Ch. 451..460

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 451

'No…'

Hesper already had an answer inside of her heart. Although Rickard had done a lot of bad things to her, she was certain that he was not the kind of person who would do such a thing.

So there was a high chance that she had wrongly accused him.

"So this is the reason you came to my company the other day? That text message was important?"

Rickard was sharp. However, since this involved Julian, Hesper just nodded and did not go into the details. "I admit that I've wrongly accused you in this matter."

It turned out that Rickard did not know what happened that day at all after so long, and this was the reason why Hesper's attitude toward him suddenly changed. Initially, her attitude toward him had softened, but then everything suddenly changed and she treated him harshly that day.

However, he did not know why but he felt even more aggrieved after learning the reason.

"Honestly, I wanted to talk to you about another thing that day. It really caught me off guard when you suddenly said so many unpleasant things to me."

Hesper felt she was on the wrong side, so she did not want to argue with him. She changed to another topic and said, "You can tell me about what you wanted to say that day."

It was a night of confession.

Just when Rickard opened his mouth and was about to say something, someone knocked on the door.

"Hesper, are you still awake?"

Rickard and Hesper exchanged a glance. It was Isobella.

"Don't make a sound. Hide inside," Hesper told Rickard while putting one of her feet on the floor. In fact, the pain had ebbed away. She was in so much pain just now because she accidentally hit the spot where the metal plate was inserted, but she had already gotten used to this kind of pain.

Rickard knew both of them would not be able to explain to Isobella about his presence, so he nodded and went inside the restroom.

After he closed the door, something popped up in his mind and he chuckled. He probably never thought he would one day have to secretly hide in the bathroom because of someone.

Hesper waited until Rickard was inside the restroom before going forward to open the door.

"Mrs. Pisano."

Isobella looked like she had just woken up. When she saw Hesper, she said, "I saw a broken glass at your door and thought something happened. Why haven't you gone to bed yet? You can't sleep, or do you have trouble sleeping on another bed?"

"It's not that…" Hesper waved her hand. "I accidentally fell down and sprained my foot when I was looking for water. But it isn't a big deal now. It doesn't hurt much now."

"Are you sure about it? Do you need to go to the hospital now and get an X-ray? There's a chance that you may injure your bone."

Hesper felt a little guilty when she saw how worried Isobella was. She shook her head. "Don't worry, Mrs. Pisano. I'm really fine. It doesn't hurt at all now."

"Really?"

"Really!"

Isobella observed Hesper's emotion for a longer while before nodding. "Alright then. It really is a bit dark outside. After you and Penn get married, I'll get someone to install more lights here."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 452

They were getting more and more derailed from the topic. Hesper hastily changed another topic and said, "Umm… Mrs. Pisano, it's getting late. I don't want to bother you too much. I'm fine right now. You should go back to sleep."

Isobella nodded. "Leave the broken glass at the door. You may accidentally cut your hand since it's dark here. I'll get the maid to clean it up tomorrow… Alright, it is getting late. You should get back to bed."

"Okay."

Hesper heaved out a long sigh of relief after sending Isobella away. She locked the door and turned around, only to realize that she was doing something she should not have been doing, just as Rickard had said earlier in the afternoon.

However, the thing was that she and Rickard did not do anything, and she had no relationship with Pennleigh whatsoever.

Rickard came out of the restroom, and there was a slightly awkward and helpless expression sitting on his face. Hesper found his expression somewhat funny, but she could not laugh out loud. In the end, she just cleared her throat and said, "Alright. I need to sleep. You should leave now."

Rickard also had not figured out how to talk to Hesper about what happened back then. Now that she had forgotten about it, he could think of the best way to make Hesper accept the thing, so he nodded.

"Then you rest well. I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow."

Frowning, Hesper asked, "Since when did I say I'm going to the hospital with you? Did you not hear my conversation with Mrs. Pisano just now? I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital, and I'll definitely not follow you to the hospital. I'm Pennleigh's girlfriend right now, got it?"

"You shouldn't look down on your leg injuries. I already told you that I've found a doctor that can treat your leg injury. Before that, can you make sure you won't injure your leg again?"

Looking at Rickard's serious face, Hesper gave a cold smirk. "This is my leg. What has it got to do with you?"

