I can pay you according to the original agreement.”

Melody sighed. She was no longer short of money, but she definitely did not want to see Ken lose to Ulric, making Ulric even more powerful.

Two seconds later, she nodded solemnly. “I got it. It’s just that Mr. Ramon…”

Ken looked at her deeply and suddenly smiled. “He just wants Mabel to enter our family, but he doesn’t know the

relationship between Ander and you. I believe you have the ability to deal with him.”

Melody shrugged.

She thought, ‘Fine, I am the one who ends up having to do everything’

At this moment, Ken’s phone rang. It was Ramon.

He put away the expression on his face and answered the call,

“Dad.”

Ramon asked, “It’s been almost an hour. Where are you and that girl?”

Chapter 429

Faced with Ramon’s questioning, Ken said indifferently, “I’ll be there in half an hour.”

With that, he hung up without caring if Ramon had anything else to say.

“Let’s go.” Ken grabbed his coat and was about to leave with Melody.

Sid quickly chased after him and asked, “What about the person who spread the news? Do you want me to find that person and bring them to Mr. Ramon?”

Ken looked at Sid as if he was looking at a fool.

“You think Ramon doesn’t know about this?”

Sid stopped in his tracks, his face filled with frustration.” That’s true… Maybe he’s the mastermind. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to Melody instead of suppressing the news.”

Ken was then satisfied and walked out.

Melody was about to follow when Sid grabbed her sleeve. She looked at Sid in confusion. Sid said guiltily, “Melody, there’s something… I have to apologize to you. I had some misunderstandings about you before, but don’t worry, it won’t happen again. I won’t use my ears to get to know someone again.”

Melody vaguely guessed that Janet must have said something bad about her to Sid.

She smiled nonchalantly and said, “There’s nothing to apologize for. I’ll leave first.”

“Alright…” Sid watched Melody leave with a complicated expression.

Just as he was about to leave, the office door was pushed open again.

It was Janet who had just entered.

She asked, “I saw Ken and Melody going out. Are they going to get a divorce?”

Janet could not hide the joy in her eyes. However, when she looked up, she saw Sid looking at her with a strange expression. The familiarity in his eyes was no longer there. Instead, he was staring at her with an extremely unfamiliar gaze.

Janet subconsciously panicked.

She forced herself to be calm and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that? Aren’t you the same as me? Don’t you want them to get a divorce as soon as possible so that Melody won’t drag Ken down?”

Sid frowned and said, “I used to be, but not anymore. There’s only one thing I can tell you. They won’t get a divorce, at least not now.”

With that, he did not care how ugly Janet’s expression was and walked out.

Janet gritted her teeth in anger.

She thought, ‘Why did the men around me change to Melody’s side one after another in just a few months? What is so attractive about that ugly woman?’

Janet took a deep breath and made a call.

The call was quickly connected, and a voice as soft as sunlight came through, “Miss Murphy, how can I help you?”

“Ulric, let’s work together again.”

“What do you mean, “again”?”

Janet clenched her fists and said, “I’ll tell you a huge secret about Ken, but the condition is that I want Melody’s life!”

“Really?” Ulric was surprised for a moment. He smiled and asked, “Now you’re not asking for Melody’s innocence, but her life? Did you two quarrel?”

“That’s none of your business. Just tell me if you want to cooperate or not.”

“Of course, I do. How can I reject a beauty like Miss Murphy who took the initiative to work with me? However… you have to let me know what secret is worth the risk of taking someone’s life.”

Janet rolled her eyes and said, “Stop pretending. Taking Melody’s life is very easy for you. It will definitely be worth it.”

Ulric fell silent for a moment.

Two seconds later, he said calmly, “Then let’s do it. I will hand her life over to you today.”

“Then I’ll wait for your good news.” Janet hung up the phone with a cold expression.

*****

At the Swanson villa, Melody and Ken entered the building side by side.

The butler welcomed him with a smile. “Mr. Swanson, Miss Fox.”

Ken corrected coldly, “It’s Mrs. Swanson.”

The butler’s expression froze, and then he smiled formally. It was a slip of the tongue. Please don’t be angry, Mr. Swanson. Mrs. Swanson, Mr. Ramon is waiting for you in the study upstairs. It’s the first room on the second floor.” “Alright.” Melody nodded.

Ken was about to follow when he was stopped by the butler. “Mr. Swanson, why don’t you drink coffee in the living room first? Mr. Ramon said that he wants to talk to Mrs. Swanson alone for a while.”

Ken looked at Melody worriedly. Melody gave him a reassuring look and walked upstairs.

As soon as the door of the study was pushed open, a faint fragrance of cologne wafted out. The taste was very high-class and not the usual incense on the market.

Melody quickly looked around the study room. It was filled with stacks of documents. The furniture was all mahogany. The style was classical and luxurious. Ramon was

standing by the window with his back facing her. “Have a seat. Make yourself at home.”

Ramon did not turn around. He looked at the sky outside the window.

Melody hesitated for a moment before calling out, “Dad.” As soon as she finished speaking, she clearly felt Ramon’s back stiffen. Then, he slowly turned around.

Ramon looked very similar to Ken. In comparison, his resemblance to Ulric was much lower.

There was a warm smile on his face as he slowly said, “You have caught me off guard. But I remember that I don’t have a daughter, right?”

He was still smiling, but his words were merciless.

Melody also smiled. “Dad, what are you talking about? A daughter-in-law is the same as a daughter.”,

Ramon’s smile faded a little. “Miss Fox, I think you know why I called you here today.”

Melody pretended to be ignorant. “I’m sorry, Dad. I really don’t know why you suddenly called me over.”

Ramon took a deep look at her and completely wiped the smile off his face.

He took out a check and handed it to Melody.

Melody looked down and saw that it was a check for 20 million dollars.

She thought, ‘How generous of him.’

Melody continued to pretend to be ignorant and did not take the check. She only asked, “Dad, why did you suddenly give me money?”

Ramon seemed to be annoyed and said lightly, “I don’t like to beat around the bush. I’ll be straightforward. If you take this check, you won’t have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of your life, and you won’t have to go out to work. However, the condition is that you immediately divorce my son today.”

Melody asked in surprise, “What? Why did you do that… When I married Ken, you also agreed.”

Ramon glanced at her and no longer hid the impatience in his eyes. He said coldly, “Back then, it was just to stabilize my mother’s condition and make her happy. Now that she has recovered, there’s no need for your marriage to continue, right?”

Melody looked upset and angry as she said, “In that case, were you just using me? Does Margaret know that you’re doing this?”

Ramon raised his eyebrows and said, “She’s traveling

around the world. You can’t contact her. The divorce agreement is on the table. I believe you won’t be stupid enough to choose to go against me. It’s better to take the check and leave quickly. Otherwise, other than getting a divorce, you’ll end up with nothing.”

Chapter 430

When she heard that Margaret had gone around the world, a hint of surprise flashed past Melody’s eyes, but she immediately understood.

She thought, ‘No wonder Ramon would ask me to get a divorce directly. It turns out that there is no need for him to worry about Margaret.’

Melody frowned and put on a stubborn expression. “Ken and I are truly in love. Why must you break us up?”

“Really in love?” Ramon seemed to have heard a huge joke. Are you sure you’re not mistaken? My son’s taste can’t be so bad. Don’t think that I’m being mean. That’s the truth. With your looks, do you think there’s really a man who would really like you?”

Melody’s heart ached. This incident had always been a thorn in her heart, but now, Ramon had caught it and was stirring it back and forth in her heart.

However, her heart had become numb after she suffered from enough pain.

Melody took a deep breath and said, “We really love each other. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Ken. He’s waiting for me in the living room downstairs.”

Ken looked as if he could not be bothered to continue discussing this topic with her. He said directly, “Do you mean that you don’t want to sign this?”

Melody frowned deeply and said knowingly, “I don’t understand why you want me to get a divorce. Is it because I grew up in the countryside? Don’t forget that the Swanson family had originally promised me that I would marry Ken when he and I were young.”

Ramon laughed coldly and said, “The Fox family did have such an arrangement with the Swanson family. I can’t deny that. However, you seem to have forgotten that you’re no longer a part of the Fox family. You’ve already severed your relationship with Russell, right? If you really want to talk about this arrangement, the person who should marry into the Swanson family should be Mabel.”

Melody sneered in her heart. She thought, ‘Ramon is indeed targeting Mabel. It seems that Astrid has already told Ramon that Mabel is about to enter Ander’s laboratory.’

She was even more amused, but she held back from saying anything about it. She only straightened her neck and said, No matter what you say, I love Ken. I will never divorce him!” Ramon narrowed his eyes dangerously. “I originally thought you were a smart person, but it seems that I was wrong. If you insist on refusing my kind gesture, then I can only apologize to you for what I am about to do next.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ramon snapped his fingers. In the next second, the bodyguards who had been lying in ambush in the study appeared from all directions and quickly surrounded Melody.

A cold glint flashed across Melody’s eyes.

She frowned at Ramon. “Dad, are you going to use force if you can’t do it the easy way?”

“You forced me to do this, but I can give you one last chance on account that you cured my mother. As long as you sign it now, I can guarantee that not only can you leave with 20 million dollars, but if anything happens in the future, I can also help you a few times.

“What if I say no?”

Ramon’s expression darkened. “You’re asking for trouble! Capture her!”

“Yes!” The bodyguards answered in unison and walked towards Melody.

However, at this moment, the door of the study was suddenly kicked open from the outside.

Everyone subconsciously looked at the door and thought, Who would dare to kick down Mr. Ramon’s door?’

Ken appeared at the door with a dark expression. The powerful aura he exuded made Ramon feel pressured.

Ken walked into the study step by step. He did not say a word and just stood beside Melody with a sharp gaze.

However, just standing beside Melody, was enough to show his stance.

Ramon’s expression darkened.

At this moment, the butler, who had just run up, said nervously, “I’m sorry, sir. I couldn’t stop-“

Ramon waved his hand, signaling everyone to leave.

After they left, Ramon raised his chin slightly and looked at the two of them standing side by side. The dissatisfaction in his heart reached its peak. “Ken, what do you mean?”

Ken said calmly, “As Melody said just now, the two of us are truly in love. We will not get a divorce.”

“What… did you say?” Ramon’s voice was trembling. His eyes widened as he said, “You said that you and her are truly in love? Do you know what you’re talking about?!”

“I know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m not divorcing her, no matter what.”

Melody’s back stiffened slightly. She knew that Ken was acting, but no one could tell if he was telling the truth based on his expression.

“Bastard!” Ramon slammed the table and said, “I think you’re crazy! I’m doing this for you, do you know that?”

Ken said with a faint smile, “You don’t have to say such pompous words for me. Don’t you just want Mabel to marry into the family? Then I wish Ulric and Mabel a happy marriage. However, please don’t interfere in my marriage.”

As he spoke, he took the check from Ramon and said, “I will take this check as a greeting gift from you to your daughter-in-law.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he signaled Melody to leave with the check.

Melody hesitated for a moment but still ignored the furious look on Ramon’s face. She took the check and went out.

As soon as Melody left, Ramon’s tone did not slow down. He said, “Ken, tell me honestly, what are your plans?! believe that your taste is definitely not that bad. Between us, let me know what you really think.”

“I’m telling the truth. I love Melody. If you still want me as your son, don’t do anything to her. Otherwise… don’t blame me for disregarding our kinship.”

“You-” Ken did not care what Ramon wanted to say. He turned around and walked out.

He came here today to express his stance. He did not want to quarrel with Ramon.

“Come back here!” Ramon’s angry roar came from behind. Ken stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Ramon. “I don’t know what Astrid told you, but let me remind you out of kindness. That Mabel… It’s best if you don’t have too much expectations of her.”

Ramon frowned. “What do you mean?”

Ken did not answer. He strode away without looking back.

Downstairs, when Melody saw Ken coming down the stairs, she quickly went up to him. “What now?”

Ken reached out and rubbed her head, his eyes filled with affection. “Don’t worry, no matter who it is, they won’t be able to separate us.

Melody’s back stiffened again. She didn’t understand.

She thought, ‘Why is it that even though I know that Ken is acting, I can not help but feel emotional?’

Just as she was about to act with Ken, Ulric’s half-smiling voice suddenly sounded behind her, “I really didn’t expect you to really like her, Ken.”

Melody subconsciously turned around and saw Astrid pushing Ulric, who was sitting in a wheelchair, towards him step by step. A mocking smile flashed across her eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

The next second, Ken’s hand wrapped around her waist. He said with a half-smile, “Melody is the best woman in the world. If I don’t like her, who else should I like?”

Ulric raised his eyebrows and looked at Melody meaningfully.

He thought, ‘This woman is so ugly. Even if Ken is acting, he has to endure the disgust, right? But it will all be over soon.’

The corners of his lips curled up as he said, “Then I wish you and Melody a happy marriage together.”

“I also wish you a happy marriage soon.” Ken was also smiling, but the smile did not reach his eyes.

Melody could clearly feel the silent aggressiveness slowly spreading from their smiles.

Ulric chuckled and said, “I don’t have as high a requirement for my romantic partner as you do. I don’t care if she is beautiful or not, as long as she is not too ugly.”

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Chapter 421

“That’s right,” Yannick said with a firm nod.

Melody sighed. “You really are….”

Seeing Yannick’s eager anticipation for praise, she decided to soften her response. Melody smiled and said, “You’re very thoughtful.”

Yannick’s face lit up like a kid with a new toy, as if he almost jumped up. “I couldn’t show up empty-handed! It’s the least can do for you, Master!”

Melody waved her hand, drawing everyone’s curious stares. “I actually called you here because I need your help with something.”

Yannick was quick to respond, “Of course! Whatever it is, I’m happy to help. Just say the word, and I’ll get it done, no matter how big or small!”

Melody nodded. “Someone here claims to have bought one of your paintings. I need you to check if it’s genuine or not.”

Yannick was a bit let down but still eager to help. “That’s it? Well, no problem at all! Where’s the painting?”

Melody glanced at Ken, who immediately got the painting he had prepared earlier.

Even though the painting had dried, there was still a

noticeable patch in the middle. But that wouldn’t stop Yannick from assessing its authenticity.

Nana’s heart skipped a beat. She stepped forward, saying, “Mr. Frost, I am a big fan of yours. I bought this painting from a collector with a lot of effort. It has to be the real deal, right?”

She was trying to set the stage, hoping to influence Yannick’s opinion.

Melody responded calmly, “Mr. Frost, I remember you painting this in front of me. This painting was kept in the countryside. If it’s the same one, it would have appeared out of nowhere. Please take a close look.”

Nana shot Melody an irritated look and said, “Miss Fox, I don’t know what kind of master you are, but isn’t it a bit much to ask him to lie for you so blatantly?”

Melody raised an eyebrow, amused. “What? Am I wrong for telling the truth here?”

Janet chimed in, trying to smooth things over. “Nana, don’t worry. Mr. Frost’s integrity is well-known in Halcyon. No matter how close he is to Melody, he won’t show any bias.”

Nana was about to retort when Yannick cut in. “Bias? I don’t get what you two are talking about.”

Realizing Yannick was unaware of her bet with Melody, Nana quickly added, “Mr. Frost, please inspect it carefully. I spent millions on this painting. I really hope that it’s real.”

Yannick nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ve already given it a good look.”

Then, he turned to Melody and said, “Master, I did paint this in front of you. But when I got back, I was still not happy with the result, so I painted another one. This one ended up in an art exhibition where someone bought it.”

When Nana heard this, she was visibly relieved. “So, Mr. Frost, that means there are two real paintings-one with Miss Fox and another one somewhere else?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Yannick confirmed with a nod.

Nana’s tension melted away, and she flashed a triumphant smile. She turned to Melody, saying, “See, Miss Fox? There’s no surprise that there are two real paintings. Yours is the genuine one from Mr. Frost, but you didn’t expect there to be another, did you?”

Janet watched with a subtle smirk. The painting situation had more twists than she anticipated, but the outcome seemed still favorable for her.

But then, she glanced at Ken, who was frowning slightly, clearly concerned for Melody.

Janet’s smile faded, and she clenched her fists in frustration.

Meanwhile, Melody remained unfazed as she slowly said, “I didn’t see that coming, but… Yannick didn’t confirm that your painting is the real one.”

“There are two paintings-one for you and one for me. What’s the problem with that? Or are you trying to back out of our agreement?” Nana asked.

Yannick, noticing the tension, asked, “Master, what’s going on?”

Melody shook her head. “It’s fine. Just let us know whether her painting is the real deal or not.”

Nana sneered inwardly, thinking, ‘You are really not going to let this go, huh? Well, if that’s what you want, I will make sure you get what you deserve.’

Nana, raising her chin, said, “Mr. Frost, you mentioned there were two similar paintings. So, mine must be the real one, right?”

Yannick shook his head. “Sorry, young lady, I’m afraid not. Even though you paid a lot of money for it, this painting isn’t the original.”

“What?!” Nana’s face went pale as she struggled to process the shock. “That’s impossible! My collector wouldn’t lie to me! You must be mistaken.”

Janet, sensing Nana’s distress, suggested, “Mr. Frost, could it be that the painting’s water damage affected your judgment? Maybe you should check it again?”

Yannick waved his hand dismissively. “I understand this is hard to accept, especially given the price. But this painting is definitely a fake, regardless of the water damage.”

“No way!” Nana refused to believe it, gripping Yannick’s sleeve. “Mr. Frost, please look again! The painting I bought can’t be fake!”

A flicker of irritation crossed Yannick’s face. He, out of anyone, knew his own work too well to mistake it for a fake.

Still, since these people seemed to be closely connected with Melody, he kept his frustration in check and explained calmly, “I’m sure of it. I did paint two similar pieces, but after the first one, I added a white spot on the treetop and signed it with the date in pale paint. This one doesn’t have that, so it is definitely a fake.”

Melody raised an eyebrow, noting the absence of a date on the painting. It was clear it was a forgery.

Then, Yannick added after looking at the painting. “The person who forged this actually did a decent job, but the lack of the date is a clear giveaway.”

Turning to Nana, who was visibly shaken, Melody said flatly, “Miss Nana, please give me your contact number. I will let you know when I need you to do some odd jobs for me, okay?”

Chapter 422

Nana’s face turned from white to black, and her hands were clenched into fists. “You-“

Melody did not give Nana a chance to speak at all. She raised her eyebrows and asked, “Miss Jensen, there are so many people present. They are all your classmates. Don’t tell me you want to go back on your word in front of everyone?”

“I…” Nana gritted her teeth. She was still unwilling to admit the truth. “Who knows if you colluded with Yannick in advance and deliberately said that this painting is a fake?”

Melody raised her eyebrows. “It seems that not only does Miss Jensen not trust me, but she also doesn’t trust Yannick’s character.”

Yannick frowned and said, “Miss Jensen, right? I can swear to the heavens that this painting is indeed a fake. There’s no such thing as collusion. There’s no need for it. If it’s fake, it’s fake. Do I have to say that it’s real?”

Nana’s expression changed again and again.

She lowered her eyes and gritted her teeth. “I have to confirm it again!”

As she spoke, she took out her phone and dialed her father’s number.

The call went through quickly. She put the call on speaker and said, “Dad, the one we used to look for…”

Before she could finish speaking, Dennis Jensen said angrily, “Nana, where are you now? Come back quickly!”

Nana was stunned and asked, “What happened, Dad?”

“That collector cheated us all! The goods he sold us these few times were all fucking fake!”

Nana’s eyes widened. “Then the Yannick painting I bought…”

“It’s also fake! I’m filing a case at the police station! Hurry up and bring me the fake!”

“No, it’s not…” Nana broke down and asked, “He used to sell us real goods. Why did he suddenly…”

“Because that bastard went bankrupt! He wanted to make some money quickly and escape overseas. Hurry up and come over! I’m at the police station in West Bridge!”

Dennis sounded extremely anxious. After asking Nana to go over immediately, he hung up.

After the call ended, Nana was still holding her phone in a daze. It was as if something had cracked in her mind.

Yannick finally understood. His master had made a bet with Nana that this painting was a fake.

The bet seemed to be for Nana to do chores for Melody for a month.

He raised his chin and said, “Little girl, now you believe that I’m not lying, right?”

The corners of Nana’s mouth twitched, and she was speechless for a long time.

Yannick continued, “Young lady, it’s a great honor to be able to do chores for my master for a month. I would be more than willing to do it. Why aren’t you happy?”

He couldn’t wait to do chores for Melody. Not to mention a month, he would be willing to spend the rest of his life doing chores for her.

Nana’s face alternated between green and white. The corners

of her mouth twitched again as she clenched her fists and looked at Yannick.

She really wanted to ask Yannick if he was mocking her.

She thought, ‘It is humiliating to do chores for a scheming bitch from the countryside!’

However, with Yannick’s status and net worth, she did not dare to say it so directly. She gritted her teeth and did not say a word.

However, she thought, ‘I would never do chores for trash like Melody!’

Melody looked at the unpredictable expression on Nana’s face and asked calmly, “Could it be that you are really going back on your word?”

Nana gritted her teeth hard. Of course, she did not want to work for Melody for a month, but the truth was already in front of her. She could no longer doubt it.

Nana subconsciously wanted to go back on her word, but when she turned around and saw the gazes of the others looking at her, she could not bring herself to say it.

She could not help but look at Janet, wanting her to help her.

Janet sensed Nana’s questioning gaze and subconsciously looked away.

This incident had a huge impact on her.

She thought, ‘Not only is the painting a fake, but Yannick also calls Melody Master. What is going on? However, Nana did it for me. If Nana exposed me at this time it would not be good Thinking of this Janet took a deep breath and took two steps Forward “Melody, since the painting is really a fake, you don’t have to compensate for it. This is a good thing for you. As for the bet you mentioned, everyone thinks you’re joking. Don’t be mean.

Melody was amused. “mean? Miss Murphy, why do you sound like I’m bullying Nana instead? When she was mean towards me and thought that I couldn’t invite Yannick and was blind to not recognize the real painting, why didn’t I hear you speak up for me? Why are you now…”

Janet’s face stiffened. “Melody, that’s not what I meant.”

Melody’s expression turned cold as she said in a deep voice, “Since Miss Murphy doesn’t mean that, please shut up. You don’t have a right to meddle in this matter. Please don’t stand on the moral high ground. I can’t accept it.”

Janet’s thoughts were exposed by Melody. Embarrassment Bashed across her eyes. “Melody, why are you speaking so harshly?”

Melody was about to ignore Janet when Sid suddenly said, *Janet, this has nothing to do with you. It was Nana who wanted to gamble with Melody. Now that she lost, she wants to go back on his word. No matter what, you can’t blame Melody”

“Sid?” Janet frowned as she looked at Sid. She did not understand why Sid would side with an outsider and help Melody.

She subconsciously looked in Ken’s direction and saw that Ken’s eyes were dark and his sharp eyes were looking at her coldly.

Janet immediately felt apprehensive and regretted speaking up for Nana.

At this moment, Nana’s voice sounded. “Stop talking!”

As Nana spoke, she glared at Melody. Then, she took a deep breath and said, “Isn’t it just a month of doing chores? I’m willing to admit defeat! Jane, you don’t have to speak up for me. Sid is right. I wanted to bet. Now that I’ve lost the bet, I admit it!”

Melody’s eyes were filled with indifference when she saw Nana’s exasperated expression.

If Nana had not set her up in the beginning and deliberately dropped the painting into coffee, this scene would not have happened.

However, when she was eating just now, she checked Nana’s identity and found that this person was very useful to her, so she played along.

Melody raised her eyebrows slightly and said, “Miss Jensen, can you leave a note?”

Nana said angrily, “Don’t worry! I will never regret what I promised!”

As she spoke, she stuffed a business card into Melody’s hand and said, “I have something to do. I’ll leave first.” Then, she strode away and got into the car, driving towards the police station.

The way Nana left made the atmosphere of the class reunion fall to rock bottom.

Sid was about to say something else when he heard Ken say, “It’s getting late. Everyone should get back. You’re all people with jobs. Don’t stay out so late.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ken said to Melody and Yannick, “Let’s go. You two haven’t seen each other for a long time. You must have a lot to talk about. I booked a cafe nearby. You two can catch up there.”

Yannick’s eyes instantly lit up as he agreed.

Janet subconsciously wanted to follow, but Sid grabbed her shirt. “Janet, let’s find a place to talk.”

Chapter 423

Janet was pulled back by Sid. She frowned in confusion and asked, “What do we have to talk about?”

“Come with me first.” As Sid spoke, he pulled Janet out.

After the main characters of the class reunion left, the others lost interest in continuing and stood up to leave.

However, everyone was very puzzled as they thought, ‘Isn’t Melody from the countryside? How did she become the master of someone as powerful as Yannick? What kind of master is she to him?’

The two girls who couldn’t stand Melody sneered and said, “Maybe she’s a master who teaches how to plant seedlings for farming?”

As soon as they said this, the others immediately fell silent and looked at the two girls with complicated gazes.

After interacting with them just now, most people’s impression of Melody had changed. In addition, Ken had protected Melody several times. Now that these two girls said such words, they immediately became an anomaly in the group.

The two girls sulkily kept quiet and quickly left.

At the same time, Sid dragged Janet to a nearby tavern.

At this moment, there was a resident singer singing. There was no need to worry that others would hear their conversation. Janet sat down and casually ordered a glass of wine. Then, she asked in confusion, “What exactly are you trying to tell me? You even brought me to such a place…”

Sid raised his head and took a big gulp of wine. Under Janet’s questioning gaze, he said, “I saw it.”

Janet was stunned. She smiled and asked, “What did you see?”

Sid put on a serious face and said, “I saw you secretly looking for Nana to discuss how to deal with Melody. Moreover, anyone with a discerning eye can tell that Nana threw the painting into the liquid herself. It had nothing to do with Melody. You clearly saw it with me, so why did you help Nana?”

Janet’s back stiffened, and the smile on her face instantly faded. “What are you getting at?”

Sid shook his head. “I don’t want to say anything. I just want to ask you, how much of what you told me about Melody is true? Is she really the kind of idiot who is full of schemes but knows nothing and only wants to climb up the social ladder?”

Janet’s expression became even more indifferent.

She also raised her head and took a deep breath before continuing. “Sid, I spoke up for Nana only because I’m good friends with Nana. Girls are different from boys. We have to stand up for friends.”

Sid frowned and said, “If someone else did this, I wouldn’t think there’s a problem at all. But you’re not someone who can’t differentiate right from wrong.”

“So?”

“So… I want you to be like me and really get to know Melody again. Not just treat her like an enemy.”

‘I never saw her as my enemy. She didn’t deserve it.’

Sid’s frown deepened. “Janet, you don’t have to lie to me. I know that Melody’s existence threatened your previous relationship with Ken, so you hate her. But I don’t want something like today to happen again. If something like this happens again, I’ll tell Ken everything I saw and heard.”

“Sid!” Janet’s eyes flashed with resentment. “Get this straight. You and I are friends! Why do you have to stand on Melody’s side? Did she bewitch you?”

Sid smiled bitterly and said, “It’s precisely because you’re my friend that I’m telling you this. I don’t want you to continue being stubborn. If you don’t wake up soon, you’ll lose even more one day. Think about it carefully.”

As he spoke, he finished the last mouthful of wine and stood up to leave. His eyes were filled with disappointment towards Janet.

Janet looked at Sid’s receding back and suddenly tightened his grip on the wine glass.

With a crisp sound, the wine glass shattered in an instant.

She was unaware that the glass shards had snuck into her hands.

“Miss, are you alright?” a waiter immediately went forward to ask.

“It’s okay.” Janet expressionlessly placed a few large bills on the table and strode out.

She made a call as she walked. “Hello, Mr. Swanson? When will the plan you mentioned last time be implemented?”

*****

At the same time, in another cafe.

While Melody went to the toilet, Ken could not help but ask Yannick, “Yannick, what kind of a disciple are you of Melody? Medical skills?”

“What medical skills?” Yannick asked in confusion, “Melody knows medical skills?”

Ken covered his nose and coughed dryly. He did not answer the question and only continued to ask, “Then what kind of master is she?”

“Painting…”

Ken was stunned. “She paints?”

“Of course! My painting skills have improved by leaps and bounds compared to a few years ago, all thanks to Melody’s guidance. Don’t you know that the mysterious oil painting master Morin Palmer is her?”

“What?” The expression on Ken’s face was terrible.

He suddenly felt that his understanding of Melody was really far from enough.

On the other side, Yannick observed Ken’s expression and could not help but ask curiously, “Mr. Swanson, you’re also a famous person… What’s your relationship with my master?” Ken faintly curved his lower lip and said, “We are married.” Yannick spat out a mouthful of coffee.

Unfortunately, a few drops splattered on Ken’s blue coat. Ken’s face suddenly darkened.

“Sorry, sorry…” Yannick hurriedly stood up to help Ken clean it up.

At this moment, Melody returned. Seeing this scene, she was also shocked.

She thought, ‘Ken is a clean freak!’

She was afraid that Ken would get angry at Yannick, so she quickly said to Yannick, “Go back first. I’ll look for you another day.”

“Alright, alright…” Yannick did not doubt her. Melody’s words were like a heavenly order for him. He immediately took his briefcase and left.

Melody heaved a sigh of relief and quickly took out tissues to wipe the stain on Ken’s coat.

But coffee inevitably left brown marks on Ken’s collar.

Melody said helplessly and apologetically, “I can’t wipe it off anymore. I can only wash it… Why don’t you take off your coat and I’ll help you wash it?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Melody remembered that Susan had told her that Ken would burn clothes that were stained with dirty things.

Just as she was about to change her words, she heard Ken say without thinking, “Sure.”

She said, “What?”

She thought, ‘Why is Ken different from what Susan described?’

Before she could figure out what was going on, Ken had already taken off his coat and stuffed it into her arms. “Let’s go.

Wash it today and send it to me tomorrow.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ken had already strode out.

He did not show any displeasure on his face.

Melody was even more confused. She thought, ‘Could it be that Ken’s serious mysophobia… is just a rumor?’

Melody shook her head and hugged his clothes as she followed him.

However, she had just taken two steps when she suddenly received a message on her phone.

Chapter 424

Melody took out her phone as he walked out.

When she saw who sent the message, she stopped in her tracks.

It was the Zack that she had always wanted to poach but had always been on a business trip.

Melody could not be bothered to chase after Ken. She quickly opened the message. [Miss Fox, I’m back from a business trip. If it’s convenient, I’ll see you at six o’clock tomorrow night in Rokuden.]

Melody’s eyes suddenly lit up. She thought, ‘Zack is finally back!’

Melody quickly replied: [No problem! I’ll see you at six tomorrow night.]

