Chapter 115
Jonas was lost in thought. He rarely showed such seriousness. Patrick’s heart skipped a beat. “Jonas, speak up.”
“It’s a high dose of anesthetic,” Jonas said slowly, his soft pink lips glowing in the sunlight. Jonas’ slender, fragile frame seemed like it would break with the slightest touch—he looked even more delicate than most women. Patrick thought, ‘No wonder Kenneth was so captivated by him.’
Patrick was aroused but quickly pulled back. He thought, ‘It hurts. It’s swollen.’ First, Patrick was scalded by the coffee, then rubbed by Camila. He couldn’t possibly go to the hospital for something like this.
“Jonas, give me some ointment,” Patrick said.
“What kind of ointment?” Jonas asked, puzzled.
Patrick pointed to his lower body and briefly recounted what had happened that day. Jonas was shocked. “Camila was that wild?”
Patrick cleared his throat, embarrassed. Jonas said, “Your family’s genes must’ve mutated from your grandma’s side, huh?” Jonas’ words hit Patrick like a slap, and for the first time, he thought he understood why he was different. A surge of resentment suddenly welled up inside him.
Patrick thought, ‘Why was I made this way? Amelia wouldn’t have kept her distance if it weren’t for my tangled feelings.’
“The anesthetic you mentioned is strong but harmless. You don’t need to worry about it,” Jonas added. Patrick was still lost in his thoughts.
Jonas waved his hand in front of Patrick’s face. “Hey, did you hear me?”
“You talk about my family’s genes, and what about yours? What kind of mess did you come from?” Patrick’s ribs, hands, lower body, and chest ached. Thus, his words were harsh. Jonas’ frail body trembled. His complexion paled. He parted his lips, but no words came out.
Patrick finally realized he’d hurt Jonas. After all, Jonas was Kenneth’s dearest, and Patrick had to fix this relationship. So, Patrick softened his tone. “Sorry, I was in a terrible mood today.”
“It’s fine,” Jonas murmured. He lowered his head in sadness, like a delicate flower battered by a storm. “About that anesthetic, continue,” Patrick urged.
Jonas said, “It’s not something you’d find at a regular hospital. It probably came from a research institution.” Patrick asked, “Then how did it get in me?”
Jonas said, “This substance is colorless and odorless. Maybe it was mixed into your food.” Patrick’s face darkened. He clenched his fists tightly. “Amelia is so cunning.”
Chapter 115
Amelia had entered the private room in advance and set up the plan. Patrick had been so blinded by desire that he didn’t see it coming. His blood boiled, and the pain down below flared up again. Patrick took a sharp breath. “Jonas, get me that medicine now.”
“Right away.” Jonas went to prepare the medicine for Patrick, but his mind kept racing—how did Amelia have access to such a high-grade anesthetic? The last time he saw something like that was at his teacher’s place. The more Jonas thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Unable to hold it in, he made a call to his teacher. “Did the anesthetic you researched make its way to Norava?”
“You don’t need to know. Just stay away from the owner of the anesthetic. Don’t harm him.” The stern voice of a middle-aged woman came through. Jonas’ heart skipped a beat, and he responded respectfully, “Understood.” Then, he took out one ingredient from the medicine he’d prepared for Patrick.
Patrick was severely injured and didn’t come to cause trouble for several days. Amelia and Landon enjoyed a peaceful, uneventful time together. It was pretty cozy. They went to work, came home together, ate meals, and chatted. Back home, they still slept in separate rooms, but at least they could wander around in their pajamas in front of each other. They were not quite family but closer than family.
Gloria watched the young couple get along so well, and she couldn’t help but think about having grandchildren. “Landon, Amy, when will you two have a baby?”
“I’m fine now. Why rush us for a baby?” Landon said casually, sneaking a glance at Amelia. He thought, ‘I haven’t even won her over yet. How could I push for kids now?’
“Gloria, there’s no hurry,” Amelia added, afraid Gloria would get anxious and force them to drink more of that ‘wine’. “Alright, if you’re not in a hurry, I won’t push it.” Gloria suppressed her disappointment, easing into patience. Gloria thought, ‘Landon is doing well and back on track. It doesn’t matter when they have a baby. Right now, I just hope Landon and Amy fall in love. Amy is perfect for him—I don’t want them to split up.’
“Mrs. Gloria, Mr. Zuckerberg has come for a visit,” the butler announced. Gloria was puzzled. She asked, “Which Mr. Zuckerberg?”
The butler replied, “Daniel.” Landon’s gaze darkened. He thought, ‘The nerve of this guy, coming to my house.’ Gloria said, “I don’t know him—”
“I do.” Before Gloria could finish, Amelia quickly raised her hand and said to the butler, “Please show him in.” “Certainly,” the butler replied.
Landon wasn’t pleased and couldn’t help but let out a resentful thought, ‘Amelia is being too friendly with other men again.’ Amelia choked on her own words. She glanced at Landon, her lips twitching as she explained, “His handkerchief had the Amber Vase design. I just wanted to ask about it.”
“Got it.” Landon finally relaxed.
Chapter 115
Amelia breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She thought, ‘He gets jealous so easily!’ “Mrs. Gloria.” Daniel arrived, greeting Gloria politely before turning to look at Landon and Amelia. “You two are not easy to find.”
“We’re not close. Do you have business with us?” Landon’s tone was slightly biting. Even Gloria picked up on the tension. She wondered, ‘Could this man be Landon’s romantic rival?’
“I’m here for the Amber Vase. I heard from Marlon that you two bought it,” Daniel said. Amelia was delighted and quickly asked, “Mr. Zuckerberg, you know about the Amber Vase?”
“To be honest, it belonged to my mother. I was hoping you’d consider selling it to us,” Daniel replied. His assistant was already pulling out a checkbook, ready to make a deal. Clearly, Daniel was determined to get the Amber Vase today. “Your mother?” Amelia froze. She thought, ‘Isn’t the Amber Vase my mother’s?’
“Yes.” Daniel nodded. “Mrs. Kingsley, would you consider parting with it?” “But I remember the Amber Vase was left to me by my mother.” Amelia shook her head, nervously leaning toward Landon.
An antique with a history spanning over 3,000 years couldn’t have just one owner. Amelia didn’t know how Debra got it or how long Debra had owned it. But Daniel didn’t seem to be lying. The Zuckerberg family had once owned the Amber Vase, so he had come here searching for it. But Amelia didn’t want to let it go. She thought, ‘Landon, please don’t sell it.’
“Mr. Zuckerberg, I’m sorry. I’m not selling,” Landon said. Amelia relaxed, smiling at Landon, who was in the wheelchair. She thought, ‘Landon, you’re so wonderful.’
“Mr. Kingsley, you can name your price.” Daniel’s tone was firm. “Mr. Zuckerberg, on what grounds do you claim the Amber Vase belongs to your family?” Landon asked. He was smart. He had already begun to suspect why the head of the Zuckerberg family at Lunova had come to Pinecrest.
Daniel paused for a moment before responding, “The Amber Vase has been in the Hughes family for over 300 years. Thirty years ago, when the youngest daughter in the Hughes family married, the Amber Vase was part of her wedding gifts.” Amelia thought, ‘Now he is bringing up the Hughes family?’ A wave of unease swept over her. ‘Who really owns the Amber Vase?’