Alyssa choked on her words, her face painting a picture of utter helplessness in front of Arthur. "How could you think I wanted this? You said..."


    Vivienne''s lips curled into a mocking smile. "I never said she''d die. But you, you seemed awfully keen on the idea."


    Alyssa''s heart skipped a beat, but confident in her own innocence, she managed to hold herposure. "What are you bbering about, Vivienne? Winston is my brother. No one wishes for his well-being more than I do..."


    A flicker of scorn passed through Vivienne''s eyes. "bbering, am I?"


    "You..."


    Alyssa''s finger pointed usingly, but before she could utter a word, Arthur stepped in front of her, his voice cold. "If you don''t value your fingers, just say the word. My daughter is not someone you can just point at."


    Arthur''s face darkened.


    His beloved daughter, whom he could hardly raise his voice to, was being disrespected. What right did Alyssa have to point fingers?


    Biting her lip, Alyssa looked pitifully at Arthur. "Do you have to be so cold to me, Arthur? It''s me, Alyssa."


    A sneer came from behind them.


    Arthur felt a shiver down his spine, his disdain for Alyssa growing. "I don''t care who you are. Don''t try to cozy up to me. At your age, shame seems to be a foreign concept!" Alyssa''s face turned an ugly shade of red.


    At that moment, the operating room doors swung open, and the medical staff emerged.


    Alyssa rushed to intercept them, desperate to know Winston''s condition. "Doctor, how''s my brother? Is he alright?"


    The doctor nced at Vivienne, then oddly at Alyssa. "Why are you only getting here now? The patient is out of danger and has been moved to the ICU."


    ICU?


    Alyssa bit her lip, refusing to believe Winston could be so lucky.


    She had instructed the driver to leave no survivors.


    How could he be so hard to kill!


    Noticing Alyssa''s stupor, the doctor spoke before leaving. "What are you waiting for? Go settle the medical bills. We can''t have outstanding surgery fees." Alyssa turned to Arthur, clenched her teeth, and reluctantly followed to make the payment.


    Sasha, silent till now, spoke coldly from behind her. "You better hope Winston is fine, or you''ll be paying with more than money."


    Alyssa shuddered.


    Yet, she maintained her fa?ade. "Ms. Perez, you seem to be mistaken. Winston is my brother. No one wishes for his well-being more than I do." Sasha gave her onest cold look and turned away.


    Alyssa felt as if Sasha''s gaze had pierced through her, seeing her true intentions.


    Only after hastily leaving did that feeling slowly fade.


    Once Alyssa had gone, Vivienne noticed a shadowy figure darting away. It seemed to have noticed her before deliberately vanishing.


    She frowned, exchanged a brief greeting with Arthur and Sasha, "Mom, you guys head back."


    Vivienne followed the figure, but it disappeared.


    She nned to hack the hospital''s surveince to find out who it was when her phone buzzed with a mysterious message.


    "Tomorrow at 10, Café Verde, upstairs."


    The figure vanished, and immediately a message was sent to her.


    Clearly, they came prepared.


    The next day, at ten o''clock, Vivienne arrived at Café Verde on time. The waiter asked if she had a reservation.


    "Upstairs," Vivienne stated.


    The waiter led the way, guiding her to thest private room.


    Vivienne pushed the door open to find an antique screen blocking her view.


    Circling it, she saw the man seated there.


    He wore a crisp white shirt with gold-rimmed sses perched on his nose. Hisplexion was sickly pale, but his lips were a stark, healthy red - a sign of long-term medication andck of sunlight. Vivienne nced at him, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "Colin, what do you want?"


    Despite being exposed, Colin didn''t panic, his voice soft. "I''m here to propose a deal to Ms. Hawthorn."


    Vivienne looked unimpressed,ying out the facts inly. "What could you possibly offer me? In the Wright family''s power struggle, you''re hardly in a position of advantage."


    She knew the Wright family''s secrets well.


    She hadn''t moved against them, waiting for someone to make the first move.


    But Colin was not who she had been expecting.


    Yet, he intrigued her.


    Colin, a sidelined member of the Wright family due to a childhood poisoning, had been neutralized in family affairs, his influence practically nonexistent.


    While the family''s powery firmly in


    Hunter''s hands, and thepany


    under the control of Robbie, the eldest grandson, even Alyssa and Brianna held their own shares and dividends. Colin, however, had nothing tangible to his name.


    In any other family, such a person would be ousted or bullied.


    But the information avable to the public was not the full story. Vivienne had dug deeper.


    Colin had always been biding his time, his sights set on the entire Wright empire.


    Clearing his throat, Colin said, "I


    know I might not have much to offer in Ms. Hawthorn''s eyes, but I can assure you, the insider information you seek about the Wright family can only be provided by someone like me."


    Vivienne''s gaze narrowed slightly. "You know what I''m investigating?"


    Colin set down his tea cup, adjusting his sses as a way to mask the keenness in his eyes.


    "The Wright family''s rapid growth


    these past years hasn''t gone


    unnoticed by me, despite my


    distance from family affairs. But isn''t there someone pulling the strings


    from the shadows, someone Ms.


    Hawthorn is searching for?


    Vivienne remained silent.


    Indeed, someone within the Wright family had been coborating with Abigail.


    She had been waiting for the person coborating with Abigail.


    But that person was deep undercover, never showing their face.


    "What do you want?"


    Colin seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, "I hope Ms. Hawthorn can protect Winston, save his life!"


    Vivienne''s eyes twinkled, "Just Winston?"


    Colin nodded gently, "The Wright family''s dynamics aren''t as simple as they appear. I''m not in a position to protect him, so I have to entrust him to someone who can." "Alright, I''m on it!"


    Vivienne took a sip of her tea, then stood to leave.


    To the untrained eye, nothing seemed amiss, but she could see through it.


    The man was still fighting off some poison, but it wasn''t life-threatening. Some of it was just a show for others.


    Winston was an outsider brought into the family by the patriarch, unconnected to the primary or secondary branches, yet he was Hunter''s favorite.


    The head of the family wanted Winston dead.


    The second branch, however, was secretly seeking power to protect Winston.


    The waters of the Wright family ran deep.


    Hospital.


    When Vivienne arrived, Sasha was walking over from the ICU.


    Seeing Vivienne, Sasha said while walking, "Winston''s holding up well, just don''t know when he''ll wake. Poor kid."


    Vivienne suddenly blurted out, "Mom, have you ever thought about having another baby?"


    Sasha paused, realizing Vivienne was serious, then chuckled, "Would you support it?”


    Vivienne pursed her lips, her expression dead serious, "I would, but I''m worried it might be too much for you."Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Sasha, "..."


    She just had a fondness for children, never thinking it through this thoroughly.