At the same time, she was thinking, ‘Zack must have a serious OCD.’

The only Rokuden shop was by the Six Bridge of Silverlake.

Melody felt that such a person was obviously much harder to deal with than ordinary people.

If she had not saved Zack once by accident and saved him from a car accident, she might not even have gotten this chance to meet him so easily.

Ken sensed that Melody did not follow him and turned around to look for her.

Melody stood at the door of the cafe while shifting her expression from smiling to frowning.

“What are you looking at?” Ken took a few steps forward, feeling a little unhappy.

He felt that she seemed to only have one expression for him.

When Melody heard Ken’s voice, she quickly told him the good news that Zack had taken the initiative to contact her.

She thought that Ken would be happy with her, but he did not look surprised at all. She asked, “What kind of reaction is that…”

Ken shrugged and said, “Zack encountered a lot of twists and turns on this business trip. He was able to contact you voluntarily firstly because he owed you once for almost getting into a car accident last time. Secondly, it is because he is also uncertain about his career in his current company.”

Melody knew that Ken had been sending people to secretly observe Zack’s movements. She quickly asked, “What happened to him?”

Ken gestured for her to get into the car.

When the two of them got into the car, Ken said, “Do you still remember what I told you? Although Zack’s current company is listed, it’s still operating like a family workshop?”

Melody nodded. “I remember. The executives of that company are all the boss’s relatives. If Zack wants to do anything, he has to listen to those relatives who don’t know anything.”

“Yes,” Ken replied, “He went on this business trip to discuss a long-term project. However, this company is short-sighted and doesn’t want to invest too much in the early stages. Just after he had already negotiated a collaboration, the higher-ups suddenly went back on their word and didn’t want to work on this project anymore.”

Melody’s mouth twitched. “There’s actually such a weirdo…” Ken raised his eyebrows and said, “As far as I know, Zack has been working non-stop for a long time on this project. No matter how much he feels for that company, it has already been exhausted this time. Therefore, he took the initiative to contact you as soon as he returned. This can be considered as God helping us.”

Melody was very happy. “Doesn’t that mean that victory is in our grasp?”

Ken shook his head. “It’s not like that. According to the information I have, not only did he want to talk to you, but he also arranged a meeting with several headhunters in the industry. The competition is probably very intense…”

Melody focused. She suddenly thought of something and said, “Zack’s only hobby is chess. There’s a match tomorrow for Silverlake. He’ll definitely participate. I can meet him in advance and have a chat with him. This way, we’ll at least have the time advantage.”

“Sure.” After they were done talking business, Ken suddenly said, “I helped you out today. Don’t you have anything to say?”

“Help?” Melody’s brain took a moment to react. She realized that Ken was talking about the Truth or Dare they participated in.

The expression on her face immediately stiffened. She glared at Ken angrily and blurted out, “I didn’t ask you to help me! Do you know that that was my first…”

Melody stopped mid-sentence. She could not let Ken know that was her first kiss. But it was clearly too late now.

Ken’s eyes darkened. He looked at her with a faint smile and

asked, “Could that be your first kiss?”

“No!” Melody quickly denied it.

Ken asked meaningfully, “It’s really not your first kiss?”

“It’s none of your business!” Melody was really furious.

She thought, ‘Who would dedicate their first kiss to Truth or Dare?’

Ken raised his eyebrows and a thick smile appeared in his eyes. It seemed that he had guessed correctly.

There seemed to be a circle of ripples in his heart, and those ripples were all in the shape of flowers.

Ken did not continue this topic. Instead, he asked, “About Nana, did you have a plan in mind when you proposed to let her do chores for you for a month?”

“How do you know?”

As Ken started the car, he said, “I saw you search for information about Nana’s family. Her family is the same as Justalion Group. They are in the clothing business. They used to be inferior to the Justalion Group. Now, their statuses have completely reversed.”

Melody did not deny it. She nodded and said, “The Justalion Group was founded by my mother herself. I have to get the Justalion Group back sooner or later. It’s not a bad thing to take this opportunity to rope in people in the same industry.” Ken glanced at her and said, “But what you’re doing doesn’t seem like you’re trying to rope her in. Instead, you’re pushing Nana further away. She can’t wait to eat you up. Why would she be roped in by you?”

Melody smiled and said, “Time reveals a person’s true heart. Nana is just deceived for a moment. If I can lead her onto the right path, I won’t waste my time tonight.”

Ken did not say anything. After a while, he said, “Melody, do you think it is a waste of time to participate in my class reunion?”

Melody was stunned and subconsciously looked at Ken. His expression was cold, and there seemed to be a hint of sadness in his eyes.

She had come for revenge. Anything that had nothing to do with revenge was a waste of time for her. It was the same for tonight’s class reunion.

However, for some reason, she could not bring herself to say “yes”.

After hesitating for two seconds, Melody shook her head against her will. “I think it was a waste of my time. Didn’t I get Nana?”

Ken did not reply and drove in silence.

Soon, the car arrived at the courtyard house. Melody broke the silence and said, “Thank you for sending me back. I’ll go back first.”

“Okay.” Ken did not have much of an expression on his face as he watched her leave.

Melody did not return to her room immediately after entering. Instead, she stood at the door and listened to the commotion outside.

She only let out a sigh of relief when the footsteps went far away.

Zack had contacted her. This was a great thing, but she could not be happy no matter what. Her mind was filled with Ken’s gaze at that time, and the scene of Ken kissing her kept flashing in her mind. His mind was in a mess.

Melody knocked her head in frustration and cursed in her heart, ‘Melody, are you crazy? If you have time to think about that, you might as well think about how to convince Zack to work at Ximber Tech tomorrow.’

She shook her head hard, and her rationality slowly returned. Night had officially fallen. There was only one light in the courtyard house, but the Fox family was brightly lit.

Chapter 425

Russell looked at Astrid, who was drinking coffee in the living room. His eyes were filled with joy

The gloom of Yolanda’s accident was also swept away with the arrival of Astrid.

“Mrs. Swanson, please drink coffee.” Mabel respectfully handed over a cup of coffee that she had personally brewed

Astrid took a sip symbolically and couldn’t wait to ask about the serious matter, “Did Professor Morgan… agree to let you join their team?”

Mabel’s eyelids twitched. Then, she revealed a bright smile and said, “I’ve already submitted the assessment questions he set to the school today. The mentor said that out of the ten people chosen, I was the only one who had finished solving the questions. However, this question is too difficult. The mentor doesn’t know what the correct answer is…”

Astrid rolled her eyes and asked, “In that case, although you solved the question, you don’t know if you did it right?”

Mabel was about to speak, but Russell beat her to it and said, “Mabel must have done it right. At that time, Professor Morgan personally came to our house to look for Mabel. After seeing the first half of her problem-solving steps, his expression was quite satisfied!”

Astrid was stunned. She asked in surprise, “Professor Morgan even came to your house personally to look for you?”

Mabel felt a little guilty because the person Professor Morgan came to look for was actually Melody.

However, Melody was not around, so no one would expose her. Therefore, she quickly reacted and cooperated with Russell. She nodded naturally and said, “Yes, Professor Morgan looked at the first half of my answer steps and was looking forward to the second half of my answer steps. That’s why he specially went to my house to rush me previously.”

Speaking of this, Mabel said gloomily, “But I have to prepare for the Best Celebrity competition and also prepare my graduation thesis, so I don’t have time to hand the remaining steps to the school until today.”

Astrid’s eyes were instantly filled with joy. “Silly child, Best Celebrity and the graduation thesis are not as important as Professor Morgan! Do you know what kind of person Professor Morgan is? Being able to work with him is equivalent to being able to join the top scientific research circle of Halcyon! Now, all the new industries are looking forward to working with him!”

Mabel pretended to be ignorant. “Is Professor Morgan that powerful?”

“Silly! Of course, he is good!” Astrid said. Her heart was filled with regret and frustration. She subconsciously blurted out, “If I had known that you had contact with Professor Morgan, I would have stopped Margaret from having Melody marry Ken.”

When he said this, Mabel and Russell widened their eyes at the same time. “What did you say?” The two of them spoke in unison, their faces filled with shock.

Only then did Astrid realize that she had let it slip. However, words that were spoken were like spilled water that could not be taken back.

Astrid might as well confess directly, After Melody treated Margaret, Margaret had Melody and Ken secretly marry.”

Astrid’s words were like bombs that hit Mabel and Russell so hard that their bodies began to sway, Mabel’s expression was extremely ugly.

She thought. Now that Melody is married to Ken, what reason do I have to marry into the Swanson family? Ramon will never allow both daughters from the Fox family to marry into the Swanson family.

Mabel’s legs went soft and she almost collapsed to the ground.

On the other side, Russell’s expression was ugly, and he was filled with regret

When he and Yolanda had gone to the Swanson family, the Swanson family had let it slip once. However, at that time, he and Yolanda did not take this matter seriously because they felt that the Swanson family would definitely look down on Melody. They only thought that the Swanson family made a mistake. But now, the truth was right in front of him.

Melody had already married Ken without him knowing, but he had fallen out with Melody.

He thought, “How could I not regret this? I knew it! Why did Melody have the guts to write an agreement to sever ties with me? it turns out that she had already found a backup plan for herself. This backup plan has always been my dream!”

Astrid took in Russell and Mabel’s expressions.

Her eyes were filled with disgust, but when she thought of Professor Morgan’s connections, she could only suppress her dissatisfaction with this family and slowly said, “But you don’t have to worry. Ken only agreed to register his marriage with Melody to let Margaret recuperate better. Now that Margaret’s illness has completely recovered, I think Ken will file for a divorce soon.”

When Mabel, who was on the verge of despair, heard this, a hint of vitality finally surfaced in her eyes.

She probed, “You mean… you’ve accepted me?”

Astrid raised her eyebrows and said bluntly, “I can accept you, but you have to successfully enter Professor Morgan’s laboratory.”

In her position, there was no need to beat around the bush, especially for the Fox family which was going downhill.

Mabel clenched her fists and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll do my best!”

“That’s good.” Astrid’s lips curled into a kind smile. She held Mabel’s hand and said, “Melody, that ugly monster, is no match for you. Logically speaking, Ramon will only accept you. Keep it up.”

Mabel nodded heavily. Astrid only cared about benefits. Mabel knew this very well. However, she was confident in entering Professor Morgan’s laboratory. She felt that the day of her marrying into the Swanson family was just around the corner. Russell also came back to his senses and quickly said, “Mrs. Swanson, there’s one more thing you might not know… Melody has nothing to do with the Fox family anymore. She has severed her relationship with me. So no matter what you want to do to her, you don’t have to give me a face.”

Astrid looked slightly surprised, but she quickly accepted it. “It’s good to sever ties with her. That unpresentable person… I don’t want to have anything to do with her!”

Russell nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes. That wretched girl is indeed unpresentable. I shouldn’t have brought her back to Silverlake from the beginning! Sorry for all the trouble she had brought you.”

Astrid really liked to be treated this way.

She curled her lips and said, “It’s getting late, I’ll go back first. As for Mabel… If you have nothing to do, you can come to my house more often to chat with me and nurture your relationship with Ulric.”

Mabel’s heart was filled with excitement, and a bashful expression appeared on her face. “Okay, Astrid…”

“Alright, I’m leaving now.” Astrid patted Mabel’s shoulder and left the Fox family surrounded by bodyguards.

The two of them watched Astrid’s car leave before turning around and returning to the living room.

As soon as he entered the living room, Russell’s face suddenly darkened. “Melody, that bitch! She actually didn’t tell me that she had registered her marriage with Ken!”

If he had known about this earlier, even if Melody would eventually get a divorce, he could have taken advantage of this period of time to reap a lot of benefits.

Russell was so angry that he almost slapped his thigh. He

picked up his phone and started calling Melody.

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Chapter 416

A girl suddenly plopped down beside her with a small painting in hand.

Melody glanced up and saw it was Nana, the one who had made that rude comment at the door earlier.

Ignoring the girl’s presence, Melody continued munching on her dessert with a poker face.

Nana, shifting gears from her previous mocking demeanor, then said cheerfully, “Miss Fox, I’m sorry for earlier. I can be a bit of a joker sometimes. I hope you are not too upset.”

Melody looked at Nana again, sensing something off about her sudden friendliness.

Thus, she replied indifferently, “You know, jokes are only funny if the person hearing them thinks they are.”

Nana’s smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly masked it with her initial cheerful facade.

After that, she said, “Looks like you are not a big fan of jokes, Miss Fox. My bad for not catching that earlier. To make up for it, I got a famous painting today and haven’t shown it to anyone else. How about I show it to you?”

“No, need. Thanks,” Melody replied, not interested. “I’m not into paintings.”

Nana persisted, “Well, how do you know that for sure? You might like it if you just take a look.” She shoved the painting for Melody to look at.

Melody glanced at it briefly and then frowned. The painting looked way too familiar.

Then, she quickly turned her gaze and said, “I really don’t want to see it.”

The conversation caught the attention of a few nearby girls. One of them scoffed, “Oh please, are you not interested, or just don’t get it?”

Another chimed in, “Nana, showing her that painting is like teaching a fish to climb a tree.”

“That’s right, Nana. I heard Miss Fox is from the countryside. They barely have enough to eat there, let alone understand art.”

Nana tried to hide her smile and said, “How can you say that in front of Miss Fox? If Ken hears this, he will think we’re bullying her.”

Melody could not stand the passive-aggressive games. She stood up and said, “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”

“Miss Fox, wait!” Nana reached out and grabbed Melody’s arm, but as she did, she let the painting slip and it hit Melody’s glass, staining the canvas with the drink.

“Oh, no!” Nana exclaimed, grabbing Melody’s sleeve. “Miss Fox! Even if you don’t want to talk to me, don’t destroy my painting! I know what I said earlier was harsh, but I apologized, right? What more do you want? Do you even know who created this painting or how much it’s worth?!”

Nana looked like she was about to collapse, and the other girls immediately stepped in to help.

“Miss Fox, aren’t you taking it too far? Who do you think you are?”

“Even if Nana was wrong, there’s no need to ruin her expensive painting, right?”

Melody glanced at the girls, then looked back at Nana and said calmly, “Are you all blind? I never even touched that painting.”

Panic expression showed up on Nana’s face, but she quickly regained her composure and said sternly, “Miss Fox, I was hoping you’d apologize, and we could move on. Even though this painting is worth tens of millions and is a prized work by the head of the Oil Painting Association, I didn’t expect you to not only refuse to apologize but also accuse me!”

The surrounding people gasped. “What? The head of the Oil Painting Association? Is that a Yannick Frost painting?”

Nana nodded, looking pained as she answered, “Yeah, that’s right.”

“Oh my god! Mr. Frost is planning to retire. His paintings are nearly impossible to buy now, even if you have a lot of money.”

“This is really one of Mr. Frost’s works? Melody, that’s too much!”

Hearing them, Nana felt a mix of pride and heartbreak. She was proud that her plan was working, but heartbroken over ruining her precious painting.

Melody’s smile widened, though her expression remained cold.

She glanced at the painting and said, “Nana, right? If you’re going to put on a show, at least make it believable. When the painting ‘accidentally’ fell into the water, your first reaction wasn’t to save it but to grab me and complain. Isn’t that a little odd? Your acting could really use some work.”

Knowing her plan was directly exposed by Melody, Nana clenched her fists and tried to defend herself, “Of course, I had no time to save the painting when it fell.”

Melody shrugged and said, “Well, there’s no need to save this painting anyway.”

Nana’s expression darkened as she asked in an offended tone, “What do you mean by that?”

Melody answered calmly, “Because your painting is a fake one.”

Then, the room fell silent before finally erupting into chatter.

“Fake painting? Did Nana really spend a fortune on a dupe?”

One guy added, “Or maybe Nana’s just using this as an excuse to blame Melody.”

“This is not a fake painting!” Nana’s voice trembled with anger. “I bought this from a reputable collector. It can’t be fake!”

The girls quickly jumped to Nana’s defense.

“Nana’s an expert collector of paintings. She would definitely know if it was a dupe,” one of them said.

“Exactly! You’re just trying to cover up after ruining her painting by calling it a fake!” another girl added.

“I don’t know why the hell Ken would marry someone like you!”

The chorus of girls backing Nana grew louder with more and more chiming in.

Sid and Janet, who had been on the second floor, quickly came downstairs after hearing the commotion.

After getting the rundown, Janet spoke up first. “Nana, how much did you spend on that painting? I’ll cover it for Melody.”

Nana frowned and replied, “Janet, it’s not just about the money. It’s her attitude! It’s bad enough she ruined my painting, but now she’s calling it fake and insulting me. I can’t just let that slide!”

Sid, thinking Melody really ruined Nana’s painting, said, “Melody, you need to apologize right away. Janet and I will sort out the compensation.”

Melody looked at Sid, asking, “So you think I’m lying too?”

“Umh, well.” Sid hesitated and asked, “Are you sure the painting is fake?”

“I’m a hundred percent sure,” Melody said calmly. “Because the real one is with me.”

Hearing the remark, Nana laughed out loud, clearly not buying it. “Miss Fox, even if you’re lying, don’t you think that’s a bit of a reach?”

Sid, sensing the absurdity, leaned closer and said quietly. “Melody now’s not the time to dig in your heels. This isn’t actually a huge deal. If you just apologize, I can sort the rest out.”

Chapter 417

Janet chimed in at the perfect moment. Melody,, just apologize and admit your mistake. Do you really want Ken to come over and clean up this mess? Though he may value your relationship with him, he won’t take sides unfairly. Better apologize now before things get worse.

She might have said that, but Janet secretly hoped Ken would show up soon.

She knew Nana’s scheme, even if clumsy, could put Melody in a tough spot. But she had not counted on Melody accusing Nana of forgery

Melody glanced at Janet calmly, about to respond, when someone suddenly announced “Coys, Ken is here!”

Everyone turned to see Ken, dressed in blue casual clothes, at the door.

Then, Nana quickly said, “Ken, we are all old friends. I trust you’ll handle this fairly, right?

But Ken did not even glance at her. Instead, he walked straight to Melody’s side.

“Are you okay?” His concern for Melody was clear, making Janet clench her fists in frustration.

Melody shook her head and said, I’m fine, but the painting is definitely a fake one?

Janet could not take it anymore. She took a deep breath and said, “Ken, I don’t know how much you heard, but this really is Melody’s fault?

Ken’s dark eyes locked onto Janet with such an intense stare. She felt a pang of guilt and looked away.

Ken then turned his gaze to Nana. “It’s just a fake painting. Is it really worth all this fuss?”

Hearing that, Nana felt the weight of Ken’s words and went pale, her heart beating faster.

But then she remembered Ken only married Melody because of his elders and relaxed a bit. “The collector who sold me that painting has dealt with me many times. He would never sell me a fake!”

Sid, worried about causing a bigger rift in their friendship, quickly interjected, “Ken, let’s not escalate this issue, okay? Melody can apologize, and we’ll compensate her a bit more. Then this will be over.”

Ken turned to Sid and asked, “Why should she apologize if she did not do anything wrong?”

“Well…” Sid started, but Ken quickly cut him off, turning to Melody. “Do you have any way to prove this is a fake?”

“Yes.” Melody nodded and said, “I left the real one back home. I can have someone bring it.”

“You mean your home in the countryside?” Nana scoffed. “How far is your countryside from Silverlake? You are not just stalling, are you?”

Ken’s cold gaze turned to Nana, silencing her.

‘Didn’t Janet say they were married under Ken’s parents’ orders? Why does he seem to genuinely care about Melody?’ she thought, growing uneasy.

Nana stayed quiet, so Janet stepped in. “Melody, your home is really far. Who knows how long it would take to get painting here? We can’t wait that long. Do you have any other way to prove that Nana’s painting is fake?”

“That’s right, Melody,” added another girl. “Are you sure you have the real one and Nana’s is a fake painting?”

Melody replied indifferently, “When I was in the countryside, Mr. Frost came by and painted that piece during our chat. That’s why it’s at my place.”

“Mr. Frost visited you?” Sid was taken aback. There were only a few people in Halcyon who could get a personal visit from Yannick.

Sid’s mouth twitched as he said, “Melody, this is not the right time for jokes. Plus, this one is really not funny.”

“I’m not joking, Sid,” Melody replied calmly. “If you’re unsure, why don’t we just ask Mr. Frost to come?”

Her words were like a bombshell, leaving everyone stunned and trying not to laugh.

Sid could not help but point out, “Melody, Mr. Frost is about to retire. He wouldn’t bother with something this minor. Even if Ken and I ask him, it’s unlikely that he’d come just for this.”

“I didn’t ask you to step in,” Melody said, glancing at Sid before turning back to Nana. “If I manage to get Mr. Frost to come over and prove that your painting is a fake, how will you make it up to me?”

Nana quickly shot back, “That’s impossible! If Mr. Frost actually comes and proves it, I’ll call you boss!”

Melody smirked and said, “That’s silly. I don’t need to be called a boss, but I’ve got a better deal: if I’m right, you should work for me for a month. What do you say?”

Nana’s face twisted in disbelief and said, “Work for you? No way!”

Melody teased, “So, you think the painting might be fake?”

“Of course not!” Nana said defensively. “I don’t believe you’ll ever get Mr. Frost to come here. If you failed, you owe me an apology and ten times the painting’s value!”

“Okay, deal,” Melody said, already pulling out her phone to make the call.

Everyone watched as Melody made the call. She held the phone to her ear and said, “Hey, it’s me, Melody. Where are you? Can you come over? I’m at the Swanson villa now, and there’s something going on here that involves you.”

No one could hear the response from the other end, but Melody ended the call and turned back to the group. “He’s eating in the nearby restaurant and should be here in about ten minutes.

Nana’s face turned pale. ‘Could this plain-looking person really get Mr. Frost to come over?’

Janet was also starting to get worried. While a painting could be a fake, it was hard to fake a real person.

Yannick was a well-known person, and everyone knew what he looked like, so it was unlikely Melody was lying.

But just then, Melody’s phone rang again.

After hanging up, Melody said, “Mr. Frost won’t make it in ten minutes, but he will be here in about an hour.”

Nana’s expression relaxed, clearly relieved. She was pretty sure Melody was just stalling, and that the call was a scam.

With a smirk, Nana said, “Miss Fox, it’s not too late to apologize right now. For Ken’s sake, I might let it slide.”

Melody was done arguing with Nana and responded, “You will see him in an hour.”

Nana rolled her eyes, thinking, ‘This woman is stubborn as a mule.’

Then, Sid jumped in to lighten the mood. “Looks like everyone’s hungry. I’ve got a ton of takeout on the way. Let’s order whatever else you need. It’s all on me!”

He handed his phone over, and the guys quickly rushed to grab it, excitedly placing their orders.

Chapter 418

Most of the people at the class reunion came from well-off families, but the guys had different ideas from the girls. Since someone was treating them, of course, they weren’t going to pass up the chance to mooch off the food.

From then on, the room quickly buzzed with energy again.

Nana watched Melody through the crowd, a smirk slowly forming on her lips.

Some were still worried that Melody might actually pull off getting Yannick to show up. They whispered to Nana, “Are you really going to do work for her in a month if Mr. Frost actually shows up? What if he does come?”

Nana was confident as she remarked, “Not a chance! She said he would be here in ten minutes, and now it’s pushed to an hour. I’m sure she is just buying more time. I’ll deal with her as soon as the hour’s up!”

Meanwhile, Melody followed Ken up to the second floor, where he picked a guest room and led her inside.

Melody followed Ken into the room, feeling a bit apprehensive.

Once they were inside, Ken got straight to the point. “Dad’s about to sign the acquisition deal with Owen in the next couple of days. Ulric’s been meeting with the regional managers from the East and South divisions of Swanson Group. Those two have always played it neutral between us. But if the Owen deal doesn’t get wrapped up soon, they might start leaning towards Ulric.”

Melody listened, a bit taken aback. She had expected Ken to bring her upstairs to talk about the drama at the reunion but it seemed he had other things on his mind.

Is that all you wanted to talk about here? She asked.

Oh right, there’s one more thing, Ken said, his expression growing more serious. “Ulric met with a woman today. I don’t know who she is yet, but it looks like she’s treating his leg.

A woman? Melody asked, now intrigued. “Do you have photos Do you know what’s her name?”

Ken shrugged and said. “My people haven’t been able to get close enough to find out. But I should have more info in the next couple of days. I’ll fill you in then”

Alright. Melody fell silent. Hearing that the woman was treating Ulric made her feel uneasy for some reason.

Don’t worry about it, Ken said, suddenly patting her shoulder. The place here is quite relaxing. How about I show you around? Maybe you’ll find something fun to do.

Melody quickly remembered her real concern. Apart from Ulric and the company’s matters, is there anything else you want to talk about?

Anything else? Like what? he asked.

About Mr. Frost’ she said getting straight to the point Aren’t you worried I might be long and won’t be able to get him to come.

Ken gave her a faint smile before turning serious. Melody, if I didn’t trust you, do you think I would share all this news about Ulric?

Melody was taken aback. It felt like a warm breeze had swept through her heart.

For a moment, tears welled up in her eyes. ‘Is this what it feels like to be trusted?’ she thought.

Melody quickly looked away, not wanting Ken to see her expression.

At that moment, Sid knocked on the door and walked in. “What are you two doing up here? The takeout’s arrived- barbecue and everything. Come on down and eat now.”

Melody replied, “Alright, I’m getting hungry too.” She quickly left the room, clearly flustered.

Sid noticed something was off and asked Ken, “Did you say something to her just now?”

Ken was about to respond, but Sid continued, “You know how women are. They care about saving face. She probably did not mean to ruin Nana’s painting. There’s no need to give her a hard time.”

Ken frowned. “When did I ever give her a hard time?”

Sid looked puzzled and asked, “If you didn’t, why did she leave so fast?”

“Why are you asking me?” Ken retorted.

Sid laughed. “Yeah, why am I even asking you about women?”

Ken twitched as his patience was wearing thin. “Don’t forget that I’m married now, Sid.”

Sid snorted and responded, “We all know why you got married. Come on, let’s go. I know you don’t like takeout, so I ordered your favorite food.”

With that, Sid dragged Ken out of the room.

As Melody made her way downstairs, she saw the large round table in the living room, loaded with an impressive spread of food.

She was about to take a seat when Nana suddenly slid into the chair, blocking her from sitting down.

“Sorry, first come, first served,” Nana said with a smug smile.

Melody raised an eyebrow, her patience wearing thin. She moved to another chair, but Nana cut in again. “That seat’s taken too.”

Just as Melody was about to respond, Ken’s voice cut through the tension. “Nana, this isn’t your house, is it?”

Nana’s smile vanished, and she looked down, clearly embarrassed.

“Sit here,” Ken said, stepping forward to pull out a chair for Melody. He signaled with his eyes for her to take the seat.

“Thank you,” Melody nodded and quietly sat down, ignoring the stares around her.

Seeing this, Janet’s smile faltered as she gripped her spoon tighter. Then, she quickly recovered, saying, “Ken, don’t blame Nana. Someone was sitting there, but he went to the restroom.”

Ken did not respond to Janet and took a seat next to Melody, making Janet feel even more awkward.

Sid clapped his hands to lighten the mood. “Alright, everyone, since we have so many people here, let’s introduce the people you brought!”

A chubby guy stood up first, proudly introducing the wife.” the woman next to him. “Hey, everyone, this is my wife.

Following his lead, others who brought family or partners started introducing them one by one.

When it was Ken’s turn, everyone expected him to skip the introductions. Instead, Ken surprised everyone by saying, “This is my wife, Melody Fox.”

His voice was steady, but there was a little sparkle in his eyes that caught people off guard.

The room went quiet as people looked at Ken in shock. Whispers started.

“What’s up with Ken?”

“Does he have a whole new personality now?”

Ken had never cared much for these formalities before, and his style was a big change from the usual black-and-white business look.

Melody, hearing the introduction, felt a flutter of nerves. Her cheeks turned a bit pink, despite knowing this was all just part of the act. She took a deep breath and said, “Hi, all, I’m Melody Fox.”

There was some light applause, but it was nothing compared to the enthusiastic responses others got.

Chapter 419

After the other partners introduced themselves, there were cheers and friendly teasing. But when it was Melody’s turn, there was almost no applause, just skeptical looks and whispered comments.

Melody expected this reaction, so she remained calm.

Ken, however, noticed and said with a faint smile, “What’s wrong? You all seem a bit skeptical.”

Despite his smile, his tone had an edge, and everyone felt the pressure. The room fell silent before people forced smiles.

“Oh, it’s not that we don’t believe you, Ken. It’s just… unexpected,” someone finally said.

“Yeah, exactly,” another chimed in. “You were always so focused on studying and work. You’ve never been involved in any scandals, so we’re just a bit surprised.”

Ken responded calmly, “Well, get used to it. Since you call me Ken, you can call her Melody. Calling her Miss Fox is too formal.”

“Yes, of course,” a man quickly agreed. “Melody, Ken, you two make a great couple. You can call me Jesse from now on!”

Melody nodded slightly. “Jesse.”

The others who wanted to tighten their connections with Ken also chimed in. Others chimed in, eager to connect with Ken, “Melody, it’s great to meet you. Let’s be friends!”

Janet, unable to keep smiling through the compliments, suddenly stood up. “I need to go to the bathroom,” she said, leaving quickly.

Nana watched Janet’s retreating figure, her dislike for Melody growing.

As the meal wound down, Janet returned from the bathroom. Nana checked her watch and, seeing an hour had passed, smirked.

She coughed to get everyone’s attention. “Miss Fox, you said Mr. Frost would be here in an hour. Where is he? Don’t tell me he’s delayed again and we have to wait another hour. If we keep waiting, who knows how long this will drag on. Why don’t you call him again?”

Melody, unfazed, replied, “No need. He should be here soon.”

Nana smiled coldly and asked, “Soon? When exactly is soon? It’s almost eight o’clock.”

Melody set down her spoon, amused. “The reunion ends at ten. We’ve still got two hours. Are you that excited to do chores for me for a month, Nana?”

“You!” Nana started to snap but caught herself when she saw Ken’s piercing gaze. She bit back her words, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

“Alright, alright!” Sid clapped his hands, trying to lighten the mood again. “Are you all full? How about a round of Truth or Dare?”

“Sure! It’s too boring just sitting around.”

“Yeah, let’s do it! Clear the table, and let’s get started!”

The guys quickly cleared the table, leaving only an empty wine bottle for the game.

Sid was the first to spin the bottle. “Same old rules,” he said. “Whoever it lands on has to choose truth or dare!”

The bottle spun quickly and landed on Melody.

She didn’t want to play, but it was Ken’s class reunion. Reluctantly, Melody said, “Dare.”

