Ch. 501..510

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 501

Riley didn't think much about it. He shook his head, then left the room.

013 stood up and removed the cloth covering the mirror and looked at his reflection. It felt different from when he was in slumber. In the past half a year, he felt like a bystander watching the main personality living his life.

They were two different people.

It could be because of Julian's medication, but he could remember what the main personality went through, and that made him feel lost. Was he really needed? Wasn't he supposed to add value to this body?

013 shook his head. "You won't sway me…" Hesper Rivera must die.

After Rickard replaced a new bouquet in Hesper's bottle, he didn't hurry to leave. Instead, he stood there and zoned out.

Hesper would be going into surgery the next day. Even though the doctor said that the success rate was high, Rickard was still worried. He didn't know when he started worrying about losing her.

If Hesper's legs were healed, he could come clean about his identity. He wouldn't ask for her forgiveness, but he didn't want to continue lying to her, using a different name.

Their relationship started because of a mistake that he was trying to reverse. He wanted to start everything with her again instead of furthering the mistake.

He didn't want to lie to her about his current identity, but he was worried that if she found out that he was behind this, she would reject the treatment.

"Mr. Duval…"

Rickard turned around and saw the doctor leaning on the top of the wall, calling out to him with an anxious look. "There's no time to think. Hesper is missing!"

"What?" Rickard frowned and walked around the wall.

The doctor said, "I usually text her to confirm the time. She should have finished work by now, but I haven't heard back from her."

The doctor showed the text to him. He took a look, then turned around. "You should head home. I'll get someone to look for her and keep you updated."

"Alright."

The doctor grabbed his shoulder. "Wait, there's something I need to tell you. She…"

"We need to find Hesper first." Rickard made a call and told the doctor nothing else mattered more, then turned around and left.

The doctor stood there and sighed. "Why wouldn't the young man listen to me? I wanted to tell you that she knows it's you. It's supposed to be an open-book exam, but now I guess you'll have to make your own guesses."

When Benji got the call from Rickard, he arranged for the men to start looking.

Since Hesper was abducted in the past, and since Daybreak was very active in Antellon, Rickard already had an emergency plan. Benji sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose and looked out the window.

"Please come back safely, Ms. Rivera… Or someone else might lose their mind."

 

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 502

When Hesper woke up, it was already evening and the sky was turning dark. She laid on the concrete floor, the wide and empty factory silent.

"Mmph…" Her mouth was stuffed and there was intense pain in her head. She struggled but her hands and feet were tied, so she couldn't sit up.

"It's been a while, Ms. Rivera."

A familiar voice came from the dark. 013 squatted down and took the cloth out of Hesper's mouth, chuckling. "I'm sure you missed me. Were you anxiously waiting for my return? Have you heard that the feeling of fear is similar to infatuation?"

Hesper scoffed. "I thought you'd gone into hiding. All you did was play a trick in the beginning. Wasn't expecting you to suddenly pop up like a rat in the drain."

"You're still so sassy. When I saw you in a wheelchair today, I felt pity for you."

"…What do you want?"

013 smiled and untied Hesper's hands so that she could feel his heartbeat. "Can you feel that, Ms. Rivera? My heart is extra excited because it knows that today is the end of your life and pride."

He placed his hand on her legs. "I wonder if this pair of legs can stand another round of pain."

"You should just kill me right now." Hesper struggled to lean forward closer to 013. She could clearly see his eyes. "If I escape, you'll suffer."

"Oh, really?" The young man grabbed her jaw and was going to continue speaking but was suddenly hit by Hesper's elbow.

That was a move she used before, and now she was even better at it. After training with Seth for so long, even though she was drugged, she was still confident that it was a hard hit.

"Urgh…" 013 rubbed his chest then burst out laughing.

"Ms. Rivera, you're such an interesting person."

Hesper threw another punch a few inches under the man's collarbone. 013 sat down on the floor in pain. She finally sat up and put some distance between herself and 013.

She quickly untied her legs, realising that the drug used this time was different. She didn't lose her energy but she had a splitting headache.