"This matter has been decided."

Without giving Hesper a chance to argue, Rickard pushed open the door and walked out. Then he suddenly turned back and calmly said, "I still don't believe a word of what you said about liking Pennleigh. Don't forget this, Hesper. I grew up with you."

*

It was a sleepless night for Hesper. Fortunately, she had already made plans with Pennleigh to leave early the night before. Looking at the tightly closed door of Rickard's room, Hesper breathed a sigh of relief.

Hesper's countenance was pale. Pennleigh had been observing her the entire time, so it went without saying that he noticed that Hesper had glanced at Rickard's room several times. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, he did not know.

It seemed to him that something happened last night. That being said, he snapped back to sense and said, "Let's go."

When he saw that Hesper was behaving strangely with her leg, he frowned and asked, "What happened to your leg?"

Hesper did not want to tell him about the thing that happened last night. She did not want to tell Pennleigh that it was an old injury either as it involved some unpleasant memories that she did not want to talk about. Therefore, she told Pennleigh the same excuse she told Isobella last night.

"Did you sprain your leg?" Pennleigh asked as he looked at Hesper amusingly. "Do you need me to carry you to the car?"

Hesper responded with a punch and replied, "That's not necessary. It isn't anything serious."

They did not bring much with them when they came, and after Hesper cleaned up the glass at the door, both of them left.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 453

However, as soon as both of them left, Rickard opened the door. He watched their receding figures and sighed helplessly. Although he was very confident that there was nothing between Hesper and Pennleigh, he could see that Pennleigh had a thing on Hesper.

'He's such an eyesore.'

*

Hesper felt more relaxed after leaving Isobella and Rickard.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Pennleigh asked as he looked at her somewhat relieved face. "Did something happen again last night? Did Rickard… Did he come to look for you?"

What happened was complicated. Hesper cleared her throat and replied, "Actually, nothing happened last night. I just suddenly remembered some of the things that happened in the past and realized that I might've misunderstood him."

Pennleigh could sense the hint of hesitation in Hesper's voice. He did not know the past between Hesper and Rickard, but he knew that they were divorced and they had a son.

After hearing what she said, he asked tentatively, "Then will you reconcile with him after realizing that you've misunderstood him?"

Pennleigh was never someone who would poke his nose into other people's affairs. Hesper felt it was strange for him to ask a question like this, but she still replied resolutely, "Of course, I will not. Rickard and I have more than a few problems and misunderstandings… We can never get back together again."

Having been together for over half a year, so Pennleigh considered himself quite adept at discerning whether Hesper was telling the truth or not. After hearing that she answered with such a resolution, his mood became a lot better.

"Do you like the coffee we got last time? Let's go get a cup later."

"Okay."

Technically, Pennleigh was her superior, so even though they were working extra today at the company, Hesper had no objection to it. After all, she needed something to keep herself busy.

The trip to Eustoma took a while, and Hesper did not sleep well last night. She listened to soothing instrumental music in the car and drifted off into a dreamlike state, where she saw some strange and vivid images.

This time it was not a fragment that she would forget upon waking up. Hesper seemed to see her younger self standing among a group of people, surrounded by adults who were all wishing her a happy birthday as the candles were being blown out.

This dream was too real and warm. Hesper could not help but rub against the seat and a tear rolled down the corner of her eyes.

*

Rickard naturally got more details after he got Hesper's information.

Looking at the ordinary face on Hesper's ID, Rickard did not know how she did it, but he had already figured out why Matthew could not find Hesper after so long.

Not only did Hesper go off the grid, but she also changed her appearance. Apparently, she did not want Matthew to get even the slightest bit of information about her.

Even though he found Hesper, Rickard did not tell anyone about it. After learning that Pennleigh was her superior now, he became even calmer.

If there was really something going on between Hesper and Pennleigh, with Hesper's headstrong personality, he was certain that she would never continue working in Pennleigh's studio.

[Benji: There are many vacant units for sale near the villa where Ms. Rivera currently resides. Would you like to buy one?]

Rickard thought about it for a while. Hesper was currently living in Roberto's house, so if there were any changes in the surrounding property rights, Roberto would definitely inform her.

