Chapter 62
Merrick let out a long sigh, sinking into his memories.
Noella didn’t rush him, placing the warm milk brought by the secretary next to him.
Merrick wasn’t in the best shape, probably had chronic sleep issues, and a little warm milk could help him rest easier.
“This whole thing just ticks me off. If it hadn’t been for that doctor screwing up the paternity test back then, we wouldn’t have only had you coming back just now! We had it all figured out. Elara was such a sweet kid, and your grandma and I couldn’t bear to let her go. If she wasn’t our flesh and blood and we couldn’t find her folks, we were ready to adopt her. Heck, we would’ve just had her take the Horwich surname!”
Merrick took a sip of the warm milk and continued, “But then the test results came back a perfect match, so we breathed a sigh of relief. Fast forward, Elara’s research got some recognition, and with some internal hiccups in the organization, they insisted on proving her parents were really hers.”
Merrick started cursing up a storm at this point. “Turns out after redoing the paternity test. she’s not a Schnabel kid at all!”
“How could the results have matched back then?” asked Noella.
Merrick was fuming just thinking about it. “Guess what? That doctor saw the mismatch, thought for sure we’d abandon Elara. He figured the kid was innocent and needed a home, so he went ahead and fudged the results! Talk about a bonehead move!”
Noella was just speechless. She’d thought of many scenarios but never guessed it was such a mix–up. But how did they end up swapped in the first place? They’d probably have to track down the head of Heartfelt Orphanage to get that story!
“If not for that mess, Elara might’ve found her real parents by now, and you wouldn’t have had to rough it out there.” Merrick said, tears welling up in his eyes, patting Noella’s hand, filled with regret.
“Grandpa, the grandma who adopted me treated me well, and Elara had a good life in the Schnabel family.”
Palmer listened quietly to the grandfather–granddaughter talk, only speaking up after the old man turned away to wipe his tears.
“If Elara needs help finding her family, Noella, make sure to let me know. The Pollack Group has got some solid connections.”
Merrick snorted, “Why ask? If you really cared, you’d have done something yourself! You trying to make Noella owe you one? Typical Pollack, all high and mighty, no class.”
Noella just rolled her eyes. “Yes, got it! But you know, our family’s way of doing things isn’t half bad. If you are curious, you can chat with my granddad. He’d be more than welcoming.”
12:48
Chapter 62
“Forget it, why would I want to see him? At this point, I’m half in the grave; I’m not looking to pick a fight!”
Just thinking about Sexton’s face made Merrick uncomfortable. Seeing him, you just knew he was up to no good!
Merrick got up with help from his secretary. “Noella, remember to come home this weekend. I’ve got a favor to ask. I’m beat, gonna head up and hit the hay.”
“Sure, got it.”
Merrick, getting on in years, was already worn out after a short chat. After greeting a few acquaintances at the party, he retired to rest.
The yacht docked, and Palmer escorted Noella away, striding up to the Rolls Royce parked at the pier and sliding into the car.
The night was deep; apart from the brightly lit yacht, the rest of the open sea was tranquil.
Not far off, a cab was surrounded by a crowd.
Yvonne was being held hostage by Thorpe, obviously taken as his bargaining chip.
Jasper watched Thorpe with a cold smirk, his expression predatory, like a hawk eyeing the hunter in the dark! “Mr. Thorpe, I’d advise you to let her go now. If you think you can walk out of Harmonia Country with a Schnabel, you’re signing your own death warrant!”
Thorpe squinted, eyeing Jasper on the dock.
“Even you couldn’t touch me in international court. You think you can stop me from taking someone?”
Seeing how protective the Schnabels were of Yvonne, Thorpe was almost certain this woman had to be the Phantom Surgeon Lunaris he was after! He’d risked it all coming to Harmonial Country for the Phantom Surgeon Lunaris, and now that he’d found her, no way was he letting
her slip away!
Jasper was irked. He had a chance to hang with Noella tonight, maybe hit the shops and grab a bite, but no, he had to deal with this mess.
Yvonne just couldn’t do anything right!
“Mr. Thorpe, don’t underestimate the Schnabels. Leave her be, or don’t blame me for not playing nice!”
Yvonne’s mouth was gagged with a foul rag, tears streaming down her face.
Jasper really blew it this time; she had a chance to follow this guy and make some cash. They must’ve caught wind of his billion–dollar contract and wanted to hog the loot for themselves!
Yvonne thrashed about, trying to say something, but no one cared what she wanted. Thorpe found her too annoying and knocked her out cold over his shoulder.
Jasper chuckled, casually undoing his floral shirt’s buttons and slipped off his suit jacket.
This outfit was picked out by Noella; he’d hate to get it dirty!
Palmer glanced at Noella, furrowed his brow, and said, “Looks like Bro Jasper’s about to throw down.”
Noella just sighed.
“Jasper’s probably younger than you.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s my fiancée’s brother. That makes him my brother as well.”
At the end of the day, it was just a title. If it made her happy, then it was a good deal!
Noella knew this guy played by his own rules, and she couldn’t be bothered to intervene.
“Whatever. We can’t let Jasper and Thorpe come to blows. He probably can’t take Thorpe anyway.”
Thorpe ranked third on the deep web’s hitman list, so Jasper didn’t stand a chance against
him.
Noella couldn’t just stand by and watch Jasper get into trouble right before her eyes.
And Yvonne? No way she was getting nabbed that easily.
Whipping out her trusty mini laptop, Noella used her hairpin to pop the lock, and with a combo of fingerprint and iris scan, booted up the system.
[Single–use healing privilege auction. Time’s ticking–10 minutes only. Phantom Surgeon Lunaris.]
The message sent shock waves through the deep web, and Thorpe’s phone started blowing up too. He seemed to be on the fence about something.
“Boss, Lunaris just threw up an auction on the deep web, so the one we nabbed is gotta be a decoy. How about we just chuck her into the sea?”
“We’re talking ten minutes here, and the price has already hit 20 mil. Move it, boss, or you’ll
miss out!”
Thorpe glanced at the crowd around him, gritted his teeth, and dumped the unconscious Yvonne into the sea before hailing a cab and making a getaway!
Jasper, looking at the pitch–black sea, waved his hand impatiently. He was itching to get back. and hang with Noella!
As for Thorpe’s sudden change of heart? Jasper couldn’t care less.
“Fish her out and get her to a hospital. I wanna know what the heck went down.”
‘Got it.”
Jasper’s crew quickly rescued Yvonne, and the convoy vanished from the harbor.
3/4
19-410 m
Two groups lurking in the shadows quietly slipped away too.
Noella’s phone rang.
“Boss, your auction went for a cool 300 million to Vocalist!”
“Boss, ain’t you and that dude dining out tonight? What’s with this high–roller romance? Dishing out 300 million like it’s nothing and getting the whole deep web to play along–are we just a part of your game?”
Noella was speechless.
Looks like she needed to set aside some time to straighten out the team discipline. Lest these chatterboxes start airing the dirty laundry!