Sitting on the floor, 013 wiped his brow bone then stood up and stared at Hesper in the dark.

"Do you think you'll be able to win in a fight? I thought you'd stick to the soft approach you previously used."

Hesper balled up her fists and took a few steps back. She looked around, but it was too dark. She remembered that 013 said he could see well in the dark; she wouldn't have an advantage there.

"You'll have to find out for yourself."

Looking at the sky, she wasn't able to tell how long it had been since she was taken, but she was sure that Rickard would quickly find out that she was missing and find her.

What was different was when she was staring down 013, Hesper could guess who he was and that was why she paused.

013 said on the plane that he was manifested because of hatred for her, and Hesper believed him. There was no reason for him to lie to her, but she couldn't understand why he hated her so much.

Maybe he was too good at acting… so she couldn't tell.

"I don't think you'll always be lucky." 013 walked closer to her. "This is an abandoned food packing factory. There's flour everywhere and I have a lighter."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 503

"…Do you think fire at an abandoned factory causing someone to burn to death would make it to the local news?"

"Who knows." Hesper took a few steps backward to maintain a safe distance from 013 and said in a cold voice, "You'd best not play with the lighter. I don't want to die with a psycho."

"Hahahaha, don't worry. We can agree on that much. I don't want to die with you either."

Hesper scoffed. "Really, Mr. Tucker?"

Hearing that name, 013 froze. Keeping her eyes on him, Hesper watched as he removed his mask and showed the familiar face underneath.

"How could you tell?"

013's eyes were unsmiling on Seth's face. "Ms. Rivera, you should hide when you learn someone's secret so no one else will find out… I guess you're done with life."

After searching for Hesper but failing to find any clues about her whereabouts, everyone knew that every minute she wasn't found meant she was a minute closer to danger.

Rickard frowned and called Renfrew.

"Mr. Duval…" Ricakrd raised his hand to stop Mrs. Potter. Renfrew soon picked up. He was wearing a little suit, as if he put some thought into it. When he saw Rickard, he raised his chin a little arrogantly.

"You finally remembered that it's my birthday?"

"…" Rickard pursed his lips and lowered his eyes. "Hesper is missing. Can you get in touch with Zoya?"

Renfrew froze and his phone shook. Anxiety could clearly be seen on his face, and he was no longer smiling.

"I'll try to contact her. How long has Mommy been missing? Have you tried to locate her phone?"

Rickard shook his head. "I've tried everything. The phone is in a field somewhere near the office. They've had experience in this and were more careful this time."

"Alright."

Renfrew hung up. Rickard grasped his phone tightly.

'Hesper… Where are you?'

Meanwhile, Matthew received information from Renee. Even though there was no proof that River A. was Hesper, it was too much of a coincidence.

They both appeared around the same time, studied in Fredonia U, knew Roberto, and were designers. There were too many coincidences.

There are no two leaves that look alike, so how could two people be so similar?

Even though Matthew had never seen face-changing before, he heard that plastic surgery was very advanced, so it wasn't difficult for someone to have a new face.

River A. used a wheelchair—Hesper had injuries on her legs. If the injury had worsened, she would need a wheelchair.

The more Matthew thought about it, the harder his heart thumped.

'My Hesper… Was that you?'

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 504

Even though Myriade never deleted Renfrew's contact, she never thought that she would one day receive a message from him again. Hence, when she did, she was stunned.

Myriade: The psycho has disappeared for a long time. His phone has long been removed from my system… I can help you check the surveillance of Antellon. I have higher authority than you since I've spent so much time in Antellon.

Renfrew: Thanks.

Myriade looked at the singular word and full stop then pouted. Since he was asking for help, couldn't he say something nice?

Even though she was annoyed, Hesper was missing and it was done by a member of Daybreak. Myriade had to give him something because he was her only friend and her protégé, a child she watched grow up.

Hesper was… a mother figure.

Myriade pressed her lips together and turned around. Her fingers flew around the keys on her keyboard and a screen full of overwhelming code showed up. From that moment onward, all the surveillance cameras of Antellon now served Daybreak.

"And Big T…"

Myriade frowned as she sent a text to him.

