Chapter 174 Uninvited Guest
The Sackler family always treated Luna like dirt. The only reason she managed to stick around was probably because she had Xena later on.
Paige got dumped in the countryside when she was just a kid, and things got even worse for Luna in the Sackler family after Xena's dad died.
Paige said, "She never had a good day with the Sacklers, and in the end, they used her to threaten me."
Those five years would've been tough for anyone to handle.
Amelia said, "I hope she gets better soon."
Paige replied, "Thanks."
Amelia and Frederick didn't want to bother Paige any longer. After they came to an agreement, they hung out for a bit and then took off.
Frederick looked at Amelia, a bit skeptical. "Are we really making the right call by picking this Miss Sackler?"
Amelia reminded him, "Frederick, meeting her was a stroke of luck. And remember, call her Miss Ellison, not Miss Sackler. The Sacklers only have one daughter, and if you call her Miss Sackler to her face, she might get pissed."
"Do you really think she can help the Smith family climb to the top?"
The Smiths had money but lacked the clout in Northwind. They were always looking to move up during power shifts. Amelia thought Paige could help. Frederick found Paige mysterious and thought the quick alliance was risky, but he trusted Amelia's judgment.
Amelia explained, "Counting on the Carnegie family is too tough. We can't rely on them or advance through their help. I bet she'll be in charge soon. If we team up with her, we're halfway there.
Everyone thinks she moved to Willow Crest Estate because of Raymond, but I think she did it herself. She's powerful. Did you see when Luna had that accident? Her people were sharp and capable. She can't have a simple background."
Frederick nodded. "Alright, let's take this gamble. Besides, if it doesn't work out, we can still rely on others."
Paige took Luna to the hospital, and the news spread fast. It quickly reached the Sackler family.
When Xena got home, Margaret had just heard the news. "Xena, go to the hospital and check on your mom. What's going on with her? We visited Willow Crest Estate this morning, and now she's in the hospital by afternoon. I'm worried about the impact, so you should go see her."
Xena was shocked. "What? Hospitalized? Didn't Paige say she would take care of Mom? Why did she send her to the hospital? Isn't this just causing us trouble?"
For the past five years, the Sackler family kept Luna locked up in a nursing home they funded, and no one outside knew about Luna's condition.
Now that Paige openly sent Luna to the hospital, it was no wonder Margaret was worried. She feared that the hospital might find out why Luna had been in a coma for the past few years, which would be a big problem.
If it were discovered that Margaret and Xena were responsible, neither of them would get away with it.
Plus, Paige was about to divorce Raymond. In the future, she might not be able to afford Luna's medical and nursing expenses, and she might take this chance to blackmail them.
Margaret said, "Anyway, she's already in the hospital. No point in complaining now. Xena, you should go to the hospital and check. Don't let anyone with bad intentions take advantage. After all, she is still your biological mother."
This fact couldn't be changed. Luna, lying in the hospital, was in a hospital funded by the Smith family, and recently, they and the Sackler family had some disagreements.
Margaret had seen Amelia and Xena butting heads at a Hawke Corporation event last time. Now, she was worried that if Xena didn't go to the hospital, the Smith family might use it against them.
There hadn't been any news about Luna for ages, and a lot of people didn't even know if she was still alive. So now, Margaret was adamant that Xena visit.
Xena didn't want to go, but if she didn't, people would start talking. Plus, they were trying to get in good with the Universe Group, and any bad press right now would mess things up.
After thinking it over, Xena agreed. "Fine, I'll go see her first thing in the morning."
Margaret wanted Xena to go right away, but since Xena agreed to go in the morning, she let it slide.
Back in her room, Xena called Elijah. "I need that thing by tomorrow morning. No matter the cost, money's not an issue, got it?"
After Elijah responded, Xena hung up and muttered, "Useless."
She then angrily sat at her vanity, grabbed something random, and threw it at the mirror.
Her room was soundproofed, so no one outside could hear the sound of things breaking.
Meanwhile, Margaret sat in the living room, reflecting. "Have I been too harsh in raising Xena to the point where she doesn't even care about her mother?"
Although this was what Margaret wanted, it was abnormal that a daughter had no feelings for her mother at all.
At this moment, Margaret didn't know if her way of raising Xena was a success or a failure.
Since Xena agreed to visit Luna tomorrow, Margaret felt relieved and didn't worry about it anymore.
That night, a man dressed in black from head to toe and wearing a black hat arrived at the hospital.
The man's hat brim was pulled low, and with a mask and sunglasses, his face was completely hidden.
Sneaking in through the hospital's back door, Julian avoided the surveillance cameras as he made his way upstairs. However, just as he was about to approach Luna's room, Julian reported to Paige, "A stranger is approaching, and it seems their target is our room. Should we capture him?"
Paige ordered, "Withdraw the bodyguards for now."
Julian was puzzled. "At this time, withdraw all our people? That would be very dangerous."
Paige said, "Yes, you heard me right. I said withdraw our people."
Julian wanted to say more, but seeing the look in Paige's eyes, he held back and instructed his men to withdraw.
After their people left, Julian personally stood guard at Paige's door.
Paige squinted slightly. "You don't need to guard here. Go rest for the night."
Julian said, "There's an unidentified stranger in the hospital. The danger level is high. I'd better stay here."
Paige stared at Julian. "Why don't we have a contest so you can clearly understand what my words mean in the future."
In terms of strength, Paige was undoubtedly very powerful.
Julian had never seen Paige in action, but from the snowy mountain incident, he could tell Paige had some skills.
If Paige took action, as the head of the security team, Julian might not be her match. So, Julian decided to follow Paige's orders.
Julian answered, "I'll rest in the car downstairs. Call me if you need anything."
Paige nodded. "Go ahead, stay safe."
For now, both Paige and Julian were quite safe. However, with Luna in the hospital, Paige still needed bodyguards to feel more at ease.
As soon as Julian left, the slightly ajar hospital room door was pushed open.
A man dressed in black, with a baseball cap and mask, slipped into the room. Paige frowned slightly and stood up swiftly.