Sid nodded and pulled up an app on his phone. “Alright, Dare

it is,” he said as he tapped his screen. “Choose a person to kiss for one second.”

Melody stiffened. “Sid, I’ve changed my mind. I will go with the truth.”

“That won’t do!”

“No way!” Nana interjected with a smirk. “You can’t switch once you’ve chosen. Those are the rules. Besides, you and Ken are married. What’s a little kiss between husband and wife? It’s just one second anyway.”

Nana was sure Ken didn’t have any romantic feelings for Melody and knew he was a bit of a germaphobe. She thought there was no way Ken would let Melody kiss him.

In that case, Melody would be caught in a tough spot. Nana was clearly enjoying watching her squirm.

“Can I just quit now?” Melody asked, her frustration showing.

Nana shrugged with a smirk. “You can quit the game, but you’ve gotta finish this round first.”

Melody clenched her fists and looked at Ken, silently pleading for help.

“Need a hand?” Ken asked, his voice soft.

“Yes, please!” Melody nodded eagerly.

In a surprising move, Ken leaned in and kissed her. His lips brushed against hers for a brief second.

Melody’s eyes widened as the world seemed to slow down around them. Everything around them seemed to freeze, and the chatter and glances of the crowd faded into the background. It felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.

Melody was stunned when Ken’s “help” turned out to be him actually completing the dare for her.

She was so surprised that she forgot to pull away and just stared at him, her eyes wide.

At the same time, the rest of the room seemed frozen in shock, their eyes glued to the scene.

Ken had always been the pinnacle of attractiveness in their minds, and seeing him kiss someone they thought of as less appealing was like being hit by lightning.

Nana’s jaw dropped as she rubbed her eyes, struggling to believe what she was seeing. The shock quickly turned to fear as she realized it was all too real.

Sitting across Nana, Janet was also frozen, her eyes wide in disbelief. She couldn’t catch her breath, stunned that Ken had actually kissed Melody.

‘Could it be that Ken’s feelings for Melody go beyond just gratitude?’ Janet’s mind was racing, struggling to come to terms with what she’d just witnessed. She felt like her heart had been ripped out, and every beat was painful.

‘No way! I don’t want to believe it!’ She couldn’t stand it. Her face twisted with anger and jealousy.

‘Ken is mine, and no one, especially not someone she considered an ugly monster, was going to take him away.’

She bit her lip so hard it almost drew blood, glaring daggers at Melody as if her gaze could burn her to ashes.

Meanwhile, Sid snapped back to reality and glanced at the clock. “Ken, time’s up,” he said, breaking the stunned silence.

Melody finally got herself together and was about to push Ken away when he pulled back and whispered something that only the two of them could hear, “You’re welcome.”

Chapter 420

When Ken said, “You’re welcome,” Melody finally grasped what had just happened.

Her cheeks were flushed like ripe apples, and her expression was dazed.

Shock, confusion, shame, and anger all swirled together, leaving her mind a mess.

‘Why did Ken do this to me? Was it really just to help me with the dare?’ she wondered, subconsciously touching her lips.

They felt as if they had been burned, a tingly sensation running through them. It was an indescribable new sensation.

And this… this had been her first kiss.

Although Melody had married Ulric in her previous life, they had only held hands at most.

But just like that, her first kiss was stolen by Ken.

Melody looked at Ken, who seemed completely unbothered and as calm as ever as if nothing had happened.

“Was he really just helping me with the dare?

It was almost amusing. His nonchalance made her feel like the joke was on her.

Melody gritted her teeth, trying to suppress the whirlwind of emotions inside. “I need to leave. I’ve got something to take care of,” she said nervously. She couldn’t believe Ken even expected her to thank him.

Right now, she wanted nothing but to crawl into a hole and hide. But first, she had to give Ken a piece of her mind.

Not here, though. Ken was her ally, and she had to give him some respect in front of his old friends.

But just as she was about to make her exit, Nana shouted, “Wait!”

Melody paused, frowning.

Nana walked over quickly and said, “Miss Fox, are you trying to skip out on our bet? Thinking a game will get you off the hook?”

Ken glared at Nana coldly, thinking he had been too nice to these people, so now Nana had the nerve to bully Melody right in front of him.

What he did not realize was that Janet had quietly encouraged Nana, assuring her that Ken was just keeping up his reputation and didn’t genuinely care about Melody.

Before Ken could speak, Melody cut in. “Nana, are you that desperate to start doing chores for me for a month that you can’t even wait?” she asked coldly.

Nana chuckled and said, “You know as well as I do that Mr. Frost wouldn’t bother with this. He’s a Sanctuary-level Grandmaster in oil painting and has an international medal! He’s indifferent to fame and fortune. No matter how rich you are, there’s no way he’d waste his time on something like this.”

She believed that even if Ken or Ramon personally asked, they might not be able to get Yannick to come.

But just as she finished speaking an old but energetic voice came from the door, “Who says I won’t come?”

Nana froze, shocked. ‘Who was that?’ she wondered.

She turned to look at the door, and when she saw who it was, her eyes widened in disbelief. Yannick Frost himself was standing there.

Yannick had actually shown up. Nana rubbed her eyes, but no matter how many times she did, he was still standing there.

At the same time, everyone else saw Yannick and erupted in excitement. “No way! It’s really Mr. Frost!”

“So she was not bluffing then. Melody actually called the real Mr. Frost.”

“Melody must be something special. Now I understand why Ken married her, she’s not just anybody.”

Some couldn’t contain their excitement and rushed to Yannick for a photo.

Meanwhile, Nana’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor. But she still did not want to believe it. “My painting… It can’t be a fake!”

At this moment, Janet quietly approached Nana and said, “Nana, don’t worry. Mr. Frost is here, but he won’t lie. If your painting is real, you’ll win the bet.”

Nana forced herself to stand up and nodded. “That’s right! I spent good money on that painting. Melody still owes me an apology!”

Janet hesitated for a moment and asked, “Are you sure the person who sold you the painting is reliable?”

“He’s definitely reliable!” Nana said firmly. “My dad and I have bought lots from that collector. If he wants to keep working with us, he wouldn’t sell us fakes.”

Hearing this, Janet’s anxious heart finally eased. “That’s good. Get a grip, okay?”

Janet patted Nana’s shoulder and quietly went back to her seat, unaware that Sid had seen and heard everything.

Sid’s brow furrowed slightly as he watched Janet with a concerned look.

Meanwhile, after Yannick finished taking photos with everyone, he hurried over to Melody. “Master! When did you come to Silverlake? You should’ve let me know sooner. I would’ve thrown a welcome party!”

Everyone was stunned when they heard this. “Master? Did Mr. Frost just call Melody ‘Master’? Am I hearing things?”

Janet and Nana’s faces turned ashen, their minds racing with so many questions.

Melody replied calmly, “I didn’t want you to make a fuss, so I kept it quiet. But I’m calling you now, aren’t I?”

Yannick quickly smiled, then pulled out a long box from his bag, and handed it to Melody with a big smile. “Master, I brought you a little something a thousand-year-old ginseng I picked up from Silverlake. I know you love herbs, so I thought you might like this.”

“Thank you.” Melody accepted the box from Yannick and noticed the “Herbathrive” label on it.

Melody’s mouth twitched slightly as she asked, “Did you get this ginseng from Herbathrive?”

Yannick nodded enthusiastically and replied, “Yep, that’s right! The Herbathrive boss wasn’t around, and the staff wouldn’t sell it to me. I had to track down his number and call him, which took over an hour. But I managed to get it for you!”

Melody raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching again. “This is quite a coincidence.’

However, She did not bring up her connection with Herbathrive, though. Instead, she asked, “So you came an hour late just to buy this ginseng for me?”

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Chapter 411

“Really?” Wendell’s face lit up with excitement but quickly shifted to doubt. “How can you be sure she’s not just another con artist?”

Ulric gave Wendell a cold look. “Only someone like you would fall for that. The scammer on the forum? It’s because of you I even took them seriously.”

Wendell tried to explain. “Well, uh, but the nine-line acupuncture mentioned in the forum-it’s legit.”

“Enough with that!” Ulric interrupted. “Jennie says no one practices nine-line acupuncture anymore. Anyone who says otherwise is lying.”

Wendell, looking uneasy, asked, “But how do you know Jennie’s the real deal?”

Ulric chuckled and said, “Do you know who Jennie is?”

“No, who?” Wendell asked, puzzled.

“She’s the youngest daughter of the Taylor family from Silverlake. She got kicked out over ten years ago for being a so-called ‘malicious doctor.”

Wendell’s eyes widened. “You really contacted someone with that kind of background?”

“Who else could fix my leg? I refuse to spend my life as a cripple. If Jennie can help, I’ll work with her, even if she’s from Hell itself,” Ulric said firmly.

Wendell hesitated. “So, what’s she asking from us?”

“She wants us to help revive another malicious doctor and deal with Melody.”

“What? Isn’t that going to put us at odds with Halcyon? And how does Melody fit into this?”

Ulric cut him off, clearly annoyed. “Stop wasting time. Why are you really here?”

Wendell snapped back to the main issue. “I came to talk about Melody. She pretended to be the one who saved Sean at the cocktail party, and now Sean’s chasing me out of the hospital!”

Ulric eyed the bump on Wendell’s forehead and asked, “Did she give you that too?”

“Yeah,” Wendell said, his eyes drooping.

“You’re just a useless piece of trash. You keep going on about Melody, but you’re no better!” Ulric snapped.

Wendell gritted his teeth and said, “Just say the word, and I’ll make her disappear for good!”

“Forget it. She’s not as easy to deal with as you think. I’ve got my own plans,” Ulric replied.

“But-” Wendell started.

Ulric cut him off, “If something’s fake, it’s fake. It won’t change just because she wants it to. Sean’s too sharp to be easily tricked. Just keep an eye on Cadence and make sure

she keeps Kevin on a leash. Kevin’s Sean’s weak spot, so as long as he’s involved, Sean will eventually come around to our side.”

“Understood,” Wendell said, nodding.

“Good. You’re dismissed.” Ulric flopped onto the leather sofa, casually flicking a lighter.

‘Melody, let’s see what you’ve really got,’ he thought to himself.

Previously, Ulric had subtly put Melody in trouble, but he was still interested in bringing her on board, so he didn’t push too hard. That was then.

Now, though, with Jennie in his corner and Melody’s medical skills no longer a factor, he was done with Melody. Good was out, evil was in.

A short time later, two attractive women strolled in, one on each side of Ulric.

“Mr. Swanson, let us take care of your legs,” a woman said, her voice sultry.

Ulric glanced at them, but his mind wandered to Mabel’s refined face. Compared to her, these two were just too flashy.

He gave a curt nod, and the women began to massage his stiff, weak legs with practiced ease, their hands gradually moving upward.

Ulric could definitely feel the difference. While he had been numb to touch before, Jennie’s skills made him feel every touch of the women’s massage.

This improvement was enough to make him smile, so he let them continue their work without interruption.

He leaned against the sofa with his eyes closed, completely immersed in the soothing massage.

Meanwhile, Wendell was still fuming after leaving the manor. “Damn it, nothing’s going right lately!” he grumbled.

As he cursed, he remembered the liar from the forum. “How dare they mess with me!” he thought.

Wendell shot off a private message to the forum admin, planning to get the black market boss involved. He wanted to find out who the liar was and make them pay for their deceit.

At the same time, Melody arrived at Serenity Villa

She got out of the car and saw Susan waiting for her with a big smile.

Obviously, Ken had informed Susan in advance.

Clearly, Ken had given her a heads-up. Susan greeted her warmly, “Hey, Melody! With the weather heating up, I prepared some chilled fruit for you. It’s perfect for cooling down.”

Melody felt a bit uneasy with Susan’s over-the-top

friendliness, partly because Susan thought she was Ken’s special someone.

She gave a small, awkward laugh and replied, “Oh, Susan, you really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

Susan shrugged, still smiling, “It’s no big deal. I don’t have much else to do.” She then smoothly shifted the conversation to Hattie Meyer.

Melody smiled and said, “Hattie’s doing well. She’s back in her hometown with my grandma, enjoying the beautiful scenery there. It’s a great place to relax.”

“I see.” Susan’s expression shifted to one of loneliness. “I thought she might come back. Looks like I’ll be on my own again.”

As Susan spoke, his eyes lit up again.

Then Susan’s eyes lit up. “Oh, right! You’re moving in soon, aren’t you? Since you and Mr. Swanson are married, it only makes sense for you two to live together.”

Melody nearly choked on her fruit and quickly grabbed a napkin.

Susan beat her to it, grabbing a rag and wiping the table. With a grin, she said, “Don’t be shy about it. Mr. Swanson told me everything mentioned you two are already married and asked me to look after you.”

Melody’s eyes went wide. “Ken told you? When?”

Susan, still smiling, replied, “He called me just now to let me know you were coming over. I’m surprised you didn’t mention it! When’s the party?”

Melody was left speechless by Susan’s rapid-fire questions. After taking a moment to collect herself, she said, “I need to use the toilet.”

“Alright, take your time,” Susan said.

As soon as Melody was in the toilet, she called Ken.

Ken picked up almost immediately. “Hey, you’re there?”

Melody cut to the chase. “Why did you tell Susan about our marriage registration? We’re planning to get a divorce soon! How are we supposed to explain this?”

Chapter 412

The line went quiet for a moment before Ken’s slow voice came through. “You don’t need to worry about explaining. I’m not in a rush for the divorce.”

“Yeah, but I am!” Melody replied, feeling frustrated.

Ken fell silent again, then he asked, “Melody, do you hate me that much?”

Melody sighed. “It’s not that I hate you. It’s just that our marriage isn’t based on love. And we’re supposed to be getting a divorce anyway.”

Ken’s voice softened. “Just answer one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Do you… hate me?”

Melody paused before answering, “No, I don’t.”

“That’s all I needed to know,” he replied.

Melody was left puzzled. “What do you mean, that’s all you needed to know?”

Ken didn’t really address her confusion. Instead, he said, “The stylist and the others will be there soon. Don’t worry about Susan. Just let them dress you however you like. I’m not fussed about it. Just do whatever makes you happy.”

And with that, he ended the call before Melody could ask anything more.

Melody stared at her phone, feeling a bit unsettled. ‘Why does Ken’s response feel so odd?’

Normally, she would wonder if there was more to it, but with Ken, it felt different. She wasn’t one to read too much into things, especially with someone like him.

With a sigh, Melody tried to shake off her frustration.

At that moment, Susan’s voice called from outside. “Madam, are you done? The stylist and makeup artist are here.”

The word “Madam” was already starting to give Melody a headache.

She rubbed her temples, trying to shake off the annoyance. After a quick wash to freshen up, she walked out.

The same stylist and makeup artist team from before were there.

The makeup artist gave her a friendly smile and said, “Hey, Miss Fox. How can I help today?”

Melody waved her hand. “No need for makeup today. I’m just going to a class reunion. I just need help with my hair and clothes.”

When the makeup artist heard Melody’s reluctance, she was curious. “Miss Fox, why not go for some makeup? You’ll look fantastic! We’re from Swanson Universal

Entertainment, and our team’s known for turning heads. I promise you, you will look stunning!”

Melody was taken aback and asked, “Wait, you’re from Swanson Universal Entertainment? I didn’t know.”

This team was really famous. Lately, they’ve been behind a bunch of popular looks for artists.

Moreover, they were known for working only with Swanson Universal Entertainment and rarely took on anyone else. It felt like overkill for a simple class reunion.

Not picking up on Melody’s thoughts, the makeup artist persisted. “Yes, we’re from Swanson Universal

Entertainment. Please, let me do your makeup! I’d love to show you what we can do.”

The makeup artist loved transforming a plain nobody into a diva. Seeing someone like Melody go from ordinary to stunning would be a huge win for her.

Melody smiled and shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m really not into makeup. By the way, did Ken say where the class reunion is?”

The makeup artist’s enthusiasm dimmed slightly, but she still answered, “He mentioned it’s at the Swanson villa.”

Melody nodded, knowing that the Swanson villa was known for its high-class parties. It was a fancy area where every building had its own unique design. Booking a night there cost a fortune, but it was always packed.

She glanced at the clothes the team had brought and picked out a black dress that looked quite plain.

“I’ll go with this one,” Melody said.

The makeup artist looked surprised. “Are you sure? I didn’t even want to bring this because it’s so plain. For the Swanson villa, I’d recommend something more eye-catching.”

“No, this is perfect. I want to keep it low-key,” Melody replied, taking the dress and heading to the guest room to change.

Since she wasn’t planning on wearing makeup, a fancy dress would feel out of place. An ordinary dress would help her blend in and avoid drawing attention.

When Melody came out, the effect was exactly what she wanted- She easily faded into the background, even in the middle of the living room.

The stylist and makeup artist were a bit let down. They saw Melody as a diamond that didn’t need any extra polish, but she wasn’t interested in their help.

Just then, Ken called. He sounded unsure as he said on the phone, “I might not be able to make it with you. I’ll have the driver pick you up instead.”

Melody sensed something was off and asked, “Is everything okay? Did something happen?”

Ken explained, “Janet called. She’s been in a car accident, and it looks like the person who hit her might be connected to Ulric. I need to check it out.”

Melody’s heart sank, feeling like a heavy weight was pressing down on her.

Ken quickly added, “I’ll see what’s happening and if it’s not too bad, I’ll pick you up later.”

“No need,” Melody said. “It’s almost time. I’ll head over and wait for you.” She ended the call before Ken could say more.

The call ended, and Melody’s face grew cold, a hint of sarcasm in her smirk.

Janet just happened to have an accident with Ulric’s car? Too coincidental.’

Melody never believed in coincidences. The only logical explanation was that Janet did it on purpose.

She didn’t care if Ken joined her or not. What concerned Melody was the possibility that Janet and Ulric were working together.

If that were true, it could spell trouble. Janet knew too much about Ken’s dealings with Ulric and the Swanson family. If she spilled those secrets, it would be disastrous for Ken.

Then, Melody said goodbye to Susan with a serious look and headed out.

Sensing something was off, Susan quickly called Ken as soon as Melody left. “Sir, did you and Madam have a fight? She seemed really upset.”

Ken, about to drive to the accident site, paused and asked, “She seemed upset?”

“Yes, after talking to you, she looked pretty unhappy,” Susan confirmed.

Ken’s heart skipped a beat, a hint of joy surfacing. Gripping the phone, he said, “Got it. Keep her there. I’ll be back soon.”

He turned the car around and sped back to Serenity Villa. While driving, he called Sid and briefly said, “Janet’s had a car accident near York Building. Go there!”

Sid responded, “York Building? That’s like five minutes from you. You’ll get there faster than I can.”

Chapter 413

The York Building, an Internet company’s headquarters, was right in Silverlake’s Central Business District, just a couple of turns from Swanson Universal Entertainment.

Sid lived in the area, but it would still take him over ten minutes to drive there, unlike Ken, who was much closer.

“I’ve got more important things to handle,” Ken said calmly, hanging up before Sid could question him further.

Sid stared at his phone, puzzled about what could be more urgent than a friend’s accident. But he didn’t have time to dwell on it. He rushed out and headed to the York Building.

Soon enough, Sid arrived at the York Building. The road was a mess, jammed with traffic and honking cars.

Sid ditched his car and ran towards the accident scene.

As he got closer, he saw a man gripping Janet’s arm, saying arrogantly, “You can’t afford to pay for this car. But your pretty face might cover the cost. Spend a night with me, and we’ll call it even.”

“In your dreams!” Janet shouted, her eyes scanning the crowd.

‘Ken should’ve been here by now. It’s been ‘over ten minutes!’ she thought anxiously. She knew the traffic police would arrive any moment.

Just as she was about to lose hope, a man’s voice rang out, “Let go of her, or you’ll regret it!”

‘That voice… Janet turned and saw Sid rushing towards her.

She quickly looked past him, but all she saw were curious onlookers. Ken was nowhere in sight.

Janet’s heart sank. ‘Where’s Ken?’

While she was confused, Sid had already punched the middle-aged man in the face.

“Argh!!” The man screamed in pain, clutching his bleeding nose.

Sid quickly pulled Janet behind him and glared at the man. “Janet, are you alright?”

“No…” Janet replied, looking at the man with a mix of emotions. She asked hesitantly, “Where’s Ken?”

“Ken had something important to deal with, so he sent me.”

Janet’s expression darkened. “Something important? What could be more important than this?”

“I don’t know… Let’s focus on dealing with this guy first.” Sid turned his attention back to the middle-aged man. “If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me!”

“You!” The middle-aged man bit his lower lip and wiped the blood from his nose. He looked ready to escalate things but stopped when Janet, standing behind Sid, shook her head subtly.

He hesitated before backing down and said, “My car is expensive. Pay up!”

“How much?” Sid, unconcerned about money, signed a check for 2 million dollars and tossed it at the man. “Is this enough?”

The man immediately smiled at the amount. “More than enough. Sorry about earlier. I’ll handle the repairs myself. Goodbye!”

With that, he grabbed the check and drove off.

Sid watched him go, puzzled. Janet wasn’t lacking money; she could’ve handled this coward easily.

However, he shrugged off the thought, assuming she was just too shaken to deal with it this time.

Sid turned around and asked, “Are you hurt?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Janet replied. “Just the headlights got hit. It’s alright. Let’s head to the reunion. We shouldn’t be late since we were class committees.”

She started toward her car, and Sid quickly followed. “Are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you should get checked out at the hospital. Internal injuries can be tricky.”

“No need, I’m good. I know my body,” she answered.

Seeing no visible injuries, Sid nodded. “Alright, but let’s get your car fixed. I’ll have my guys handle it. You can ride with me.”

“Sure,” Janet agreed, hopping into Sid’s car.

On the way, Janet’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the message, her heart tightening.

When she saw the message, her heart tightened and she subconsciously looked at Sid in the driver’s seat. She looked over at Sid in the driver’s seat, relieved to see him focused on the road.

She dimmed the screen and read the message: [Miss Murphy, why didn’t you follow the original plan?]

Janet’s expression turned serious as she pressed her lips together, quickly deleting it without responding.

*****

Meanwhile, back at Serenity Villa, Melody was about to leave when she heard Susan scream from inside.

She rushed in to find Susan on the floor, grimacing in pain.

“Susan!” Melody exclaimed, running over. “What happened?”

“I slipped on some water,” Susan said through clenched teeth. “I think I might have cracked a bone.”

“Let me take a look,” Melody offered, kneeling beside her.

Melody immediately checked Susan’s bones and sighed with relief. “Your bones seem fine. It’s probably your tendons that are hurt. I’ll apply some medicinal oil.”

She helped Susan onto the sofa and went to grab the medicinal oil from the first aid kit. Melody was too busy to notice Susan’s sly smile.

After applying the oil for a while, Susan winced at the burning sensation and finally said, “I think I’m good now.”

When she felt it was enough, Melody stopped and gave Susan a few reminders on what to watch out for.

Just then, the screech of tires caught Melody’s attention. She looked toward the entrance and saw Ken striding in, dressed in a black suit.

“Ken?” Melody said, surprised. “Aren’t you supposed to be handling the car accident?”

Ken said, keeping his expression neutral, “I sent Sid instead. He was closer to the scene.”

“Okay,” Melody said, feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders.

Susan took the chance to say, “I’m going to head to my room and rest. You two catch up.”

With that, she practically skipped off to her room, showing no sign of injury.

Melody, always sharp, noticed something was off. She shot Ken a suspicious look. “Did you have Susan fake an injury?”

Ken played innocent. “What? I don’t know anything about that. Don’t jump to conclusions.”

Melody considered it for a moment but then waved it off. “Fine. But why aren’t you heading to the class reunion yet?”

Ken said, “I came back to change. Since you’re still here, let’s head out together.”

Melody nodded absentmindedly. “Sure.”

A few minutes later, Ken came downstairs in a sharp black suit, just like before.

As he walked down, he noticed Melody watching him with a curious tilt of her head.

Feeling a bit self-conscious, Ken fidgeted, unsure where to put his hands.

Chapter 414

“Ahem,” Ken cleared his throat and playfully frowned. “What’s with the stare?”

Melody gave him another once-over and said, “You changed clothes, but it looks pretty much the same as before.”

Ken realized she was only focused on his outfit and not anything else. He was a bit put off. “All my clothes are pretty similar. It saves time. I don’t want to waste time picking out outfits.”

Melody couldn’t help but point out, “You don’t really look like you’re heading to a class reunion. You look more like you’re off to a business meeting.”

Ken shrugged and said, “It’s kind of both. What’s the difference?”

Melody shook her head. “Well, for a reunion, you don’t want to come off as too stiff. You might miss out on making some connections if people think you’re unapproachable. How about we stop by the mall on the way to the Swanson villa? You can pick up something more relaxed.”

Ken was about to refuse, but when he saw the look Melody gave him, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. He just muttered, “Okay.”

So, they headed out together to the mall.

As they drove, Melody brought up Janet. “Aren’t you worried about Miss Murphy? You mentioned she had an accident with Ulric’s guys. What if Ulric makes it difficult for her?”

Ken barely blinked as he replied, “Don’t worry about Sid. He may seem unreliable, but the Quant family reputation speaks for itself.”

Melody couldn’t help but frown. She wanted to point out that Janet’s accident with Ulric’s guys seemed way too coincidental, but she knew Ken wasn’t interested in hearing that theory.

She sighed quietly, deciding not to press further. After all, she had no solid proof, maybe it was just a coincidence.

When they got to the mall, Melody noticed Ken usually went for black and decided to pick out a more relaxed blue outfit for him.

Blue had a soothing effect, and sure enough, when Ken stepped out in the new outfit, his usual serious demeanor seemed to soften.

“That looks great,” Melody said, turning to the sales assistant. “We will take this. Can you pack up the clothes he changed out of?”

“Of course,” the sales assistant said, though she was clearly puzzled. The pair looked like they belonged together, but their styles were so different. She couldn’t help but think, ‘She must be loaded!’

As the assistant went to pack the clothes, Melody and Ken noticed her curious look.

Ken chuckled quietly and said, “Looks like I might be mistaken for a kept man with a rich partner.”

Melody gave him a playful nudge. “Oh, stop it. I’m too broke for you. Just go pay the bill so we can head out.”

Ken chuckled and refused, “Since you’re the one who suggested buying new clothes, I think you should cover the bill.”

Melody shot him a mock glare. “Seriously? This is all because of your social connections.”

Ken shrugged, a playful smirk on his face. “If you’re not paying, I’m not buying.”

Melody, remembering how much she owed him, reluctantly handed over her card.

The sales clerk, seeing the interaction, confirmed her earlier hunch and looked at Ken with a bit of pity. ‘Too bad, such a handsome guy…

Ken noticed her glance but took it in stride, enjoying the moment.

About ten minutes later, they arrived at the Swanson villa. Ken had booked Villa Number 1, and since the parking lot was a bit of a walk, Melody got out of the car first.

As soon as Melody arrived at the entrance of Villa No. 1, she saw Sid and Janet chatting with a few people.

One of them asked, “I heard Ken is married now. Is that true? I haven’t heard anything about it. You two are close to him, right? Is his wife pretty?”

Janet, catching a glimpse of Melody out of the corner of her eye, played it cool and replied with a smirk, “I can’t say if she’s pretty or not, but she’s coming over today. You’ll see for yourself.”

“So, he is married! She must be super gorgeous then,” the other person said.

Janet’s smile turned a bit mocking. “Maybe!”

Sid, looking a bit uncomfortable, chimed in, “Looks aren’t everything. Ken is not that superficial.”

Since Sid’s recent check-up showed high blood pressure, his view of Melody had shifted a bit.

Even though he knew the real story of their marriage, he felt uneasy thinking about how Melody might be judged solely on her looks.

Then, Sid spotted Melody and quickly called out, “Melody!”

The people at the door turned their attention to her. Melody’s appearance, with her red, bumpy skin, caused some startled reactions.

“Who is this?” One guy scrunched up his face and said, “Sid, no offense, but is this your idea of a date? Bringing someone like her? It’s like you’re trying to disgust us and ruin the vibe.”

Sid’s face darkened, but Janet cut in before he could respond. “What are you talking about? She’s Ken’s wife.”

The crowd was taken aback. “Seriously? You’re not kidding, are you?”

Janet enjoyed the surprise on their faces and grinned. “Guys, I wouldn’t joke about something like this.”

She then waved at Melody, calling out with feigned warmth, “Melody, come over here!”

Melody’s hearing was sharp, so she caught the tail end of their conversation. When Janet greeted her with fake enthusiasm, Melody chose to ignore her and just gave Sid a nod.

Janet, on the other hand, was pleased to see Melody’s cold shoulder.

Even if Ken had feelings for Melody, Janet figured he wouldn’t be dumb enough to stay with someone everyone else thought was so unattractive.

Sid, noticing Melody’s greeting, asked with a smile, “Where’s Ken?”

“He’s parking,” Melody replied.

“I see then. I thought he was just running late,” Sid said. “He mentioned he had something urgent to deal with before handling Janet’s accident. Any clue what’s up?”

“Something urgent?” Melody asked, looking confused. “He didn’t mention anything to me.”

When Janet saw this, a dark look crossed her face. It was clear to her now: Ken’s top priority was picking up Melody.

Melody was acting clueless about it, and Janet found it disgusting.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms without her even noticing.

Chapter 415

Janet quickly put on a forced smile and said, “Melody, this is probably your first time meeting our classmates, right? So, let me introduce you.”

She did not wait for Melody’s response and raised her voice to address everyone. “Hey, attention all, this is Melody Fox, Ken’s wife. She grew up in the countryside. If any of you are interested in visiting the mountains, I believe she can recommend some great spots, so just ask her.”

The crowd’s mood shifted noticeably. They exchanged skeptical looks, clearly unimpressed.

Not only was she unattractive, but Melody also came from a rural background.

They were all wondering what an outstanding guy like Ken doing with someone like her.

Then, a girl who had been close to Janet in college scoffed and said, “Miss Fox, you must have something special to catch Ken’s eye. But I can’t seem to see what it is. Can anyone else?”

Her voice was so soft, but the underlying sarcasm was crystal clear.

Hearing that, Melody just chuckled and shot back, “Maybe you are blind.”

“You!” The girl’s face twisted with annoyance.

Janet intervened smoothly. “Nana, that’s enough. Please give Ken some respect, will you? Let’s go inside. Don’t just stand here chatting.”

The girl who was called Nana finally held it back, but she still glared at Melody before following Janet inside.

Once they were in, she whispered to Janet, “Janet, what’s the deal? We haven’t seen each other for a few months, and now this ugly girl has taken Ken from you?”

