Chapter 19 Chapter 19 "Yeah, that's right." William realized belatedly and chuckled. "We're not close with her." 256 vouchers Ethan frowned, thinking, 'Ms. Summers is supposed to be their adopted daughter. Why are they treating her like charity now?" Seeing no answers here, he cut the small talk short. Standing up, he offered a polite nod. "If that's settled, I'll let you get back to it." Margaret kept shooting William meaningful glances, signaling for William to step in and persuade Ethan to stay. Just as Ethan was about to walk out, William grabbed his arm. "Mr. Shea, you rarely come by. Why not stay for dinner and let us show a little hospitality?" William said, his tone dripping with flattery. Ethan pulled his arm back, his face resolute. "No need. I have other things to take care of. But thanks for the offer, Mr. Sherman." "Well..." William looked a bit embarrassed at being turned down, but quickly bounced back. "I have one more request. Not sure if I should even mention it." Ethan was internally rolling his eyes. 'If you're not sure, then just keep it to yourself. Does he not realize how swamped I am right now?' Still, he kept his professional mask on and nodded to let William continue. "Thing is, we heard Mr. Shea's throwing a party soon. Any chance the Sherman family could get an invite?" William said, as he shoved a card into Ethan's hand. Ethan's frown deepened. He liked money but only the honest kind. Bribes were beneath him. "Mr. Sherman," he said, shoving the card back with a steely look, "the Shea family's invitations go out to the families we actually want to invite." Plus, he had no say on this anyway. William's face burned with embarrassment. Ethan's message couldn't be clearer: the Sherman family wasn't even good enough to get an invite from the Sheas. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going," Ethan said, desperate to leave. He practically bolted for the door. Margaret was livid. "So what, he's saying the Sherman family isn't good enough for the Sheas now? And since when does an assistant get to tell us what to do?" "Mom, he's actually right. We really can't compare to the Sheas at the moment," Cheryl said gently, trying to soothe Margaret. "But don't worry. I've already got Nathan and Grandpa Henry's approval. They'll bring us along to the consultation event." "Really?" William's face broke into a wide smile, all his worries gone in an instant. "Cheryl, you're so thoughtful. You really are my good girl." Margaret beamed with pride. "Of course! Just wait till I get you all dressed up. Mr. Shea won't know what hit him. Once he falls for you, you'll be the Shea family's daughter-in-law for sure." William was just as excited. He quickly handed the card to Cheryl. "Your mom's right, Cheryl. Here's 30 thousand dollars. Go buy yourself some nice clothes and jewelry. If that's not enough, just ask me for more." Cheryl took the card and stood quietly to the side, lost in thought. Suddenly, she let out a soft laugh. She sneered, thinking. "Trading 30 thousand dollars for a Shea family invitation? Dad's so naive. As if a Shea family party could be bought for just 30 grand.' *** 1/3 & 8:51 pm D Chapter 19 55 vouchers At Willow Lane, Grace leaned over Jenny and checked if she was still breathing, her face full of worry. "This girl's been out for a whole day. Why isn't she waking up?" "Don't worry, ma'am," Olivia said. "The medicine I gave her has a bit of a sedative effect, so it's normal for her to sleep longer." Grace finally let out a sigh of relief. "Good. When she wakes up, ask her where she lives and make sure she gets home safe. Olivia answered without looking up, her hands busy mixing a fresh batch of medicine. It was a custom formula for Jenny-a fast-acting remedy for sudden breathlessness. Knowing the child hated bitterness, she rolled the pills in licorice candy coating. As night fell, Jenny finally drifted awake. She slowly opened her eyes, taking in the unfamiliar yet comforting room. It felt oddly familiar, almost like somewhere she'd visited in a dream. Turning her head, she spotted Olivia sitting on the couch, absorbed in a medical book. "You're awake," Olivia said, getting up. "Are you still feeling unwell?" Jenny's attack struck without warning. Her emotions had spiraled, and Natalie had grabbed her throat. The assault left her airway bruised and heart strained, but after targeted medicine and acupuncture, her color had already improved. "Olivia, you saved me again," Jenny said weakly, giving a faint smile. She struggled to sit up, reaching out her arms to Olivia for a hug. Jenny was all soft curls and big eyes, irresistibly sweet. Olivia melted every time. "Weren't you with your family? How'd you end up with Natalie?" She couldn't fathom a parent letting a child wander alone. If she hadn't shown up, Jenny's condition would've taken a dark turn. Jenny's eyes flickered mischievously before she put on her best puppy-dog look, staring up at Olivia. "I missed you, so I came to find you." Olivia couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. She hadn't expected Jenny to think about her so much. "Next time, make sure you're safe before you decide to do anything," Olivia said, ruffling Jenny's fluffy little head. "So, Olivia, can you be my sister-in-law?" Jenny asked. This was already the third time she'd asked, but the thing was, Olivia just wasn't into guys for now. When Olivia didn't answer, Jenny guessed she wasn't interested, so she switched topics. "You're so amazing at medicine. Are you the legendary Phantom Healer everyone's talking about?" Olivia propped her chin on her hand, her eyes shining so brightly it was almost startling. "You're really sharp." "So, Olivia, are you actually the legendary Phantom Healer?" Jenny's eyes went wide; she was totally stunned. "Nope," Olivia replied, shaking her head, her gaze deep and thoughtful. "That name's way too much for me." She wasn't lying. The title "Phantom Healer" was actually earned by Grace back in her early days practicing medicine. Most people only know Phantom Healer, but hardly anyone realized there were actually two Phantom Healers-one was Grace, the other was Olivia. "If you're not the Phantom Healer, then who is?" Jenny's shoulders slumped. She'd seen countless doctors over the years, but none matched Olivia's skill. If Olivia wasn't the one, she'd never find another who could. "You look pretty disappointed," Olivia said, a playful glint in her eye. Jenny nodded, her small face clouded with rare sadness. "It's my brother. He says only the Phantom Healer can cure us." 2/3 8:51 pm S Chapter 19 55 vouchers Her voice dropped to a whisper. "He came to Hillarica to find her and to win the Refreshing Pill at that auction. But you said we can't even try..." 3/3 Freelance photographer Violet Beck is forced into an engagement with CEO Roy Payne. He is everything her wild heart rebels against: proper, predictable, and painfully kind. But love has a way of devel...