Chapter 657: Chapter 657: No More Debts Between Us
Everything seemed calm.
The only unusual thing was that Cyrus Hawthorne hadn’t shown up for the past few days.
"Sis-in-law, the cooperation project Hawthorne Corp. was working on recently just got some leads these past two days. Everyone in the company is busy, and my brother, being the decision-maker, will naturally be even busier. Don’t be upset."
Seeing Ann Vaughn lost in thought, Bella Hawthorne held her hand: "When I see him, I’ll definitely scold him for you and tell Grandpa so he can use his cane to teach him a lesson!"
No matter how important the company is, her brother had been neglecting his sister-in-law too much these few days.
The doctor said that if Ann Vaughn hadn’t been found fainted in time, and she continued to lie unconscious on the cold floor...
Even if her life was saved, her senses would have been lost, leaving her disabled.
Just the thought of this possibility made Bella Hawthorne feel uneasy, wishing she could invite all the renowned doctors she knew to help Ann Vaughn recover.
But what troubled her even more was that the supplements Mark Joyce sent over these days hadn’t decreased, yet her brother never showed up.
Seeing Bella Hawthorne’s indignant look, Ann Vaughn turned her head and smiled lightly, "I know he’s busy, so it’s okay."
"Sis-in-law, why are you still speaking for my brother?"
"Weren’t you the one who asked me to understand him?" Ann Vaughn asked with a smile.
Bella Hawthorne choked, "I was worried you’d misunderstand, but I hoped you’d join me in scolding my brother!"
Even though Ann Vaughn seemed unbothered, Bella Hawthorne still sensitively sensed something was off.
Could it be... they had a fight?
If Ann Vaughn could hear her thoughts, she might laugh at herself.
A quarrel would at least show they still cared for each other.
However, he wasn’t even interested in hearing her explanation; if she argued with him, wouldn’t it be self-inflicted humiliation?
"By the way, sis-in-law, my mom regained consciousness last night."
Seeing Ann Vaughn’s face turn pale, Bella Hawthorne immediately changed the subject, "The doctors said it was a miracle my mom survived given the level of poisoning, all thanks to you. Thank you, sis-in-law."
"Even if she were just an ordinary person, I would have helped her. It has nothing to do with her being your mother." Ann Vaughn smiled faintly.
No matter how precious the Xuanbing Needle is, it’s not worth more than a life.
Bella Hawthorne was moved at heart, "Sis-in-law..."
"Alright, don’t show such a mushy expression." Ann Vaughn gently patted her head and said, "Help me arrange a meeting with her."
"As long as you say so, no problem, sis-in-law."
...
Inside the VIP single room.
Laura Quinn had just been transferred from the ICU this morning. Her body was still weak, and after drinking half a bowl of porridge under the care of a newly hired female nurse, she lay down to rest.
When Ann Vaughn pushed open the door, Laura Quinn was watching international news on TV.
She silently moved forward, placing her slender fingers on Laura Quinn’s wrist to check her pulse.
"Is this the answer you have for me?" Laura Quinn’s eyes moved as she looked at Ann Vaughn’s calm face and slowly said, "I didn’t die; you must be disappointed."
This meant she had lost her only strong weapon to threaten Ann Vaughn.
Hearing this, Ann Vaughn lowered her eyes and scoffed. She really was good at bringing trouble upon herself.
"Think whatever you like." Withdrawing her hand, Ann Vaughn looked at Laura Quinn, who could do nothing but frown, her eyes calm, "I owed you a life, and now I’ve returned it. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
She couldn’t understand why Laura Quinn’s attitude had changed so drastically.
Nor could she grasp what she was relying on to determine that her staying by Cyrus Hawthorne’s side would only bring him danger.
There’s no need to understand now.
"What do you mean?" Laura Quinn frowned, as she hadn’t heard that Ann Vaughn had saved her.
Thus, she couldn’t understand what Ann Vaughn meant by "owe each other nothing."
"Staying with you, Cian will have no future," Laura Quinn continued, "I hope you can understand a mother’s predicament."
A mother’s predicament, huh?
Ann Vaughn laughed with faint sarcasm, "Sorry, I have no interest in understanding. Wish you a speedy recovery."
With that, she turned and left the ward.
Not long after leaving Laura Quinn’s room, she nearly bumped into Miyi Yates, who was visiting.
After a moment of silence, Miyi Yates smiled and said, "Miss Vaughn is also here to see the lady? What a coincidence."
"It is very coincidental." Ann Vaughn, not in the mood to chat with her, lazily replied and prepared to leave.
"Since we met here by coincidence, there’s something I’ve been puzzling over about Miss Vaughn. Could you enlighten me?"
Ann Vaughn paused slightly, looking at her with clear yet unclear eyes, "If you have questions, ask a search engine. I’m not an encyclopedia. Hasn’t Miss Yates heard that saying?"
"Only Miss Vaughn knows the answer to this question," Miyi Yates said with a smile, "and I’m not the only one curious if something inappropriate happened between Miss Vaughn and that stranger during their long time together."
The veiled insinuation in her tone made Ann Vaughn frown slightly, asking displeased, "Are you insinuating I had an affair with another man?"
"How could I? It’s just a necessary investigation, please don’t misunderstand, Miss Vaughn."
"Miss Yates seems to have a broad occupation, even taking on side jobs distributing flyers and filling out forms?" Ann Vaughn sneered slightly, retorting.
Miyi Yates shook her head slightly, with a smile that seemed meticulously calculated, unwavering.
"If it made Miss Vaughn uncomfortable, that’s my fault," she continued, "The lady seems to have many misunderstandings about Miss Vaughn. Conveniently, I’m on good terms with her and will surely speak favourably for Miss Vaughn in front of her."
Ann Vaughn’s delicate face turned indifferent as she said, "Oh," and continued, "There’s no need. I’ve never seen a palace steward reach into the inner palace."
The bodyguards outside the ward almost couldn’t hold back their laughter.
Palace steward?
Isn’t that just the emperor’s chief eunuch?
Ignoring Miyi Yates’s stiff expression, Ann Vaughn turned and walked away, unwilling to waste words.
Arguing with her would be a waste of her precious energy.
"Sis-in-law, what were you and Miyi Yates talking about just now? She seemed really happy?" Bella Hawthorne, who had been waiting for Ann Vaughn at the corner, asked curiously.
Ann Vaughn looked at her puzzled, "Where did you see her being happy?"
Her face nearly spelled "argue" on it.
"Miyi Yates had a smile all over her face, like she saw a lover."
"..."
Speaking of which, Ann Vaughn suddenly remembered the scene she saw previously at number 8.
She was about to think further when Bella Hawthorne tugged at her wrist, "Sis-in-law, I’m going to the vending machine to buy some drinks. What would you like?"