Everyone knew Janet had a long-standing crush on Ken. They were very close back then, and everyone assumed Ken would eventually end up marrying Janet. The two were a perfect match in every aspect. So, Ken marrying someone like Melody was a shock.

Janet sighed, looking downcast as she said, “You know Ken is very devoted to his family, right? Melody saved his grandma’s life, and it’s impossible for him to go against his parents’ wishes.”

“Oh, that explains it all!” Nana quickly pieced together a dramatic story in her mind. “I knew it. There’s no way Ken would fall for someone ugly like her!”

“Shh!” Janet made a shushing motion. “Keep it down. She’s someone Ken’s grandma cares about a lot. If she hears you, it will cause problems for sure.”

When Nana heard this, she felt even more furious for Janet. “You and Ken are obviously meant to be together. Why is she even in the picture? Don’t worry, Janet. I’ll show that arrogant woman where her place is and how she does not deserve someone like Ken!”

Janet put on a worried look and said, “You better not. I’m afraid Ken will take it out on me.”

Nana patted Janet’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, even if she tattles on you, I won’t let you take the fall. Besides, Ken doesn’t have any feelings for her. He only married her because of his parents. If he sees me messing with her, he’ll definitely side with us, his old friends.”

Janet sighed, feigning concern as she said, “She is actually pretty nice. You don’t really have to do this.”

Nana looked at Janet sympathetically while responding, “Janet, you used to be so strong. What happened? It’s all because of her, right? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely help you put her in her place!”

Janet stopped talking, but there was a subtle, satisfied smirk on her beautiful face.

Now, she figured out that she didn’t have to lift a finger to deal with Melody. A few words were all it took to have others do the dirty work for her.

Meanwhile, Nana was already rallying a few close classmates to figure out how to embarrass Melody.

Seeing this, Janet’s lips curled into a sly smile. ‘Seems like this reunion is about to get interesting,’ she said to herself.

Back at the entrance area, Sid turned to Melody, looking apologetic, and said, “I’m sorry about them. They don’t usually act like this. I think they just don’t know you yet.”

Melody smiled calmly and said, “It’s fine, really. I expected this would happen before I even came here.”

She had been looked down upon and targeted more times than she could count, in both her past and present lives. It did not faze her anymore.

Sid watched her, feeling a strange mix of emotions. He used to be near pretty girls who were praised and admired by everyone, not someone like Melody who had faced so much adversity. It was a new experience for him, and it made him feel a bit uneasy.

He was not sure whether his feelings were just sympathy or something else, but Sid quickly pushed the thought aside as he said, “I’ll go in with you. There’s some cool stuff inside, like that new VR game.”

Melody, who had initially planned to wait for Ken outside, could not turn down his offer and said, “Alright.”

“Let’s go then!” Sid quickly returned to his usual carefree self, eagerly showing Melody around as if the Swanson villa was his own.

Sid had plenty of fans back in college. Inside, a few girls who had big crushes on him noticed his enthusiasm for Melody and shot her some pretty hostile looks.

“Who is she? What the hell is Sid thinking by bringing an ugly duckling like that to the reunion?”

Nana overheard them and immediately joined the gossip, eagerly spreading rumors about Melody.

Since then, everyone was treating Melody like she was up to no good.

“She is so ugly, there’s got to be something shady going on! Geez, I can’t believe Sid fell for her!”

Even if they were not interested in Sid, the girls were united in making Melody their public enemy.

At that moment, Melody felt the cold, dagger-like stares

and frowned. ‘I haven’t done anything to deserve this,’ she thought. ‘Janet must be behind it all, no doubt.’

So, she turned to Sid and said, “Why don’t you go mingle with your friends? I will just chill here on the sofa for a bit.”

Coincidentally, a few guys called Sid over for a drink, and he glanced at Melody on the sofa before nodding. “Okay, Ken should be here any minute now. I’ll go say hi to them.”

“Okay,” Melody replied, brushing off the cold looks. She settled onto the sofa and enjoyed some dessert without a care.

Just then…

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Chapter 406

“Melody, sometimes I seriously can’t figure out what’s going on in your mind, but I think you’re awesome!” Zara declared, amazed by Melody’s reaction.

Melody was tickled by that starry-eyed declaration.

“Dig in! This fruit salad is great during the hot season. I added some traditional medicinal herbs to it. You’ll forget you’re in such warm weather after you finish this bowl of salad!” she said smilingly.

“Really? Then I’ll have to eat more. I’m melting under the heat…”

Zara had child-like innocence and was quickly distracted by the lure of food.

There was a greenish dressing on the salad, which wasn’t appealing to Zara. Nevertheless, she trusted Melody and ate it without hesitation.

She scooped a spoonful of the fruit salad into her mouth and her eyes lit up instantly. The fruit salad was refreshing and appetizing, with just the right touch of sweetness. It was a delicious salad with a cool, minty aftertaste.

“This is yummy!” she declared as she eagerly took another mouthful. In no time, her bowl was empty.

“Can I have more? It’s to my liking! This salad is delicious!” Zara said.

Melody smiled and said, “One bowl a day would be just right. Everything in moderation, Zaza. If you like it, I’ll give you the recipe and you can prepare it at home.”

“That would be great!” Zara nodded happily.

Melody suddenly thought of Yana, so she asked, “How is Yana? Was she kicked out of the production team?”

“Oh yes. They’re looking for her replacement now. That’s the reason I’m free these few days.” As Zara spoke, memories of herself being bullied by Yana flooded back to her. “Yana must hate me to the core now,” she sighed.

Melody ruffled her hair and said, “Don’t worry, I’m here for you. Let me know if she makes things difficult for you again.”

“I will.”

Zara was blushing, feeling a little bashful because of Melody’s affectionate act of ruffling her hair. “I sneaked out without informing my agent. They’ll probably find out soon, so let me head back now. I’ll catch up with you again soon!” she said.

“Sure!” Melody said, and she began packing some fruit salad for Zara to bring back for her agent and assistant.

After sending Zara off, Melody went home and contemplated for a moment as she stared at the balanced fruit salad. She decided to bring some for Mr. Yager, who had suffered from heat stroke at the cocktail party.

Since Rodney was the one who attended to Mr. Yager, she reckoned he must be warded at Central Hospital.

She could kill two birds with one stone and visit Lucas as well.

Meanwhile, the mood was dark back at the Fox family. Russell was limp on the sofa, cursing angrily, while Mabel was livid with rage. They were beaten up badly and in intense pain. They went to the hospital but the doctors could only prescribe them some painkillers as the injuries were inflicted in such a way that they were not visible and detectable.

Mabel’s mood brightened a little only after the official announcement was made by the Fox family to sever ties with Melody.

However, she still could not help but worry. “Dad, the agreement you signed entitled Melody to thirty percent of the shares of the Justalion Group, right?” she asked.

The mere mention of Melody’s name made Russell hopping mad.

“In her dreams! I’ll not honor that agreement. She won’t get a dime from me!” he growled, obviously exasperated.

“But… you’ve already signed it…”

“So what? If she dares to ask for the shares, I’ll make sure she’s ruined and shamed by all in Silverlake!”

Mabel heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that assurance.

The black market assassin incident actually reminded her of something else.

She had hired a group of assassins from the forum to deal with Wilona on the day she attended the Swanson Group cocktail party. However, she received no updates thus far, so she wasn’t sure if it had been done.

Her phone suddenly rang while her mind was wandering.

With much pain and difficulty, Mabel managed to fish out her phone.

The moment she saw the incoming number, she jumped.

Noticing Russell’s puzzled gaze, she haltingly said, “Dad, it’s… it’s Astrid calling. Do you think s-she found out about Mom and wants to call off the engagement?”

“Astrid?” Russell immediately sat up and said, “Pick up the call! Put it on speaker mode then watch for my instructions.”

“Okay.” Mabel nodded and nervously answered the call.

As soon as the call was connected, Astrid’s impatient voice came through.

“Hello, Miss Fox, you must be such a busy person. Am I so unworthy of your attention that you took so long to answer my call?”

This was Astrid’s usual sarcasm, her style of speaking when dealing with people she didn’t like.

Mabel’s face fell, but with Russell’s silent signal, she put on an apologetic tone and said, “How is that possible, Mrs. Swanson? My phone wasn’t with me just now. I immediately ran over to pick up your call when I heard the phone ring. What can I do for you, Mrs. Swanson?”

“It’s nothing important. I heard about your mother, so I called to check if you need any help from me?” Astrid said casually, but that casual question made Mabel’s face turn ashen. Russell panicked too, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

Despite the painful injuries they had after the black market assassins left, the Fox family placed priority on mobilizing all their resources to try and suppress the news. Alas, Astrid still found out about the matter.

They were positive those gossipy ladies who attended the birthday banquet were the culprits.

Mabel was trying to keep her cool when suddenly, she thought of something, and her eyes lit up. “Thank you for your kind offer but we’ll manage. We were all very shocked when we found out about Mom’s misdeeds. Our family hopes that she can reflect on her mistakes.”

Astrid clearly did not expect Mabel not to side with Yolanda, but before she could utter a word, Mabel continued, “I do wish to speak to you. However, I have to rush back to school to complete the assignment given by Professor Ander Morgan. Can I buy you dinner after I’m done with that assignment?”

“Ander Morgan?” Astrid paused momentarily before asking, “Is it Ander Morgan from the research institute?”

“Yes. He wanted me to work in his laboratory, so he gave me an assessment assignment. I hope you won’t mind, but can I meet up with you after I finish the assignment?”

Astrid went silent for a moment before saying, “Let me know where to meet when you’re done.”

“For sure! Thank you, Mrs. Swanson,” Mabel chirped.

After the call ended, Russell quickly went over to her and asked, “Have you finished the assignment?”

“Yes, I’m done. Coincidentally, today is the deadline. After the painkillers take effect, I’ll go to school to submit it.”

“Wonderful! With this, despite your mom’s incident, you’ll still be of value to Astrid. Have some rest and get going to school once you feel better.” Russell was pleased.

“Okay, Daddy…” Mabel was about to break into a smile when she felt a sharp pain at the corner of her mouth. That successfully killed the joy and led her to collapse onto the sofa, mourning in pain.

She swore she’d definitely take revenge after she successfully married into the Swanson family. It’ll be payback time for Melody!

Chapter 407

Meanwhile, Melody had made it back to Central Hospital, carrying some fruit salad.

Seeing that Rodney had just finished his outpatient consultations and was taking a break in his office, Melody handed him two servings of the fruit salad she had already portioned out.

“I made this with some traditional herbs,’ she said. ‘It’s really healthy and tasty. Keep one for yourself and give the other to the director.”

Rodney smiled and said, “Fruit salad sounds great, especially with those herbs. Why don’t you take it to the director yourself? He’d love it for sure.”

Melody shook her head. “I’ve got one more to drop off. Remember the patient from the cocktail party? Which ward is he in? I want to check in on him. It’s pretty rare to see heatstroke that severe, and I’d like to keep track of it.”

Melody had a habit of jotting down details of challenging cases in her notebook.

“Mr. Yager?” Rodney asked.

“Yeah, that’s what everyone calls him,” Melody replied.

Rodney looked a bit uneasy. “If it’s really him, you might want to avoid going.”

“Why?” Melody asked, confused.

Rodney sighed and said, “Mr. Yager’s family isn’t exactly easy to deal with. He’s actually pretty easygoing, but his distant relatives from Silverlake are a different story. They’re always acting high and mighty and making weird comments whenever I check on him. They even think I’m trying to get something out of him, but honestly, I don’t even know much about Mr. Yager’s background.”

Rodney paused and said, “But if you go, they probably won’t give you any trouble. You’re the reason Mr. Yager’s still around, after all.”

Melody considered this and replied, “Then I’ll go. The fruit salad might really help, and I’ll give him the recipe too.”

“Sounds good,” Rodney said. “I’ll come with you to make sure those relatives don’t give you a hard time at the ward.”

“Thank you,” Melody said.

“Don’t mention it,” Rodney replied, admiring Melody. “You’re not familiar yet with this hospital, so I’m glad to help.”

Just then, a nurse rushed over and interrupted them. “Dr. Stanton, we have bad news! The patient in bed five is having trouble breathing, and his oxygen levels have dropped a lot. I’ve given him oxygen, but he’s not getting any better.”

Rodney looked concerned. “Looks like I can’t join you after all, Melody.”

“It’s fine,” Melody said, waving it off. “The patient comes first. Go check on him, and if you need help, have someone find me.”

“Got it,” Rodney replied, nodding. He instructed the nurse to take Melody while he headed to the patient in bed five.

As Melody watched Rodney leave, she shook her head, thinking, ‘When will people start respecting doctors for the hard work we do?’

“Miss Fox, this way please,” the nurse said, then quickly added, “I mean, Dr. Knowles. But, uh, Dr. Knowles, why did you change your name?”

Melody shrugged and said, “I’ve cut ties with my family. Just remember to use the right name from now on.”

The nurse looked apologetic. “I’m sorry for asking. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

“No worries,” Melody replied. “Let’s head out.”

She entered Central Hospital under the name “Wilona Knowles.” The main reason for the change was not just to distance herself from the Fox family but to address the situation with Ken.

Owen’s sudden betrayal had led to Ken being moved from the headquarters to Swanson Universal Entertainment, so she needed to approach Owen as Wilona.

Once she dealt with Owen, she could return to being Melody.

The nurse, concerned about saying the wrong thing again, remained quiet and guided her through.

Ten minutes later, the nurse led Melody to the door of a VIP ward.

“This is it,” the nurse said, about to knock, when a man and woman stepped out.

As soon as Melody saw them, her eyes went wide instantly. It was Wendell and Cadence.

Melody had not seen Cadence since the pit bull incident, and though Cadence clearly had lost some weight, she looked lively and fully recovered.

As soon as Melody saw them, Cadence and Wendell noticed her too, and their expressions immediately soured.

Cadence spoke first, her voice cutting. “What are you doing here? How dare you come looking for me now?”

Melody met Cadence’s gaze without flinching and replied calmly, “Miss Hunter, it’s been a while. Have you recovered?”

Cadence’s face darkened, looking like thunderclouds were gathering. “Bitch!” she cursed.

Cadence swung her hand to slap Melody, but Melody caught it easily before it could land.

Cadence tried to pull away, but she was shocked to find that Melody, who looked weaker, was surprisingly strong. Frustrated, she shouted, “Let go of me, you bitch!”

“Let her go!” Wendell, who had hoped to let Cadence get the upper hand, now saw his daughter struggling. He stepped in, ready to punch Melody.

Melody pushed Cadence away and ducked just in time to avoid Wendell’s punch. Quickly grabbing his arm, she used his momentum to pull him forward.

Wendell couldn’t stop himself and was slammed into the wall with a loud crash. He yelled out in pain.

“Dad!” Cadence shouted, furious. She rushed forward, ready to grab Melody by the hair.

Melody delivered a sharp karate chop to Cadence’s arm.

“Ah!” Cadence shrieked in pain.

Melody turned calmly to the dazed nurse and said, “Call security right away. These two are causing trouble, and they might need the police.”

“Okay!” The nurse quickly snapped out of it and went to call for security.

At that moment, a weak voice came from inside the ward, “What’s happening out there?”

Cadence, still in pain, glared at Melody and mouthed, “You’re dead.” She then turned and dashed into the ward. “Mr. Yager, there’s a woman outside who attacked me and my dad!”

Cadence held up her arm, showing Sean the red and swollen marks on her fair skin.

Chapter 408

When Sean saw the marks on Cadence’s arm and heard her accusations, his face hardened instantly.

He glanced at the two bodyguards, who quickly understood and stepped outside.

At that moment, Wendell burst into the ward, shouting, “Mr. Yager, you have to stand up for me and Cadence!”

Just then, Melody walked in. She said calmly, “I also need you to hear my side, Mr. Yager. I came here to deliver something, but before I even got inside, these two were rude and tried to hit me. I was just defending myself.”

“Nonsense!” Wendell shouted, his face reddening with anger. “You’re the one who attacked us without any reason!”

Sean looked at Melody with suspicion, feeling that she seemed a bit familiar. “And who are you?”

Melody did not say his name. He only said, “Mr. Yager, you had a severe heatstroke that day. I was the one who performed acupuncture and first aid for you.”

Sean’s expression changed as he recognized her. The two faces came together in his memory, and he finally placed her.

“So, it was you who saved me!” Sean exclaimed, getting off the hospital bed and moving to hug Melody. “Thank you for saving my life! Without you, I might not be here.”

Melody waved him off. “No need to thank me. But Mr. Yager, please set the record straight about what just happened. You’re a fair person, and you know who was in the wrong.

She was certain Sean was aware of how Cadence and Wendell treated the medical staff, including Rodney.

As expected, Sean turned to Cadence and Wendell with an accusing look. “I’ve told you two to be humble and respectful, but you didn’t listen. And today, you’ve shown this attitude towards my savior. Apologize to her immediately. And from now on, don’t come here again.”

Cadence and Wendell’s faces turned pale. Wendell quickly spoke up, “Mr. Yager, you must be mistaken. How could she be your savior? I was there, and it wasn’t her who saved you. She’s a liar.”

Cadence chimed in, “Exactly, Mr. Yager. I knew her from before. She’s just a nobody from the countryside. There’s no way she could have saved you!”

Melody’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘If this goes on, my real identity might get exposed,’ she thought.

Melody’s eyes darkened, and just as she was about to speak, Rodney rushed in, having handled the situation. He heard “Mr. their accusations and immediately backed her up. Yager, I can vouch for her. She’s the one who saved you.”

Wendell, still unconvinced, shot back, “That’s impossible! Are you saying I’m blind?”

Melody seized the moment, saying, “Wendell, believe it or not, it’s the truth. Why are you bullying me and questioning me?”

She turned to Sean, pretending to be angry. “Mr. Yager, I came here out of kindness to bring you some food that would help with your recovery. But with your relatives treating me like this, maybe I should just leave and forget this ever happened.”

As she spoke, she turned around and was about to leave.

Sean panicked and quickly went forward to block Melody’s path.

As she spoke, Melody turned to leave. Sean panicked and quickly stepped in front of her. “Doctor, don’t be angry. These two aren’t my relatives. Cadence is just friends with my son and acts like we’re close.”

Cadence, growing desperate, said, “Mr. Yager, would you really believe an outsider over my dad and me?”

“Enough!” Sean said coldly. “I know why you two keep coming here. Tell Ulric that I’m not giving him what he wants, and I never will. Now, both of you, leave immediately!”

“Mr. Yager,” Cadence began.

“Cadence!” Wendell quickly covered her mouth, sensing the situation was spiraling out of control. He turned to Sean with a forced smile. “Mr. Yager, you know how Cadence is. She’s just blunt and didn’t mean any harm. She’s just worried you might be lied to.”

Sean snorted. “Lied to? Even if she were a liar, do you think Rodney would lie to me?”

“Well…” Wendell hesitated, almost suggesting that Rodney might be in cahoots with Melody, but the anger in Sean’s eyes made him rethink. “M-Maybe I was mistaken,” he stammered.

“Get out, right now!” Sean demanded with a firm voice.

Wendell gritted his teeth. “Fine. I’ll visit another day,” he said, leading Cadence away.

With that, Wendell dragged the reluctant Cadence out of the ward. Once they were outside, he finally let go of her mouth, and Cadence immediately protested, “Dad! Why didn’t you let me speak?”

“Are you stupid or what?” Wendell snapped. “Couldn’t you see that he was furious? We are here every day to help Mr. Swanson make connections. Mr. Yager made it clear. If we don’t leave, we’ll ruin everything for Mr. Swanson.”

Cadence took a deep breath, calming down. “What do we do now?” she asked, worried.

“What else can we do? Let’s check in with Mr. Swanson first,” Wendell said with a smirk. “But don’t worry. What’s fake can’t stay hidden forever. Melody pretending to be Mr. Yager’s savior will come out eventually. When it does, she will be in big trouble.”

Cadence’s eyes lit up. “You’re right! The worse Sean’s attitude is toward us now, the guiltier he will feel when the truth comes out.”

“Exactly,” Wendell nodded. “When that happens, Mr. Swanson will be even closer to Mr. Yager. Our trouble today won’t be for nothing.”

“Okay, then hurry up and ask Ulric what he thinks. I’ll find Kevin and tell him his dad got tricked by an imposter!” Cadence said eagerly.

Sean’s son, Kevin Yager, happened to be Cadence’s classmate at university.

“Alright, let’s split up and get to it,” Wendell said, and they quickly left the hospital.

Moments later, the security team arrived. “Dr. Stanton, Dr. Knowles, we’re here! Where are the troublemakers?”

Rodney rolled his eyes. “Great timing. Why not show up tomorrow instead?”

The security team looked embarrassed as one of them said, “Sorry, Dr. Stanton. There’s been so much going on in the hospital lately. We’re stretched thin.”

Melody waved them off. “It’s fine. You can go now. We’ve got it handled already.”

“Yes, Dr. Knowles,” they replied in unison before leaving.

Then, Sean turned to Melody. “Divine Doctor, I’m really

sorry about those two. When I’m discharged, I’ll make sure they learn their lesson.”

Chapter 409

While speaking, Sean quickly wrote out a check and handed it to Melody. “Divine Doctor, this is just a small token of my gratitude. I had planned to thank you in person once I was out of the hospital, but you beat me to it. I can’t truly repay you for saving my life, so please accept this. I won’t be able to rest easy otherwise.”

Melody looked at the check, the amount was 10 million dollars.

It was a significant amount, especially for someone like Sean, who wasn’t involved in business.

While Melody could sense that Sean was trying to protect Cadence and Wendell, given his promise to deal with them later, she found it odd.

Despite their appalling behavior, Sean seemed determined to shield them. Melody kept her thoughts to herself, though.

“I’m not taking the money,” Melody said, handing the check back to Sean. “Instead, why don’t you donate it to our hospital? We’ve got a support center that helps families in need. It’d make a big difference.”

Sean thought for a moment, then nodded. “Such a generous divine doctor you are. Alright, I’ll donate it to your hospital and make sure it goes to the support center.”

Melody smiled and handed him a container of fruit salad. “And this is for you.”

“What is this?” he asked.

Melody said. “It’s a cold dish that’s really good for cooling down in the summer.”

Then, she also handed the recipe to Sean. “Do you often deal with heatstroke?”

“Yes, that’s true,” Sean replied with a hint of frustration. “I’ve past been getting heatstroke every couple of days for the two years, even in winter. I’ve seen many doctors, but nothing has really helped.”

Melody nodded. “The arthritis and stress you’ve been dealing with, plus not exercising much, might be behind your heatstroke. If you make this fruit salad and eat it regularly for a month, it should help reduce your chances of getting heatstroke.”

Sean’s eyes lit up. “Really? Can this fruit salad actually help?”

“If it doesn’t work wonders, at least it’ll be a tasty and healthy treat,” Melody said with a shrug. “Feel free to give it a try.”

Sean nodded, but deep down, he wasn’t completely convinced. He figured the fruit salad might not be as great as Melody made it sound.

He kept his doubts to himself and said with a grateful smile, “Doctor, you saved my life and even gave me this fruit salad recipe. Are you sure you don’t want any kind of reward?”

“It’s part of the job,” Melody said, checking Sean’s pulse.

“It’s looking better, but you still have some arthritis. Try to get more exercise. I won’t keep you. I’m heading out now,” she added.

Melody was only here to assess Sean and make a note of his condition. After that, she and Rodney left.

As soon as Melody left, the smile on Sean’s face faded, revealing the dignity of a superior.

Once Melody and Rodney were gone, Sean’s friendly demeanor turned serious. “Have someone look into her. I want to know if she’s really who she claims to be. Cadence might be a bit intense, but she does not usually lie about these things.”

The guard asked, “So, you’re not sure if she’s the one who saved you?”

Sean hesitated. “Not entirely. They look similar, but the voices are different. It’s worth checking out.”

“Roger that!”

Sean added, “Also, see if this fruit salad recipe actually works.”

“Got it, Mr. Yager!” The guard nodded and left with the recipe.

After the guards left, Sean sent another one out and then called his son, Kevin. “Where are you?”

Kevin answered from the other end of the line, “I just landed and was heading over to see you. I don’t need anyone to pick me up. Cadence said she’d handle it.”

Kevin sounded unmistakably passionate about Cadence.

Sean frowned at Kevin’s tone. “Cadence isn’t right for you. Can’t you find someone else? I heard she had some mental health issues recently. How can you be so sure she’s the one for you?”

Kevin’s voice grew cold. “Dad, what are you saying? Cadence is just straightforward and innocent. The mental health stuff was all a setup. I’m not interested in anyone else. I’ve made up my mind to not marry anyone but her.”

Sean’s frustration flared. “Are you trying to drive me crazy?”

Kevin shot back, “You can think what you want! I gave up my dream of becoming a designer to go into politics, just like you asked. You promised me that you’d stay out of my relationship if I did that.”

Sean groaned. “I wish I hadn’t sent you away to study. You didn’t learn what I hoped, but you sure mastered going against my wishes.”

“In any case, I’m committed to Cadence. If you can’t accept her, be prepared for the fallout of losing your son!” Kevin shot back.

“Kevin! Don’t you push me to the edge!” Sean’s voice was filled with exasperation.

On the other end, Kevin took a deep breath and said, “Think it over.” Then he hung up.

Furious, Sean threw the fruit salad beside the bed, shouting, “How did I end up with such a stubborn son?”

Meanwhile, Melody had said her goodbyes to Rodney and called Ken.

As Ken picked up the phone almost immediately, she was ready to update him on Sean. However, she overheard a conversation on his end.

“Mr. Swanson, we’ve got a problem with the project. The script and crew are all set, but the director is insisting on Yana for the lead role. Since you’ve asked Yana to stay at home for now, we’re stuck. What do you want us to do?”

Melody realized Ken was in a meeting and quickly considered hanging up.

But just then, Ken said, “If she doesn’t want to do it, then let her go. No room for negotiation.”

“Understood,” came the reply.

“Get out! And don’t bring me any more of these petty issues,” Ken added.

“Yes, sir.” There was the sound of a door closing.

With the conversation seemingly over, Melody asked, “Did I interrupt something important?”

“Not at all,” Ken said, his tone as cold as usual. “Yana’s been laying low, but it looks like she’s starting to stir trouble up again.”

Melody shrugged. “If we don’t handle this properly, she’ll just come back with more tricks. Zara went easy on her last time, who knows what she’s planning now?”

Ken responded, “Then, should I just ban her now?”

Chapter 410

Ken’s tone was so laid-back, it was almost like he was talking about the weather rather than discussing banning someone.

Melody figured he might be joking. After all, Yana was still valuable for making money. There was no way Ken would actually ban Yana because of her.

Melody shrugged and kept her phone to her ear. “Forget it. If she doesn’t stir up trouble, I’ll be on edge. Trouble is what she does. If we can use this to show Zara that some people can be forgiven, but others will never change, then so be it.”

Ken paused for a moment before asking, “You seem pretty invested in Zara. Why is that?”

Melody didn’t pick up on any disapproval. She answered honestly, “I see a bit of myself in her. I just feel for her and want to help.”

“Like you? I don’t see it,” Ken replied, sounding puzzled.

Melody thought, ‘I was a lot like her in my past life.’

But she didn’t dwell on that. Instead, she shifted back to the main topic. “I visited Mr. Yager today and ran into Cadence. It looks like she might be trying to leverage him for Ulric. You should find out more about her connection with Mr. Yager.”

“I know,” Ken replied.

“You do?” Melody asked, surprised.

“Yeah, it’s complicated. I didn’t want you mixed up in it, so I kept quiet. But now, you seem to be caught up in it.”

“Ken, we’re friends, right? You should have told me. What’s the deal with Cadence and Mr. Yager? Why does he seem to favor her even if he doesn’t like her?”

Ken sighed. “Do you know who Sean Yager is?”

“Not really… just that he’s an official from Insterimond,” she said.

“Exactly.” Ken lowered his voice, explaining Sean’s significant influence.

When Melody realized that Sean was way more powerful than she thought, she was momentarily speechless.

“No wonder Ulric wants to rope him in. But you still haven’t answered my question. How’s Cadence connected to someone like Sean?” she pushed.

“Sean has a son named Kevin. He’s been after Cadence for ages. They were university classmates, and he was set on marrying her. For some reason, Cadence never agreed, but lately, it looks like she’s changing her mind.”

A hint of mockery flashed in Melody’s eyes. The only reason Cadence hadn’t agreed was because she already had her sights set on someone else: Ulric.

Cadence would naturally keep such a scandalous relationship under wraps. If Melody hadn’t lived through it before, she wouldn’t have known about Cadence’s secret.

Melody filled Ken in and said, “She’s only playing nice to help Ulric win over Sean.”

Ken paused for a moment before asking, “How do you know that?”

Melody tried to dodge the suspicion. “Call it a woman’s intuition. Trust me on this one.”

“Okay,” Ken replied, still puzzled by how Melody seemed to know things even he didn’t.

Melody’s knack for knowing things wasn’t the only odd thing about her. Ken didn’t dwell on it, though. “What you did today will definitely make Sean more unhappy with Cadence. But since Kevin’s his only son, he might still agree to their marriage.”

“So what should I do now?” Melody asked.

Ken sighed. “I need to deal with Owen’s situation first. Once that’s settled, I can handle things better when I get back to headquarters.”

Melody nodded. “I was going to tell you, I’ll see Owen tomorrow. I’ve kept him waiting for two days, so he’ll be even more desperate for me to treat his daughter.”

“Got it,” Ken said. “Don’t forget about the class reunion. My team will come by in an hour to help you get ready. Just head over to Serenity Villa and wait for them.”

“Oh, I’ll head over now.” Melody hung up and drove to Serenity Villa.

Meanwhile, Wendell was meeting with Ulric at a private

summer resort.

But at the entrance, Wendell was stopped. “Sorry, Mr. Hunter. Mr. Swanson is with a guest. Please wait outside for a bit.”

Wendell’s frown deepened. “A guest? What’s so important that I can’t get in? I need to see your boss right now!”

“Guest? What guest? I have something important to tell your young master! Let me in now!”

He started to push past, but the bodyguard blocked his path with his arm. “Mr. Hunter, don’t make things difficult for us. We can’t let anyone in until the guest has left.”

“You!” Wendell was about to argue when the door opened.

He glanced inside and saw a striking woman in a red dress walking out.

She had a captivating, almost dangerous aura, and while her face was heavily made-up, the lines on her neck hinted at her real age.

The woman gave Wendell a brief, scrutinizing glance before looking away, clearly uninterested.

Wendell couldn’t help but think, ‘Is this the guest Ulric was seeing? Why’s she looking at me like that?’