This was because this area was well-known for its security. Rickard speculated that Hesper might be avoiding someone who could harm her, so she would be extra cautious of those around her.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 454

Rickard had a gut feeling that if he were to buy a unit around where Hesper lived, he was confident that she would run away before he even moved into the house. He decided to go with his gut feeling and rejected the plan.

[Rickard: Ask the owner about the rental.]

Benji did not say much and went to do his bidding.

Rickard's intention was clear, and the price Benji offered was attractive. Since the house was unoccupied, the owner said yes and told him to move in whenever he wanted.

After solving this problem, Rickard clicked on the plain face belonging to "River A." on the profile and could not help but chuckle. "Hesper, let's see where you can run to this time."

*

Hesper was working on the wedding gown for Juniper when she sneezed.

"Did I catch a cold?" she muttered, fixing a crooked line on the paper.

For Hesper, there was not much difference between being at the company or at home. She already had an idea of how to design Juniper's wedding dress. She was one of Eustoma's clients, so she would definitely not do anything stupid.

She added Juniper's contact information. Juniper was very polite to strangers, let alone Hesper, whose status in the design industry was well known. It was not easy to be able to make an appointment with Hesper either.

When Hesper received a text message, she knew without looking that it was from Juniper. Juniper had already sent her several messages recently in order to get closer to her.

[Juniper: Ms. A, how's the progress on the wedding dress? My fiancé suddenly asked me today, and I'm also curious about what my wedding dress will look like.]

[Juniper: We're both girls, so I'm sure you can understand my feelings, right?]

In fact, Hesper's progress was very fast. The western-style dress had already been put on the mannequin, but she still needed to do some touch up. Even though she was pretty confident that Juniper would not be able to understand the design drawing, she sent Juniper several design drawings, deliberately choosing the most complex parts. This was because Hesper knew that if her dress was fancy enough, Juniper would not care about the rest.

As expected, Juniper's message came through after a short while.

[Juniper: It's so pretty. It seems like I made the right decision by listening to my friend's advice and choosing Eustoma and you.]

Hesper let out a cold smirk. Juniper requested the designer to personally bring the dress over, and if there were any issues, they would be responsible for the follow-up modifications.

At that time, Hesper would not mind giving Juniper a little surprise for her wedding. Wearing a wedding dress designed by the person she hated the most, Juniper would definitely feel that this was the "best decision" she had ever made in her life.

[River A.: It's my duty. There's still some time before the deadline, Ms. Wight. Don't worry too much.]

[Juniper: I didn't mean to rush you. I'm sorry.]

[River A.: It's okay.]

Putting her phone aside, Hesper suddenly frowned. Speaking of Juniper, she remembered 013, who had not shown up in a long time. She thought that after the delivery of the package last time, 013 would become more aggressive and make more trouble to disturb her life.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 455

Now, it seemed like he had disappeared without a trace.

That being said, 013's disappearance had given Hesper a chance to take a breather. If 013 had continued to disturb her life like before, she might not have had the mental capacity to focus on her work.

After drawing for a whole morning at the company, Pennleigh also realized that it was the holiday season that day and said with embarrassment, "I forgot when I came back. You don't have to work all the time. We don't exploit our employees here at Eustoma."

Hesper shook her head. "I still have to work on the drawing when I get home, so it's the same for me to work anywhere. But I'm leaving in the afternoon. I didn't have a good night's sleep last night, so I'm planning to go back and sleep. I'll come back to work tomorrow."

As Fredonia University entered the holiday season, Hesper came to Eustoma to keep herself busy. Like always, Evon still treated her badly. However, Andris, who did not like her design at all in the beginning, became one of her closest colleagues in the company.

Andris might not be young, but he was straightforward and no one disliked making friends with someone like him. Besides, Andris did not entirely reject Halwanest culture. It was just that he had never come across a designer like Hesper.

After becoming astounded by Hesper's designs again and again, he was getting more and more drawn toward Halwanest. He would pester Pennleigh to teach him Halwanese everyday and learn Halwanest-style design with Hesper.

"Oh yeah, you may not need to come to the company tomorrow," Pennleigh said.

