A car sat silently in the shadows, not far from Brookhaven General Hospital.
Alexander Wilson watched through the window as Elijah Clark emerged from the hospital entrance. Dressed in ordinary casual clothes, his handsome features drew curious glances from passersby.
The nurses who greeted him with warm smiles had no idea this gentle-looking man was actually a key member of an international criminal organization known as Fox Hunt.
What was he doing out so late?
Alexander couldn't risk driving. He slipped out of the car quietly and followed on foot, hoping tonight might finally yield some crucial leads.
But when Elijah turned into an alley, he simply vanished.
Damn it. Lost him.
Alexander cursed under his breath, but there was nothing he could do. He trudged back to the surveillance vehicle, his mission fruitless.
Meanwhile, the man who had disappeared was now seated in a private booth at The Velvet Rose, a nightclub in the city. Standing before him was a wiry man with glasses—Ryan Kim. Though slender, his frame was deceptively muscular. His narrow eyes held a cold, almost lifeless stare. His head was completely shaved.
"Here's everything you requested—Daniel Taylor's whereabouts for the past month and a list of his clients."
Elijah's expression darkened as he flipped through the documents. Finally, he tore the papers in half, scattering useless shreds across the floor.
"Does a client named Kyle Jones still owe us a substantial loan?"
Elijah's memory was legendary—he never forgot a face or a name. The moment he spotted Kyle Jones's name and photo, recognition flashed in his eyes.
"Yes. He borrowed two years ago and hasn't paid it off yet."
"Tell him to bring Daniel Taylor to The Velvet Rose tomorrow night. Say we need to discuss business. All he has to do is slip this pill into Daniel's drink, then walk away. Half his debt will be forgiven."
"Understood."
Even half the debt was a staggering amount. But Ryan Kim didn't ask why Elijah wanted this done. As a senior operative in the organization, his job was to follow orders without question.
Business concluded, Elijah didn't linger. He returned to the hospital, stopping by to check on Emilia Clark. It was advice Wei Wei had given him, and he never ignored her words.
For the past two days, Emma Johnson had been bored out of her mind. She desperately wanted to go back to work, but Dr. Moore insisted she couldn't overexert herself. Liam Williams had outright forbidden her from leaving Sunrise Manor, acting as domineering as a king.
She'd even called Joshua Harris, hoping he'd pressure her to return to work—giving her an excuse to escape the manor.
But before she could say three words, Liam snatched the phone. She could clearly hear Joshua's sycophantic voice on the other end.
"Rest well! You must recover fully before coming back to work."
If Liam hadn't been around a few months ago, she would have dared to take leave. Back then, her boss's relentless calls would have driven her crazy.
Ah, how times had changed.
Thankfully, Liam no longer slept in the same room. He'd moved to his study, allowing her to actually get some rest at night.
So now, she was nothing but a lazy freeloader—eating and sleeping all day. The only thing that broke her boredom was her afternoon walks to the butterfly orchid sea.
That afternoon, after her nap, she headed to the flower fields again. To her surprise, Henry Williams was there too. After a moment's hesitation, she approached to greet him.
Calling him "Father" took every ounce of courage she had. She'd always seen herself as an outsider in Sunrise Manor, never imagining she'd one day truly be the lady of the house.
People should know their place. She was well aware of hers.
Henry looked at her with mild surprise, a rare smile softening his usually stern face.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm recovering quickly. Dr. Moore says I have a good constitution, so healing has been much easier."
Emma looked every bit the dutiful daughter-in-law, and Henry's expression showed a hint of approval.
Three days ago, Emma never would have dreamed she'd be sitting here, chatting so harmoniously with the old man. When she shared funny stories from her life, he even smiled—the same way he smiled at Amelia White.
Emma realized she'd been intimidated by his serious demeanor, keeping her distance. But now that she'd spent time with him, she found he wasn't so hard to approach.
Especially when he spoke about his late wife. The tenderness in his eyes revealed how deeply he'd loved her. It was a pity his beloved was gone, leaving him to face old age alone.
Even with hundreds of millions in assets, he couldn't buy the simple happiness her parents enjoyed in their later years. Thinking about her fake marriage to Liam made her feel guilty. She didn't know how she'd face the old man when their year was up.
"I used to go to that wonton noodle shop when I was young. I can't believe it's still there after all these years."
When Emma mentioned the noodle shop's unique flavor, she was surprised the old man knew it too.
"Yes, the Noodle House is now run by the third generation. Small as it is, people line up every day. Business has always been booming."
Just talking about it made Emma's stomach growl with longing.
Henry chuckled, clearly seeing through her.
"Do you really want to eat there?"
"Yes."
Emma nodded honestly, thinking that once Liam allowed her to go out, she'd order ten bowls from Cheng Jingjing. For now, she could only dream.
She silently added another mark to her mental blacklist against Liam.
"It's not hard to get there. There shouldn't be many people at this hour."
Emma looked at the old man in surprise, not quite processing his words.
Henry shook his head, amused by her stunned expression.
"Really? That would be wonderful."
With the highest authority in the house giving permission, Emma could finally go out for some fresh air. And wonton noodles too.
Watching his daughter-in-law's simple, happy expression, Henry realized her mind was quite uncomplicated. Though she might not be the ideal wife for the head of Pinnacle Corporation, having someone so genuine in the family wasn't a bad thing.
It was a hundred times better than those women with complicated minds who spent all day scheming against others.