Elliot acknowledged his grandfather’s request and left the room.But first, he went to the doctor’s office to ask about his grandfather’s condition. The doctor recognized Elliot as the only wheelchair bound member of the Patton family. But his condition did not mean that he was more vulnerable than others.On the contrary, his ruthless methods made people wary.There were rumors that no woman who had been sent to his villa had come out alive.The doctor said, “Elliot, to be honest, your grandfather’s condition is a tricky one. The readings indicate mild to severe stenosis. Generally, when stenosis exceeds 75%, it requires the insertion of a stent. Look here.”He pointed to the medical reports. “Your grandfather’s stenosis is already close to 70%, which is considered severe. Even a slight emotional fluctuation could pose a life-threatening risk.”Elliot’s heart sank when he heard this. “How did things get so bad? Can you do the surgery now?”The doctor pushed his glasses up and
Sophia replied impatiently, “You come up with an excuse, then.”Daniel chuckled, “I guess it’s hard for you to be both a family member and a doctor.”She sighed and sat down. “I don’t have a choice. If I give her this medicine, I’ll be revealing everything to her.”He mused, “I’ve always wondered about that. Dorothy would teach me medicine, but they wouldn’t allow you to pursue this field. Now you’re practicing medicine behind her back!”Sophia replied with a touch of melancholy, “I don’t know. Maybe they thought I wasn’t cut out for it.”He felt like a lump was stuck in his throat. He said, “You’re the one orchestrating this whole performance. If you’re not the real deal, no one is. You’ve made me feel like I’m the one who’s secretly learning everything!”She laughed and replied, “You only have yourself to blame for being clueless. Go back and come up with a good excuse, or else…”He responded to her sinister tone, “I get it, I get it. You’re my aunt, after all.”With that, he
Sophia Buck said, “I’ve never depended on the heavens for anything!” Elliot Patton nodded with approval. “You’re tough. Tell me, then. Should I also leave you in the toilet for an hour, or should I teach you how it feels to have a motionless body?”Sophia stared at him intently, “You can go ahead and kill me if that’s what you want. But if you want to punish me, I suggest you recall the hour we spent together in the toilet. I’m petty, I hold grudges, and I’ll wait patiently for the tables to turn. What will you do when you’re at my mercy one day?”Elliot was amused. He lifted her chin again and asked, “How many times do you think I’ll fall for your bewitching looks?” Sophia raised an eyebrow, “What makes you think that’s my only trick?”Elliot couldn’t help but laugh, “Hmm. You trapped me in the toilet, tossed my phone into the water, and insulted me. Tell me! Don’t you think you’ve done enough for me to kill you?”Elliot’s hand slid down and choked her delicate neck as he spok
Samuel looked awkwardly at Elliot. He seemed really mad. What was that lady talking about? Why was she talking about an incubation period and him being contagious? Was she trying to say that Elliot was rabid?The thought scared him so much that he gulped and frantically kept his head down. He dared not say a word.This lady was reckless. Did she know who she was talking to?Elliot was furious. He sneered, “Let’s see if you’re still this arrogant next time we meet.” Sophia replied with a smile, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” He left the room. Elliot was enraged, “I want you to find out who her grandmother is and which ward she’s staying in.” Samuel answered him in a panicked tone, “Understood, sir. Where are we going now?”Elliot replied, “We’re going to talk to the hospital director. Looks like anyone can be a doctor these days!” Samuel said meekly, “Right, sir.”That was it. She was done for! She had the gall to offend Elliot. She must have had a death wish!——
In the Buck family house.Sharon Buck hid in her room and rang Vincent Baxter, “How did it go, Vincent? Did you find Sophia?”Vincent was panting as he said, “I can’t find her. I looked all over the school but I didn’t see her at all. I heard that Sophia was skipping classes. She hasn’t been at school for over a month now!”Sharon was shocked. Was Sophia really skipping classes?She’d known that she did that from time to time back when she was still in the village. It was common to hear her picking fights with someone. That was why she hadn’t graduated from high school even though she was already twenty years old. Her dad had gone through a great deal of trouble to enroll her in Phoenix High School. She was secretly pleased at Sophia’s situation, but she adopted a worried tone. “Did you say she hasn’t been to school in a month? She hasn’t come back home, either. Where could she be?”Vincent was worn out from searching for her all day. He had been resentful and angry to begin w
Sharon nodded, “That’s what Vincent said.”Lawrence was furious, “The more we doted on her, the worse she became. I went through a lot of trouble enrolling her into Phoenix High School so she could fix her bad habits. Now, look at her! Is she just going to slack off?”Sadie exchanged glances with Sharon and said softly, “There, there. She hasn’t been with us for a long time. I’m sure she’s been influenced by other people from the village. We’ll just discipline her more. It’ll be fine.”Sharon chimed in, “That’s right, Dad. Sophia just arrived. It’s hard to resist everything that goes on in the city. We should try to help her more. Let’s focus on finding her first. Vincent is pretty worried about her.”Lawrence sighed and took Sharon’s hands in his. “It would be wonderful if Sophia were as sensible as you. It’s a good thing you’re sharp and realized what was happening today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know where to begin to clean up this mess. Your sister grew up in a village. She’s no
Sophia narrowed her eyes. She didn’t expect to hear that from her dad.She was furious and her voice was ice-cold. “Dirty tricks? Over the line? Chaos? I’ve done nothing, but you’ve already blamed me for everything. You’ve never cared about the truth. It wasn’t enough for you to point the finger at me. Now, you’re dragging my entire village into this. What’s wrong with being from a village? Did I ask you to provide for me? Why do you insult me every time you open your mouth? Do you know what I despise most about you? You’re condescending, and you look down on people all the time. Is the engagement all you care about? Fine, then! I’ll be there on time tomorrow. You’d better not regret this!”She hung up the phone as soon as she was done talking. She thought she wasn’t that upset, but her hands were shaking. Ugh!Why should she be upset because of them? She would just pay them back if they irritated her. Why should she show them any kindness?She doesn’t see him as part of he
Sophia entered the hotel. It had been a night since her argument with Lawrence and she had calmed down. She intended to ask Lawrence to privately arrange for Sophia to get engaged to Vincent. That would be best for everyone!She did not see anyone when she walked in the hotel, but she was suddenly yanked into a lounge as she walked past.Sophia was caught unawares and irritated. She felt sick when she saw it was Vincent and pulled her hand back. Naturally, she did not bother keeping her disgusted look in check, “What do you think you’re doing?”Vincent frowned and spoke angrily, “Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I’m not good enough for you? Tell me! Where did you go last night? I’m telling you, Sophia Buck. If you cheated on me…”“What about it?”Sophia looked at him coldly and sat on a chair. She took some tissue from the table and carefully wiped where Vincent had grabbed her. Her movements might have been elegant, but the insult stung more than words ever