Hesper raised her head, seemingly confused. Pennleigh continued, "Do you still remember your biggest project? The client has scheduled a meeting with you tomorrow to take measurements and discuss the new dress design."

Pennleigh was referring to the first project that Hesper won after joining Eustoma. The client had not contacted them for the past few months, and Hesper had almost forgotten about it until now.

"Okay, I understand. Should I go by myself tomorrow, or…?" Hesper asked.

"The client will send someone to pick you up," Pennleigh replied.

Hesper nodded and said, "Alright. I'll be leaving now. See you tomo… I mean see you the day after tomorrow."

Watching Hesper, who still seemed hesitant to use her legs, Pennleigh suddenly remembered the way she had pretended to be his girlfriend the day before. When she was leaning against him, she looked particularly obedient and was completely different from her usual self.

When he first saw Hesper in Halwanest, he thought she was very beautiful. After watching the Lanes' competition and seeing that Hesper had gained Roberto's favor and even became his apprentice, Pennleigh had also thought that her luck was too good.

However, after spending the past few months with her, he felt like she was like a phoenix. Even though her identity and status changed drastically, she had not given up on her dreams.

Pennleigh was a stubborn person himself. Otherwise, he would not have cut ties with his family to pursue his own dream. Therefore, he was attracted to Hesper.

Returning to his senses, Pennleigh looked at Hesper walking out of the company with complex emotions until she completely disappeared from his sight.

Although Hesper had a good relationship with him, Pennleigh knew very well that Hesper did not like him. Even if Hesper refused to admit it, even if her relationship with Rickard seemed tense, and neither of them would back down whenever they had an argument, he could see that Hesper had different feelings for Rickard.

Actually, he should have known long ago. There was nothing in this world that could tie someone like Hesper down except for true love.

*

When Hesper returned home, she clearly noticed that something in the neighboring villa seemed to be different from before. Even though she had only been away for one day, there were flowers and grasses in the deserted small courtyard next door.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 456

Hesper had not seen anyone in the adjacent house since she moved in, but the property management staff would occasionally come to clean it up and prevent it from becoming completely abandoned.

She had asked Roberto about the situation next door and learned that the owner had multiple properties and left this one vacant since it was a bit far from the city center.

Now, she was wondering if the house had been sold or rented out.

As she stood in front of the courtyard gate pondering, Hesper sent a text message to Roberto and asked him to help inquire about the situation next door. After all, it had been a while since 013 showed up. She could not let her guard down in case anything suspicious was going on.

Just as she sent the message, a youthful woman with a gentle face who was dressed like a butler walked out of the courtyard. She walked straight towards Hesper.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?" the woman asked.

Hesper was a bit surprised but pointed to her own house and said, "I'm a resident here. I was wondering if there are new occupants in the adjacent house. It's been vacant for a long time."

The woman nodded. "My employer has some work to do in this area and is temporarily staying here. He rented this house because he prefers a quiet environment."

"I see," Hesper replied.

It sounded logical to Hesper. The courtyard was beautifully decorated, so it was unlikely to be 013. After all, she did not think he would have such leisure time.

Hesper nodded. "It's indeed very quiet here. I'm River A. I've stayed here for a long time, so you can ask me for help if you need anything."

"I will. Thank you, Ms. A." The butler smiled. "My master, who has prepared a welcome gift for the neighbors, isn't here now, so I'll bring it over instead."

'A welcome gift?'

Hesper had heard that some people in Fredonia followed this custom, so she took the gift over from the butler. The gift was very simple. It was just a bouquet of flowers, but the host seemed to have misunderstood the meaning of flower. They had actually prepared a large bunch of bright red roses for her.

"Thank you."

Hesper lowered her head to take a look at the roses. They were fresh as if they had just been uprooted from the soil and bloomed brightly in the midsummer sun. It was undeniable that they were a very beautiful bouquet.

The butler bent over and said, "Since you have received the gift, you should go back now and not get sunburned."

It was the hottest time of the day, so Hesper did not refuse. Although Roberto had not replied to her message yet, the neighbor had left a good impression on her, and she did not want to suspect them unnecessarily.

However, bad people would not write "bad person" on their faces, so after entering the courtyard, Hesper carefully checked the bouquet. She only felt relieved after she found no monitoring or surveillance camera on it.

