Not A Small Town Girl (Danielle and David)




Someone noticed the powder on the ground and, without thinking, brought it to their

nose.

"It's sleeping powder..." Duang! They dropped to the ground.

The group of ten-odd mercenaries looked at each other, dumbfounded, as they realized they had just knocked themselves out.

"What kind of sleeping powder is this? You weren't kidding when you said it's powerful..."

"Well, you go ahead and smell it, don't waste it. Stop standing there and help us wake them up!"

One mercenary, in a panic, grabbed a large bucket of water from who-knows-where and dumped it over the unconscious man's head.

The effect was immediate. The guy, now drenched with cold water, jolted up in confusion.

"Who the hell threw cold water on my head?!"

Patrick yelled, his voice cracking.

The mercenary holding the bucket immediately dropped it, scared out of his wits. "It's not me! I wasn't... I was just trying to wake you up!"

"My antidote's right in my pocket, can't you search it or something? Why the hell throw cold water on me?"

Already in a sorry state, now drenched from head to toe, with an odd stench clinging to them, they looked like something even a beggar would pity.

"Patrick, look! There's a wooden sign.'

Another mercenary, desperate to change the subject, pointed to the wooden sign hanging on the door.

As soon as Patrick heard the words "wooden sign," he had a reflexive response, leaping to his feet in an instant. He grabbed the sign, yanked it off, and threw it on the ground, stomping on it furiously.

"Seriously, this is so childish. You want to put me under a spell, huh? I'll crush you!"

After venting his anger, Patrick finally remembered they were supposed to be looking for someone and asked, "Did you find anyone?"

"Nope. We've searched the whole mountain, not a single person in sight."

Patrick paused. There was only this small bamboo house. Could this possibly be where Danielle's master lived? But her master wouldn't be this childish, would he? And who was the one speaking in the bamboo forest earlier? Patrick had been cursing like crazy-what if Danielle's master overheard him?

Panicked, he rushed into the house. The small room inside was ridiculously simple -a small wooden bed, a table, a chair, and a row of cabinets, each one filled with herbs. A thick layer of dust covered everything, suggesting that no one had lived here for months.

This was the kind of minimalism that would make even rats weep. How did someone even survive here? Did they live off dew?

"Let's go. No one's been living here for a long time."

Patrick walked out, frustrated. How had he, the great "Yan Ye," ended up in such a mess?

"Patrick, there's a small wooden box here. It looks like it holds letters."

Patrick halted in his tracks. "Don't touch anything. Let me check. It might be a trap again." He was thoroughly fed up with all these petty tricks.

He opened the box and found three envelopes inside. The sender was listed as Danielle. Patrick didn't dare open them. No way was he going to risk it-let the boss deal with it when they got back.

"Let's leave."

*****

At Soufield's St. Katherine's Hospital, outside the operating room, Polly was crying uncontrollably, her face a picture of devastation. If you didn't know any better, you might think someone had died.

When Logan and Tara arrived, they were taken aback by the sight. Even though they weren't exactly fond of Polly, seeing her sobbing outside the operating room moved them.

"Grandpa, Grandma, you're here. Dad's been in there a long time, but he's going to be okay. Don't worry, Grandpa, Grandma, Dad's a lucky man, he'll be fine."

Sebastian, his eyes red with tears, comforted Logan and Tara. He looked every bit the filial child, and anyone who saw him would believe he was trying to be a good

son.

"Mom, Dad, you're here... It's my fault. I didn't take care of Geoffrey. I let him drive out at night and now this accident happened. If only I could've stopped him... maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Before Logan and Tara could say anything, their son and daughter-in-law continued speaking non-stop.

"Alright, enough crying. The man's still in surgery, right? It's not your fault. He was speeding." Tara's voice was soothing, trying to calm the situation.

"Mom, Dad, I don't

know what's

going on with Geoffrey. I called

David several times, but he didn't answer asked the doctor to

contact him, but before the deal net

could finish, David hung up on me. It's my fault... David never gives me a chance to make things right. He hasn't even come to see Geoffrey in the operating room." Content belongs to Novelxo.org

Polly's words were veiled, a subtle

attack on David, implying that he wasn't a good son-he couldn't even visit his father after the accident. It was David's deliberate negligence that had caused all this. Content belongs to Novelxo.org

"Grandpa, Grandma, I called David too, but he didn't pick up. Even when Dad calls, he doesn't answer. If he does, he just yells. I feel so bad for Dad. David doesn't want me to join the company, and I'll respect that, but I've tried to talk to him. He just seems to hate me." Content belongs to Novelxo.org

Sebastian added his own two cents, trying to paint himself as the victim in the situation. He was playing the good brother, the one who wouldn't compete with his

envious older sibling, David.

Tara exchanged a glance with Logan, but she said nothing.

"Call David. Tell him to come to the hospital."

Logan immediately took out his phone and dialed David. Polly and Sebastian

exchanged a glance. It seemed their plan to discredit David was working.

If David lost Logan and Tara's trust, then Sebastian would have a chance to take over the Charrington Group. The key now was to find a reliable ally for Sebastian. Polly's eyes glinted with calculation, the worry in her gaze completely gone.

Meanwhile, upstairs in the hospital room.

A well-dressed woman, wearing sunglasses, entered with an assistant carrying a

fruit basket.

"Xavier, I just found out you were hurt! As soon as I heard, I rushed over here. How

badly are you hurt? Does it hurt? Let me see!"

"Xavier, you've never had such a serious injury! Who did this to you? I'm so

heartbroken."

The woman hurried to Xavier's bedside, tears flowing freely, as if the world's sorrow

had just hit her.

Her dramatic entrance left the room's occupants speechless.