Chapter 20 Jenny hung her head, shoulders sagging. 'It's all my fault,' she thought. 'If I weren't so frail, if I weren't doomed to die young, Andrew wouldn't have to chase the Refreshing Pill.' That legendary elixir was said to revive the dying, extend life, and even rewrite fate for those like her, cursed with a short existence. Olivia caught the meaning behind Jenny's words. If it were before, she would have crafted a Refreshing Pill just for Jenny. But now, with things as they were, she truly felt helpless. Jenny let out a soft sigh and clung to Olivia, refusing to let go. She murmured, "Olivia, do you really think there's a medicine as magical as the Refreshing Pill? If it exists, could it really save me?" Olivia gently tucked the blanket around her and said, "Don't worry, Jenny. We'll figure something out." Jenny looked a bit disappointed but quickly bounced back. As Olivia was about to leave, Jenny tugged at Olivia's finger, pouting. "Olivia, I'm hungry." Olivia paused, suddenly remembering-Jenny had been out cold for almost two days and she must be starving. "Wait here. I'll get you something to eat." Natalie finally managed to drag herself home through the snow. She changed into fresh clothes and was just about to step out to pick up a few things. The moment she left her building, someone clamped a hand over her mouth. Everything went pitch black. Natalie awoke in a warehouse, hands and feet bound. Flames licked the walls, smoke stinging her eyes. "Help! Anyone?" she screamed, voice cracking. Terror surged-was this how she'd die? Suddenly, she noticed a child squatting nearby, munching on a sandwich and staring. "Hey, untie me. I'll give you anything," she pleaded, desperate enough to ignore why a kid was here. Sean licked his fingers clean, wiped his hands, and stood up, strolling over to Natalie. Her eyes sparkled with hope, sure her savior had arrived. But the next thing she knew, a slap landed hard across her face. Dazed, she slowly lifted her head, completely blindsided. Before she could react, another slap followed. Rage flared in Natalie as she yelled, "What the hell are you doing? Who are you? Do you have any idea who I am? How dare you hit me!" Sean didn't even blink. When he got tired of slapping, he just grabbed whatever was handy and kept going. That was when it hit Natalie; she was done for. As night settled in, a gray Maybach cruised into the old apartment complex. Stanley Saunders, the chief of security, had just wrapped up his patrol when he noticed the unfamiliar vehicle. Being the head of security, Stanley took protecting the place seriously. After all, everyone living here was a big shot, retired heavyweights with plenty of influence. So when a suspicious car suddenly appeared, there was no way he'd miss it. Andrew had spent a day and night scouring the city for Jenny before finally locating Olivia's address. Exhausted to the bone, he jolted awake at a sudden knock on the window. He scrubbed his face, muttering, "Ethan, roll it down." 1/3 8:51 pm 9 59 Chapter 20 Stanley gave him a warm smile. "Hey there, handsome. Which unit do you live in?" 55 vouchers Andrew nodded politely, keeping his distance. His voice was cold. "I don't live here. I'm just here to find someone." "Oh, I see." Stanley kept his guard up and started asking more questions. "Who are you looking for? What's their name? Which building? I know this place inside out. I can take you there." Andrew was momentarily stumped by the barrage of questions and shot Ethan a look. Ethan immediately got the gist, jumped out of the car, and approached Stanley. "We're searching for a girl-Summers. Eighteen or nineteen. No clue which building. Would you mind helping?" He spoke, offering a cigarette. Stanley's mind raced, thinking, 'Summers? A girl? That's Dr. Summers. Olivia's warning about enemies flashed through his memory. He eyed the pair-they didn't look like allies. Alarm bells rang. 'Gotta protect our Dr. Summers, he resolved. "I see," Stanley said, waving off the offered cigarette, his face turning serious. "Sorry, but there's no one named Summers living here. You must have the wrong place." "No way. The info I got says she's here," Ethan said, looking genuinely puzzled. "Sir, are you sure you don't remember?" "I'm telling you, there's no one by that name here. It's late, and you two need to leave now," Stanley replied, his voice cold and full of authority, making it clear he wasn't taking any nonsense. "But..." Ethan tried to say more. "Ethan, that's enough. Let's go," Andrew said with a slight frown, forcing a polite smile at Stanley. "Thanks for your time. We'll head out now." Ethan leaned in close to Andrew and whispered, "What about Jenny?" "Keep searching," Andrew said, waving his hand and gesturing for Ethan to drive. Stanley politely saw the two out, and then quickly texted Olivia: [Blocked another one of your haters for you today!] Olivia had just ladled porridge into bowls when her phone buzzed. She sent a quick thank-you sticker and returned to the stove. Jenny's appetite was returning, though food still tasted flat. Olivia whipped up shrimp porridge, hoping to coax her into another bite. With the bowl of porridge in her hands, Olivia spotted Jenny from across the room, sitting quietly on the little bed, watching her with those big, obedient eyes. She was well-behaved, not making a peep. "Olivia, I just know your cooking is the best," Jenny said, her eyes sparkling as she showered Olivia with praise, not holding back at all. "How can you be so sure if you haven't even tried it yet?" Olivia teased, checking Jenny's pulse again. Jenny was recovering fast. Just one more night and she'd be as good as new. Jenny put her hands on her hips, looking all proud. "Everything you make is yummy. Can you feed me, pretty please?" she added, giving Olivia the most pitiful puppy-dog look she could muster. Olivia couldn't say no to that. She picked up the bowl, scooped up a spoonful of porridge, and carefully fed it to Jenny. Jenny opened her mouth right away, eating with the elegance of a little princess, every move full of grace. "Yum, this is delicious!" she said, her eyes lighting up. 2/3 8:52 pm Chapter 20 "If you like it, eat up," Olivia said, offering her another spoonful. Watching Jenny like this, Olivia felt a bit dazed. It reminded her so much of that rainy night. 55 vouchers After dinner, Olivia soothed Jenny to sleep, and then tiptoed out of the room. Pulling out her phone, she logged into the Shadow Syndicate. Lucas called her right away, his voice urgent. "Boss, there's a new bounty out. Mr. Summers from the Summers family of Kingtonelle is on his deathbed. The Summers family is offering a fortune for anyone who can save him. Name your price. Boss, are we taking this one?" "Not interested," Olivia said flatly. People like that, with all their money and power, have expert doctors lining up to help. They didn't need her. "Lucas, you must be really bored lately," Olivia said with a lazy grin. "Got time to chase these bounties, huh? So, did you get anywhere with what I asked you to check out?" Lucas, who was just about to head out clubbing, nearly slipped in surprise. He scanned the room, suddenly on high alert. 'Why does it feel like the boss is watching me?' he thought. 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...