Although the flowers were indeed beautiful, Hesper did not bring it into her home since it was a gift from a stranger. Instead, she found a vase and put the flowers in it, placing it at the doorstep of the yard.

Meanwhile, Rickard stood at the window, watching Hesper carefully unwrap the bouquet. The butler came up and said, "Ms. Rivera has accepted the flowers and doesn't seem to be suspicious."

The butler's words conflicted with Hesper's actions, and a smile tugged at the corners of Rickard's lips. After seeing Hesper put the flowers into a vase, he turned his head back.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 457

"Good work," Rickard commended.

Mrs. Pisano recommended the butler when Rickard left the Pisano manor. She had a very gentle look, and Rickard was in need of someone to talk to Hesper on his behalf.

Looking at Rickard, the butler was a little confused. For someone like Rickard, he just needed to wave his hand and countless people would flock to him. Why would he move cautiously to live next to that girl but refuse to show himself before her?

Perhaps even a wealthy man like Rickard would have problems winning the heart of a woman.

*

Roberto finally replied. He was friends with the house owner. He told Roberto that he indeed had rented his house to someone. However, he could not tell him the man's identity. He only told Roberto that he was not someone he knew personally.

After receiving this accurate information, Roberto forwarded the message to Hesper. She felt relieved, but at the same time, she was also assaulted by a wave of guilt for squandering the gift that was meticulously prepared by her neighbor.

Giving the flower to her neighbor again seemed inappropriate. She had not met them yet, so she did not know what she should give them as a gift either.

Looking at the decorations in the yard, Hesper guessed that the new neighbor was probably a young girl from a relatively affluent family who had seen a lot of things in the world. Therefore, the meaning behind the gift was more important than the gift itself.

When the thought surfaced in Hesper's thought, she hesitated and thought of someone.

She pulled her phone out. Aelinor had sent her a lot of messages, and it seemed to her that she had a strong desire to share her things with the people around her. Hesper was not good at dealing with overly enthusiastic people, not to mention that she and Aelinor had met under rather unpleasant circumstances.

[Hesper: Alie… What kind of gift would you hope to receive? Please don't mention something too expensive.]

Aelinor replied to her quickly.

[Aelinor: Let me guess… You aren't going to give me a gift, right? But if you're going for something that isn't too expensive… What about a shortcake?]

Hesper was stunned for a moment as she looked at Aelinor's message. After a while, Aelinor's message came again.

[Aelinor: I don't think there's any girl in this world who can say no to desert, right? If my memories serve me right, you're pretty good at making desserts. I'd be very happy if I could receive a cake personally made by you.]

Hesper really did not understand the mindset of young girls nowadays, but since Aelinor had said so, Hesper felt that there was some truth to it. After all, they were neighbors, and if she gave something too expensive, they might hesitate to accept it.

After thanking Aelinor, Hesper decided to make some desserts to send next door.

Actually, what Rickard said was true. When she was staying with the Duvals, she made a lot of desserts, including her favorite almond cake at the time. Rickard's mother forbade her to go to school or do anything else during her pregnancy, so Hesper could only cook at home to pass the time.

As a result, cooking became Hesper's job when she was at the Duvals' residence. Hesper was taken aback for a moment, but she soon snapped herself back to reality. That was all in the past, and it was completely unnecessary to dwell on painful memories.

In the evening, Rickard received a few cakes from Hesper. There was also a handwritten note from Hesper explaining that these were gifts in return and expressing her hope of getting along well with each other in the future.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 458

The next day, Hesper arrived at the company's doorstep at the agreed-upon time. She glanced at the time. She was used to arriving early, so the client's car had not yet arrived.

"You're so hardworking."

Pennleigh's voice came from behind, prompting Hesper to turn her head around to see him standing behind her.

Pennleigh usually wouldn't come to the company at a time like this. Hesper raised her eyebrows and asked, "You're talking about yourself, right? What brought you to the company so early today?"

"Let's not argue for now," Pennleigh said, offering Hesper a smile. "Our client will be here soon. Before they're here, I have a few things to tell you."

"Okay." After spending such a long time together, Hesper also knew Pennleigh quite well. Although he did not look serious right now, she was confident that he must have something important to tell her.

