Chapter 152


    At the corner of a long table in the dining hall, Dr. Dn Felch was admiring an extremely rare cdon


    vase Andy had brought over. The colors of the vase were striking, and the details exquisite. As an avid


    antique collector, Dr. Dn waspletely mesmerized, unable to take his eyes off the vase.


    “Andy, this is an absolute beauty!" Dr. Dn eximed in awe. "Look at the zing, and the


    workmanship!”


    “Dr. Felch, it’s yours if you like it. We’re both men of science after all, and we work for the same boss.


    I’ll have plenty of favors to ask from you in the future,” Andy was straight to the point.


    Although Dn was indeed captivated by the vase, he was not one to easily make friends or promise


    favors. However, Andy’s words did remind him that they do in fact work for the same people. He was


    old buddies with Noah, Andy worked for Madeline, and Noah and Madeline were practically family!


    Hmm, there was no harm in epting a gift like that, was there?


    “You''re too polite, Andy! As you said, we''re practically family! I’ll ept this vase as a token of your


    friendship. Please feel free to visit myb whenever you can!” Dn said.


    “Sure thing!” Andy smiled back. “Any friend of Madeline is a friend of mine! Pleasee and visit me at


    my hospital any time, buddy!”


    “Of course, of course!” Dn replied cheerfully as he put the vase back into its casing. The two doctors


    then began engaging in conversation about current medical issues and advances. However, as they


    were chatting, Dn felt an ominous chill down his spine, as if someone was observing him from


    behind. As he turned his head around, he came right into contact with Elise Lambert’s face, giving him


    the fright of his life!


    “You… what sorcery is this?!” Dn sped his hand to his heart.


    “Oh, just a little mugwort and salt,” Elise yed along. She nted one leg on the chair next to him,


    like Napoleon the conqueror.


    “Oh? Can I call for help then?” Dn teased the prettydy now that his shock had subsided.


    “Sure, but I’m not sure if anyone woulde to your rescue even if you shout at the top of your


    lungs…” Elise told him.


    “Mr. Quincy, save me!” Dn feigned a terrified expression as he yelled for Noah as loud as he could,


    causing a scene at the restaurant. He even paused to take a sip of water before continuing the ruckus.


    Obviously, Noah Quincy was not around to rescue him.


    Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    “Hmm, it seems like there’s no oneing to save me,” Dn finally relented after a while. “I suppose


    I’m your prisoner now. May I know where are you taking me? I’ll have you know I may not look like it,


    but my body is too weak to travel long distances…” Dn tried another trick.


    “Wa ha ha ha! Maddie, you were right! This guy is such a weirdo, I love it!” Eliseughed raucously as


    she assessed the man in front of her. She then stepped aside to reveal Madeline Grant standing


    behind her. Dn was rather pleased with himself for being able to make the prettydyugh.


    “Maddie, I was right! He’s definitely not the person wearing the pants in a rtionship!” Elise


    commented, still breathless fromughing too hard. Her voice was not loud, but loud enough for Dn


    to overhear. The color drained from his face as he considered Elise’s impression of him.


    Madeline was flustered too as she had not seen thising. Madeline sighed to herself as she


    scanned the room for Noah and spotted him entering the dining hall from the patio, his expression dark


    and stormy. Elise never knew when to keep her mouth shut!


    “Elise, I just remembered I left my phone in the restroom!” Madeline told Elise,ing up with any


    excuse she could use to escape.


    “Oh? Aren’t you holding your phone in your hand right there? Silly you!” Elise pointed out,pletely


    oblivious of the looming danger ahead. Madeline ignored her, hastily turning away toward the staircase,


    taking two steps at a time.


    “Noah! Thesedies here are giving me a hard time!” Dn protested. Noah ignored him, walking


    briskly toward the staircase. Before he took the stairs up, he gave Dn a death stare, an unspoken


    warning for him not to follow him upstairs. Dn wiped at his nonexistent tears and looked at Elise


    hurtfully. In the end, he gave Andy a full hug, seekingfort from the man who had been watching the


    drama unfold this whole time.