Big T's patience was wearing thin with each attack on Hesper. Riley and Psycho might not be able to clear things up. Even though Myriade hated 013 and Riley, the latter was someone she had known since she was a child.

In this cold base of Daybreak, Riley was the first person who showed her kindness by bringing her a cheap lollipop.

Even though he had a motive for doing that.

Hesper looked into 013's bloodshot eyes and forced herself to calm down. "I didn't recognize you before because you had a mole under your eye. Everyone who had seen you would remember it. And since I only met Seth once before, there was no way I could recognize you." Hesper raised her brows and coldly glared at 013. "Do you know where you messed up?"

013 shook his head but he was interested. "I really don't."

"At school."

As time passed, the place turned darker and darker. Hesper couldn't see anything and her heartbeat could clearly be heard in a place where she couldn't even see her fingers.

Hesepr could hear her voice shaking but she continued. "Seth studied in Fredonia U. The first time I suspected him and had a video call with him, it did look like it was somewhere abroad and there were some students walking around in the background, so I changed my mind. However, when I got to Fredonia U and walked every corner, I couldn't find any place that looked similar to the background from that day, so I guessed that you pretended to be Seth and lied to Nate and me."

013 nodded then smiled. "I guess you never stopped suspecting Seth, or you wouldn't have paid so much attention to the background."

In fact, Hesper had never stopped suspecting him because when she first met Seth, she had a feeling that something was off with him.

Even though she didn't know the book in the corner of Seth's restaurant, she remembered it. When she looked into it, she realized that it was a book about psychology.

The nagging feeling kept lingering, so even when the video threw Hesper off, she still paid attention.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 505

"Then why did you learn kickboxing with Seth?"

"Because you're not him. You're two different people." Hesper's voice was still low, especially when she said that. She was very sure. "Seth was the first person to hint that I should leave. He knew someone wanted to hurt me, so we exchanged contact information, but you took over."

If 013 didn't know, Hesper wouldn't have found out about any of this from an outside source. She might end up thinking that she was friends with a mole. That was what she found from her analysis.

"You're brilliant. I know why Big T likes you so much."

"Thanks for the compliment." Hesper shook her aching head. After speaking to 013 for a while, Hesper wanted to take a soft approach, but 013 wouldn't be having small talk with her after what happened previously.

She could only pique his curiosity and bring out his arrogance so that he would think he had time to finish the conversation then kill her. She wanted to delay so that Rickard would have time to come and save her. That was her only way out.

"I always wondered who Big T was. You say he likes me, so would he kill you if you killed me?"

013 took a few steps forward, but Hesper was already backed up by a wall. She had no space to escape.

"Big T… I don't think you'll ever find out who he is. I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you." 013 leaned into Hesper's neck and chuckled. "Between a good weapon and a woman, anyone would know which one to sacrifice."

Hesper could not guess who Big T was, but she was sure that he had brought trouble to her and might be hiding somewhere enjoying the show.

"Alright, enough with the delays." 013 stood up straight, and Hesper's heart skipped a beat.

"Even though everyone calls me Psycho, I'm actually quite clever." 013 looked smug. "This place is pretty deserted, so I'm sure that they won't find it any time soon. However, I was interested in what you brought up, so I listened. Now my curiosity has died."

Hesper clenched her jaw and forced herself to calm down and figure another way to buy time. However, a second later, the young man suddenly bent over and froze.

"…013?" She tested, but there was no reply. Hesper did as Seth taught and kicked 013, who suddenly stopped moving. She then turned around to run away.

"Ms. Rivera…"

The person suddenly coughed. Hesper had already started running, but she froze when she heard the voice.

Seth?

No.

Hesper shook her head again. The switch between Seth and 013 wouldn't be that easy. She finally got away, so if she went back and it was just a trick, she wouldn't survive.

However, 013 had the chance to kill her, so why did he have to put up a show?

The man lay motionless on the floor as if he was dead. Hesper clenched her fist and turned around, then from a huge step away, grabbed his hands and flipped him over.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 506

"We found her! She's in an abandoned factory!"