"I'll make it short and simple," Pennleigh said, cocking his head. "Mrs. Lanning is in poor health. I'm sure you're already aware of that, so I hope you can be more careful during our cooperation. Her husband is an influential figure in the business world of Antellon. He adores his wife very much, but there are rumors that they both have extramarital affairs. I'm telling you this out of caution."

No wonder everyone was tight-lipped about the client before. Even someone as wealthy as Pennleigh referred to her husband as an "influential figure," indicating that their family was already considered prominent in Antellon.

Just as Pennleigh finished speaking, a black Lincoln appeared in their sight. Hesper and Pennleigh exchanged glances. Both of them had a feeling that this car was here to pick her up.

Just as they expected, the car slowly stopped in front of them. Pennleigh waved his hand at Hesper and said, "Go on. I'll see you tomorrow at the company.

"Okay," Hesper replied.

The car door opened, and a servant got out and came forward to take Hesper's toolbox. "Ms. A, we're a bit late. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Hesper had just checked the time and knew that they were actually ten minutes early. But since she arrived earlier, she just waved her hand. "It's okay, I came early."

After ushering Hesper into the car, the servant continued, "Ma'am has been sick lately and her body is weak, but she has been thinking about your dress. You don't need to rush it when you arrive later. If possible, please talk to her more."

"Okay…"

It was not the first time Hesper received a strange request from her client. She did not think too much about it since they just wanted her to talk to a patient. As such, she nodded and followed the servant into the mansion.

Hesper had seen Stephen's huge manor and Pisanos' castle, so compared to them, Mrs. Lanning's house was rather plain.

"Ma'am is waiting for you inside."

At the stairs, the servant stopped. Hesper obediently looked towards the room he pointed at and nodded. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. It's my duty."

It was apparent that the servant wasn't trying to shirk his duties by not taking Hesper inside with him, but rather, there was some explicit rule that prevented him from doing so.

"You need to disinfect yourself first."

"Okay…"

After completing everything according to the rules, Hesper finally made it to the door of the room. Although Mrs. Lanning was already waiting for her inside, Hesper still knocked on the door out of politeness.

"Come in."

Hesper pushed the door open.

Compared to outside, Mrs. Lanning's room was more exquisitely decorated. However, the curtains were closed and there were no lights on, so the room was a bit dim.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 459

There was a woman standing with her back facing her in the balcony. There were no expensive or precious flowers in the room. The entire room was filled with a few sunflowers that complemented the decoration in the room. The woman put down the bottle in her hand and turned around, smiling as she greeted Hesper, "Hello, Ms. Rivera."

Upon seeing the woman, Hesper was briefly stunned. The reason was nothing else but that the woman bore a resemblance to her. The brightness in her almond-shaped eyes had been enriched by the passage of time, making her seem even more gentle.

"Hi, Mrs. Lanning. I'm Hespe Rivera."

Elise walked over gracefully and said, "Please have a seat, Ms. Rivera. I like your design a lot. I never expected you to be so young. It's such a shame that I couldn't meet you earlier due to my poor health. It's strange, but as soon as I saw you, I felt particularly close to you. It's as if I had met you somewhere before."

Hesper actually had the same feeling. However, considering the fact that her current face was not her original one, she was certain that it must be an illusion. "There's no need to be so polite, Mrs. Lanning. You can just call me Hesper."

"But aren't you also being polite?" Elise quipped, making Hesper freeze briefly. "Judging by age, I'm about the same age as your mother. From now on, you can call me Aunt Elise. We'll probably meet frequently in the future. You don't have to treat me like a client. I don't like that kind of formality."

It appeared that Elise was indeed well-loved, and the multiple layers of screening and checks she underwent outside indicated that she was a pampered lady.

Elise's complexion was fine, but it was evident that she had been sick for a long time. When Hesper took her measurements, she also noticed that Elise was as thin as a rake.

"It's an old illness. I was exposed to radiation when I was young, and my body has been difficult to recover ever since."

Hesper had no intention of prying into her client's past, nor did she harbor any inappropriate curiosity. She was pretty sure that radiation was not something that ordinary people could be exposed to.

