Chapter 500 Strike First
Sidney's presence at Island Electronics Hospital caused the vigilant bodyguards protecting Stephanie to hesitate in taking any action.
"My father sent me to visit Kathy." Relying on those words, Sidney led Winnie through the corridors until they smoothly entered Stephanie's intensive care room.
"Kathy!" Sidney's face lit up with joy upon seeing Stephanie.
As Winnie raised her gaze and beheld Stephanie's present condition, an involuntary surge of heartache flashed through her eyes. It was unfathomable to witness the vibrant woman she remembered reduced to a mere semblance of herself, resembling a cancer patient with skin and bones. It had only been a couple of weeks. No wonder Jeremy had said she was on her deathbed.
Winnie felt a lump in her throat so intense she couldn't speak.
"Winnie?" Stephanie, briefly clear-minded, expressed astonishment at the sight of Winnie, almost overlooking Sidney's presence in the room. "My dear, you've finally come to visit me. Are you still upset with me?"
Winnie's emotions churned into a turbulent blend, and her eyes swiftly welled up with tears. Any resentment vanished in the presence of the sick.
She walked over, her voice choked and tinged with worry. "Aunt, what happened to you?"
Stephanie caught the distress in Winnie's eyes and weakly pulled her into an embrace. The barriers between them seemed to melt away as if they were mother and daughter.
Meanwhile, Dr. Moore, who had heard the news and rushed over, stood anxiously outside the room, dialing a number.
In the office, Lawrence answered the phone. "Mr. Lawrence, Ms. Winnie is here in Lymington, visiting Stephanie. Do you think she suspects something? I'm worried she'll ask too many questions. Should we have her escorted out?"
Lawrence frowned slightly, not expecting Winnie's prompt visit.
He pondered for a moment. "Is my mother happy?"
"Extremely happy. Stephanie started crying when she saw Ms. Winnie. She really misses her."
Lawrence thinly veiled his underlying thoughts. "If the transplant doesn't succeed, every visit from Winnie becomes a precious gift for my mother. I made a promise to her that if Winnie chose to come on her own, I wouldn't intervene. Let them have their conversation."
"But I think Ms. Winnie is here for more than just a visit. She may be..." Dr. Moore trailed off.
"Don't worry. She won't find out anything from my mother. If she actually comes sniffing around for information, you know what to say. Have all records of my mother's leukemia treatment erased," Lawrence instructed coldly.
Dr. Moore affirmed. "You can count on me, Mr. Lawrence."
After hanging up the phone, Lawrence pondered in silence before turning to Jeremy with a cool gaze.
Jeremy voluntarily admitted. "I shared with Winnie the possibility of Stephanie's demise. Even if you can't disclose the truth to her, Winnie cares deeply about Stephanie as they share a unique bond. Mr. Lawrence, concealing the leukemia indefinitely doesn't seem feasible.
"If Winnie decides to investigate further, she will uncover the truth eventually. Why not allow events to unfold naturally? On a positive note, she might grapple with guilt and torment for administering the wrong medication but as long as Stephanie pulls through, the divide between you two won't be insurmountable."
Lawrence felt his mind reeling. Taking this bet was a decision he couldn't afford. He shook his head, signaling Jeremy to stop. "She won’t discover anything. By the way, what did you find out about Ishara?"
Lawrence had spent a restless night, not catching a wink of sleep.
Jeremy's tone turned icy. "You employed detectives from Trento City, and I tirelessly worked our connections throughout the night with little success. There's no sign of Peter in Ishara's circle. The only consistent maid in her employ goes by the name Claire.
"She doesn't possess any real estate, companies, or substantial assets, apart from a 12% stake in the Blanchet family holdings. It aligns with the image of an ailing woman secluded from the world, explaining why the Blanchet family hold her in high regard without suspicion.
"However, this only underscores how adeptly she has concealed everything! I'll assign someone to keep a close watch on her which starts from tonight. She’s not social, and her life revolves around the Blanchet residence and her own home. At this rate, it’s going to be tough to figure out where she's hiding Oscar."
Lawrence clenched the cigarette in his hand. He had anticipated it wouldn't be easy or else he wouldn't have pretended to agree to Ishara's shameless demands.
He squinted. "She's aware that I'm investigating her, so she's exercising extra caution. However, she's compelled to communicate with the individuals monitoring Oscar. Eventually, she'll make a mistake, especially since I've lured her in with a tempting proposition."
Jeremy’s brow furrowed, pondering what was the tempting proposition could be. He had shared his hearts out with Lawrence and could comprehend any actions he might have taken next for Oscar and Stephanie but that didn't guarantee that Winnie would.
With a faint sigh, he remembered. "Winnie has headed back to Lymington and contacted Laura this morning to inquire about Darcy. She’s planning to meet with her.
"She'll definitely ask about the details of the night Oscar was kidnapped. So, do we need to make another trip?"
It was Ishara who had snatched Oscar from Darcy's grasp and Lawrence was not going to let Darcy off the hook. However, since Winnie had gone to confront Darcy, he said, "Let her ask. Assign her a few bodyguards for protection. No matter how much she presses Darcy, make sure the security team does their job in safeguarding."
Jeremy nodded with a smirk. If Darcy knew that Oscar was taken by Ishara, just a piece of 'evidence' from him would be enough to sink her.
Hopefully, Winnie could squeeze it out of Darcy.
-
In the cozy confines of a charming Blanchet family cottage, Claire discreetly entered and conveyed, "Ms. Ishara, Jeremy conducted a meticulous examination of all your details last night.
"Fortunately, your natural prudence has prevailed. Your riches aren't registered in your name, and the lab is safeguarded too."
"I've been under Mr. Lawrence's vigilant observation." Ishara shared, having received the information from her clandestine guardians.
"He wants to find the kid directly but he'll never guess where I’m hiding him."
Claire's lips formed a subtle curve. "That hiding spot is impenetrable. However, the hypnosis you employed on Oscar needs to be temporarily disrupted."
"No worries, there's still Leo. His medical skills especially his ability to alter memories, surpasses mine."
Claire hesitated. "We can't take Oscar's life now but turning him into a total stranger would be the ultimate torment for Winnie."
A chill flashed in Ishara's eyes. "Imagine Winnie's despair if her own child, one day, failed to recognize her after being brainwashed by me. Would she die of grief? Ha. She shouldn't have pushed Mr. Lawrence to suspect me. Though Oscar has become a nuisance, he's also my lifeline.
"As long as I deny the kidnapping, Lawrence lacks the evidence and must consider the child's safety. He can't touch me.
"Even if he wants me dead, he'll have to bear it until his mother is rescued."
Ishara's expression was a mix of concern and calculated coldness. "We have only one month left, Claire. Time is of the essence. Get in touch with Leo. I want the bone marrow extraction expedited and freeze it immediately. Within this month, I need to get pregnant with his child. I'll be the first one to make a move.
"He accepted my two conditions too easily. I fear, after the donation, I'll end up with nothing but the title of fiance. He is a ruthless man."
As Claire pondered, her voice turned into a whisper. "Ms. Ishara, you’re absolutely right. After his mother's rescue, Lawrence has plenty of ways to ditch you. You need to remain vigilant around here."
"Right now, Stephanie's holding Lawrence's wrath at bay regarding the kidnapping of Oscar," said Ishara.
"But what would he do if she lost Stephanie as leverage?"
"Keep the procedure regarding the bone marrow confidential and don’t breathe a word about it to mom either. We can’t let Mr. Lawrence sniffs out my plans." Ishara's eyes narrowed and as soon as she finished giving instructions, Claire’s phone rang.
The color drained from her face when she read the message.
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