After Rickard got the message, he immediately drove over with the GPS. If Hesper was there, they would know 013 wasn't bluffing.

013 did intentionally go to an abandoned factory so Rickard wouldn't be able to track them. If it weren't for Myriade's help, Rickard wouldn't have found them so soon even if he combed through Antellon.

"Hesper!"

Rickard opened the door of the factory, and moonlight shone through. All he saw was Hesper lying on the floor, with no one else around.

"Hesper…" Ricard ran over, knelt down, and held her head up until he felt her steady breathing. Relieved, he picked her up.

Julian and the doctor were close behind him. When they saw her safe, they were relieved too.

"Hesper… Let me see her." Julian walked over and wanted to hold Hesper's hand, but Rickard turned away.

He stared at Julian without say anything. The doctor held back Julian, who was trying to move forward, and shook his head. Julian took a deep breath, got on his knees, and didn't follow.

When Hesper curled up in Rickar'd arms, his heart softened. He grabbed her cold hand and said, "You're safe now."

Hesper kept her eyes closed while Julian sighed.

Half an hour ago.

Right when 013 was going to attack, Seth suddenly took back control of his body. When Hesper turned back, Set was lying on the floor exhausted. He looked up at her like a trapped beast.

"I'm sorry for lying to you." Seth closed his eyes with guilt. "I don't know when 013 will take over again. I need to get as far away from here as possible while I'm still conscious so that he won't come back and find you. 013 poisoned you, so you need the antidote. It's in my pocket. You'll lose all energy after you take it, but as soon as you recover, you need to leave."

Hesper had a list of questions for Seth because he seemed to know a lot more than she imagined. She thought Seth wouldn't have any memory of when 013 took over, but that didn't seem to be the case.

"When I regain consciousness, I'll come find you."

Seth seemed to know what Hesper was going to say. He stumbled as he stood up then handed the antidote to her. "Now isn't the time. I need to leave as soon as possible."

Hesper watched as he walked away. Even though she had so many questions, she knew that he was right. She wasn't out of the woods yet because Seth didn't know when 013 would reemerge. 013 might take control of the body again and kill her.

He wasn't going to stay and talk.

"Ms. Rivera is fine. The two medications in her body are canceling each other out, so she's fine now."

The doctor came later. After checking Hesper's legs and making sure that there was no problem, he was relieved. If some new problem arose and he couldn't perform surgery, that would be a problem.

"That's great." Rickard looked at Hesper, who was sleeping. When he stretched out his hand to touch her, he saw her looking at him calmly.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 507

The moment their eyes met, Rickard looked away.

Hesper looked at him with a faint smile then propped herself up. He went over to help her and put a pillow behind her back.

"Is there nothing you want to say to me?" she said. "I thought with the flowers and kind gesture, you'd say that you wanted to repay me."

Rickard cleared his throat when he remembered telling her he was going to repay her.

Hesper watched as he avoided her eyes and smirked. "Do you know where you messed up?

Rickard wasn't sure how Hesper was feeling. She couldn't be angry because she was looking at him with amusement.

However, to say that she was happy… He lied to her again and again, and she caught him. How could she possibly be happy?

"I don't know." Rickard kept his head low. The usually bold Mr. Duval had his silent moments. "I'm sorry for lying to you again… But whether you believe me or not, all I wanted to do was to treat you well… Hesper, I've never been so—"

So nice?

Hesper frowned but Rickard continued. "I've never been so flustered before anyone before."

Hesper chuckled when she heard that, but her eyes weren't smiling. "You've learned so much, but have you not learned about flowers? Like the difference between a rose and a China rose?"

Rickard paused, but a second after, Hesper grabbed his sleeve with a smile. "Aren't you going to defend yourself? I vaguely remember someone confidently saying that he'll get my forgiveness. Why isn't he talking?"

Hearing Hesper's teasing tone, Rickard raised his brows just to see Hesper's eyes turning red. "Say something nice instead of just saying you want to repay me or claiming you felt some vague jealousy. Say you've fallen for me. Is that so hard?"

Rickard hesitated, then said, "I don't know what love is."

