Napoleon naturally got his daughter’s beseech. At that, he raised his head and gazed disappointingly at her. ‘Do you really think I’d feel bad for that ungrateful b*stard? I’m worried about your happiness here. Who’d have thought this would happen just when your marriage is finally in the talks?! Sigh, just when will I get to see you start a family?”
Narissa knew a nagging was inevitable, so she simply slumped onto the couch and deflected, saying, “Worst comes to worst, I’ll stay single forever. Better yet, I can try the test tubes. It’ll still be your grandchild, and you won’t even have to worry about being set up.”
“Nonsense!” Napoleon hit the roof. “You better get back to your blind dates after the Heidelbergs’ issue is settled!”
“I’m heading to Elise’s.” Done arguing, Narissa got up and headed out at once.
On the journey, she texted Elise that Napoleon had already talked to Gale, and by the time she arrived at Griffith Manor, the gang was discussing the next step. Narissa casually swept her gaze across the room and found that Jamie wasn’t around.
“He’s gone to check on Alicia, Elise whispered, knowing the young woman’s worry.
“Mm. Narissa nodded dazedly after a split- second stump.
“Myres’ only obstacle now is Alicia and her father, Alexander commented.
Elise, too, stated her opinion. ‘Alicia has PTSD, and she’s likely to be identified as mentally impaired. With that, she’d lose her chance to succeed in the company. Hence, Gale would likely target Old Master Heidelberg.”
“You read my mind, Dear.” Alexander showed off some PDA humorlessly before turning to the others with a profound straight face. “Fake Old Master Heidelberg’s death; make him no longer a threat to Myres.”
The elder was still in a coma, so playing possum was certainly a no-go. Hence, the only way left was through medication.
“BJ Biotech’s lab has the state-of-the-art suspended animation drug. I’ll sneak some out!” Paul volunteered as tribute.
“That won’t do.” Elise didn’t want further complications to arise. “Given how wary Myres is, anything will alert him. He will definitely be on guard after knowing you stole the drug, and it won’t be easy for us to overthrow him anymore.”
If anything, Smith Co. had a similar drug. Unfortunately, it could only last for a dozen minutes, not enough to last the entire checkup. The medical team Gale bribed would certainly figure it out.
“Do you guys want to give mine a try?” Irvin popped up out of nowhere and stood in the middle of the circle. “It will last for thirty minutes. It worked on Maggie.”
Maggie was Alexander’s dog, about the size of a fully grown woman. If it worked on the dog, it would work on a human being.
“Let me have a go at it!” Paul reached for the drug at once. However, the little man hid it behind his back and asked him for money instead. “Three million for a pill. Please and thank you.”
Paul was stumped. He didn’t even have three on him, let alone millions!
“Come on, don’t tell me you, the heir to BJ Biotech, refuse to pay up?! Someone’s got to amortize the R&D cost with me, no?” Irvin wasn’t one to deal with a bad bargain.
“That’s not it. My family’s in the pharmaceutical R&D business. Of course, I know how costly research and development can be. But look at the situation I’m in! What money do I have?!” Paul felt somewhat ashamed.
In the past, he wouldn’t even bat an eyelid when he spent tens of thousands on one visit to the bar, but now, he couldn’t even fish out three. million to save his family. How ironic.
“I mean, I don’t mind an IOU.” Irvin pulled out a pen and a piece of paper from his pocket. “I’ll collect the debt after you reclaim your company.”
“Deal! Paul agreed readily and wrote down a three million IOU before fervently handing it to the boy. “Here. Give me the drug.”
The action and expression were practically identical to when he issued a check back then.
“Here.” Irvin chucked the entire bottle to him with pleasure after checking the IOU. “I’ll give you the other two pills for free.”
“There won’t be any side effects, will there?” Paul checked the bottle under the light. “No. It’s very safe,” Irvin patted his chest and reassured. “At most, he’ll be hyperactive for the first half an hour after waking up.”
“I’ll impersonate Old Master Heidelberg’s handwriting and come up with a will then,” Elise announced.
“What for? It’s not like he’s really going to die.” Paul thought it would jinx it.
“How can Myres, a relative of the cadet branch, sit firmly in the position and act audaciously without a decree?” Elise rebutted. It wasn’t just a will but also the final nail in Gale’s coffin!
Meanwhile, at the Heidelberg Residence, Jamie snuck into Alicia’s room with caution. The young woman was becoming somewhat disoriented, for she didn’t make out Jamie even after seeing him, just tilting her head with nothing but loss and confusion in her eyes.
The room was a mess; it looked like it had been a while since someone last cleaned the place. Not only that, Jamie noticed dust had been collecting in the corridor when he passed by outside.
Worried that he would stir up Alicia, Jamie only dared to observe her from three feet away, and after silently keeping her company after a while, he heard Alicia’s stomach growling.
With that, he turned to get her something to eat from the table. But lo and behold, even the jug was empty! Livid, Jamie clenched his fists.
Son of a b-! So, these people won’t even bring food over after knowing the Heidelberg Family has fallen, huh? They’re going to starve her to death, aren’t they?!
Livid with rage, he swept everything on the table to the floor, creating ear-piercing clings and clangs and causing Alicia to scream in a frenzy, startled, “Ah! Go away! Don’t touch me! No!”
By the time Jamie returned to the room, he had found Alicia scratching herself with her sharp nails. At that, he charged toward her and clamped her hands only to find her neck, shoulders, and arms-everywhere exposed- were filled with scratch marks. All results of her clawing. It was a horrendous sight.
Even her face was reddened. He was certain it would be disfigured if he was late to notice it.
The sight broke Jamie’s heart, and he felt a lump in his throat and oncoming tears.
Beauty is everything to a girl. Alicia must have been entirely traumatized by that night for her to torture herself like this!It’s all thanks to me.
Meanwhile, Alicia was fighting him, continuing to hurt herself.
“Alicia, it’s me, Jamie! Look at me! Don’t hurt yourself anymore, please….” Jamie implored.
Not even a heartless man would bear to look away; what more when he was the cause of her misery?! He had to make amends and repay the debt. He had to see that Alicia would get better.
At that moment, Alicia regained her sanity temporarily as though she had read his mind. “Jamie? You’re here. Have I arrived in heaven? | had a dream. In it, I was wearing a wedding gown, getting ready to be your bride, but suddenly a lot of bad guys, a lot, charged at me and said I was filthy…”