It was almost lunchtime after getting Elise's measurement and discussing with her about the initial design plan, and Hesper felt that it was time for her to go.

"Are you not staying for a meal, Hesper?"

Elise had no idea why but she had a strange attachment to the girl in front of her. Even though she had an ordinary appearance, she gave her a very familiar vibe and it made her wonder if they had met in the past.

"I'll be overstaying my welcome if I join you for lunch, so I'll be leaving first," Hesper said, politely declining Elise's invitation.

Since this was the first time they met each other, Elise did not press on. She told the driver to send Hesper back and reminded her to be careful on the way.

"Sir…"

Guided by a servant, Hesper turned around and caught sight of a man who had just parked the car. However, she only saw his back as he hurriedly went upstairs.

'Is he Mrs. Lanning's husband?'

Before Hesper could go deeper into her thoughts, she had already gotten into the car.

"May I know your address?" the driver asked.

Hesper gave her address to the driver, then settled down in the back seat while waiting for him to send her home.

It was a relief that her big client was not someone who was difficult to deal with. As for the matter of having lunch together, going home seemed like an easier option for her.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 460

The project Hesper was handling right now was Eustoma's biggest project. Therefore, Pennleigh gave her some time off, telling her to go home to get some rest while getting her thoughts sorted out.

Since there were still some vegetables at home that she bought last night, she still preferred to make herself a meal despite having the cookies she made the night before.

When passing by the next door, she saw the butler again and greeted him through the wrought iron gate. Hesper seemed to have not experienced this kind of neighborly relationship before, but she had never seen the owner of the house next to hers.

However, most people were working outside at this time. Hesper nodded at the butler and then went into the house. Compared to Elise, Juniper would pester Hesper from time to time regarding her dress. Had it not been for her professional ethics, Hesper would have given up since Juniper really annoyed her.

While she was working on her design, she thought of asking Julian to send her some medicine, and then she froze.

She did not receive any messages or news from Julian ever since she came to Fredonia. She had been very busy with various matters, and she had already forgotten his warning.

At that time, Julian told her to stay sharp wherever she went. Honestly, she still could not understand what Julian wanted to tell her.

As if she had made up her mind, Hesper brought her phone out and sent a message to Julian.

[Hesper: Are you not going back to Halwanest any time soon, Ian?]

The conversation she had with Rickard the other night was not entirely useless. At the very least, Hesper was sure that Julian's device was being monitored by someone, and he probably knew about it, which was why he did not say too much to her.

Waiting for a response, Hesper stared at her phone for a while, until she finally saw the "typing" message on the other side.

*

"It seems like you're really busy, Dr. Zink. You still have to reply to messages while working."

Julian put his phone away and looked at Riley, who appeared out of nowhere. He glanced towards the surveillance device in the corner of the lab, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he did not see the flashing red light.

"What brought you here?" he asked.

Looking at the frown on Julian's face, Riley winked at him. "I've changed into a lab coat and disinfected myself this time. Are you sure you still want to scold me, Dr. Zink?"

Julian was speechless and he turned his face sideways. "The medicine from last time should have been effective. I heard that psycho hasn't had an episode in a long time. Hasn't your purpose in finding me been achieved? Unless it's necessary, don't risk coming to find me again. It's better for both of us."

Upon hearing this, Riley approached him, his expression turning colder.

"Don't act dumb with me, Dr. Zink," Riley said, maintaining the smile on his face. In the next second, he pulled a silencer out of his pocket and pointed at Julian's head. "I asked you to develop a medicine that would make Trez calm down, not a medicine that would make Trez disappear."

"Oh, really?" Julian sneered. "Trez himself is the cause of madness. He's the second personality, yet he wants to completely take over the body and erase the existence of the main personality. It may sound easy to do that, but it's actually very hard.

"Also, don't point your gun at me. Do you have the nerves to pull the trigger?"

Riley took a deep breath and put the gun away.

"Of course, I don't. You and your teacher are my boss's most honored guests," Riley said, stretching out his hand that was wearing a rubber glove and tracing his finger from Julian's chin to his chest. "But don't you think it's inappropriate for you to contact Ms. Rivera too much, Dr. Zink? Also, who do you think will be the one to kill you first? Me, or my boss?"