    “Look at them bullying me, Andy! You can never win against women…” he muttered to a blushing Andy.


    Upstairs, Madeline thought she had averted a disaster as she found her way into the restroom and


    locked the door. She figured she could wait in here until dinner was served and usher everyone back


    home immediately once dinner was over. Satisfied with her n, she sat on the toilet bowl and


    mindlessly scrolled through her phone. Suddenly, her phone pinged with a text message.


    It was from Noah! “How long do you intend to hide in there?” the message read. On Noah’s end, he


    saw a blue tick, indicating the message had been read but Madeline did not reply to it.


    “If you don’te out, I’m going in!” Noah threatened out loud as he stood in front of the restroom.


    Madeline was in the midst of calcting her odds of survival if she stayed silent and pretended she


    was not in the restroom when Noah started twisting the doorknob. Even though she was not actually


    using the toilet, her heart still jumped at the rattling sound of the doorknob turning.


    “Don’t!” she yelped. “I’ming out!” She quickly stood up and opened the door, but there was no one


    to be seen except a little wooden box hanging on the doorknob. Curiosity got the better of her as she


    opened up the box, only to find a tiny ss container with some kind of salve in it. Madeline carefully


    pulled out a small strip of paper lodged underneath the container.


    “It’s an anti-scar remedy, one of Dn’s prized treasures. Keep it to yourself,” the message wrote. It


    was a simple one-liner that felt stern yet gentle, something only Noah managed to pull off. He even


    ended the message with a barely discernable smiley face. Madeline was willing to bet the little brat


    Thomas had put him up to this!


    Her heart felt warm and fuzzy as she picked up the little container and opened the lid. Hmm, this smells


    familiar… she thought as she took a whiff of the salve inside. Wait, it could not possibly be… the very


    rare and expensive premium anti-scar remedy poprly known as Mermaid’s Tears? ‘Mermaid’s Tears’


    was a substance formted during the olden days by an ancient royal tribe to preserve their youth, but


    the tribe disappeared as the years went by, leaving only one tiny vial of this coveted elixir behind. Three


    years ago in New York, an anonymous bidder spent $88 billion on this vial at an auction. Could that


    anonymous bidder be Dn Felch…? Madeline wondered. Or was that douchebag Noah Quincy using


    him as his front?


    What a childish man! Madeline scoffed internally. Doing something sweet and leaving anonymous


    messages… Does he think he’s five? Nheless, she still kept the container in the box carefully and


    put it into a safe in the restroom. She did not want to ept gestures from Noah so easily, but it was


    difficult topletely disregard his effort, especially considering the price tag. She took out her phone,


    thinking to send Noah a message, but her fingers lingered on the keypad as she could not find the


    words. At longst, she decided she would gift him a present of equal value, so she would not be


    indebted to him. Pleased with her decision, she kept her phone and hurried downstairs.


    Downstairs at the dining hall, Albert and Andy had prepared dinner and everyone had gathered around


    the dining table, awaiting Madeline’s arrival.


    “Mommy,e down quick!”


    “Maddie,e sit here!”


    “No, Maddie should sit with us!”


    “She’s my wife, of course she’s sitting next to me.”


    As Madeline took in the convivial scene in front of her, she realized this was exactly what she had been


    dreaming of; to be surrounded by her family, friends, children, and her lover as theyughed and dined.


    It was like a happy ending scene out of a children’s book, where the prince and princess got to live


    happily ever after.


    Filled with love and joy, she tried to take a mental photograph of this beautiful memory, not wanting to


    ever forget this moment. Suddenly, she felt a burning hot sensation on her cheeks. Reaching a hand to


    touch her cheek, she was shocked to find hot, warm blood coating her fingers. Before she could open


    her mouth to scream for help, her world began to turn pitch ck as she rapidly lost consciousness.