Feeling annoyed, Wendell was about to speak up when Ulric, bare-chested and looking unusually flushed, came rolling out behind her. He addressed her politely, “Jennie, thanks for coming. I know it’s been a long day.”

Jennie’s red lips twitched in a slight smile. “Mr. Swanson, no need to be so formal. We’re all on the same side now.”

Ulric grinned and said, “Exactly. We’re in this together.” He then turned to the bodyguard and said, “Please see Jennie out.”

“Pronto!” The bodyguard gave a quick nod and signaled for Jennie to head out. She walked past Wendell with a haughty air, barely sparing him a glance.

Ulric didn’t seem to care, acting like it was no big deal for Jennie to ignore Wendell.

Wendell’s irritation grew. He was Ulric’s uncle, but here

Ulric was, showing more respect to an outsider than to family. Wendell could only address Ulric as Mr. Swanson in private, which stung him even more.

After she left, Wendell asked, “Who is that woman?”

Ulric’s expression turned serious. “That’s Jennie Taylor. She’s the one who can actually treat my leg. You’d better show her some respect.”

Wendell’s annoyance faded a bit, but he was still thrown off. “So, were you… you know, undressed because she was treating you?”

Ulric didn’t respond directly. Instead, he wheeled himself into the room, and Wendell followed quickly.

Once they were inside, Ulric said, “Jennie promised that my leg would be back to normal in under a month.”

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Chapter 401

Melody nodded and turned around to instruct Colin, “Mr. Herbert, go ahead and check on Beverly first. I’ll come over after I’ve completed the employment procedures.”

“Sure thing,” Colin replied. He was worried that Beverly might be afraid of being all by herself in the operating room, so he quickly agreed and hurried off to find her.

Seeing Colin leave, Gerard politely gestured with his hand and said to Melody, “Please come with me, Miss Fox.”

Gerard led the way with big strides, as if he was afraid that Melody would go back on her word at any moment.

Melody didn’t understand Gerard’s behavior and couldn’t put into words how strange he seemed to be acting.

Even if he was eager to take talents under his wing, wasn’t he a tad exaggerated?

Rodney guessed what Melody was pondering and whispered to her so that only the two of them could hear.

“Central Hospital’s biggest competitor in Silverlake is First Hospital. The director of First Hospital is Gerard’s old classmate and sworn enemy. He’s afraid that First Hospital will snatch you away. Plus, Gerard might be getting on in age but he is very much a child at heart, so…” Rodney’s low voice trailed off.

Melody understood then and couldn’t help but smile. “Actually, I think he’s kind of cute.”

“Cute?” Rodney shuddered and said, “He’s not a bad person, but he talks a lot. You’ll be annoyed to death by him. You’ll find out in time.”

Melody nodded. She felt her teacher and Gerard might hit it off. They were both talkative and not afraid to use big and exaggerated gestures, despite their age.

She just didn’t know when her teacher would show up.

Thinking of Quentin reminded Melody of the matter with malicious doctors. Her eyes darkened a little but then returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

*****

Meanwhile, at the hospital entrance, Dan had already woken up and was waiting for Liam with his arms full of his personal belongings.

Seeing Liam come out, he quickly rushed forward.

“Liam! Can you put in a good word for me in front of Gerard about the announcement? Once the announcement is made, the hospital’s reputation will definitely be affected. I don’t think he would risk that just for the sake of Melody.” Dan pleaded.

Liam was already in a bad mood because of his steep demotion, but Dan failed to pick up on that and his plea only caused Liam’s suppressed anger to boil up again.

Liam swiftly extended his arm and slapped Dan again.

“Just for Melody? Gerard can’t wait to get her into the hospital and see to her every wish, and you’re telling me that she’s not worth any trouble?” Liam lashed out at Dan.

Dan couldn’t help but ask in surprise, “Is she really as skilled as everyone says? But what about me? Can’t you put in a good word for me?”

Liam continued berating him. “We’re already at this juncture and you still don’t know that you’re done for? Of all the people in this world, why did you have to provoke Melody? I’ve seen stupid people, but I’ve never seen

someone as stupid as you! It’s all your fault that I was demoted. Do you still have the cheek to ask me to put in a good word for you? Get lost!”

Dan had been a little dissatisfied after being slapped, but when he heard Liam say that he had been demoted, his eyelids twitched.

“You’ve been demoted?” Dan asked incredulously.

“It’s all because of you! If you weren’t my nephew, I would have strangled you to death already! Get lost right now! Don’t ever appear in front of me again!” Liam exclaimed with finality as he stomped off towards the parking lot.

Dan stood rooted to the ground.

In that case, wasn’t he really done for?

He finally began to regret his decision to use Melody’s relatives as his test subjects.

As he stood there covering his face, he suddenly thought of something and quickly chased after Liam.

“Liam!” Dan called out.

“Didn’t I warn you never to appear in front of me again?!” Liam shouted in reply.

“Wait, it’s just…” Dan quickly said, “I’ve thought of a good way to let you continue being the assistant director while I can continue being a doctor.”

When Liam heard this, his expression softened slightly.

“What way?” he asked.

“First Hospital!” Dan quickly voiced his thoughts. “Isn’t Gerard at odds with the director of First Hospital? You’re a talented doctor after all, and you’ve published many important research papers. If you go to the director of First Hospital, he’ll surely grant you the position of assistant director.”

Liam narrowed his eyes and began to think.

Returning to the department at Central Hospital would simply be a great humiliation. If he went to First Hospital instead, he might have a shot.

Finally, Liam took a deep breath and said, “At least you still have some brains left. What are you waiting for? We have to get to First Hospital immediately!”

“Yes, yes, we don’t have any time to waste.” Dan agreed.

The two of them made a snap decision and drove straight to First Hospital.

They soon arrived and Liam, together with Dan, went straight to the director of the hospital, Oliver Wallrich.

They wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

Oliver was in no hurry to answer after listening to the two of them. Instead, he slowly finished the glass of coffee in his hand before speaking.

“So you want to jump ship from that old dog Gerard to my side…” he mused.

Liam smiled apologetically and said, “That’s right. Gerard is a person who doesn’t know how to be flexible. He’s too focused on his emotions and can’t lead anyone at all. Unlike you, you’re knowledgeable and smart…”

Dan also chimed in with praise for Oliver. “I’ve long heard of your name and reputation. Being able to speak with you today is such an honor that I don’t think will ever be matched.”

Oliver laughed heartily and said, “The both of you have a way with words indeed. I think we’ll all get along just fine.”

Liam and Dan exchanged glances and instantly felt that they had a chance. They doubled down on their efforts to butter Oliver up.

Oliver stroked his beard and said, “It’s not impossible to hire you guys. First Hospital is lacking in talented doctors right now.”

Liam’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, “So you agree to let us work here in the positions we previously held?”

Oliver raised an eyebrow and said, “As long as you do one thing, I’ll agree.”

The two of them asked in unison. “What is it?”

Oliver put down his coffee cup and said leisurely, “I heard that Central Hospital has a god-like doctor?”

Liam and Dan both stiffened. Panic flashed in their eyes.

When they were explaining their predicament earlier, they had glossed over some points and avoided mentioning them.

Melody’s name altogether. Now that Oliver was the one bringing her up, they panicked.

Liam steadied himself and tried his best to reply with a calm expression, saying, “There is indeed such a person, but whether their medical skills are as good as they are

rumored to be remains to be seen. After all, I haven’t witnessed it for myself.”

Oliver raised his eyebrows and responded, “You don’t have to care if there’s any truth to it or not. As long as you can get that doctor to work at our hospital too, the both of you can start work here immediately.”

Dan instantly twisted his face into an ugly expression. He couldn’t hold back from asking, “Is it really worth all that trouble for yourself to recruit a person whose skills are unproven? Could it be that even the two of us together are inferior to them?”

Oliver smiled and said, “It’s better to be safe than sorry. If won’t I this person is really as amazing as the rumors say, make a killing? Just spit it out. Can you get her on board or not?”

Chapter 402

Dan opened his mouth to answer Oliver’s question about poaching Melody to First Hospital, but no words came out.

God knew how much he regretted offending her now.

If he had known that Melody’s name was so useful, he wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble to change his surgery plan and use patients as test subjects.

Dan would give anything now for Melody to be his sugar mommy, but too bad she can’t stand the mere sight of him now.

Dan was extremely frustrated.

At this moment, Liam said, “We can make it happen. Give us three days. Three days. I’ll definitely get her on First Hospital’s payroll.”

“Excellent!” Oliver smiled. “I’ll await your good news then. Have a seat, boys, enjoy some coffee.”

Oliver’s attitude took a 180-degree turn and he personally prepared a fresh pot of coffee for them.

After leaving the hospital, Dan finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and asked, “Liam, why did you agree to him? We’re not in Melody’s good graces at all. With her personality, she’ll never give us the light of day. Why would she follow our bidding and come to First Hospital?”

Liam replied harshly, “This is why I said you’ve got shit for brains. Oliver doesn’t even know what that miracle doctor’s name is or what they look like. Can’t we just find someone with decent medical skills?”

Dan finally understood what Liam was planning, but he wasn’t entirely convinced. He asked uneasily, “Will this work? If the matter is exposed…”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Liam said confidently, “That old man Gerard will stop at nothing to keep Melody hidden from Oliver. It’s absolutely impossible that he would relay any information about her to his biggest rival. As long as you and I stay mum, Oliver won’t ever know what’s what. Moreover, Oliver is going to retire in a few years, so we just have to keep up the act till then.”

Dan relaxed slightly. He straightened his chest and said, “I’ll look for a suitable candidate immediately.”

“Well, it just so happens that I don’t have to go to work at Central Hospital these few days. I can search with you. After First Hospital confirms us, I’ll resign from Central Hospital to avoid any suspicion from Gerard.”

The two of them finalized their game plan and set off to look for a suitable candidate.

Back at Central Hospital, Melody had completed her employment procedures.

She held her work pass and asked, “Gerard, can I be the lead surgeon for my family member’s surgery?”

“Is that the one with stomach cancer?” Gerard asked.

“Yes, that’s right,” Melody replied.

“Yes, of course. If you need anything, just tell Rodney. If there’s anything he can’t arrange, let me know and I’ll get it done.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. Let me buy you a meal after the surgery.

Melody Fox smiled and agreed. Then, she turned around and headed towards the operating floor.

Gerard heaved a sigh of relief. He held on to Melody’s employment contract as if it was a treasure. He was absolutely delighted.

Now that Melody was in his employ, he couldn’t wait to lord it over Oliver and see how that old man would try to outdo him.

Gerard stood up and poured himself a glass of red wine from a bottle that he saved for special occasions. He hummed a tune and tasted it carefully. His mood was better than ever.

*****

Melody quickly returned to the operating theater accompanied by Rodney.

In the operating room, Colin was in a sterile gown, comforting Beverly.

“It’s fine. There was a small incident earlier so the surgery was delayed. But then Melody came and resolved everything smoothly,” Colin said.

Beverly nodded and asked, “Who’s going to perform my surgery?”

“I’m not sure about that…” Colin hesitated.

As soon as he finished speaking, Melody and Rodney walked into the operating theater through the special passage for medical staff.

“Beverly, I’ll be performing your surgery with Rodney,” Melody said.

Beverly’s eyes immediately lit up when she saw Melody, saying, “Melody, you’re here! With you around, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Melody squeezed Beverly’s hand and said, “There’s no time to lose. Let’s start the surgery now. The anesthesia is about to be administered. Do you have anything else to say?”

Beverly thought about it and shook her head. “I have a lot to say, but I’ll tell you after the surgery.”

Melody and Colin looked at each other and smiled.

Soon, the surgery began. Under the effects of the anesthesia, Beverly quickly fell asleep.

Colin held Beverly’s hand tightly and looked at Melody.

For some reason, he had a nagging feeling that if Melody hadn’t appeared, Beverly would have left him too soon.

Two hours later, the surgery was over.

Melody heaved a sigh of relief and looked at Colin, who had been by Beverly’s side the entire time, and said, “Mr. Herbert, you should get some rest too. The surgery was very successful. Beverly can be transferred directly to a normal ward. After the anesthesia wears off, she will wake up. When the fasting period is over, I will prescribe some medicine for her. I believe it won’t take long for her to make a full recovery.”

“Thank you, Melody.” Colin’s eyes were wet with gratitude.

Melody smiled and said, “I think of you as family, yet you’re still standing on ceremony with me as if I’m an outsider.

Colin shook his head. “No, no, no. I won’t say anymore, alright? You’ve helped us so much. I’ll give Herbathrive to you as a token of my gratitude.”

At the mention of Herbathrive, Melody thought of malicious doctors again.

She said, “I have something to tell you about Herbathrive. Let’s get changed and have a chat.”

Colin was puzzled and felt a vague uneasiness, but agreed.

After Beverly had been settled in her ward, the two of them went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Melody asked for a private room. When the dishes were served, the waiter left and locked the door.

Colin couldn’t help but feel even more nervous. He asked, “Melody, tell me quickly. What is it?”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, but I hope you’ll listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“Alright.” Colin sat up straight.

Melody nodded and continued, “Did you know that there is a traditional medicine practitioner in Herbathrive who was a malicious doctor?”

When he heard this, Colin’s face immediately turned pale. “A malicious doctor?”

In the next moment, he realized that he had spoken too loudly and quickly covered his mouth.

He took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down before speaking again. “Who is it?”

“Someone named Michael Hudson.”

“Michael?” Colin widened his eyes and lowered his voice. “He has been working in Herbathrive for many years. How did you find out? Are you sure?”

Melody said with darkened eyes, “I’m sure. My teacher once mentioned Michael Hudson’s name. At that time, I thought it might have just been a coincidence that they had the exact same name, so I tested him. As a result, I could confirm that he was indeed the malicious doctor.”

Colin instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

“Halcyon is cracking down hard on malicious doctors. If word gets out about this, it would be the end of Herbathrive. Even I might be implicated…”

The more he thought about it, the more flustered he became. He tugged at Melody’s sleeve and asked, “Melody, what should we do now?”

Chapter 403

After Colin finished speaking, he realized that the whole fiasco with malicious doctors might even implicate Melody.

With this in mind, he quickly changed his stance. “No, this issue has nothing to do with you. It’s better if you don’t get involved.”

Melody frowned and said, “Mr. Herbert, what nonsense are you talking about? I consider you my family. Don’t you think your words would make me feel discouraged?”

“That’s not what I meant…” Colin replied weakly.

“I know, but this matter is also related to my teacher. Even if you disagree, I will definitely involve myself.” Melody said resolutely.

Colin lowered his eyes and was silent for a moment before saying, “How about this? When Beverly’s better, I’ll go to the police station myself and take the initiative to confess that I mistakenly took in malicious doctors into the medical center… If I do that, they shouldn’t make things difficult for me.”

Melody was quick to shoot down the idea. “No, that’s not good. Halcyon’s stance against malicious doctors is more severe than you can imagine. As long as malicious doctors are involved, they will definitely investigate carefully.

“At the very least, Herbathrive itself is likely to be forcibly shut down for a long time.

“Moreover, even if it reopens in the future, once patients find out that your clinic used to have malicious doctors, they would definitely shun you. At that time, it won’t make any difference whether the clinic reopens or not.”

“Then what should we do now?” Colin’s eyes were filled with frustration and confusion. He regretted recruiting Michael to work at the clinic.

Melody thought for a moment and said, “The only person who won’t be affected by malicious doctors is my teacher. He’s the first person to lead the crackdown on malicious doctors and also the person who captured most of them. I’ll find a reason for you to fire Michael. Leave everything to me.”

“Alright.” Colin nodded. “Later, I’ll head to Herbathrive to announce that before Beverly is discharged, you’ll be in charge of Herbathrive.”

Melody nodded in agreement and added, “This matter is not as big as it sounds. As long as it is handled properly, Herbathrive will come through unscathed.

“Don’t worry about anything else and just keep Beverly company while she recovers.”

Colin agreed. They proceeded to tuck into their meal, but Colin found himself without any appetite.

After the meal, Colin and Melody returned to Herbathrive.

In the car, Melody asked for details about Michael. “How did he come to work in Herbathrive? Has he shown any behavior that’s out of the ordinary?”

Colin searched his memory for a moment and replied, “It was a coincidence. Michael was injured and came to Herbathrive for a consultation.

“At that time, a patient in bad condition showed up in the clinic. The patient seemed like he had been poisoned, but no matter what method I used to test him, I could not confirm that that was indeed the case.

“Michael then exercised his knowledge and skills and managed to cure the patient quickly and systematically.

“After the patient left, I asked Michael if he was willing to join our clinic, and he agreed.”

Melody chuckled and asked, “Do you really think that was a coincidence?”

Colin was stunned. “Are you saying that Michael deliberately staged all of that?”

“That’s right. That patient must have been an actor hired by Michael. If he administered the poison himself, he’d have no trouble undoing it.”

Colin’s frustration was obvious as he exclaimed, “Why didn’t I think of that? How could someone so skilled agree to work for me so easily? Herbathrive was still a little-known medical center after all, at that time.”

Melody smiled bitterly. “You only have good intentions. It’s not unusual for others to try and take advantage of that. But it’s not too late to fix this.”

Soon, their red sports car came to a stop at the entrance of Herbathrive.

The limited edition sports car immediately drew the curious eyes of many employees.

The person who’d been left in charge, David, paid particular attention to its appearance. “Damn. Aren’t there only ten of those luxury cars worldwide? Are they here for a consultation? We’ll definitely have to roll out the red carpet for them.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Colin opened the door and got out, with Melody following closely behind.

“Huh? Colin?” David said to himself as he realized who they were and rushed forward to greet them.

David asked Melody enviously, “Miss Fox, is this your car?”

Melody nodded. “A friend gave it to me.”

“Gave?!” David was flabbergasted.

He was about to ask for details when Melody tossed the car keys to him and said, “If you want, you can take it for a ride.”

To Melody, these things were merely material objects. It made no difference if the car was worth twenty thousand dollars or 2 million dollars.

“Thank you, Miss Fox! From now onwards, I’ll look up to you and be in your care.” David replied enthusiastically.

Melody looked helpless as she replied, “Do you have an off button somewhere?”

David immediately stretched out two fingers and made a zipping gesture in front of his lips.

Colin then cleared his throat and said, “David, gather everyone. I have something to announce.”

The happy expression on David’s face was wiped off and he replied, “Yes, of course, right away.”

There were no patients at the time so everyone soon gathered in the break room, including Michael.

When Michael saw Melody, a shadow flashed across his eyes.

After the operation on the dog, he had been fearful and uneasy. He was afraid that Melody really had irrefutable evidence that he was a malicious doctor.

However, nothing unusual happened after that so his nerves soon settled.

past few years. Even if Melody suspected him, it was impossible for her to have evidence.

He had been careful to cover his tracks in the

If that case, she was just blowing hot air and couldn’t actually hold him to anything.

Confident in his reasoning, Michael raised his chin and took Melody’s presence lightly.

He tried his best to put on a calm face and asked, “Colin, why did you suddenly call us to gather? Is there something urgent?”

Colin coughed dryly and didn’t reveal anything. He looked around the room and said, “Everyone should already know that Beverly has been hospitalized for surgery in Central Hospital for the past few days. I can’t manage Herbathrive for the time being so Melody will be in charge of all

company matters, effective immediately. From now on, her word is as good as mine. Please follow her instructions and directives.”

As soon as he said this, dissatisfaction immediately appeared on Michael’s face.

His position in Herbathrive was second only to Colin. How could Colin decide to pass the helm to Melody instead of him?

Michael could not help but voice his disagreement unhappily, “Miss Fox is still young and can’t manage such a big enterprise. Leave it to me instead. When you were on your business trips before, I also took charge of Herbathrive.”

Colin frowned and said, “Since Dr. Hudson has an objection, I’ll make something clear now. Beverly and I don’t have any children, but we need someone to inherit Herbathrive. I treat Melody as my daughter and plan to hand Herbathrive to her in the future. This is a great opportunity for Melody to learn the ropes. If anything urgent or unusual comes up, I expect Dr. Hudson to provide assistance as well.”

Michael’s eyes instantly widened. “What?! You’re giving Herbathrive to her?!”

“That’s exactly right,” Colin said.

Chapter 404

Colin gave Michael a grim look and asked coldly, “You have an issue with that decision?”

Michael was already displeased with Colin for entrusting Herbathrive to Melody. Colin’s frosty attitude toward him further infuriated him, thus he said, “Colin, you’d better reconsider your decision. Let’s set aside a discussion about my contributions to Herbathrive’s development and talk about the ability of your chosen successor. How old is she? What medical skills does she have? What you’re doing will send Herbathrive down the hill.”

After Michael said this, the room fell silent. All the other doctors and staff held their breath, anxious over the confrontation.

Colin’s mood darkened as he said, “As I’ve mentioned, Melody is like a daughter to me. I don’t see any wrong with handing over Herbathrive to my heir.”

“You have every right to do that, but let me forewarn you that she doesn’t have what it takes to do the job. If you insist on handing Herbathrive to her, my disciples and I will leave this place immediately. There’s no future in Herbathrive anymore as I can foresee it collapsing soon after she takes over,” Michael said.

When Colin heard Michael’s threat to leave Herbathrive, he was overjoyed.

However, he pretended to be upset and asked, “Is that a threat, Michael?”

“Don’t take me wrong, Colin. I am merely offering you a choice,” Michael calmly replied.

He had set his sights on Herbathrive and stayed on for those years because he knew Colin had no children. That gave him a good chance to be appointed the heir to Herbathrive.

There was no chance he would sit still and watch Melody benefit from all his hard work.

He was confident he and his disciples would mean more to Colin than Melody.

To his surprise, Colin fumed instead and retorted, “How dare you threaten me, Michael! You have no respect for me as a boss! I have taken note of your wish to leave, so all the best to you!”

Michael’s eyes widened in shock and he blurted out in disbelief, “You are letting me go?”

“You heard me right. I have no wish or ability to manage a prideful and disrespectful staff like you. Please feel free to leave now.” Colin made his stand clear.

Michael’s face turned ashen.

He had no real intention of leaving Herbathrive, which had become one of Silverlake’s top traditional medicine clinics.

After putting much hard work into developing Herbathrive, he was naturally unwilling to let it go.

Alas, he could not take back his words, so he disgruntledly said, “Fine, I’ll leave right now. Don’t you regret this!”

With that, his gaze swept across his group of disciples, and he ordered, “Come with me! We’ll go where people appreciate us!”

Those disciples were trained by Michael, and in the field of traditional medicine, disciples had the utmost respect for their master. Thus, regardless of their personal preference, they would choose to obey him and leave Herbathrive with him.

Soon, more than half of the staff in Herbathrive left.

One of Michael’s disciples could not help but run up to him and ask in a low voice, “Master, are we seriously leaving?”

Michael turned around, smirkly threw a glance at Herbathrive’s signboard, and said, “Don’t worry, it’s temporary. How long do you think Herbathrive can last without us? It’ll be the change of seasons soon. People tend to fall sick more often during that period and they won’t be able to handle the influx of patients. By then, Colin will know who he should have let go instead.”

When the disciple heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Master, you’re the best! When we are asked to return, Mr. Herbert will inevitably have to give us a promotion and a raise.”

“What a petty ambition you have!” Michael said disdainfully. “I’m not looking for a raise.”

Indeed, he had set his sights on taking over the whole of Herbathrive!

Back at Herbathrive, David grew worried as he watched more than half of the team leave.

Anxiously, he asked Colin, “Master, are you going to let Dr. Hudson go? He may be quick-tempered, but how will our clinic continue to function if he leaves with his people?”

Melody chipped in casually and said, “Well, we’ve got you, don’t we?”

“Me?” David was stunned.

Melody nodded and said, “David, you’ve picked up a lot of skills in the past two months. It’s about time you put them to practice.”

“A-am I ready?” David stammered, unnerved by that thought.

Melody patted him on his shoulder and said, “Don’t belittle yourself. You are a graduate of a recognized traditional medicine school. You’re smart, motivated, eager to learn, and passionate about traditional medicine. What you lack is confidence, but I have faith in you. You will do a great job. Don’t forget I’ve got your back!”

David secretly clenched his fists in determination and said, “Yes! I will do my best!”

Melody nodded to him, then turned to Colin and said, “It’s true we’ll be short-handed. Our clinic is big, so we do need more fresh blood.”

Colin was still exhilarated by the fact that malicious Michael was gone. When he heard Melody’s comment, he casually waved her off and said, “I’ll leave this matter to you. You’ve better judgment than I in this aspect.”

Melody did not refuse and readily agreed to take up that responsibility.

“I’ll make a move and head back to the hospital. Beverly should be waking up from anesthesia soon. I don’t want her to wake up without me by her side,” Colin said, never shying from showing his affection for Beverly.

After giving everyone present a few words of caution, he quickly left for Central Hospital.

After he left, the staff started to discuss in hushed tones.

“So Miss Fox be in charge of our clinic from now on? Is she up to it?”

“I don’t know… Let’s take it one step at a time.”

Among the remaining staff, some were supportive of Melody, while others were uneasy about her rise.

Melody was not blind to that fact. She glanced around the room and said, “I know many of you might share the same view as Michael, but I can promise you Herbathrive will not go down the hill. If any of you wish to upskill and become a qualified doctor in the future, head over to David and indicate your interest. I’ll start some training sessions as soon as I have time.”

Many were delighted to hear that, as they, like David, had harbored the dream of becoming a qualified doctor.

They were envious when they heard Melody’s offer to David earlier, not knowing they would be given the same opportunity too.

“Miss Fox, we’ll surely work closely with you in the future to upgrade ourselves,” they gushed.

Melody nodded in acknowledgment and then led David aside for a private conversation.

“I can’t be here all the time, but I’m worried Michael would be up to no good. If anyone causes trouble in Herbathrive, or if Michael comes by and makes things difficult for you, please call me immediately,” she said.

“Sure…” David replied, then hesitantly asked, “Miss Fox, why did you say Dr. Hudson might be up to no good?”

Melody deliberated briefly and decided not to hide the fact from David. In a hushed voice, she asked, “Have you heard of any malicious doctors with good values?”

David’s face instantly turned pale, and he muttered in bewilderment, “M-m-malicious…”

Chapter 405

Melody hurriedly gagged him and said, “You heard me right, but keep this a secret, okay?”

David nodded vigorously in agreement.

Melody let go of her hand that was covering his mouth and said, “Now you understand why Mr. Herbert and I had to get rid of him, right?”

“Totally! I may be a chatterbox but I’m not harebrained. I know some things shouldn’t be revealed, and I won’t leak a word,” he promised.

Melody nodded. She knew David well, and that was the reason she decided to trust him with the secret about Michael.

“Michael left earlier because he was angry. However, he must feel aggrieved, so he will find opportunities to come back and make trouble for us. Please help to keep an eye out for him. I’ll come by often to help out as well,” she added.

“Rest assured, Miss Fox. I will be here to defend

Herbathrive!” David promised, beaming with respect for Melody.

Melody gave David some further instructions, reminded him to post the recruitment notice, and then made her way out.

*****

An hour later, Melody had finished moving all her belongings to her new place.

The place was a far cry from its previously uninspiring state after she did it up.

Just as she was about to lie down and rest after a long tiring day, she received a call from Zara.

Zara rarely called her, so Melody was concerned. She quickly picked up the call and asked, “What’s wrong, Zaza?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I don’t have any work scheduled for these few days, so I thought of catching up with you. Are you busy today?” Zara asked.

Melody thought it would be nice to have a housewarming party at her new place, so she offered, “Would you like to come to my place? I’ll dish up something for you.”

“The Fox’s place? I’ve read in the news about the bet between two pharmaceutical companies in the past two days, and realized you’re the daughter of the Justalion Group’s chairman.”

At the mention of the Justalion Group, Melody’s eyes briefly betrayed a slight change in her emotions. However, she quickly regained her composure.

“It’s not the Fox’s place… I’ll forward you an address.”

Melody sent her address to Zara and it didn’t take long for Zara to arrive at her place.

“Wow… this place is nice!” Zara gushed as soon as she reached Melody’s new home.

Melody was amused by her reaction and teased, “Don’t give me that over-the-top act. It’s just an old house.”

Zara shook her head and explained, “No, I truly love this!

My family home is similar to this. Same courtyard style, but it’s not as elegant as yours. Sadly, since I became an actress, I could at most go home twice a year. Moreover, every time I do that, my agent pulls a long face.”

“Why? Worried it’ll affect your work schedule?”

“No…” Zara cast her eyes down, feeling a little inferior as she explained, “She doesn’t want people to know I came from a poor family. The paparazzi will have their eyes on me if I’m back in my hometown, and my detractors will create a big fuss over my background once they find out. I don’t want to make trouble for my agent and my fans. In the end, even if I do visit my family at home, I can’t really feel at ease and enjoy myself while I’m there. I haven’t gone home so far this year…”

As she spoke, Zara’s head hung lower, embarrassed.

Melody interrupted her and said, “What’s wrong with coming from a poor family?”

With a gleam in her eye, she continued to cheer up a confused Zara. “We can’t choose our family. Why should you feel sorry when it’s not your fault?”

“I-” Zara could not argue with that.

“Zara, if even you look down on yourself, how can you expect others to give you respect? Your background might not be as blessed as others, but what’s the problem with that? You made a name for yourself and you have millions of supporters. How does that make you inferior to those who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth?”

It was a eureka moment for Zara.

“That’s right. If I look down on myself, how can I expect respect from others?’

Melody continued, “You might not know this, but although being the daughter of the Justalion Group’s chairman sounds glamorous, I was neglected by my family since I was young. My stepmother left me to grow up in the

countryside. However, I never felt it was something I had to feel inferior about. If I have inner strength, no one can hurt me with their words.”

Zara fell into a long silence. It was obvious that Melody’s words were affecting her deeply.

After a while, Zara slowly clenched her fists and broke into a smile, her eyes beaming.

“Thank you, Melody. I get you! I will grow stronger!” she said.

Melody nodded with a smile and changed the subject. “Hey, I promised to cook for you, didn’t I? Come give me a hand.”

Zara nodded enthusiastically and asked, “What do you want me to do?”

“The weather is hot now, so let’s eat something light. I’ll make you a special fruit salad.”

“Special fruit salad? What’s that?”

“You’ll see. I’ve bought all the ingredients. Help me prepare some of the ingredients.”

“Leave that to me!”

About an hour later, Melody brought out a big tray of fruit salad from the fridge.

She dished some into a bowl, handed it to Zara, and said, “Try this.”

Zara was staring at her phone but quickly hid the phone behind her back when Melody came up to her.

However, her action raised Melody’s suspicion. Melody raised an eyebrow and asked, “What are you hiding from me?”

