Chapter71The Cunning Old Fox
Margaret's eyes followed Pearl's respectful movement before staring back at Paige.
At that moment, Paige was lighting up a fresh cigarette from a new pack.
Exhaling a puff of smoke, Margaret peered through the hazy cloud to see Paige's indifferent expression.
Suddenly, Margaret remembered the day of the bid. Paige was present, accompanied by three men. The Sackler family was supposed to secure the project with ease, and Margaret had even asked Paige to sabotage their toughest competition.
But out of nowhere, this woman had swooped in and snatched the project away.
Margaret had confronted her afterward, encountering her utterly arrogant and disrespectful demeanor.
Yet, that same arrogant woman was now standing beside Paige, meek as a cat, seemingly at her beck and call.
Margaret was unsettled. Didn’t she just find out today that Paige was married to Raymond?
Then...
What had Paige done to wrestle the project away from the Sackler family that day?
Paige took another drag of her cigarette, casting a casual glance at Margaret.
"When I went to prison five years ago, I seem to recall making it clear. If I found out that my mother hadn't been treated well in my absence, there would be consequences. I wonder, Mrs. Sackler, if you remembered that warning."
Margaret glared at Paige, seething with hatred.
Paige, such a bastard child, had no right to speak to her that way. Had it not been for her fluke of marriage to Raymond, Margaret could have come up with a thousand ways to crush her.
"People get forgetful in their old age. Paige, your mother's health is quite complicated. If she stayed at the Sanatorium, she'd live out her days in peace—at least, she'd be alive. Taking her away on a whim, I can't guarantee the outcome. Just be cautious and don’t regret it if something goes wrong."
Paige stared back at Margaret with an icy gaze. Did Margaret honestly think she would be able to send her mother back to that Sanatorium?
Impossible. Margaret was usually holding her mother's life over her head, forcing Paige to dance to her tune. Putting her mother's life in constant danger.
"You intend to use my mother to leverage me and even to get hold of the Carnegies. Dream on, Margaret! I've got access to the best medical teams and the top healthcare resources in the world. You think your rundown Sanatorium can compete with that?"
Amid their exchange, one of Margaret's associates arrived. The newcomer surveyed the scene and whispered in Margaret's ear. Her expression hardened as she listened.
After the whispering ended, Margaret turned to Paige, "The antidote was hijacked on the way."
Paige exclaimed, "Hijacked? What's this, a game you're playing?"
Margaret glared at her, "You think I'm behind this?"
With a wry smile, Paige countered, "Is there any other explanation?"
Trying to control her feelings, Margaret said, "It's truly been stolen. What purpose would lying serve me now? Both Xena and I are right here on your turf, surrounded by your people. Lying won’t do me any good."
Paige's eyes narrowed dangerously, "What are you implying? That someone else is after the antidote?"
Margaret shrugged, "How would I know? There's only one dose of the antidote. Without it, your mother will have to rely on the substitute injections to delay and keep her going."
The substitute injections were what her mother had to take regularly now.
There was a Plan B—the experiment led by Byron—but Paige didn't dare gamble with her mother's health. It was unclear when Byron might yield results. For now, the readily available antidote was the best shot.
This was precisely why Paige had gone to such lengths to bring Xena into the fold.
At this moment, Paige could hardly afford to waste time. "Keep an eye on her, Julian. Come with me."
She was determined to seize back the antidote!
Julian nodded without hesitation and followed Paige’s lead.
A few steps out, Paige caught sight of the messenger who had come for Margaret still lingering and snapped, "What are you standing around for? Get to the scene of the incident. Lead the way!"
Being one of Margaret's, the messenger instinctively looked toward her for confirmation.
With Margaret's nod, the person immediately caught up with Paige's stride.
Paige floored the gas pedal, racing towards the site of the incident. The Sackler family's delivery vehicle, which had been carrying the antidote, had been sideswiped and was now stranded by the roadside, the scene still being managed.
Margaret's assistant looked to Paige and said, "Ms. Sackler, the items have been taken. Our vehicle was hit on the road."
Paige's face stressed with worry. "What kind of car? Did you get the license plate? Where did they go?"
The assistant shook his head. "I couldn't catch the plate, but I remember the car—a black Bentley headed toward the airport."
Paige restarted her Viper, chasing directly towards the airport.
Julian, eyeing Paige on the brink of hysteria, wanted to speak up but seemed unsure where to begin.
"Ms. Sackler, you seem a bit rattled. Maybe I should drive."
Paige glanced at Julian and sharply retorted, "You don't drive as well as I do. Call Cecil West and have him track down the black Bentley."
Although Paige's anxiety was clear, Julian's most pressing concern was that they might be chasing in vain and not recover the coveted antidote.
This was a thought that Julian, in the end, dared not voice.
It didn't take long for Cecil West to locate the black Bentley headed for the airport. However, only three minutes later, Cecil's call came in.
Julian put the phone on speaker, and before Cecil could speak, Paige felt an unsettling tug inside.
"Talk to me, what's happening?"
Cecil hesitated before replying, "The car reached the airport. I've checked the cameras; someone boarded a private jet with a medical cooler in hand."
At that, Paige slammed on the brakes.
"What? It took off already?"
There was a three-second pause before Cecil confirmed, "As of now, it has already taken off."
Paige's fists clenched tightly around the steering wheel before she slammed one into it with force.
After a few moments, she controlled the surge of her emotions and said, "Track the flight path!"
There was no point in chasing after the antidote now; it was undoubtedly gone. But she had to know where it had been sent.
The antidote was hijacked, and now, it's on a plane?
Interesting.
What started as a straightforward task quickly spiraled into complexity.
Clever Margaret!
Had she not interfered, would the timing have been so coincidental?
Stepping out of the car, Paige handed over the driver's seat to Julian. "Back to the South Garden estate. I've obviously underestimated her."
