Chapter 334: Cannot Accept Gifts Without Reason
"Money's not a problem."
The villa was dark. Raymond leaned against the coffee table, his long fingers gripping the phone, his voice raspy.
Eli chuckled on the other end, "Mr. Howard, it's not about the money. My dad's old now, and he sees fame and fortune as fleeting. He values fate."
"Eli, I heard you're interested in the Amber District property?"
"Haha, Mr. Howard, you really keep tabs on us. But even if you offered me that property, I wouldn't dare take it," Eli laughed. "My dad's already taken on a surgery, and the patient will be coming for a consultation soon. His energy is limited, Mr. Howard. You should seek help elsewhere."
Raymond could tell this was just an excuse. Since David had already taken on a patient, it meant he was just busy, not that he had stopped treating people.
The next morning.
Raymond heard that David loved collecting antiques.
So he catered to his interests, selecting a rare antique painting he had acquired for a nine-figure sum, and had Alvin drive him to visit David.
As Alvin drove, he glanced at the antique in the back seat. "Mr. Howard, you put a lot of effort into acquiring these items. Isn't it a shame to give them away?"
Raymond lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly. Of course, it was a shame, but it was the only way to save Margaret.
"As long as Margaret's okay, it doesn't matter."
"Mr. Raymond Howard is really good to Mrs. Margaret Howard," Alvin remarked as he drove.
Raymond frowned. Everyone said he was good to Margaret, but she never appreciated it and was always angry with him.
If Margaret could see even a fraction of his sincerity, he wouldn't feel so cold.
She treated him as a stand-in for a dead man. How was Raymond any less than a mute? When she was kidnapped, when she was diagnosed with cancer, where was the mute? It was Raymond who helped her.
Marlon's death had blinded her heart and eyes.
She didn't understand him at all.
The Margaret of the past would never hurt him.
She used to be so obedient, so loving. Whatever he asked her to do, she would do.
He was always busy with work, and she loved to cling to him. He only needed to say, "Don't be naughty, be good."
And she would stop, obediently preparing meals and waiting for him to come home.
Back then, he had just joined The Hughes Group, unfamiliar with the business, eager to gain Marlon's approval, so he worked long hours.
Almost every time he came home, he would find her asleep on the couch, covered with a thin blanket.
He would carry her to bed, and even in her sleep, she would cling to him, snuggling into his arms, her eyelashes fluttering, a smile on her lips, the taste of happiness.
"Raymond, I've waited for you so long. Why aren't you back yet? Aren't you afraid I'll run off with someone else?" Margaret would murmur in her sleep, her tone playful.
Raymond would touch her face, "You won't run off."
The car wheels spun rapidly, and Raymond, sitting in the back seat, looked out the window.
Thinking of those fleeting yet beautiful memories, his heart ached like a bee sting, a dense, painful sensation.
Through the window, the ground was slightly damp. It had rained all day yesterday, and though today was clear, there was no sun.
The streets were lined with cherry blossom trees.
Margaret loved clusters of white cherry blossoms.
Around this time of year, these ornamental cherry trees would be in full bloom.
But this year, they hadn't bloomed yet.
Everything this year felt unusual and bleak.
Raymond thought, once Margaret was cured, he would take her to a place filled with cherry blossoms and settle down.
Away from the chaos.
He didn't want to work tirelessly anymore, nor did he want to immerse himself in hatred.
The hatred had long dissipated.
Now, Raymond just wanted to stay with Margaret and live a simple life.
"Mr. Howard, we're here," Alvin's voice pulled him back to reality.
Raymond lifted his eyelids.
The car had stopped beside a hillside villa.
He opened the car door and stepped out.
The hillside villa was large, resembling a castle.
There was a lush green lawn.
A sculpted fountain.
Magnolia flowers were budding.
Alvin carried the packaged antique, following Raymond.
As they entered the villa, an elderly man trimming the plants with scissors saw them.
Raymond sized him up. He was about sixty, with graying hair and beard, but he looked energetic.
The elderly man also sized up Raymond, noting his black suit, pants, and shoes, all in the same color scheme.
The style was simple, but on him, it exuded an air of authority.
Alvin quickly stepped forward to explain their visit.
Upon learning that Raymond was the president of The Hughes Group, the elderly man promptly invited Raymond to the living room and had a servant prepare tea while he went to inform David.
Raymond waited in the living room for quite a while. He checked his watch and realized the watch Margaret had given him was broken.
For some reason, he felt uneasy.
"Mr. Howard, don't worry. With our sincerity, David will surely help," Alvin tried to comfort him, noticing his anxiety.
Raymond had always been the one making others wait, never the other way around.
But he knew things were different now. He needed help.
If David was willing to save Margaret, he would wait not just half an hour, but even half a year.
An hour later.
The butler finally arrived. "Mr. Howard, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Can we see Mr. Jones now?" Alvin asked.
The butler's smile stiffened slightly, choosing his words carefully. "Mr. Howard, I apologize. You came at an unfortunate time. Mr. Jones caught a cold last night and couldn't get out of bed today. He appreciates your visit, but he's worried that meeting you might pass on his illness, which would be a great misfortune."
"I heard Mr. Jones likes antiques. I happened to acquire some and thought I'd offer them as a gift," Raymond smiled, and Alvin handed the gift to the butler.
The butler waved his hand, smiling. "Mr. Howard, Mr. Jones can't accept your gift without reason. He used to like these things when he was younger, but now he has long since looked past them. It's not that he doesn't want to help you, but he's already taken on a patient. Mr. Jones is old, and his time and energy are limited. Since he's committed, he must be responsible. You understand, right?"
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