“This… It’s best you ignore this,” Zara hesitantly said.

Melody knew something was wrong, so she probed further. “It has something to do with me?”

“Hmm… ah… no, no…” Zara stammered.

Amused, Melody demanded, “Out with it, Zaza. You know you’re a lousy liar.”

Zara pursed her lips momentarily, then fished out her phone from behind her and handed it to Melody.

Melody took it and saw a headline news on the screen.

It was a post from Justalion Group’s official X account, announcing that the Justalion Group and Russell had completely severed ties with Melody.

No reason was given in the post, but there was an official reply in the comments section below: [A disrespectful, complacent, and unreasonable person is not worthy of the Fox family.]

Zara cautiously monitored Melody for signs of change in her mood, ready to console her. Unexpectedly, Melody broke into a smile instead.

“Huh?” Zara was taken aback by Melody’s reaction.

“Melody, are you alright? What’s that smile for? Are you okay?” she asked anxiously.

Melody handed Zara her phone and said, “There’s nothing to be upset about. I severed ties with the Fox family last night.”

Zara was dumbfounded.

“Why?” she couldn’t help but ask.

Melody raised her eyebrows and explained, “They posted this announcement because they got upset. The more upset they are, the happier I am.”

The Fox family always swept dirt under their carpet and would never want to air their dirty laundry in public. The fact that Russell made such a post meant those black market assassins were giving him a hard time.

Panic would make them lose their cool and commit irrational acts. Melody was waiting to benefit from their mistakes. As such, she couldn’t be happier to see the post.

Unaffected by the announcement, Melody directed Zara’s attention back to the food. “Try this fruit salad,” she cheerily urged, handing Zara her share of the salad.

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Chapter 396

Ken’s voice was low and seductive.

It was just a normal conversation, yet for some reason, the words sounded different when they came out of his mouth.

“Ahem…” Melody covered her nose awkwardly and cleared her throat.

Somehow, she did not dare to look Ken in the eye.

She averted her gaze and said, “Just tell me. As long as it is within my ability, I’ll agree to it.”

Ken raised his eyebrows and said, “There’s a class reunion tonight. Accompany me to attend it.”

He paused, then added, “In your capacity as my wife.”

Melody’s heart skipped a beat, and her heartbeat subconsciously became chaotic.

Thinking that she had misheard, she could not help but ask, “What did you say?”

“I said that I’d like you to accompany me to a university class reunion this evening as my wife.”

Melody pointed at herself and asked, “Me? Are you serious? Don’t classmates always bring things they are most proud of to class reunions? Why are you bringing me? Aren’t you afraid that your classmates will laugh at you?”

Ken raised his eyebrows and corrected her. “You’re a human, not a thing.”

Melody gagged and replied after clearing her throat, “I’m indeed human, but are you really not worried about getting embarrassed? With a face like mine… I’m afraid I’ll frighten your classmates. I’d better not go there and be a wet blanket.”

“That won’t do,” Ken said sternly. “I’ve always been single. I even thought that I didn’t like women. No matter what, I have to bring a woman with me this time. Furthermore, you owe me a huge favor regarding Yolanda Fox’s matter.”

Melody bit her lips.

Indeed, Yolanda’s matter would not have been resolved so quickly and smoothly without Ken’s help.

However, she was still puzzled and asked with a troubled expression, “Why don’t you bring Janet Murphy?”

“She’s also my university classmate. My friends are very familiar with her. They won’t believe me,” Ken replied.

“Why won’t they believe you? You two are in love with each other…” Melody blurted out.

Ken frowned at once when he heard this. “Who did you say I was in love with?”

“Janet Murphy.” Melody realized that she had made a slip of the tongue and decided not to hide it anymore. She simply said, “You thought that I didn’t see it? That day in the Sky City, the two of you were locked in a deep love embrace.”

Ken was caught by surprise but he quickly realized that Melody had misunderstood. “So… that was why you urged me to get a divorce after the cocktail party?”

“Mm-hmm.” Melody could not explain how she felt at this moment, but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, making her want to cough.

“Cough-cough!” She coughed again and said without any emotion, “I don’t want to be a stumbling block between the two of you.”

“Stumbling block?” Ken took a deep breath and felt extremely vexed.

He explained with extreme seriousness, “Melody, we were not locked in an embrace. At that time, I told her about her illness. She was too sad at that time, so she hugged me and cried. But I quickly pushed her away.”

Melody could not help looking at Ken in surprise. “Really?”

“What else can it be? If I were interested in Jane, we would have been together by now after knowing each other for so many years. Why would I wait until today? Didn’t we already talk about this in our marriage? That if we both found someone we like, we should just be frank and divorce amicably?”

Melody lowered her eyes. She could clearly feel that the invisible lump in her throat seemed to have disappeared at this moment.

What was going on… Could it be that she had really fallen for him?

Just as Melody’s heart was in turmoil, Ken suddenly laughed and asked, “Don’t tell me you are jealous? Hmm? Miss Fox?”

Melody panicked briefly and her cheeks turned bright red.

She retorted without thinking, “No such thing! Margaret’s impulsiveness back then was just an accident. Why should I be jealous?”

Ken looked at Melody deeply and clearly saw the guilt in her eyes.

All of a sudden, he was in a very good mood. He stopped pressing her and only said, “Since that’s the case, accompany me to the class reunion tonight.”

This guy brought up the class reunion again. Melody sighed helplessly, “Can’t you look for a beautiful one?”

“I don’t like beautiful ones.”

“Huh?” Melody stared at Ken in bewilderment.

Could it be that he also had a fetish for ugly types?

Ken guessed what Melody was thinking. He reached out and flicked her forehead with his index finger.

“What are you thinking! I’m a normal man! I don’t feel at ease with the others, but you’re the smartest among the friends around us. Moreover, we’re indeed husband and wife, aren’t we?”

“But…” Melody protested.

“There’s no room for negotiation. It’s decided. I’ll send the time and place to your phone. I’ll meet you at the door at the designated time.” As Ken spoke, he opened the car door and got out. He did not give Melody a chance to refuse and left straight away.

His figure gradually disappeared from Melody’s line of sight. Melody suddenly remembered that they had originally agreed to get a divorce today. How did it end up with her going to his class reunion as his wife?

At this juncture, Melody hurriedly opened the door and got out of the car as well. She quickly caught up with Ken.

“Wait!” Melody was panting slightly. She met Ken’s gaze directly and said, “You… you forgot about the divorce.”

“Oh, that…” Ken seemed to have just remembered this. He said languidly, “I’ve already tried to submit it, but the registrar said that there was some issue with your personal information, so I can’t do it for the time being. Let’s wait for two days.”

“There’s an issue with my personal information? How can that be…” Melody appeared perplexed.

“I don’t know. You can call and ask them yourself.” As Ken spoke, he bent down and got into the MPV.

He then waved at Melody and said, “There’s an upcoming press conference at Swanson Universal Entertainment. I have to go now. See you tonight.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the car sped off, leaving Melody covered in a cloud of exhaust fumes.

“Cough, cough…”

Melody tried to fan away the choking fumes. She then returned to her car and dialed the registrar’s office at the city hall.

The answer from the guy on the other end of the line was the same as what Ken said.

“There’s an issue with your information. We haven’t figured out whether the problem is on your side or with our system.”

“Surely the information on my side can’t be wrong?” Melody prodded him.

“That might not be the case. You changed your family details recently, didn’t you? It might be related to that. We’ll send you an update after the verification.”

Melody then remembered that she had changed her next of kin from Russell Fox to Maria Fox after falling out with Russel.

The doubts in her heart slowly dissipated. She mumbled an acknowledgment before adding, “Thank you. I’ll wait for your news then.”

The other party bade goodbye formally and ended the call.

Melody could not help sighing with relief.

She had been acting too strangely lately. It was bad enough that she was always thinking too much, but her emotions also often swung up and down along with Ken.

If she did not divorce him soon, she was really worried that she would fall for him.

She was already fearful of love after experiencing it once. She could not bear or want to be hurt a second time.

Melody patted her face and forced herself to calm down. She then patiently waited for the registrar’s news.

Just as she was about to drive off, she suddenly received a call from Colin Herbert.

“Melody! Help!”

Chapter 397

Colin Herbert sounded extremely anxious. There was also an impatient voice urging from the other end of the phone line. “Have you decided? Do you want to operate today or next month?”

“Please wait a moment, let me check…” Melody could hear Colin reply to that person humbly before speaking again.

“Melody, do you have time now? Can you come to Central Hospital? We encountered some trouble…”

Melody had already stepped on the accelerator the moment she heard Colin cry for help. As she turned the steering wheel adroitly, she continued, “Which part of the hospital are you in? I’m on my way there now.”

“Operating theater on the 5th floor of the inpatient building,” Colin replied.

“Alright, give me ten minutes.”

The Fox family’s house was at least 20 minutes away from Central Hospital, not including time spent waiting for the green lights along the way.

However, she could sense that the situation on Colin’s side was very urgent.

Hence, she floored the accelerator and kept overtaking along the way. Finally, she reached the 5th floor operating theater after 10 minutes.

Melody was very familiar with this floor. It was the place where she had operated on Ander’s son, Lucas.

As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she heard Colin apologizing profusely to a doctor. “I’m sorry! Please wait a little longer… just a few more minutes.”

“Do you realize how long I have been waiting? Just because you’re a traditional medicine practitioner doesn’t give you the right to question our modern medicine practices. I’m telling you now. If she doesn’t undergo gastrectomy now, her condition will quickly worsen to the late stage! At that point, even if she undergoes surgery, she won’t be able to survive!”

“I know all of this, and I’m not questioning you. However, your chief physician has said that as long as she undergoes laparoscopic surgery, there’s no need for a total

gastrectomy… Once the entire stomach is removed, her life will definitely be greatly affected in the future,” Colin said desperately.

The doctor answered impatiently, “Just tell me whether you want to proceed with this surgery or not! This place isn’t Herbathrive. This is the Central Hospital! If you have doubts about our advice, then bring her back to your Herbathrive!”

“But…” Colin felt trapped but he still put down the pen in his hand and said, “I can’t sign this carelessly. I need to see your chief physician.”

“Huh?” The doctor’s face clouded over as he said with a derisive laugh, “I get it now. You knew that the chief physician had gone for training today and handed the surgery to a new doctor like me. Therefore, you feel very insecure and are very dissatisfied with me, aren’t you?”

Colin was at a loss for words. “I didn’t mean that at all. It’s just that…”

The doctor simply waved Colin away, “Enough! Since you don’t need my treatment, you guys can be discharged immediately! I’ll go to the office to prepare the documents for your discharge now!”

Colin got a shock and quickly tugged at the other party’s sleeve. “Doctor…”

“Don’t touch me!” The doctor reached out and pushed Colin away.

As Colin had been watching over Beverly for the past two nights, he was already a little tired. The instant he was pushed away, his body promptly lost its balance, sending his head on a collision course with the wall.

The doctor became terrified. He was worried that things might blow up and affect his career.

He tried to catch Colin, but he was too late.

Right at this moment, a dark shadow suddenly flashed in front of the doctor and grabbed Colin in the nick of time.

Colin’s head was less than one inch away from the wall when a hand suddenly yanked his body up.

Colin looked at the owner of the hand in shock. The moment he saw the other party’s face, his eyes lit up. “Melody? You’re here!”

Melody nodded and gave Colin a reassuring look. Then, her icy gaze landed on the doctor’s staff pass.

The staff pass indicated that the other party’s name was Dan Maxwell.

Based on the conversation between Colin and the doctor, it seemed that this doctor had just joined Central Hospital.

“What are you looking at?” Dan noticed Melody’s gaze and covered his staff pass somewhat hurriedly.

Melody shifted her gaze from the staff pass to Dan’s face and said icily, “You are a doctor yet you assaulted the patient’s family member? The tense relationship between doctors and patients nowadays is caused by rats like you!”

“Rat? Who are you calling a rat!” Dan blurted out.

He added angrily, “I didn’t push him in the first place. He yanked me first. Who knows what he will do to me in the next second? I did what I did in self-defense!”

“Self-defense? Hah! I’ve never seen this sort of self-defense! If I hadn’t rushed up in time, he would be bleeding from the head now!”

Dan retorted brazenly, “Isn’t he unharmed? What bleeding are you talking about? On the other hand, I was frightened by you guys just now. I should be asking you guys for compensation for mental trauma. What right do you have to scold me?”

Melody had seen despicable people, but she had never seen someone so despicable. “I should really introduce you to Yolanda Fox. You two will definitely become good friends.”

Puzzled, Dan frowned and asked, “Yolanda Fox? What do you mean?”

“You don’t need to know this. But what you need to know is that although the patient has gastric cancer, the disease is in the early stages. She doesn’t need to undergo a total gastrectomy at all. Yet you insist on doing a total gastrectomy on her. What’s your motive?” Melody questioned.

Dan could not help feeling guilty. He did not dare to look at Melody directly and only said, “What do you outsiders know? If I don’t do a total gastrectomy, she may suffer a relapse. Once that happens, can you bear the consequences? You are just a mere slip of a girl. How dare you question my medical skills!”

“Relapse? What a joke! I think you want to accumulate surgical experience and enrich your resume, am I right? You have probably never performed a total gastrectomy as a chief surgeon. That’s why you need such a patient to be your test subject!” Melody rebutted mercilessly.

“W-What nonsense are you talking about? I’ll sue you for defamation!” Dan’s expression changed immediately.

However, his evasive eyes indicated that there was more to this than meets the eye.

Melody gave a scornful snort. “Hmph! I wasn’t very sure just now that you were doing this for yourself, but now it seems that my suspicions have been confirmed. Am I right, Dan? For your own selfish gain, you treated a patient’s life flippantly. You have no right to be a doctor. You’re not even worthy of being a human!”

Colin became incensed at this point.

He grabbed Dan by the lapels and lashed out, “Are you even human? To think that I thought you got the wrong medical file, or that Beverly’s condition had worsened to the point where she really needed a total gastrectomy… Who would have thought that you were doing all this for some useless surgical experience! I’ll kill you!”

Colin cared about his wife the most in his life. Now that Beverly was almost treated as a test subject by Dan, he was so furious that his entire face became downright menacing.

He freed one hand, clenched his fist, and was about to punch Dan in the face…

“Argh…” Dan was so scared that he closed his eyes.

Just as the fist was about to land on Dan’s face…

Chapter 398

Melody Fox quickly grabbed Colin Herbert’s wrist.

“Colin, calm down. Hitting him will only dirty your hands

Colin calmed down a little after Melody spoke up, but he still appeared angry. “But if I don’t hit him, I won’t be able to vent the anger in my heart!”

Melody reminded him, “This matter was originally his fault, but once you hit him, it will give him a chance to exonerate himself. Everything will become your fault. It’s not worth it for such a person.”

“But…” Colin still protested.

Melody interrupted him instead. “If you want to vent your anger, I’ll help you.”

Melody would hit her opponent where it hurt most. Since Dan Maxwell wanted to perform a total gastrectomy on Beverly Herbert for the sake of his career, she would cut short his career.

This would be far more painful to him than receiving a beating.

Dan took advantage of the conversation to free himself from Colin.

As he dashed toward the elevator, he shouted, “Help! Someone hit the doctor! Security! Where’s the security!”

Melody pursued Dan without any emotion. She was extremely fast and grabbed the back of Dan’s collar in less than two seconds. “Running away? Not so easy!”

She pressed the other party to the ground with one move and made a call with her other hand. “I’m on the operating floor of your hospital. Something happened here. Please send someone over.”

“What? Operating floor? I understand. I’ll send someone there immediately!” The person on the other end of the line was Dr. Rodney Stanton. Although he did not know what happened, he could tell from Melody’s tone that trouble had cropped up.

After ending the call, he immediately updated the hospital director.

The two of them decided to leave the training venue earlier and rush to Central Hospital.

At the same time, the hospital director personally called deputy hospital director Liam Scott, who was in the hospital, to head down to the operating floor first.

*****

The commotion in the corridor attracted the attention of the medical assistants and nurses who were preparing for Beverly’s surgery in the operating theater.

When the few of them saw Dan being held down by Melody at the elevator door, they were stunned for a moment. They thought that she was the patient’s family member and was beating up the doctor so they immediately rushed towards the duo.

A big group of people ran up to the duo but did not dare to take action because Melody’s aura was too powerful.

The medical staff exchanged looks. One of them then ran off to inform the security department while the others warned Melody. “Hey! Let go of Dr. Maxwell at once or we’ll call the police!”

Melody had no intention of assaulting Dan. She was only worried that he would flee.

Now that so many people had shown up, she was no longer worried that he would flee. She quickly released him.

However, as soon as she let go, Dan immediately hid behind the medical staff and said accusingly, “I only asked them to sign the documents before the surgery, and they attacked me! Quickly stop them!”

“Ma’am, please stand facing the wall immediately and don’t move!” one staff said.

“That’s right! If you attack again, don’t blame us for calling the police to arrest you!” another warned.

Colin quickly ran over to shield Melody. “This matter has nothing to do with her. It’s Dr. Maxwell who wants to use my wife as a test subject for his own selfish desires!”

“Bullshit!” Dan started cursing and swearing before threatening, “How dare you hit me? Do you know who I am? The Central Hospital’s deputy hospital director Liam Scott is my uncle! You’re dead meat!”

Colin’s eyes widened when he heard this. “Melody…”

“It’s fine.” Melody gave Colin a reassuring look and went around Colin to face the people in front of him.

Everyone subconsciously lowered their heads when her eyes swept over them.

“I don’t care who you are. Call the police if you want, but I believe we will not be the ones arrested by the police.”

Dan was taken aback and said somewhat guiltily, “Don’t think that we don’t dare to call the police!”

At this moment, the security team arrived and immediately surrounded Melody and Colin.

Dan seized the opportunity and yelled, “Capture her quickly. I just heard her calling someone for help!”

When the security guards heard this, their expressions became even more sinister than before. “You two, come with us now!”

One security guard reached out to grab Melody’s wrist.

Melody was just about to dodge the other party’s hand when one of the medical staff shouted. “Wait a minute.” Then, he asked hesitantly, “Are you… Melody Fox?”

Before Melody could reply, Dan asked in displeasure, “Why are you asking her this?”

The medical staff said in a low voice, “Haven’t you heard of Melody Fox? Her medical skills are superb. Even our hospital’s most skillful Dr. Rodney Stanton is full of praise for her. Moreover, I heard that… the director wanted badly to make an exception and recruit her as a specially-appointed doctor.”

“Oh… I’ve heard of this person. But don’t worry. It’s definitely not this wretched girl!” As Dan spoke, he raised his voice and glared at Melody. “Look at her uneducated appearance. How can she be Melody Fox, the miracle doctor?”

As soon as he finished speaking, pow! A slap landed heavily on Dan’s face.

“Ouch…” Dan covered his face in pain and stared at Melody in disbelief. “How dare you hit me?”

Colin also got a shock. “Melody, didn’t you say that we mustn’t hit…”

Melody gave a snort. “He’s asking for it! He just insulted me. Can’t I slap him in return?”

“You…” Dan was so angry that he stomped his feet. He then rushed forward and tried to slap Melody.

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

“Hit me? In your dream!”

She swung her hand and Dan fell to the ground clumsily like a cardboard figure..

All the medical staff were frozen in shock.

“Is Dr. Maxwell so weak? He has been defeated by a woman…”

Dan’s face clouded at once and he shouted angrily, “Security Department! Are you guys blind? She hit me in front of you. Hurry up and teach her a lesson!”

The incident just now happened too suddenly. The security guards finally came back to their senses and rushed forward to grab Melody.

At this moment, an urgent voice rang out. “Stop at once!”

Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the voice.

They saw a person walking hurriedly out of the elevator.

This person was a little unfamiliar, but Melody’s eyesight was very good. She immediately saw the staff pass on the other party’s chest, “Central Hospital, Deputy Hospital Director, Liam Scott,”

If nothing unexpected happened, Liam Scott was probably the person Dr. Rodney Stanton called to help her.

The others also saw Liam and quickly greeted him. “Deputy Director!”

Liam nodded slightly and walked up to the group of people. “What happened?”

As he spoke, his eyes searched quickly and soon landed on Melody.

Melody spoke up, “He…”

Dan’s eyes lit up when he saw Liam.

He quickly cut Melody off and said in a loud voice, “Uncle, these two people wanted to hit me! Fortunately, I ran away! Otherwise, they might have killed me with one punch! Also, I heard her call for help just now. She must have called for people to beat me up!”

Chapter 399

“Shut up!” Liam Scott berated Dan Maxwell sternly.

Dan was puzzled and asked, “Uncle, why did you tell me to shut up?”

Liam simply reached out and gave Dan a slap. “Shut up when I tell you to!”

Dan received another slap for no reason. He held his face in disbelief.

When he saw that Dan had finally shut up, Liam took a deep breath and put on a smile. He turned to Melody Fox and asked, “Miss Fox, what stupid thing did my dumb nephew do to make you unhappy?”

Dan got a shock. Miss Fox?

He then remembered his colleague saying something about “Melody Fox” and how Colin Herbert had been calling her “Melody”. His eyes instantly widened.

Could it be that this woman was really Melody Fox?

Impossible! It must be a coincidence. How could there be such a young miracle doctor in the world?

Melody replied calmly, “So he’s really your nephew… He’s indeed very dumb. In order to embellish his surgical record, he showed off his medical skills in front of us and bluffed us with twisted logic. Beverly has early-stage gastric cancer and only needs to undergo laparoscopic surgery, but he insisted that we sign the papers for a total gastrectomy! Tell me, how should we settle this score?”

Dan quickly defended himself. “No, no! Uncle, she doesn’t know anything! The reason I decided to perform a total gastrectomy on the patient was purely for the patient’s sake. I was worried she would suffer a relapse.”

Melody asked icily, “Is that so? Then why did you make a last-minute modification to the surgery plan that your director proposed for laparoscopic surgery while your director was away for training?”

“I…” Dan gagged. Just as he was racking his brains for an excuse, he received another slap from Liam on his other cheek.

“Ouch…” Both of Dan’s cheeks had been slapped now. He mumbled blankly, “Uncle?”

“Don’t call me Uncle! I don’t have a stupid nephew like you!” As Liam spoke, he felt that he was not ruthless enough and went on to give Dan a kick in the stomach.

Dan was instantly flung more than three feet away where he lay clutching his stomach in anguish.

The kick was so hard that Dan’s face turned pale. He couldn’t even scream. He could only pant and groan.

He simply could not understand why his uncle was helping that ugly woman instead of him.

The other medical staff were badly shaken. “Deputy Director, will he get hurt?”

When Liam saw this, he did not seem concerned about Dan’s condition.

He ignored the medical staff and turned to look at Melody. He smiled apologetically and said, “Miss Fox, do you feel better now? This stupid creature is really useless. I’ll discipline him well in the future.”

Melody narrowed her eyes, but her expression did not soften much.

She could clearly feel that Liam was still biased toward Dan. Those two slaps and the kick were just for show. He did not really think that Dan had done anything bad.

“Feel better?” she asked. “If I hadn’t arrived in time, Beverly’s stomach might have been removed. You want us to forget about it after kicking him?”

A sinister shadow flashed across Liam’s eyes, but he quickly hid it.

He maintained a smile on his face and continued, “Of course, we can’t let it go just like that. We’ll compensate you to a certain extent. As for your relative’s surgery, I’ll get the chief physician to come back immediately and personally operate on her. I’ll also assign her the best anesthesiologist and medical assistant. Do you think… we can close this matter like this?”

Liam felt that Melody was not so easy to fool, so he asked Colin as well. “Sir, you have seen for yourself. This operation didn’t really take place. Why should we insist on making a big deal out of it? This won’t do you guys any good either, will it?”

Colin also felt that the kick Dan received was not enough, but Liam was too amiable. He could not help but waver.

Since Colin could not make up his mind, he could only turn to Melody for her opinion. “Melody, what do you think…”

Liam quickly added, “Miss Fox, we can agree to any of your requests for compensation, as long as you are willing to settle this matter amicably.

Melody looked at Liam without any emotion and said, “We don’t need any compensation. As long as you promise me one thing, I will let this matter rest.”

“Please tell me! I’ll even agree to ten requests, much less one.”

Melody looked at Dan, who was lying on the ground. The guy had obviously recovered from the pain, but he still pretended to be in pain. She said indifferently, “There’s no need for ten requests. You just have to fire him and promise never to hire him again. A person like him is not worthy of being a doctor!”

When Dan heard this, he couldn’t pretend anymore and hurriedly begged Liam for help. “Uncle, you mustn’t listen to her..”

Liam turned his head and glared at Dan. He couldn’t maintain his smile anymore and said with a pained expression, “Miss Fox, isn’t this too much? He did do something wrong, but he shouldn’t be fired outright.”

“So, you don’t agree to my condition?” Melody asked.

Liam tried his best to squeeze out a smile. “I… One should forgive others when possible. Miss Fox, why are you doing this? After this incident, I believe that he will definitely serve his patients dutifully in the future. He will definitely not do such a ridiculous thing again.”

“A leopard doesn’t change its spots. I know very well what kind of person he is. You just have to answer whether you will fire him or not.”

When he saw that Melody had no intention of relenting, Liam’s face turned icy. “He didn’t cause any bad consequences. Why do you have to ruin his career as a doctor and be so unrelenting? Miss Fox, don’t say I did not remind you. The surgery hasn’t started yet. Even if you bring this matter to court, the law might not be on your side.”

Melody narrowed her eyes. “So you are determined to protect him, Deputy Director?”

Liam decided to drop all pretense in front of Melody. “I want to protect him. What are you going to do?”

Melody looked at the two people who had now emerged from the elevator and slowly curled her lips. “I hope you won’t regret it.”

“Don’t worry! I definitely won’t regret it! On the other hand, you want to be a doctor in our hospital, don’t you? If you don’t want to settle the matter today, I can guarantee that your days in the hospital won’t be too enjoyable! If you know what’s good for you, take the money and leave now. Here is a check for 20 thousand dollars. It’s enough for your surgery fees!”

As Liam spoke, he took out the check from his pocket and threw it at Melody’s face.

Melody reached out and caught the check. In the next second, she tore up the check in front of Liam.

Liam nodded angrily. “Fine, you have some nerve! We’ll see! You’ll regret it one day! Don’t even think about seeking treatment at our Central Hospital in the future!”

As soon as Liam finished speaking, a mocking voice rang out from the elevator. “Liam, you certainly know how to flex your muscles.

Chapter 400

The moment Liam Scott heard this voice, his body immediately stiffened.

This was the voice of… the Hospital Director?

The blood in his body turned cold as he turned his head stiffly and saw the furious Hospital Director Gerard Williams and Dr. Rodney Stanton standing behind him with an ominous expression.

Liam stammered, “D-Director… Weren’t you guys in a meeting? When did you arrive?”

Gerard strode over and said with a scornful snort, “I arrived just before you changed your attitude. I wanted to give you a chance to prove yourself, but I didn’t expect you to be so two-faced when I wasn’t around! Liam, just look at yourself. Are you still qualified to be our hospital’s deputy director?”

Liam’s legs went weak and he almost collapsed.

He tried his best to calm his breathing and hurriedly explained, “Director, please let me explain. I was too anxious earlier. But I’m doing this for the sake of our hospital!”

Gerard’s face was full of mockery. “For our hospital?”

Liam nodded repeatedly and said, “That’s right! Firing Dan is a small matter. If news of Dan’s matter gets out, will patients still trust our Central Hospital in the future?”

“Hmph!” Gerard gave a disdainful laugh and said, “Liam Scott, am I that stupid in your mind?”

Liam was taken aback and quickly replied, “Of course, would never think that way! You’re the director…”

Gerard raised his voice and said in a threatening tone, “So you still remember that I’m the hospital director! Even if we put aside the other matters and assume that you really did it for the sake of the hospital’s reputation, what about the matter of you threatening Miss Fox and not letting her relatives seek treatment in this hospital? Liam, do you think you can treat others as fools as long as they don’t blow their tops?”

Liam’s mind was racing. For the sake of his own deputy director’s position, he decided to give up on Dan.

He gritted his teeth and said, “Director, I know my mistake now. I said those words out of anger. Now, I regret it so much! It’s just terminating Dan Maxwell, isn’t it? Since you also think that he should be fired, naturally I agree with you wholeheartedly! As for Miss Fox, I’m willing to apologize to her!”

Dan, who was still sitting on the ground, felt his heart tighten. “Uncle, you must help me!”

After hearing Liam’s words earlier, Dan was already convinced that the ugly woman in front of him was the miracle doctor, Melody Fox.

Before he could fully digest this news, his uncle had already abandoned him. How could he accept this?

“Shut up! Pack your things now and get lost!” As Liam spoke, he completely ignored Dan’s pleas.

He could not even protect himself now. He then turned around and bowed deeply to Melody.

“Miss Fox, I spoke in a fit of anger earlier, Please don’t take it to heart. You’re a magnanimous person. You’ll definitely forgive me, won’t you?”

Melody smiled indifferently and said, “I’m sorry, you’ve misunderstood. I’m not a magnanimous person. I’m just an ordinary and petty girl.”

Liam’s face stiffened. He never thought that Melody would be so unrelenting. “Then what do you wish to…”

Melody’s gaze landed on Gerard.

“Director Williams, all I want is for Dan to never appear in this hospital again, lest he harms other patients. As for the rest, it’s your hospital’s internal affairs. I don’t have the right to interfere. I’ll leave you to decide the rest.”

Gerard nodded and said with a stern expression, “Dan, you clearly know the hospital’s rules, yet you deliberately broke them. For your own benefit, you almost harmed the patient. This was a serious case of medical malpractice, and your medical ethics were completely lost. From today onward, you are no longer a doctor in our hospital. Moreover, our hospital will issue a statement saying that we will never hire you again!”

Dan was about to get up from the floor when he heard this. His legs gave way and he fell to the floor again. “A s- statement?”

Once the hospital issued a statement, it meant that not only would he lose his job here, but no other hospital would hire a tainted employee like him.

His career as a doctor would come to an end!

Gerard said with an icy expression, “That’s right! A statement to the entire hospital and society! I hope you can remember this lesson and turn over a new leaf in the future!”

When Dan heard this, his heart could no longer withstand such a heavy blow. Everything turned black before his eyes and he fainted at once.

When Gerard saw this, there was still no pity in his eyes. He gestured with his hand and said, “Take him away. When he wakes up. tell him to pack up and leave immediately!”

“Yes, Sir!” The medical staff did not dare to object and dragged Dan away at once.

When Liam saw this, he heaved a sigh of relief inwardly.

