Chapter 22: Identify Ingredients by Smell

“If I were scared, would you let me get out of the car?” Yunice countered.

Seeing that Wyatt remained silent, she added, “Besides, I want my bracelet back. I’m waiting for you to name your conditions.”

This time, Wyatt said, “I like the bracelet. I’m keeping it.” His tone was calm, yet there was no room for argument.

Unwilling to give up, Yunice turned to face Wyatt and bargained, “What if I can cure your leg?”

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but the car noticeably swayed for a moment after she said that. Yunice glanced at the driver and saw that he had nervously checked the rearview mirror.

Did I say something wrong? For someone with a disability, their biggest taboo was having others bring up their pain. Wyatt was no exception. Besides, with Wyatt’s status, he could have any doctor in the world kidnapped to treat him, yet he was still disabled. That meant he had repeatedly tried and failed. Most likely, he had lost faith and patience in doctors altogether.

Yunice had traveled with her father since childhood and had seen all kinds of patients, so she was familiar with this kind of mentality.

“There’s Datura in the medication you take regularly. I can smell it,” Yunice dropped a bombshell before continuing, “Your physical functions should be fine. Your mobility issues are probably due to nerve paralysis.”

She stole another glance at the driver and saw that he looked completely numb, as if he had already given up on saving her.

Tightening her grip on the ballpoint pen in her hand, Yunice held her breath and waited for Wyatt’s reaction. She was taking a gamble.

The fact that Wyatt hadn’t handed her over to his subordinates meant there was something about her that interested him. This was her chance, and she had to seize it.

Wyatt’s expression darkened slightly, but he didn’t get angry. “You can identify the ingredients of medicine just by smell?”

Yunice felt a twinge of disappointment because he hadn’t followed her lead in the conversation. But at least, for now, she was…

“I can recognize most traditional herbal medicines by scent, but I need instruments to analyze modern medicine,” Yunice explained.

To prove her expertise, she introduced her notebook. “Take Alphasirox pills, for example. I can roughly determine its composition in proportional amounts.”

She spoke without any sense of pride. Instead, she looked troubled. “I spent everything I had to buy this medicine to save a life, but after analyzing it, I discovered a fatal flaw. This drug contains Aconite, which causes irreversible heart damage. The people who spent their fortunes on it to save their lives would never expect that what they bought was a poison that kills a thousand while barely harming the enemy.”

Yunice noticed Wyatt’s brow furrow slightly. This was her second move to corner him.

Alplusirox pills came from Wellinges Pharma. They had been in development for over three years but had never been officially released. Only small quantities were circulated in the black market.

Yunice suspected that the reason Alphasirox pills had not been launched was that issues had been discovered during the clinical trial phase, leading to continuous delays.

Wyatt was the financial power behind Wellinges Pharma. If there was a major flaw in the drug, no one would be more anxious than him. Her guess was spot on—the issues with the drug had a delayed onset.

Initially, Wyatt had full confidence in Alplasirox pills. The early trial results had been promising, prompting widespread media coverage that painted the drug as a medical breakthrough. Demand was boosted. Hospitals lined up to collaborate with Wellinges Pharma, and orders flooded in.

That was when Wyatt realized the problem. He had been stalling the drug’s release, waiting for a solution. But the deadline for delivering the drug was fast approaching.

Wyatt’s gaze toward Yunice turned scrutinizing. “So what if you figured it out? You can’t fix it.”

Yunice smiled. “Not yet. But I lost 280,000 on this, so I’ll keep testing it.”

Wyatt let out a scoff, mocking her for overestimating herself. The car stopped at Star Coast. The driver swiftly got out and opened the door for Wyatt. Wyatt’s black cane touched the ground first, followed by his polished leather shoes. Seeing that he hadn’t invited her to come along, Yunice quickly put her notebook back in her bag and followed him.

Jordan, walking behind her, chatted with her cheerfully for a few moments before heading to the front desk to arrange things with the manager.

With no other choice, Yunice maintained a careful distance as she continued following Wyatt.

At the entrance of the private lounge, the attendants opened the doors in two directions. The moment Wyatt stepped inside, Yunice, fearing she would be shut out, quickly followed him in.

She hadn’t expected a familiar voice to suddenly ring out in the room. “Yunice?”

Yunice’s back stiffened. She turned to look at Paul.