Chapter 338 Olivia Has an Accident
It all happened so fast, almost too fast to believe.
After getting the news from Kaitlyn and hanging up the phone, James couldn't help but marvel at how efficient the Smith Clan was.
The thirteenth branch of the Smith Clan had taken a heavy hit. In the face of uncertainty, putting the most capable Mary in charge was indeed the best way to clean up the mess.
This also reflected the principle of prioritizing the interests of the big family.
Compared to avenging Amanda and Jane or holding Charles's family accountable, the Smith Clan was more focused on recovering their losses and stabilizing morale.
It was a win-win situation.
If the Smith Family hadn't played a shady role in the funeral home incident, the Smith Clan could leverage Mary's billion-dollar orders to make up for the losses.
If Charles was responsible for Amanda and the others' deaths, putting Mary in charge would allow them to deal with Charles's family later.
James found himself intrigued by the Smith Clan.
Their tactics were truly masterful. No wonder Charles had been suppressed into a shell of a man, unable to regain his courage for decades.
But James didn't dwell on it. After sending Mary a congratulation, he went to the front hall to see patients, having lost his sleepiness.
"Bruce is really polite, inviting us to Glowing Oasis again and again."
"It's a pity we don't have the time. Otherwise, I'd love to visit him."
"It's not good to keep refusing. We should send him some local specialties later."
As soon as James reached the front hall, he saw Michelle and Virgil returning from a walk, chatting happily with a phone in hand.
Curious, he asked, "Mom, Dad, what are you talking about? You seem so happy."
"Bruce, Bruce Howard. He was your dad's comrade back in the day. Remember the dark-skinned uncle who used to visit us often?" Michelle said with a smile. "He's made a fortune at Glowing Oasis and keeps inviting us to visit."
Virgil added, "He even gave you a gift when you went to college."
With Michelle and Virgil's reminder, James slapped his forehead in realization.
"Bruce, the one who ate a lot." James remembered Virgil's tall comrade, Bruce, who was also from Rosewood City. After retiring, he struggled and often went hungry.
Michelle and Virgil would help him out from time to time. When Bruce went to Glowing Oasis to try his luck, Virgil even gave him five thousand dollars for travel expenses.
James's most vivid memory of Bruce was that whenever he came over for a meal, Michelle had to cook extra because Bruce could eat more than half of it by himself.
"How can you talk about Bruce like that?" Michelle glared at James. "He was just hungry."
"Yeah, you shouldn't talk about Bruce that way. He was very good to you," Virgil said, giving James a light knock on the head. "Remember that time it rained heavily when you were in middle school? Your mom and I couldn't pick you up, so Bruce rode his bike to get you. You stayed dry, but he caught a cold for a week."
"And your mom was worried you wouldn't find a wife when you grew up, so Bruce even offered to match you with his daughter, Coralie Howard."
James chuckled. "You're right, Dad."
Hearing Coralie's name, James's face showed a playful smile as he remembered the aloof little girl.
"Bruce is now the owner of an equipment company at Glowing Oasis, supplying gear to various clubs in the Glowing Oasis Mystic Alliance," Virgil said with a smile. "He's made quite a bit of money over the years and is grateful for our help, so he keeps inviting us over."
James quickly said, "Then you should go visit. It's time for you to enjoy yourselves."
"I can get some people to handle your work at JZL Medical Clinic."
Virgil and Michelle now spent their days selling coffee and making lunch for the JZL Medical Clinic team. They weren't exactly busy, but they weren't idle either.
"We still have to sell coffee," Michelle said, shaking her head gently. "The café is just starting to do well. Closing it would disappoint our customers."
"Besides, Bruce has his own family. It wouldn't be right to impose on them."
"We'll wait for Bruce to come back in glory and then get together."
Michelle and Virgil were the type who never minded helping others but didn't like to impose on others themselves.
James thought about it and agreed. Bruce was a straightforward guy, but he had a wife and daughter to consider.
And he remembered that Bruce's wife, Marigold Walsh, was a proud woman who never liked him playing with her daughter, Coralie.
"We can't go, but if you ever visit Glowing Oasis, you should check on him for us," Virgil said with a smile.
Michelle agreed. "Yes, if you go there, make sure to visit Bruce."
James nodded with a smile. "I will."
Just as James was about to find Nathaniel to learn about the situation at Glowing Oasis, a black Mercedes suddenly sped to a stop in front of the clinic.
The door opened, and Jonathan, dressed in Armani, stepped out. But his face was serious, lacking his usual swagger.
"James, an hour ago, Miss Lee finished dealing with Bryan's aftermath and received a phone call."
"She then asked me to temporarily manage WH Group affairs and took a private jet to Glowing Oasis."
"I asked her what was going on. She said her mother was sick but assured me it was nothing serious and told me not to inform you."
"She said she'd be back in three days to a week."
"But she sounded troubled. I thought she might be hiding something, so I came to tell you."
Jonathan lowered his voice. "She's been in a bad mood all week, not even happy about Bryan's death."
"Olivia went back to Glowing Oasis?" James frowned slightly, feeling something was off. If Patricia was really sick, Olivia would have said goodbye to him personally rather than leaving secretly.
"Alright, I'll call her right away." James nodded and dialed Olivia's number, but her phone was off.
He frowned and then called Patricia, but she was also out of service.
This was strange. Both of them had given him their private numbers, which were supposed to be on 24/7.
James narrowed his eyes. Could there be trouble in the Lee family?
Suddenly, Jonathan slapped his forehead and said, "Oh, I found this piece of paper in Miss Lee's office trash can."
Jonathan quickly pulled out a crumpled A4 sheet from his pocket. When he unfolded it, James couldn't help but jump up.
The paper had pen marks on it.
But the pen had pressed so hard that it pierced through the paper, leaving deep gouges on the white surface.
The strokes were messy but still recognizable:
Death!
It was shocking.
At that moment, a clap of thunder echoed from the sky.
It was going to rain.
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