Now that Dan had been dealt with it, this matter should come to a close, shouldn’t it?

However, just as this thought popped up, he heard Gerard’s voice again.

“Liam, you colluded with Dan and abused your position as the deputy director to threaten others. You have seriously violated the hospital’s management regulations!

“Furthermore, I found out that Dan wasn’t qualified to work as a doctor at all. You were the one who recruited him

through your own connections.

“These acts showed that you are not qualified to be the hospital’s deputy director. Therefore, I have decided to demote you and send you back to the administrative department!

“If you don’t repent your mistakes after you return to the administrative department, you will end up like Dan Maxwell!”

“Re-return to the administrative department…”

This was equivalent to being demoted to the bottom rank. It was no different from firing him.

Liam’s legs went weak and he fell to the ground on his butt.

Gerard continued without any emotion, “You don’t have to come to work this week. You can come back after I’ve determined which department you’ll be transferred to. You should reflect on yourself while you’re at home during this period!”

After Gerard finished speaking, he gestured with his hand and instructed the security guards to escort Liam away.

Liam was holding back his anger, but he did not dare to vent it in front of Gerard. He only gritted his teeth and said, “I can walk by myself!”

He pushed aside the security guard in front of him and headed toward the elevator.

As soon as Liam left, Gerard immediately put on a smile.

“Melody, are you satisfied with the way I handled this matter?”

Melody nodded. “We are very impressed and grateful. You have handled this matter fairly!”

Colin also nodded. “Director Williams, with someone like you keeping an eye on Central Hospital, patients and their families can seek treatment for their illnesses here without worry.”

“It’s nothing. I’m just doing my job.” While Gerard was speaking, his smile widened as he looked at Melody.

“Since both of you are quite satisfied with the way I handled the matter, then Melody… regarding the job offer…”

Melody was hesitant initially, but Gerard was very much to her liking. In addition, joining Central Hospital would indeed help her to grow professionally. She thus said, “If it’s convenient for you, I can join your hospital today. However, I can’t change my terms. I don’t have time to work the full shift. Also, I wish to join the hospital under the name Wilona Knowles.”

“No problem! I’ll settle the employment documents for you now!”

Although Gerard did not understand why Melody did not want to use her real name, he still accepted her terms immediately.

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Chapter 391

Maria had fainted just now, which diverted everyone’s attention. They had completely forgotten the servant’s accusation of Yolanda. But since Maria had woken up and mentioned it, everyone immediately remembered.

Yolanda’s face suddenly turned pale as she clenched her fists tightly.

She hoped the poison would be potent enough to kill Maria and frame Melody. However, she was shocked to see Maria wake up so quickly. What should I do? What should I do? I’m done for!’

Yolanda’s heart was in a mess, but she still retorted instinctively, “Mom, don’t you know how I treated you all this time? That maid must be taking an opportunity to slander me! Besides, you’re fine now. If it was as poisonous as that seller said, how can your body still be fine?”

“There’s no place for you to talk!” Maria glared at Yolanda and confirmed with the servant again.

The servant mustered her courage and said, “I swear I didn’t lie. The reason why your body is fine is because I couldn’t bear to poison you. If you don’t believe me, you can come to take a look at my room. The poison is under my bed, and I believe her fingerprints are all over it!” She pointed at Yolanda.

The seller said at the right time, “I can confirm that I’m not mistaken. She’s the person who bought my poison!”

“Shut up!” Yolanda was trembling with anger. She moved forward to slap the maid. But as she took two steps forward, a police officer restrained her.

“Ma’am, please calm down and cooperate with us for an investigation at the police station.” He warned.

“Let go of me! What right do you have to arrest me? Why should I cooperate with you?” Yolanda struggled like a lunatic. As everyone saw this scene, they knew that Yolanda was indeed guilty.

“Tsk tsk, I didn’t expect Yolanda to be such a snake. She tried to poison her family member?”

“I know, and what’s more despicable is that she tried to frame her stepdaughter. I think she just wanted to take an opportunity to remove Melody for good.”

“Russell is an idiot. He sleeps with a snake every night. Do you think he also knows about her sick plan to poison his mother?”

Russell heard the guests’ discussion. He was very fond of Yolanda. He even felt that kidnapping Hattie was forgivable. However, knowing Yolanda planned to poison Maria, he knew she had crossed the line.

If he did not make a clear stance, his family’s reputation would fall since so many people were present. Thinking of this, Russell moved to kick Yolanda in the stomach. “Yolanda, you disappoint me. I must have been blind to marry a vicious woman like you! I’ll send the divorce agreement to you later. From now on, you have nothing to do with my family!”

“Russell!” Yolanda hurriedly tried to explain, but Russell did not listen to her explanation at all. He turned around and said to the police officers, “I did not expect that I would marry a murderer and almost killed my mother. Please, arrest her immediately. She will not get any protection from our family.”

Yolanda’s eyes suddenly widened in shock. She did not expect Russell to say such words in front of her. After years of marriage, he said he would abandon her so lightly. As she struggled, she shouted, “Russell! You’re such a heartless prick! I risked my life to give birth to your child. Is this how you treat me?”

“What? You almost poisoned my mother! Why do I have to speak up for a vicious woman like you?” Russell’s eyes were completely devoid of feelings for Yolanda. He was most afraid of trouble and embarrassment. Hattie’s and Maria’s matter had completely worn out all his feelings and patience for Yolanda. He only felt that marrying Yolanda was the worst choice in his life.

At that moment, Melody said coldly, “Risking your life to give birth?”

Yolanda’s expression froze. He glared at Melody and said, “What are you trying to say, Trash?”

Yolanda looked like she wanted to skin Melody alive, and everyone felt a chill run down their spines. However, Melody was not afraid at all. She sneered and said, “The one who risked her life to give birth and gave up her life was my mother, not you!”

Yolanda panicked but muttered, “What happened to Wilona was unfortunate. Are you trying to blame me for her death?”

“Are you saying she died because she was unlucky?”

Melody’s gaze was bone-chilling. She suddenly snapped her fingers. “Bring her in!”

Everyone subconsciously looked at the door and saw two bodyguards pushing a woman in a doctor’s uniform. Someone quickly recognized her. “Isn’t that the director of

Silverlake Maternity Hospital, Dr. Bennington? Why is she here?”

Dr. Bennington looked haggard. Her eye sockets were deeply sunken, making her look like a zombie. Meanwhile, seeing her unexpected arrival, Yolanda’s soul was almost scared away. Why is she here?’

Yolanda subconsciously looked at Melody, only to see Melody’s sharp eyes staring at her. Her gaze and angry face made her look like a spawn from hell, ready to take Yolanda to eternal damnation. Yolanda’s body trembled. She felt something was wrong.

The next second, Dr. Bennington knelt before the police officers. The police officers looked surprised. Just as they were about to help her up, they heard Dr. Bennington say, “Officer, I’m here to turn myself in. Twenty years ago, a woman named Yolanda gave me a large sum of money and asked me to tamper with the delivery table of a pregnant woman, Wilona, causing her death.”

Yolanda felt as if a bomb had been dropped on her head. Her mind instantly went blank. The biggest secrets she thought she would bring to the coffin were exposed the same day she got arrested.

She felt all the blood in her body had stopped flowing. She could no longer hear any sound in her ears. Only one sentence echoed in her mind. ‘I’m done for.

The police officers asked in shock, “Is what you said true?”

“It’s true.” Dr. Bennington said with a trembling body. “At first, Yolanda wanted me to kill the child in Wilona’s stomach, but there were too many people around the delivery room. I couldn’t find a chance to do it.”

After Dr. Bennington finished speaking, she asked with a trace of hope, “If I take the initiative to turn myself in, can you give me a lighter sentence? I was short of money back then, and I was a doctor who had just become a full-time doctor. I couldn’t withstand the temptation of money and lost my mind. I did such a disgraceful thing, but I know my mistake!”

The lead police officer frowned and ordered, “Take them both away!”

Soon, Dr. Bennington was brought out. She had no intention of resisting at all. She was like a puppet on a string, at the mercy of others. Melody did not care about Dr. Bennington. The law would punish that woman. As for Yolanda, the instigator…

Chapter 392

Melody walked up to Yolanda. His usual bright eyes looked terrifyingly cold. “Yolanda…”

She grabbed Yolanda’s collar and said coldly, “You’ve poisoned my grandma, kidnapped Hattic, tried to kill her overseas, and now I learned that you bribed an obstetrician to kill my mother? How do you sleep at night?”

Yolanda had completely calmed down. She knew that although Dr. Bennington’s testimony put her in a corner, it had happened long ago. Other than her testimony, there was no other substantial evidence. As long as she could find a good lawyer, she would not have to worry about spending her life behind bars.

Therefore, she still said shamelessly, “I didn’t do those things at all. And for your information, I usually close my eyes and fall asleep right away. Melody, did you bribe these people to put all the blame on me?”

Melody smiled coldly. “You think I tried to blame you? Then, explain this!”

She raised the phone of the servant who had poisoned her. The screen showed a video of Yolanda asking the servant to get Maria’s medicine and swapping the drugs in her jar without anyone knowing. Yolanda’s eyes suddenly widened. “W-where did you get this recording?”

That evidence was enough to prove she had indeed ordered. the servants to poison Maria. Even the best lawyer couldn’t turn the tables on this case. Yolanda suddenly realized something. She stared at Melody and said, “You already knew, didn’t you?”

Melody pursed her lips coldly and handed the evidence to the police officer. Then, under Yolanda’s terrified gaze, she explained, “I’ve checked Grandma’s pulse long before I returned. I knew she wasn’t sick, but you’ve been poisoning her while I’m away. So, I changed your poison ever since.”

“You…” At that moment, she realized why Maria, who should have died long ago, could still breathe. She regretted missing this small yet crucial detail. She had underestimated Melody. “This b*tch is far more clever than I thought.’

If Yolanda were to frame someone else, her plan might have worked flawlessly. However, Melody was not anyone. She chose the perfect time to take out the evidence to hit the nail on Yolanda’s coffin and not give her any chance to make a comeback.

When Yolanda saw that she could no longer escape, she only had one thought. She wanted to drag Melody to hell with her. “I’ll kill you right now, B*tch!” She used all her strength to break free from the police officer’s restraint. Then, she pulled out the hairpin in her hair and wanted to stab it at Melody’s chest.

“Watch out!” The police officers were shocked and quickly chased Yolanda.

However, Yolanda was no longer under anyone’s control. Her strength and speed were unusually terrifying. In the blink of an eye, she arrived before Melody. She tightened her grip on her hairpin and was about to stab it at Melody.

Melody did not expect Yolanda to do such a crazy thing, but her reflex was much faster than most people. As the tip of the hairpin was about to pierce her chest, she quickly turned around to dodge the attack. Before Yolanda could react, Melody turned her body 180 degrees and grabbed Yolanda’s arm. She only exerted a little force on her wrist, but it caused Yolanda’s bones to crackle.

Yolanda instantly screamed. “Ahhh-my hand!”

There was no pity in Melody’s eyes. She then kicked Yolanda on the back of her knee. This made Yolanda kneel instantly. The sound of her knee hitting the floor sounded painful. However, Melody felt it was not enough to vent her anger. She pulled out a silver needle and stabbed one of Yolanda’s acupuncture points.

As the silver needle pierced her skin, Yolanda became petrified. She did not move and could not make any sound. Melody had used this move on Leo during a bet, but there was still a difference between this needle and Leo’s needle.

This acupuncture point was connected to the cerebellum. As long as the silver needles were inserted for more than five minutes, Yolanda’s body would be in so much pain almost every day. Melody wanted Yolanda to experience how her life was after her mother’s death. Yolanda must experience what it meant to be better off dead every day.

Mabel, who had restrained herself, saw that Yolanda had gone unconscious. Her eyes looked in disbelief, and finally, she could not hold it in anymore and ran forward to hug her. “Mom, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

Mabel shook Yolanda’s body. Seeing that her eyes were moving but her body did not react, the anger in her heart grew ablaze. “Melody! What have you done to my mother? Even if she did something wrong, it’s not your place to punish her!”

As Mabel spoke, she reached out to remove the silver needles from Yolanda’s body. However, Melody grabbed Mabel’s wrist and stopped her coldly. “You can’t remove the silver needles now

Let go of me? Mabel struggled with all her might. But seeing that her strength was weaker than Melody’s, she quickly turned her head and begged the police officers, I beg you, please save my mother! Even if she’s guilty, it’s not Milody’s place to give her punishment. Melody attacked my mother in front of you. Doesn’t that count as committing a crime?

Mabel had already thought it through. She had lost her mother as her backer, so she might as well drag Melody down with her. She had the same thought as Yolanda.

Just as the police officer was about to speak. Melody spoke first. “Officer, you all saw that Yolanda wanted to stab me with her hairpin, right? I’m acting out of self-defense. Surely, it can’t be a crime.”

The officer nodded. “That is indeed the case.

Mabel’s eyes turned cold. Then, she said even more angrily, “Her self-defense was when she broke my mother’s arm. What about the silver needle?”

Melody said calmly, “She behaved erratically just now. Don’t worry, it’s not poisonous. I’m only immobilizing her. When you bring her to the police car, you may remove the silver needle. It won’t cause any damage to her body

“I see…” Ever since the police officers saw that Melody had woken Maria up in less than 1 hour, they firmly believed in Melody’s words.

“Don’t listen to her lies! After she learned my mom had killed her mother, she’ll take every opportunity she has to take revenge on my mother and poison her with those silver needles!”

Melody explained calmly, “I can guarantee my silver needles are not poisonous. If you don’t believe me, you can take them to the hospital for testing. However, to ensure the safety of everyone present, I suggest we put her in the police car before removing the needle. What do you all think?” She swept her gaze across the crowd.

The guests had witnessed how crazy Yolanda could be. They didn’t want to get caught in her anger and rushed to

Melody’s side. “It’s better if she stays like this! She becomes crazy after her crimes are exposed.”

“I agree. If she goes crazy, we might not leave this place in one piece!”

Mabel looked at the people who spoke in disbelief. Previously, those people were still on her side. But at that moment, they turned hostile.

Chapter 393

The evil and cold side of human nature was vividly displayed. Ever since Mabel could remember, everyone around her had pampered and supported her. Even if the Fox family gradually fell into dire straits, because of her outstanding looks, everyone would still stand on her side if something happened.

But at that moment, she felt isolated and helpless for the first time. Mabel was so angry that her hands were trembling. At the same time, she felt despair. Even after selling out her mother, Mabel still couldn’t drag Melody down with her. “You, all of you people…”

Melody guessed what Mabel was thinking. Having the upper hand, she whispered in Mabel’s ears, “This feeling of being alone and helpless sure sucks, huh? I’ve been feeling like this every day in this house. Enjoy this moment to your heart’s content!”

Melody thought of when Mabel and Ulric tormented her. She swore that she would pay them back for the pain and despair they had made her feel, and that day was only the beginning.

Mabel clenched her fists and glared at Melody. Her eyes were filled with hatred. She was determined to take revenge.

“Get that lunatic out of here!” The guests urged. They would have left long ago if Yolanda hadn’t blocked the door.

When Yolanda heard the guests call her a lunatic, she felt humiliated and angry. She wanted to shout and scold them back but could not make a sound. This feeling was far worse than being punched in the stomach.

At this moment, Mabel, who was originally protecting her, suddenly stood up. “Mom, I didn’t expect you to do those things. Although you’re my mother, I can’t accept your wrongdoings. After you’re in prison, I hope you’ll repent and turn over a new leaf. I’ll do more good things to atone for your sins outside.”

Yolanda opened her eyes in disbelief. Her biological

daughter said such things to her. Everything she did was for Mabel. However, her words became the last straw to destroy Yolanda’s inner defense. She felt that her life was a joke, a huge joke.

Yolanda could not speak. Her tears flowed down her face and into her mouth. She felt bitter. Her chest heaved violently. She couldn’t tell if it was because she was sad or furious.

She never expected that the birthday banquet she thought would allow her to stay in The Fox family would be the darkest day in her life. She didn’t know that the dark times in her life had just begun.

Mabel looked like she could not bear to look at Yolanda anymore. She turned her face away, and her eyes filled with sadness. When a beauty was sad, one could not bear to look at her. The guests who had started to look at Mabel with disgust could not help but sigh.

“You know what? It’s not her fault to have such a sh*tty mother.”

“You think?”

The guests’ voices fell into Yolanda’s ears. She couldn’t take it anymore, and her eyes rolled back as she fainted. Soon, the police officers left with the unconscious Yolanda.

When Melody saw this scene, the corners of her mouth slowly curled into a smile. Yolanda had planned Mabel’s future for the rest of her life, but Mabel had sold her in the blink of an eye. Melody was curious if Yolanda regretted raising such a daughter.

Shortly after, Melody looked up at the sky outside the window. ‘Mum, did you see that? I’ve avenged the person who killed you.’

After Yolanda left, Melody looked down at her phone. It was already five minutes. Even if the police officers removed the silver needles, it would be too late. Almost every day, at a random time, Yolanda would feel an excruciating pain.

As soon as Yolanda left, the remaining police officers took the opportunity to ask Russell, “We need to search the house to see if there is remaining poison.”

Russell subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Maria spoke first, “Sure! Search wherever you want.”

“But, Mom…”

Maria coldly glanced at Russell and said, “Why? Are you disappointed that I wasn’t poisoned to death by that vicious woman you married? Even now, you still want to protect her? Are you complicit?”

Maria was furious. If Melody didn’t help her, she would have been buried six feet underground. Thinking of this, she became so angry that she couldn’t breathe.

Russell quickly shook his head and said, “Of course not! Mom, that’s not what I meant. Of course, I’m happy that you’re fine. If they want to search the house… just let them search.”

Seeing that Russell had no objections, the police officers immediately began to search the Fox family’s residence. The guests did not want to get into trouble. So, they bid farewell to Russell and left quickly. They left quickly as if their house was infected with a deadly virus.

Soon, the police officers came out of the backyard with two large bags of poison.

They carried the poison and explained, “We found this under the tree mentioned in the text message. It is indeed the poison sold by that convict. Please, be prepared. This case will go to trial soon, and it might be tried together with the murder your wife committed more than twenty years ago.” Hearing this, Maria closed her eyes and could not say a word.

After explaining, the police officers quickly left. The lively and festive living room instantly became deserted. At that moment, Yolanda’s trusted aides submitted their resignations. Although they did not participate in the poisoning, they received a lot of benefits from Yolanda. They were afraid that they would be implicated.

Russell was frustrated. He kicked away those servants and scolded loudly, “F*ck off!”

The servants were so frightened that they did not even dare to ask for their unpaid salary. They all took their luggage and fled the house. Melody watched the servants leave with a flat face. She then took a few steps forward and said, “Grandma, I should go too. Take care of yourself.”

Maria was about to speak when Russell angrily shouted, “You’ve caused this matter and want to leave? Not on my watch!”

Melody looked at Russell in amusement and asked, “Huh?

What else do you want?”

“I’m your father! Who allowed you to speak to me in such a tone? Are you happy now that Yolanda has been taken away? Do you know what everyone in Silverlake will think of our family after today?”

Melody found it even more amusing. “Father? Mr. Fox, have you forgotten about the agreement to sever our father-daughter relationship yesterday? From that moment, you’re no longer my father. As for what others will think of your family, that has nothing to do with me.”

Melody chuckled sarcastically and added, “Don’t forget that you were the one who cheated on my mother during her pregnancy and attracted that wench, Yolanda. She made so many mistakes and even caused my mother’s death. I haven’t settled the score with you yet, but you’re here shouting at me?”

Chapter 394

Melody’s voice was filled with indifference and mockery, and her eyes were so sharp, making one’s heart tremble. Russell looked at her in disbelief. They looked the same, but in Russel’s view, she looked somewhat different.

This side of Melody was so unfamiliar that it frightened him. ‘Is she so angry after knowing the cause of Jiang Wilona’s death?’ In his mind, Melody had always been a weak and timid girl. ‘Could it be she had been pretending all along?’

After a while, Russell finally said, “You trash! Show some decency when talking to your father.”

However, Melody sneered. “Are you overwhelmed to see the real side of me? You can’t face the truth, can you?”

“You…-“

Russell was about to scold her, but Mabel spoke before he could. “Melody, how can you talk to our dad like that? Even if you’ve already signed the agreement to sever ties with him, you’re still his child! It’s treasonous for you to talk to him with such an attitude.”

“Shut up, Creep.” Melody looked at Mabel coldly and said mercilessly, “Why don’t you show your real face? Other than that thing you call ‘Mother’, do you dare to swear that you didn’t participate in what she did?”

Mabel’s face turned stiff from anger, and she quickly retorted, “I didn’t! I only found out about what Mom did today. I’m more shocked and upset than you are. Stop slandering me!”

Maria could not take it anymore and said tremblingly, “Everyone, shut up! This family is doomed already.”

“Grandma?” Tears welled up in Mabel’s eyes. “I didn’t know about those things, much less about my mom wanting to harm you. If I had known earlier, I would have stopped her.”

“Stop talking!” Maria massaged her temples. “All of you… are a disappointment. From today onwards, I’ll live in my hometown. None of you are allowed to visit me.”

“Grandma?”

“Mom?”

Russell and Mabel tried to dissuade her at the same time. However, Maria’s heart had already turned cold. She had already made up her mind. No matter how the two of them tried, she did not waver.

“Hattie, help me pack my luggage. We’ll leave immediately after that,” Maria ordered.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Hattie turned around and went to pack Maria’s luggage without any hesitation.

Soon, Maria’s luggage was packed. Maria ignored everyone, including Melody. She left with Hattie without looking back. When Hattie passed by Melody, she gave her a look, indicating that she would still contact her. Melody nodded slightly and also planned to leave with her things.

As Melody took two steps, Russell blocked her path. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Melody met Russell’s gaze indifferently. “Take my stuff and go.”

“Your stuff? Nothing belongs to you here. Now, hand over the agreement, or don’t even think about walking out of that door!” After Maria left, Russell no longer suppressed his greed. Yolanda had ruined The Fox family’s image, so he might as well take the Silk Beauty Cosmetics shares from Melody.

“Stop dreaming. That’s impossible!” Melody snorted. She didn’t want to waste her breath on Russell and walked to the backyard. However, just as she took a step, Russell’s big hand reached out to grab her arm. Melody dodged sharply and kicked his stomach mercilessly.

“Ah!” Russell immediately covered his stomach. He was in so much pain that his face turned pale.

“Melody!” Mabel shouted, “How dare you attack our dad? Are you even human?”

However, Melody shrugged nonchalantly. “Perhaps you’re right, maybe I am inhumane. Therefore, you’d better not provoke me again or you’ll see the extent of twisted things I can do to you.”

Mabel, who had wanted to stop Melody, could not help but feel a chill run down her spine when she heard her threat. She looked at Russell, who was in extreme pain and locked her neck in panic.

Melody sneered and strode to the backyard. Last night, she had asked James to help her move her goods to the courtyard. All that was left were bits and pieces.

Melody pushed her luggage from the backyard to the living room, only to see more than ten men guarding the entrance. Those people looked unfamiliar. They looked much stronger and taller than the original bodyguards she had seen. Melody’s sharp eyes saw a portion of the tattoo on their arms and remembered something.

Those tattoos belonged to the black market’s assassin, and Melody guessed that Russell had hired them at the last minute. Realizing this, Melody raised her eyebrows mockingly. ‘Hiring assassins to kill me?’

Melody turned to look at Russell, who was sitting on the sofa. Russell had already recovered from the kick. He put on a mocking smile and said, “Melody, hand over the agreement and we can forget about what just happened.”

“Is that so?” Melody snorted and said, “I’m afraid that the moment I hand over the agreement, you’ll let these people beat me half to death.”

Mabel, who was standing beside Russell, looked anxious. “Melody, stop talking nonsense. You can’t deal with those people. You should hand over the agreement so that you won’t suffer more. After all, you’re Dad’s biological daughter. He definitely won’t go back on his word.”

Melody ignored Mabel’s words. Instead, she stretched her body and said, “It seems my kick wasn’t strong enough.”

Russell was stunned for a moment, and his anger exploded. “Melody, I’m giving you one last chance on account of you being my daughter, but you refused? Since that’s the case, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

After Russell finished speaking, he waved his hand and ordered the assassins, “As long as you don’t kill her, you can do anything to her!”

Melody calmly took out a card from her pocket when

Russell gave the order. Then, the assassins who were walking towards her instantly stopped.

That card was none other than the highest-grade red card in the Pass Card black market. In the eyes of the black market, that red card symbolized absolute authority. No one would dare to harm a red card owner. The assassins broke out in cold sweat.

Russell did not notice the change in the assassins’ expressions. He just pretended that they did not hear his orders. He frowned and urged impatiently, “Didn’t you hear me? Hurry up and attack her!”

The moment he finished speaking, the assassins finally moved. Russell and Mabel smiled at the same time. In their eyes, Melody’s appearance looked pathetic. They wanted to teach her a lesson.

However, in the next second. The assassins did not pounce on Melody as they had expected. Instead…

Chapter 395

“Pardon us, Miss!” The hitmen did not dare to touch Melody anymore.

After exchanging looks, all of them knelt on one knee in unison while placing one hand on their chest.

Such an act was the highest form of respect in the black market. It symbolized absolute allegiance from the person performing the act.

Russell and Mabel widened their eyes in disbelief until their eye whites were showing due to the shock.

Nevertheless, Russell was the first to speak. “Are you guys mistaken? I’m the one who hired you! Why are you kneeling before her? She’s your target! Hurry up and capture her!”

He was certain that these hitmen had mistaken Melody for someone else. After knowing the truth, they would definitely attack Melody again.

At this juncture, Mabel noticed the crimson card in Melody’s hand.

When Mabel was browsing the forums, she had come across people talking about the existence of the crimson card. Indeed, the hitmen’s reaction confirmed its existence.

But she couldn’t figure out how Melody got her hands on the crimson card.

Mabel suddenly remembered that when Melody just returned, Mabel also used Yolanda Fox’s access card to hire hitmen from the black market. However, there was no news of those hitmen afterward.

It seemed that this crimson card was the reason.

Melody had obtained a crimson card from a long time ago!

Mabel’s heart tightened instantly as she tugged at Russell’s arm in shock. “Dad… She’s holding the black market’s crimson card in her hand. When this crimson card is shown, it is equivalent to the black market’s Big Boss showing up…”

“Wh-what?” Russell’s eyes widened again.

“How did you get hold of such a thing? It must be fake!” Russell then turned to the hitmen and said, “This bitch is full of tricks. Don’t be fooled by her!”

The hitmen looked at Russell and Mabel icily. Their eyes seemed to be warning that they did not believe what Russell said at all.

Melody lowered her eyes and said with a snort, “Russell, don’t you know? The crimson card is made of very special materials. Putting aside the question of whether such a card can be faked, no one in the entire Halcyon will dare to forge a crimson card even if it is possible.”

Russell was shocked. He looked at Mabel with a quizzical expression as if asking her whether Melody was telling the truth.

The corners of Mabel’s mouth twitched. Although she did not want to admit it, she could only tell the truth. “Melody is telling the truth…”

The leader of the hitmen ignored Russell outright and asked Melody directly, “Miss, do you need us to help you teach these two guys who offended you a lesson?”

Melody raised her eyebrows casually. “Beat them up! But don’t leave any traces.”

“Yes, Miss!”

Melody cracked her neck a few times and said nonchalantly, “Don’t blame me for being ruthless. I’m just giving you a taste of your own medicine. From today onward, no matter what you guys do to me, I’ll pay you back double!”

With that, she strode toward the door.

Two hitmen shed their stony countenance and helped Melody push her suitcase out very respectfully.

When Mabel saw this, she was so jealous that her entire body felt like it was being burned. ‘How on earth did Melody get the crimson card? What right did she have?’ she wondered.

However, before she could get an answer to this question, the hitmen hired by the father and daughter began walking toward them step by step.

Mabel was terrified and ran upstairs, screaming all the way.

However, just as she ran up two steps, her ankle was grabbed by a big hand and she was pulled down.

“Argh!” Mabel’s scream tore through the roof. A sparrow that had perched on the roof flew into the sky in fright.

Russell’s legs went weak when he saw those people closing in.

In an attempt to save himself, he warned, “If you guys dare to attack me, I’ll definitely call the police! At that time, none of you will be able to escape!”

The leader of the hitmen toyed with the dagger in his hand and reminded Russell with a half-smile, “Sure, I’ll leave you with enough strength to call the police. But don’t forget, hiring us is also illegal. You want to send us to jail? Great! Let’s go together… Anyway, it’s not like we haven’t gone to jail before. We’ll just treat it as a trip home.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the hitman tossed the dagger up and reached out to catch it.

“Beat them up!” the hitman barked.

“No, no!” Russell backed away repeatedly in terror.

However, a hitman appeared behind Russell out of nowhere and held Russell down by the shoulders as he drawled, “Looking for me?”

Russell was startled and quickly ran in another direction.

To his dismay, those hitmen were astonishingly fast. He could only run a few steps before the hitmen managed to intercept him time and again.

They were not in a hurry to beat up Russell and Mabel. Instead, they played with the duo like cats playing with mice before biting the rodents to death.

It was like some sort of mental torture, which was a lot worse than physical torture.

This was the price Russell and Mabel paid for hiring these hitmen…

It was these two people who almost caused the hitmen to offend the Crimson Card holder.

The farce lasted for more than ten minutes before the leader finally got tired. “Beat them up. Don’t leave any traces.”

“Yes, Boss!” The hitmen shed their playful expressions and pressed toward the father and daughter with steely eyes.

Screams rang out once more.

However, the hitmen controlled their strength with every punch. They did not leave any visible marks on the duo’s bodies, but every punch hurt so badly that the father and daughter wanted to die.

Russell was curled up on the ground in pain while Mabel had already fainted from fear.

The older man begged for mercy in anguish. “Brothers! I was wrong! Big Brother… Bro…”

The hitmen’s actions showed no signs of stopping at all. Only the languid voice of the leader could be heard. “Bear with it. You won’t die. If you want to blame anyone, just blame yourself for messing with the wrong person!”

Russell was truly remorseful now. “Melody! My good daughter! I know my mistake. Let me off!”

Outside the door, Melody heard the man begging for mercy. Her eyes never once wavered or showed mercy. Instead, they were filled with disgust and iciness.

She muttered to herself, ‘Good daughter? So now he is acknowledging me as his daughter. But having a father like him is the biggest stain on my life.

In Melody’s previous life, Russell had admitted tacitly that he offered Melody’s heart to Mabel. What Melody was doing now was simply returning the favor.

She took one last look at the Fox family’s entrance, and a dark glint flashed across her eyes.

