"Even if I did consent, so what?" Joseph admitted."Joseph Lovelace! Do you even realize what you did? You're trafficking drugs. You're leading Lovelace Group to doom!" Edgar was so angry that his view darkened, and his body trembled."Wrong! What I did was to save Lovelace Group!"Joseph stood tall. His eyes were devoid of any remorse or guilt. "Do you think the company's doing well now? Our drug sales have been declining year after year, with losses amounting to hundreds of millions annually. What you see is just what I wanted to show you!"Also, the Alzheimer's drug research project ran out of funds long ago! If Aidan hadn't come up with this idea and infused some cash, our company's financial chain would've snapped six months ago! So, in a way, you should thank me. Without me, Lovelace Group wouldn't have made it this far.""You jerk... You're spouting nonsense!"Edgar clutched his chest as he rebuked, "Even if our family falls into bankruptcy… and we have to beg on the stree
Joseph's face turned ghostly pale. His hand shook with rage as he gripped the mouse.With a loud bang, he slammed the laptop shut. His fury reddened his face.Panicked, Ernest asked, "Mr. Joseph, what do we do now?""So... that old man never truly saw me as his son! Even after all these years of loyalty, he only treated me as a tool! All he cares about is Mandy!" Joseph smashed the laptop in his anger.Though he had feelings for Mandy, that laughable affection vanished in the face of his self-interest.Joseph trembled with rage and gritted his teeth. "You brought this on yourself, Dad."…That night, Alyssa hurried back to Heightsnew Villa.She went straight to see Mandy, who had just finished giving Winston his medication and was stepping out of the room."Mandy, did you visit Mr. Edgar? How is he?" Alyssa asked with concern after pulling her into a corner."Not good."As Mandy held Alyssa's hand, her eyes were red-rimmed. "Lyse, there's something I need to tell you. I've a
Aidan's arrest caused an uproar, and Lovelace Group became the target of condemnation.Although no concrete evidence yet linked the human drug experimentation to Lovelace Pharmaceuticals, suspicion was a powerful force. Once doubt crept in, innocence became a distant memory."Mr. Schmidt, you're incredible! It's like you can see the future!"In the chairman's office, Carl excitedly showed Jameson the comments on his iPad. "Aidan has become our scapegoat. The public is now attacking Lovelace Group, thinking they're the culprits behind the human experimentation. Everything is under your control!"Jameson smoothly swung his golf club, making a perfect shot. "Anyone who works for me must be under my control. I won't use those who aren't. I promised Mr. Justin that everything in Solana City would be handled perfectly, and I always keep my word."Carl looked smug. "Aidan is in deep trouble now. If he dares to mention your name to the police, we'll release the video of him drugging the w
"Can I join you?" Jasper asked, his demeanor warm and friendly.Nicholas replied simply, "Sure." Jasper gracefully sat opposite him, arriving alone with no backup.A palpable tension hung in the air even before a word was spoken. "Mr. Beckett," Nicholas began, "a man of your stature wouldn't be drinking coffee in a place like this." Nicholas then took a deep drag of his cigarette. His eyes were grim. "So, this isn't a coincidence. You've been following me.""It's not what you think," Jasper countered. A slight twitch of Jasper's lips accompanied his sincere gaze. "My wife told me everything that happened at the nursing home. She knew you'd be here if I couldn't find you at home. After all, both of us prioritize our wives. We might take detours, but we always end up in the same place, don't we?"An intelligent man would never directly communicate what he meant.Nicholas continued to smoke. "Are you and Ms. Alyssa married?"Jasper blinked and said, "Not yet.""Then, addressi
The corridors along the VIP ward were quiet and deserted. There was no one in sight.A female nurse came to check on Edgar after doing her rounds. As she left, a figure dressed as a nurse silently slipped into the ward.The ward was silent; Edgar was sound asleep.The man quickly took a syringe and plunged it into Edgar's withered arm.Surprisingly a light sleeper, Edgar bolted awake, his eyes wide with alarm. "W-Who are you?" It was the first time the man had done something like this. He panicked and stammered, "I-I am a new nurse. I'm here to do my rounds." "Nonsense! My daughter personally selected a nurse for me. Who the hell are you?"This man set off alarm bells in Edgar's head. He reached for the call button, but the man reacted swiftly, clamping a hand around his neck."I'm sorry, Mr. Edgar. At this point, I have no choice!"A sinister glint flickered in the man's eyes as he tightened his grip. Edgar's mouth gaped open, his pale complexion turning a sickly purple.
On the way out through the airport halls, the police carefully covered Joseph's handcuffed hands with clothes to avoid creating unnecessary commotion. Despite that, whispers and curious glances followed them. The travelers even took pictures and posted them online.In the interrogation room, Joseph, who always cultivated an image of elegance and reason, now pounded the table with his cuffed hands, screaming in frustration, "Didn't Aidan confess to everything? I don't know anything about his illegal drug business, and it has nothing to do with me. Who put you up to this? Why target me and the Lovelace Group?"Cyrus stared coldly at the man he once called Uncle Joseph. His lips formed a thin, impassive line. "Mr. Joseph, is that foresight you're displaying, or perhaps a guilty conscience? I haven't even mentioned drugs, yet you're already incriminating yourself."Joseph broke out in a cold sweat under Cyrus' unyielding gaze. He attempted to leverage their relationship to his advanta
The news of Aidan's suicide sent shockwaves through Solana City.Upon receiving the news, Alyssa hurried to Solana City with Mandy. Jasper followed them, fearing someone would hurt Mandy during this sensitive period."Cyrus told me the police found what seems to be a suicide note from Aidan in his coat jacket. It mentioned remorse for his actions and letting his grandfather and father down," Alyssa shared in her villa. Meanwhile, Jasper took it upon himself to warm two glasses of milk. He handed one to Mandy and the other to Alyssa. "This all happened so suddenly. Why… How…" Mandy trailed off, her voice thick with disbelief. It was one bad blow after another, and it all happened within a night. Mandy, a woman known for her composure, was starting to unravel. "I watched Aidan grow up. He was always so competitive. They raised and groomed him to be the successor. This must have been a crushing weight on him—the biggest sin he'd ever committed. Aidan must have felt completely co
Carl's blood ran cold at Jameson's words. He couldn't bring himself to speak. "I told you to keep Nicholas under close watch, and as I expected, he's been communicating with someone." A cruel, mocking laugh escaped Jameson's lips. "Didn't I tell you? In this world, only the dead can be truly trusted.""You're a genius, Mr. Schmidt!" Admiration and shock warred on Carl's face. "But, how did you realize something was off with Chief Novak?""He asked me about the drug development progress the other day, completely out of the blue. Never before has he bothered himself with such minor details."Jameson circled the table, picking up a photo from a stack. He studied it with chilling coldness. The picture captured Jasper placing a lighter in Nicholas' hand during their meeting at a café.A long moment passed before Jameson crumpled the photo into a tight ball, his eyes hardening with repressed fury."Are you planning to..." Carl ventured cautiously. "Forgive my bluntness, but Chief Nova