Chapter 60
區
20 vouchers
Kurt was woken up by a phone call in the middle of the night. The moment he heard that it was a Level A situation, all joking stopped.
He only said, “Okay.”
With that single word, he sprang into action.
Three minutes later, the information was sent to Edwina’s phone.
There were only two ECD machines in the world. One was unaccounted for, believed to be with its creator.
The other was in Grindel City, at the Cole family’s private hospital. The Cole family had spent a fortune on it, just to boost the hospital’s reputation.
‘The Cole family?‘ Edwina thought.
She scrolled through her contacts, finally finding Desmond Cole’s number, and dialed without hesitation.
After hearing her out, Desmond made up his mind to go to the hospital and talk to her in person.
In the hospital corridor, Desmond lounged in a chair like he owned the place, legs crossed, looking smug as hell.
“Edwina, you want the ECD? Beg me. No, that’s not enough. You need to get on your knees,” he sneered.
He’d never forgotten how Edwina and Kelvin had humiliated him, beaten him, and made him lose face in front of all the big families.
He said, “You know, the ECD is the pride of the Cole family hospital. There’s no way I’d just lend it out.
“Since you were once my fiancée, I’m only here as a favor for our history. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even get to see me.”
Desmond unbuttoned his suit, revealing a bulging belly and pants straining at the seams. Just looking at him made Edwina want to gag.
Edwina held back her anger. “Name your price. I just need to use it once.”
Desmond laughed, even more smug. “Edwina, what kind of crap are you talking about? You really think I need money?”
Edwina’s expression soured. “Are you sure you want to go up against the Gibson family?”
Desmond sneered, “Once Kelvin is dead, the Gibsons will be in chaos. It’s time for things to change in Grindel City.”
He felt a surge of triumph inside.
17:25 Fri, Jan 16
Chapter 60
20 vouchers
He’d been waiting forever for the Gibson family to fall, dreaming of the day he could lead the Cole family to rise up and claim a piece of Grindel City for themselves.
Finally, that day had come. ‘Kelvin, this is your karma, payback for everything! Desmond thought.
Edwina’s breath came faster, her fingers clenched so hard they almost cracked. With the ECD locked away in the Cole family’s hands, she was truly out of options.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from Kurt.
He wrote: [Boss, we’ve got a lead on the ECD’s creator. He seems to be really tight with the Simmons family. But the details are all locked down. I can’t get anything more.]
“The Simmons family?” Edwina thought.
Those words sparked hope in her.
She wasn’t about to beg Desmond. He had zero intention of helping Kelvin. He was just there for the show and to profit from the mess.
Edwina moved away and called Gloria. At this point, hesitation was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
Gloria answered Edwina’s call in the middle of the night and became anxious. “Edwina, why aren’t you home yet?”
“I’m at the hospital,” Edwina replied.
“What?” Gloria was instantly alarmed. “At the hospital? What happened? Are you okay? My darling, I’m coming over right away!”
“Please don’t worry, Mom. I’m fine, I’m not sick,” Edwina reassured her.
Edwina looked through the glass at Kelvin lying on the operating table. “It’s Kelvin. He’s injured and needs the ECD machine.”
Edwina spoke bluntly, not wasting any words as she continued. “The Simmons family has deep ties with the ECD’s creator. Mom, is there any way you could help me borrow an ECD? I really need it. It’s urgent.”
Gloria breathed a sigh of relief, but her anxiety quickly returned.
‘Thank goodness Edwina’s safe. But why is she getting involved with Kelvin again?‘ Gloria wondered.
Even though Gloria didn’t like Kelvin, when it came to a life–or–death situation, she wouldn’t let her personal feelings cloud her judgment.
“Sweetheart, don’t worry. I’ll have him bring the equipment to the hospital right away. He’s in another city, so it’ll take about two hours,” Gloria said.
As soon as she hung up, Gloria wasted no time and called the ECD’s creator.
Two hours was already pretty fast, but Edwina wondered if Kelvin could hold out that long.
17:25 Fri, Jan 16
Chapter 60
Edwina turned to the nurse. “How much longer will the B–type blood in the blood bank last?”
“An hour and a half, tops,” the nurse replied, rushing around, sweat pouring down her face.
It wasn’t enough, not even close. They were a whole thirty minutes short.
If the ECD didn’t arrive in time and the blood transfusion had to stop, Kelvin would die.
TO
20 vouchers
Imelda had already been pulling strings at the blood bank, doing everything she could to scrounge up enough B–type blood. No one knew if she’d actually manage to get enough.
Edwina’s brows were furrowed, and she looked both anxious and grim. Every second that ticked by was another piece of hope slipping away for Kelvin.
Desmond waited in the corridor, getting more and more impatient. He flashed a lecherous grin, licking his lips before finally speaking up. “Edwina, you look absolutely stunning!”
He couldn’t take his eyes off Edwina’s figure, the white lab coat over her evening dress gave her a forbidden, irresistible vibe that sent his heart racing.
He said, “How did I never realize you were this gorgeous? I really missed out on marrying such a knockout.
“But hey, too bad for you. Abby’s already pregnant, so there’s no way you’ll ever be my official wife.”
Desmond’s grin got even sleazier.
“Alright, here’s how it’s gonna be. I’m done making things hard for Kelvin. I’ll let you use the ECD and let him live,” he said.
“What’s your condition?” Edwina shot back, her voice cold as ice.
Desmond rubbed his hands together, eyes gleaming with anticipation. “Be my mistress and satisfy me in bed. You won’t have to lift a finger to earn a living. I’ll take care of everything for you.”
“Really?” Edwina’s voice was cold as ice. She leaned in close to Desmond, fixing him with a glare.
Her gorgeous face was just inches away, and Desmond’s pulse raced.
Without another word, Edwina smacked him. “Are you awake now?
“If not, I can keep going.”
She didn’t hold back, Desmond’s face puffed up right away, and the fake teeth he’d just replaced after Kelvin busted the last set were cracked again by her slap.
Blood dripped from his mouth as he sputtered, “You hit me? You really dared to hit me?
“Fine, you bitch. Go ahead and watch Kelvin die. There are only two ECDs in the whole world. One’s with the creator. Good luck ever finding him.
“The other’s right here with the Cole family, and you’ll never get your hands on it.
66
Chapter 60
“Just wait, Edwina. You’ll regret this!”
The next second, a scruffy middle–aged man in a military coat came rushing around the corner.
He raised his hand and slapped Desmond hard across the other cheek.
Now both sides of Desmond’s face were swollen, perfectly symmetrical.
20 vouchers
“You…” Desmond stammered, but when he saw who it was, he was so stunned he couldn’t even curse.
“Professor Richardson? How come you’re here?” Desmond blurted out, his voice shaking.
Edwina looked at the scruffy man, who despite his messy appearance, carried himself with a commanding presence.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Edwina. After a moment of eye contact, his eyes welled up
with tears.
“You’re Edwina? I finally found you. Come and give your uncle a hug!” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
Desmond was completely dumbfounded.
Sam Richardson was the genius who pioneered ECD technology and built the machine. He ran the world’s leading mechanical research institute.
‘He is Edwina’s uncle? Seriously?‘ Desmond thought.
“No way. That’s impossible!” Desmond’s eyes bulged. “You’re fake. You’re not Professor Richardson!”
Desmond found Sam familiar, but he felt that there was no way Sam was Edwina’s uncle. He felt that this had to be a scam.