This house was also bought by her mother. She would get it back soon!

Melody put on her sunglasses indifferently, opened the car door, and got into the sports car.

However, as soon as she got into the car, she sensed that something was wrong and quickly checked the back seat.

A man was sitting in the back seat. He was fiddling with a tablet on his lap with his head lowered.

It was Ken.

As Melody heaved a sigh of relief, she suddenly recalled her agreement with Ken.

She was going to get divorced today.

Without waiting for Melody to speak, Ken asked without raising his head, “Is everything settled?”

“Sort of.” Melody paused for a while before adding, “Thank you for today.”

“Huh?” Ken finally looked up from his tablet and gave Melody an ambiguous look. “Thank me for what?”

Melody knew that this guy was playing dumb but she still said patiently, “That deal maker in the black market was arranged by you, wasn’t it?”

Ken raised his eyebrows noncommittally. “If I say yes, do I get a reward?”

“What do you want? I’ll agree to anything.” Melody responded with sincerity.

Ken did not miss the sincerity in her eyes.

His thin lips parted slightly, and he asked with a hint of playfulness, “You will agree to everything I ask for?

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Chapter 386

Melody’s pair of eyes were so clear and cold as if they could see anyone through.

Maria somehow felt guilty. She covered her nose and coughed dryly. She forced a smile and looked up at Melody.

“Melody…” Maria whispered.

“You don’t have to say anything. I’ve heard everything.” Melody smiled faintly.

Maria sighed and said, “It’s not a good time but today is Yolanda’s birthday. Many people came to celebrate her birthday. I can only… let her go after a few days. I hope you can understand.”

“I understand,” Melody said calmly. “You’re doing this for the family. You’re not intentionally biased toward her.”

Hearing this, Maria was even more upset. She felt that she owed her granddaughter too much.

After all, ever since Yolanda came to the Fox family pregnant, she had tried many ways to chase Melody to the countryside, but Maria did stop her.

It was because Maria believed that Yolanda might be pregnant with a son at that time. Every time Maria thought about this, she felt even more guilty.

After a moment of silence, Maria took out a bank card from her pocket and stuffed it into Melody’s hand.

Melody looked at Maria in confusion. “Grandma?”

Maria brushed the hair off Melody’s forehead and said, “After you move out, you’ll need money. This is all the savings I have in my life. Take it. You don’t have to tell your father about this.”

Just as Melody was about to refuse, Maria said, “If you don’t accept the money, it means that you will stay and be my good company.”

Melody held the bank card tightly and said with mixed feelings, “Grandma, it’s not that I want to leave, but I have no choice. If I stay, many things won’t stop.”

Only when she left would Russell truly begin to regret it. Otherwise, he would always think that Melody was his appendage and he could do anything to her.

Once Russell felt regretful, Melody could take advantage of the situation and take back everything that once belonged to her mother.

Maria nodded and said meaningfully, “It’s time to teach your father a lesson. But if you’re having a hard time outside, you can come back to me anytime. That agreement doesn’t count in my heart.”

Melody smiled and said, “Got it, Grandma. No matter what happens, you will always be my grandma.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Russell strode in. When he saw Melody, his face immediately darkened.

“Why haven’t you left yet?” he asked.

“Don’t worry. I’ll leave soon,” Melody replied.

Russell hesitated for a moment and said, “Then wait until all the guests leave, or others will gossip. Understand?” It was the same commanding tone.

Melody smiled coldly and answered, “Alright.”

Russell vaguely felt that there was something else behind Melody’s smile. However, there were a bunch of people in the living room and they kept asking to see Yolanda, so he could only let Melody go. He turned to Maria and said, “Mom, there are more and more guests. Yolanda…”

“I let her freshen up in my room. She’ll be out soon,” Maria said.

“That’s good. Since you’ve recovered, come with me to entertain the guests. I can’t handle it alone.”

Maria did not refuse and went to the living room with Russell.

Melody was about to find something to eat. After all, she had been suffering from low blood sugar recently. Then, she heard Yolanda’s voice behind her, saying, “Hey, Ms. Fox, I thought you’d left. You’re no longer part of the Fox family now.”

Melody turned around and saw Yolanda. Dressed up, she walked to Melody leisurely, her eyes filled with disdain and provocation.

Melody was not bothered by her at all. She slowly said, “I will leave, but I have to see you leave first with my own eyes.”

Yolanda chuckled and said provocatively in a low voice, “Do you think that your little trick can really make Maria chase me out? She won’t chase me out of the Fox family and I’ll continue to be the mistress here. Just wait and see. Maria cares about the family the most, not you. For the Fox family, she will tolerate anything.”

Melody ignored her words and said with a half-smile, “I have to wish you a happy birthday now, lest you don’t have time to hear it later.”

Yolanda raised her eyebrows, dismissing Melody’s conviction that Marie would kick her out after the birthday party.

“Then you’ll have to wait. But I’m afraid you won’t be able to wait for this day.” As Yolanda spoke, she left through the back door in her high heels with her head held high. Then, she entered through the front door and walked into the living room. In this way, Yolanda created the illusion that she had just returned from outside.

Melody looked down and smiled, with a gleam of shrewdness in her eyes. She walked straight from the backyard to the living room. As expected, the living room was filled with people.

Melody’s gaze swept across the living room. Most of the guests here didn’t have social status as high as the Fox family, but there were also a few wives from prestigious families. To Melody’s surprise, these wives were chatting and laughing with Mabel.

Obviously, Mabel had specially invited them. When Melody looked over, Mabel also noticed her.

Mabel smiled and waved at her, calling out, “Sister, you finally woke up.” Her voice was gentle without a trace of disgust at all.

Melody instinctively felt that Mabel had changed. ‘In the previous life, Mabel targeted me secretly. Now she is becoming like that,’ Melody thought.

She frowned slightly and ignored Mabel. She found a corner seat and sat down, quietly eating her snacks.

When the ladies around Mabel saw this, they could not help but quietly criticize Melody.

“Mabel, that girl must be your sister who came back from the countryside, right? She has poor manners. You called her name, but she didn’t even come over and say hi,” one of the ladies remarked.

“If you don’t know manners, you can still learn. But if you look like that… no one can help you,” another said with a sneer.

“The plastic surgery industry is well-developed now, but her face… I’m afraid plastic surgery won’t be able to save her.”

Mabel listened to them counting Melody’s faults in detail. Mabel did not agree with them as usual. Instead, she looked guilty.

“It’s not her fault that she looks like this. Appearance doesn’t mean anything. As for her manners, I should take the blame. I’ve been preparing the test questions Ander gave me and the socialite competition, so I didn’t have time to teach her…”

Mabel’s words successfully diverted everyone’s attention from Melody to herself.

“Ander? Do you mean Mr. Ander Morgan, the famous researcher?” one asked in surprise.

Mabel nodded. “Yes.” Her expression was calm, and there was no arrogance on her face.

“Oh my god…” Other ladies took a deep breath and said in shock, “Mabel, when you make something of yourself in the future, don’t forget us.”

In Halcyon, although the status of the rich was high, scholars and scientists were the most respected in social gatherings. The ladies lavished Mabel with praise. They even compared Mabel to Melody now and then.

Melody’s hearing was better than the average person’s, so she heard their conversation clearly. Other ladies took a deep breath and said in shock, “Mabel, when you make something of yourself in the future, don’t forget us.”

‘Looks like after Yolanda’s incident, Mabel has really changed. She has become smarter and harder to deal with than before, Melody thought.

At this moment, Yolanda appeared at the main entrance.

Chapter 387

As soon as Yolanda appeared at the main entrance, Mabel called out, “Mom, you’re back.”

Everyone immediately noticed Yolanda. Nearly all the guests swarmed around Yolanda and began to make small talk or flatter her.

“Gosh, our birthday girl is finally back,” one exclaimed.

“Mr. Fox said that you hung out. We were afraid you had so much fun that you wouldn’t come back, another guest said.

“Why did you bring Mr. Fox with you? You’re dressed so beautifully. Isn’t he worried that some guy will snatch you away?”

Their flattery made Yolanda very happy, but because Maria was also in the living room, she restrained her emotions very well and replied humbly, “I’m old. Who would be interested in me? Don’t make fun of me.”

After some small talk, the feast was prepared. They even prepared a gift for every guest.

Yolanda had prepared the whole party before she was caught when betting with Icy Clear Cosmetics. Thus, the birthday party was not affected at all and continued in an orderly manner.

The Fox villa was very large. There were five dining tables. The socialites with higher statuses were arranged to sit at the main table. The seats for Melody and Russell were at the table in the corner.

Melody and Russell sat with Yolanda’s relatives. Most of them were not rich but proud and arrogant. They were very jealous of what Yolanda had now.

When a young distant male relative of Yolanda’s saw

Melody sitting at their table, he looked unhappy.

He guessed, ‘Melody is ugly and dressed so poorly. She can’t be a rich or important guest here!’

He did not know Melody’s identity. He frowned and complained, “Mr. Fox doesn’t respect us much. It’s fine if you arranged for us to sit in the corner, but why did you let this ugly girl sit at the same table?”

Some people at this table had seen her on the day Melody returned. Some, like this young man, hadn’t met or heard of Melody before.

However, those who knew Melody deliberately kept silent when they heard the young man’s mockery.

They did not dare to badmouth Yolanda at her party, but Melody was different. They thought Melody grew up in the countryside like them but was the eldest daughter of the Fox family. Everyone felt life was so unfair and let the young man continue.

However, Melody was still indifferent after he complained for a while. Anger built up inside the young man.

It was one thing for the guests to look down on him, but how could a shabby and ugly girl ignore him?

He clenched his fists and looked straight at Melody. “Hey! Ugly girl! I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?”

Melody was almost full now. She picked up a tissue and wiped the corners of her mouth. She said, “I only heard a dog barking. I didn’t hear anyone talking to me.”

His face instantly darkened. “Bitch, what did you say again?”

“I only heard a dog barking,” Melody repeated.

“You…” The young man slammed the table and shouted, “Mr. Fox! Hurry up and get this ugly ill-mannered girl out!”

At the main table, they finally noticed the commotion.

Maria said with an unpleasant expression, “It’s a nice birthday banquet. What are you guys doing?”

Russell looked displeased as well since he felt responsible for Melody’s poor manners.

However, those people were Yolanda’s relatives. Russell could not reprimand them directly. He could only turn around with a frown and urged Yolanda, “Go see what’s going on over there.”

“OK.” Yolanda nodded and walked to the table.

“Justin, why are you throwing a tantrum at my party?” she asked.

This young man was Justin Law. He pointed at Melody and said, “This wretched girl insulted me. Yolanda, aren’t you going to throw this bitch out?”

Yolanda knew that Maria had been staring at them. She deliberated for a moment before saying, “Justin, don’t mess around. This is Melody, Mr. Fox’s daughter. You should call her cousin.”

“Cousin?” Justin widened his eyes in disbelief. “You’re saying this bitch… This woman is my cousin?”

“I was, but not anymore. I’ve already cut ties with the Fox family. I’ll leave after I finish my meal,” Melody answered before Yolanda could reply.

Yolanda looked suspicious, thinking. ‘It’s not something to be proud of. Melody should have hidden it. Why did she say it out loud?’

Everyone else in the living room was whispering about what Melody had said.

Yolanda could not guess what Melody was up to. Since Melody had announced it, she must have wanted everyone to know.

Yolanda cleared her throat and pretended to be worried. “Melody, how can you say this out loud?”

This sentence completely confirmed that what Melody had said was true.

For a moment, Justin didn’t know how to respond to Melody. He rolled his eyes and wisely kept quiet. However, the guests were already curious.

Finally, the rich lady sitting at the same table as Russell could not help but ask, “Mr. Fox, why did you suddenly disown your daughter? Did she do something bad? Or… is she not used to living here?”

Russell valued his reputation. When he sensed that others presumed he was mistreating Melody, he ignored the warning in Maria’s eyes and said, “Since you asked, I’ll make this clear. Melody has no respect for the elders in the family. She doesn’t care about me as his father at all. She even causes trouble for the family all the time. Last night, 1 she asked to cut ties with me, so I agreed.”

Hearing that, the guests looked at Melody with disgust. They no longer whispered but criticized Melody loudly in front of Russell.

“As expected, the environment she grew up in determines who she becomes. She grew up in the countryside. I’m afraid she had all the bad habits of the people there with her,” one commented.

“If you ask me, Mr. Fox, you shouldn’t have brought her back in the first place. She could fend for herself in the countryside,” a gentleman said.

“Yeah, look at her. I don’t know where she got the courage to attend a birthday party with such an ugly face,” another agreed.

“That’s right. She’s already cut ties with the Fox family but is staying here. How shameless. I think she’s just talking about cutting ties with her father. She can’t bear to forgo the benefits the Fox family brought her.”

Someone even tried to nudge Russell to be more ruthless. “Mr. Fox, you’ve already disowned her. Don’t be soft-hearted again. I heard that she is evil and doesn’t have any strengths. If you keep such a daughter, she’ll only bring endless trouble to your family.”

Russell nodded. “Don’t worry, everyone. From now on, I have nothing to do with Melody. If she offends any of you, please don’t seek me out for justice.”

Maria scolded in a low voice with a sullen face, “Idiot, do you have to be so ruthless? If others don’t know, you still have a way out in the future. But now you’ve made a big deal out of it. Aren’t you afraid that you will be regretful one day?”

Don’t worry, I won’t regret it, Russell said.

Chapter 388

Russell was a little reluctant to disown Melody for her medical skills last night, but now he felt nothing.

‘She indeed knows medicine, but who knows how good her medical skills can be? Perhaps she was just lucky the last few times, Russell thought.

Compared to what Melody had brought him, he wanted the company’s steady growth more. Anyway, Ulric had already fallen for Mabel. Russell did not need Melody at all.

He thought it was better to talk about the severance in public to prevent Melody from causing trouble for him in the future.

Maria shook her head repeatedly when she saw Russell’s firm attitude. ‘Unfortunately, I have raised such a stupid son. It’s not a bad thing that Melody can leave for the time being. Then that fool will know he’s reckless and has made a mistake,’ she thought.

“I hope you won’t regret it,” Maria said and then fell silent. She knew that Russell was hopeless. Only the fatal blow in reality could wake him up.

When Russell saw that Maria was silent, he turned to look at Melody and said, “Since you’re shameless enough to say this before them, get lost. I’m done tolerating you.”

Melody slowly stood up. When she was about to walk out, outside the door suddenly sounded a siren.

Hearing the sound, she paused and her lips slowly curled into a subtle smile. The show begins,’ she thought.

The sirens could be heard over the past few days, making Russell nervous. At this moment, he couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What has happened again?’

Yolanda was also inexplicably nervous. Even her exquisite makeup couldn’t hide her pale face. Although she was released from prison in the end, the experience traumatized her.

Two seconds later, a group of police officers came in with a man wearing a mask.

The man was in handcuffs. Obviously, he had just been arrested.

Melody was surprised to see this man. ‘Isn’t this the stall owner from the black market? Why is he brought here?’ she thought.

The leading police officer did not expect there to be so many people in the living room. He glanced around and asked, “May I ask who the owner of this house is? We want to investigate a case involving a poison sale. Please cooperate with our investigation.”

The police’s presence had already stirred up the crowd. The officer’s speech caused an even more intense discussion in the living room.

“Poison sale? Why are you talking about poison sale?” one cried out.

“Did the police make a mistake? We’re having a party here…”

Someone looked at Melody and raised his voice. “Are they looking for the loser the Fox family just disowned? Wasn’t she always causing trouble for them?”

“It must be her. The Fox family is so unlucky to have such a troublemaker. Fortunately, Mr. Fox disowned her,” one guest answered.

Russell had heard the guests’ guesses. He was immediately convinced that the “poison” the police officer mentioned had something to do with Melody.

Russell was secretly glad he had signed the agreement to sever ties with her last night. At the same time, he took a few steps forward and said to the police officers, “Hey, officers, today is my wife’s birthday. If you’re here for Melody, hurry up and arrest her. She has already cut ties with the Fox family. What she did has nothing to do with us.”

Melody looked at Russell’s anxious expression and could not help but laugh mockingly. She had seen many selfish people, but Russell was the worst.

One police officer said with a serious expression, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I’m really sorry to disturb you, but the higher-ups are investigating the sale of poison. They followed the clues and found this guy. After being questioned, he pointed out that someone from your family bought poison from him. To prevent the poison from harming anyone, we brought him over to identify the buyer. Please cooperate.”

Russell nodded and turned to point at Melody. “Did she buy some poison from you?”

The police officer found it strange, wondering why Russell seemed to be so sure that Melody had bought poison.

However, since Russell had started, the police officer urged the man, “Come on. Speak after you recognize the buyer. Don’t make a mistake.”

Melody looked at the stall owner expressionlessly. She was not afraid or panicked at all since she hadn’t done that.

The stall owner had seen what she looked like before, but she did not buy poison from him. Instead, she bought herbs to treat illnesses.

However, to Melody’s surprise, the stall owner shook his head when he met her gaze and said, “It’s not her. I’ve never seen her before.”

Melody raised her eyebrows and quickly realized something. ‘Suddenly, they brought the stall owner. It’s probably Ken’s plan. After all, the black market is managed by Ken. With him around, the stall owner wouldn’t have been caught so easily, she pondered.

However, when Russell heard that it was not Melody, he subconsciously blurted out, “How can it not be her? The others in our family wouldn’t buy any poison.”

Melody sneered and didn’t even want to talk back to Russell.

The police officer frowned and said, “Sir, the criminal will identify the buyer. You shouldn’t be so subjective.”

After the police officer warned him, he turned around and reminded the stall owner, “Take a closer look. Is there anyone here who bought poison from you?”

The stall owner nodded. With the permission of the police officers, his gaze swept across all the faces of the crowd.

Melody looked at Yolanda and saw that Yolanda’s forehead was covered in sweat. Yolanda even deliberately turned her face to the side as if she was afraid that the stall owner would recognize her.

Melody had a faint smile, thinking, ‘Looks like Yolanda has recognized the stall owner.’

However, the more guilty Yolanda felt, the more attention she attracted. Maria’s sharp gaze fell on Yolanda.

“You-” As soon as Maria asked, the stall owner pointed at Yolanda and said, “That’s her! She bought poison from me several times.”

Yolanda’s back stiffened and she subconsciously retorted, “Nonsense! I’ve never come into contact with any poison. The police officer is right here. Think carefully before you speak.”

Her eyes were filled with warning, but the stall owner laughed and said to the police officer, “Officer, actually, I wasn’t sure just now because she always wore a mask when she came to buy poison from me. But as soon as she spoke, I was sure that it was her.”

Yolanda’s eyes suddenly widened. “Nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense.” The stall owner looked straight at Yolanda and said, “You bought herbs from me a few times. It was soaked in a certain concentration of mercury sulfide. The last time I saw you, you no longer bought mercury sulfide from me, but a newly developed poison. The person who takes this poison will surely die within a month, and there’s no cure for it.”

Upon hearing this, everyone except Melody had a terrified expression.

“Liar! What proof do you have that I bought poison from you? Just because my voice resembles the voice of the buyer?” Yolanda snapped.

Then, she turned to look at the police officer and asked: Officer, this is not evidence at all, right?

Chapter 389

“Don’t worry,” the leading police officer said. “We won’t falsely accuse people, nor will we let any criminal off. There is other evidence at the police station. We’ll check it as well. If it proves your innocence, we will immediately release you with a certain amount of compensation for mental damage caused.”

“O-other evidence?” A trace of panic flashed across Yolanda’s eyes as she subconsciously asked, “What other evidence is there?”

“It’s not convenient to reveal it to you. You’ll know if you come with us. Please.”

Before confirming that Yolanda was the buyer, the police officer politely gestured for her to follow rather than force her.

Yolanda smiled dryly and said, “Officer, it’s my birthday today. The guests are still here. Can you give me some time? I’ll come later to cooperate with your investigation.”

“I’m sorry, but this is an important case. You should come with us now.” The police officer paused and said, “And we must search your house to collect evidence. Please cooperate.”

“Search the house?” Russell immediately said, “No, there are so many guests here. It’s not that we don’t want to cooperate, but we really can’t.”

Yolanda said directly, “That’s right. You don’t even have concrete evidence. As long as we disagree, you have no right to search our house.”

The police officer looked troubled. The police must have the house owner’s permission before the search. If Russell was unwilling, they had to give up.

At this moment, a woman suddenly ran over from the door. “Officer, I can testify that the buyer was Yolanda.”

The moment Yolanda saw the woman, she was dumbfounded and stood rooted to the ground.

“Y-you…” Yolanda stuttered.

The woman met Yolanda’s gaze and said, “Madam, the police have already come to investigate. Stop denying it. You should turn yourself in at once. Confess so that you may get a lenient sentence.”

Yolanda gritted her teeth so hard. This woman was the servant Yolanda had planted by Maria’s side. ‘How did she come in from the outside?’ Yolanda wondered.

Almost at once, Yolanda recalled that Maria was still healthy and showed no signs of being poisoned. Then, she supposed that Maria had never taken the poison.

“What’s going on?” The police officer frowned and asked the servant, “Who are you?”

The servant introduced herself and then explained in detail how Yolanda had ordered her to mix the poison with Maria’s medicine.

It was a lot to take in and Maria fainted and fell backward.

“Grandma!” Melody was the first to notice Maria’s abnormality. She immediately ran towards Maria.

She was so fast that the others only saw a shadow moving through the crowd.

When they looked again, Melody caught Maria just in time.

“Grandma…” Melody quickly checked Maria’s pulse. After confirming that her coma was due to anxiety, she was about to perform acupuncture on Maria.

However, before Melody could do it, Russell suddenly took a few steps forward and pushed her away.

“Mom, are you alright?” he cried out.

Russell’s face was filled with worry. He shook Maria a few times but she was still unconscious. When he saw the device Melody was holding, he determined that Melody was going to harm Maria.

He glared at Melody and questioned, “What are you trying to do to her? She’s your grandmother. She’s doted on you enough. How can you even harm her? I know you know medicine. You’re deliberately making her sick and taking this opportunity to show your medical skills and stay to treat her, right? Look, I’m no fool!”

Melody frowned and explained, “I didn’t do anything. I was going to perform acupuncture on her.”

To divert the focus, Yolanda quickly said, “Acupuncture? With your acupuncture, I’m afraid she will die at once, right?”

As Yolanda spoke, she snatched the device from Melody’s hand. Then Yolanda raised her voice and said to the guests, “Everyone, look. We don’t usually use such thick and long needles for acupuncture. Obviously, she wants to harm Maria.”

Everyone looked at the device in Yolanda’s hand. The needle was indeed much longer and thicker than the normal type.

Besides, they had already had a bad impression of Melody. As expected, they immediately criticized her.

“Melody, you’ve gone too far. Don’t you think this is too cruel?” one shouted from the crowd.

“Tell us the truth. Did you buy the poison to cause trouble so that you can divert everyone’s attention?” another heckler asked.

Melody glanced at the crowd expressionlessly and said, “I didn’t do anything to harm Grandma.”

“Why should we believe you?” a voice shouted.

Justin took the opportunity to give Melody a hard time. He stepped forward and scolded, “You not only look ugly for a reason but have an ugly and vicious soul!”

Melody narrowed her eyes and raised her hand to slap Justin. A crisp sound rang out, and the entire living room fell silent.

“How dare you hit me?” Justin covered his face in disbelief and rushed to slap Melody back.

However, before his hand could touch Melody, Melody grabbed it hard in midair. The excruciating pain made Justin scream.

“Ouch! It hurts. Let go of me. Officer, save me. She’s going to kill me,” he yelled.

Melody coldly shook off Justin’s hand and said in disgust, “I hit you because you deserve it. Kill you? You don’t want to get my hands dirty for your cheap life.”

“You…” Justin was furious and was about to charge at Melody again.

Seeing things getting more chaotic, the police officers hurriedly went to stop Justin. One of the police officers reminded him, “Saving that old lady’s life is more important. Can anyone here help her? She is still unconscious.”

The others looked at one another. They were all businessmen, so how could they know first aid?

“Me,” Melody said. “I just need to give Grandma acupuncture. She will wake up soon.”

“Then try it first. Let’s call the hospital,” the police officer said.

Melody nodded. Just as she was about to perform it once again on Maria, Russell stopped her.

“Officer, we can’t let her do this. She knows some medical skills, but who knows if she has any ill intentions and wants to take the opportunity to harm my mother? We disowned her. She might hold a grudge against us,” Russell said.

When the police officer hesitated, a guest suddenly thought of something and said, “I know a doctor. He happens to be in a meeting nearby today. I can call him to come and help. No one knows how long we’ll have to wait for the ambulance.”

“Alright.” The police officer immediately nodded. “Hurry and call that doctor.”

Before long, the guest was back with a doctor. Melody recognized the doctor at a glance.

Chapter 390

It was none other than Rodney. Behind him was a middle-aged man. Melody had never seen him before, but she vaguely felt he looked familiar.

A guest said in surprise. “Aren’t you the director of Central Hospital? I can’t believe you’d come! I know Maria is in good hands.”

The director of Central Hospital, Gerard Williams, was a famous and respected doctor before he became a director. After becoming the director, he was transferred to the academic and administrative departments.

Russell was delighted when he saw him. Since the hospital director was there, he knew his mother would be fine.

He hurriedly approached Gerard and begged. “Doctor. please take a look at my mother. She suddenly fainted. Could it be… a cerebral hemorrhage?”

Cerebral hemorrhage was not a small matter, and Gerard immediately instructed Rodney, “Rodney, take a look at the patient, quick.

“Will do!” Rodney did not delay a second and walked towards Maria. However, just as he was about to touch her, he suddenly saw a familiar figure from the corner of his eye.

Melody saw him first, and she greeted him, “Rodney!”

Rodney was overjoyed when he saw he was not mistaken. “Miss Fox! So you’re here too?” Rodney grabbed Melody’s sleeve and added, “I don’t have to do much work with you around. Could you take a look at our patient? I’m here for a meeting and training, so I didn’t bring proper equipment, but you’re different. Your hand is your finest equipment.”

Rodney’s words stunned everyone. “What did he say?”

Russell frowned and asked, “Doctor, are you serious? You’re a doctor, but you’re asking a young girl to observe a patient? If Melody could do it, why do we need your service?”

Rodney hadn’t met Russell before and thought he was oblivious to Melody’s identity. So, he answered, “What little girl? She may be young, but her medical expertise is much better than mine. Our hospital hires her to treat patients with illnesses we can’t solve.”

Russell was stunned and could not help but question, “You, did you drink too much? How could she be a doctor from your hospital? And she’s already a specialist?”

Central Hospital’s recruitment was the strictest among all Silverlake. Even the best medical graduates had to pass various tests before being hired and becoming an attending doctor. Russell couldn’t believe that Melody was among those doctors.

“I’m not mistaken, and I have not been drinking…”

“Exactly!” Rodney’s words were interrupted by Gerard. He took a few steps forward and asked, “So this is the Melody Fox I’ve been hearing about.”

Rodney quickly introduced Melody, “Miss Fox, this is the director of our hospital. He hopes you can visit the hospital more often when you have the time.”

Gerard quickly stretched out his hand and took the initiative to shake Melody’s hand. He said humbly, “Miss Fox, with you, our hospital can save more lives. There’s no time like the present. Today, you can sign the special contract with me. Otherwise, I’m worried other hospitals will snatch you away when they hear about you.”

Melody nodded at Gerard and said, “Sure, but right now, I need to save my grandma.”

“Is that your grandmother lying on the ground?” Gerard asked in confusion, “Why did you call us over when you were here yourself?”

“That’s right, Miss Fox.” Rodney was also puzzled. “With you around, why would you need us?”

Russell’s face turned pale when he heard this. He looked shocked. Meanwhile, the guests murmured behind him.

“So that ugly freak isn’t completely useless?”

“Obviously. I mean, you heard what Rodney said, right? For a top-notch doctor to say such a thing means Melody’s medical skills are far above his!”

“What? She’s that good? So why did Russell try to chase her out? I don’t understand.”

Russell’s expression turned pale. He regretted cutting ties with Melody because of his impulsiveness. Meanwhile, Melody said faintly, “Some people don’t believe in my medical skills and think that I want to use silver needles to harm people. They have always refused to let me treat my grandma.”

“Who are those people?” Rodney immediately felt sorry for Melody. “Who is so blind as to think your medical skills are terrible? Central Hospital completely disagrees!”

Russell glared at Yolanda awkwardly. He blamed her for getting himself involved. After all, he knew that Melody did have medical skills. He quickly changed the topic. “Let’s not talk so much. Hurry up and take a look at your grandmother!”

When Melody saw Russell take the silver needles back from Yolanda and place them in her hand, she could not help but glance at her mockingly. She refused to use those needles and threw them away in front of Russell. Seeing this, Russell was furious. “What are you doing, Melody? I’ve already given you the silver needle. What else do you want?”

Melody ignored him and took out the acupuncture bag she carried. She took out new silver needles and performed acupuncture on Maria.

Russell was about to approach to ask for clarification when Rodney blocked him. “You’ve misunderstood, those silver needles have already been contaminated by bacteria.”

Hearing Rodney’s explanation, Russell choked and scratched his head awkwardly. Meanwhile, everyone ignored Russell and watched Melody perform the acupuncture as if they were watching a show. Her movements were smooth, fast, and accurate. She inserted a few silver needles into Maria’s acupuncture points.

Justin was surprised that Melody had medical skills and even made Central Hospital’s director bow down to her. Knowing this, the hatred in his heart intensified. He silently hoped Melody’s treatment would fail terribly. Not only would it fail, but it would also be best if she accidentally killed Maria. This way, Melody would immediately be arrested by the police.

Just as Justin was happily thinking about Melody’s fate after the treatment failed, Maria, who was lying unconscious on the ground, slowly opened her eyes and asked in a hoarse voice, “What happened to me?”

Justin was shocked. She wakes up? But… it had only been less than ten seconds since the acupuncture! He looked pale as if he had his soul sucked away by a ghost.

Melody did not pay attention to Justin at all. She answered Maria gently, “Grandma, you fainted from anger just now. You need to pay attention to your emotions. Otherwise, you’ll pass out again.” As she spoke, she removed the silver needles from Maria’s body.

Maria nodded and allowed Melody to remove the silver needles from her body. She felt strange. The silver needles Melody put were so long, but she did not feel any pain in her body. This was enough to prove that Melody’s acupuncture technique was superb.

Seeing that his mother was fine, Russell quickly helped her up. However, Maria did not let him touch her. She asked the servant, “Is it true that Yolanda asked you to poison my medicines?

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