That sentence was like cold water that poured over Hesper's heart. The courage she built up disappeared because of Rickard's 'unsure'. Yes, he didn't understand.

He didn't know how much courage she had to muster to believe in him one more time.

"Hesper really said that?"

Zikmund Gunther heard Rickard's confirmation and wanted to punch him through the phone to wake him up. He panted. "My brother, did you trade emotional intelligence for your ability to do so well in business? All you had to do was say something nice, and everything would be resolved."

Rickard frowned.

He stood up and noticed the China Roses in the garden. Hesper's teary face was vidid in his mind, and he couldn't help but revisit his memories of when she used to live in the Duvals' manor.

Hesper was very careful back then. Thinking back, Rickard couldn't remember what she looked like when she smiled happily. All he could remember was her crying face.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 508

There was too much space between them. He needed time to make amends, but looking into her teary eyes, Rickard couldn't provide any affirmation.

"Alright, I really don't understand the two of you. I have my own problems. Grandpa keeps asking me to get married. Do you know what kind of people I've been on blind dates with recently? They asked about the asset distribution after our marriage. They all seem to only be interested in my family yet they expect my loyalty."

Rickard scoffed and returned to his usual calmness. "That's too naive. The love that they talk about isn't as practical as having a piece of the pie."

"Urgh, you…" Zikmund said unhappily. "I'm here acting as your relationship counselor, yet you're ridiculing me. The next time you have relationship problems, you know who not to call."

"I guess I have to call Mr. Gunther Sr. then."

"No, brother, my dead friend." Zikmund chuckled sadly. "I've had enough for today. All I want to do is to find someone who is also being pressured by their relatives and doesn't expect me to fall in love after we get married…. That reminds me, there actually is one. I should reconnect with her."

Rickard frowned disapprovingly.

"We're in different situations because I still have a few years to fool around," Zikmund said. "You have Hesper, so you can bring her home to show to Mr. Duval Sr."

"He does love her," Rickard said. "I wouldn't have agreed to marry her if that weren't the case."

A swishing sound was heard from behind him.

Rickard turned around but didn't see anything. He frowned and walked into the room. Hesper was lying in bed, frowning in her sleep.

However, when Rickard turned around and closed the door, Hesper opened her eyes in the dark.

She had heard everything.

Meanwhile, Daybreak's base.

There was a stressful air around the base. Riley and 013 were on their knees while Myriade stood next to a man, coldly looking down at the two of them. Riley silently wrapped his arms around 013, who was curled up on the floor.

"Still being stubborn?"

The man walked down the platform and got down in front of Riley, raising his chin. "Do you remember how your brother died? He was too stubborn because you spoiled him… Now you're doing the same with 013?"

"…Sir." Riley blinked and looked at him with puppy eyes. "We're just trying to eliminate your problems. As long as Hesper is still alive, you'll be in danger. Hesper is just a small sacrifice to keep Daybreak and your legacy safe."

"Don't be smart." The man let Riley go but hesitation lingered in his eyes.

"You were in Halwanest, so you probably don't know this, but Rickard Duval took the doctor away and they healed Hesper's legs. Their relationship has gotten better recently, and they might even get back together at any moment. The surgery will begin soon; you know how good the doctor is."

Myriade scoffed. "It's the same old with you, Riley. You used this trick to threaten Julian before, and now you're doing it with Big T."

"What do you know?" Riley glared at her. "Sir, I remember when you took me and Mackenzie in, you said that we had the same experience and swore that you would make your dream come true. I've followed you for so many years; I don't want to see you fall into the relationship trap."

The man closed his elongated eyes.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 509

"When is the surgery?"

Riley stood up and looked smugly at Myriade.

"Today."

Meanwhile, the surgery was happening as planned. When Hesper was rolled into the operation theatre, her heart was beating anxiously.

"What's wrong?" The doctor realized that she was nervous, so he consoled her. "Don't worry, I've never had a failed surgery before. What's more, you're in stable condition, so even if Julian were to perform the surgery, we'd still be fine."

Hesper's lips smiled when she heard that, then she nodded. "I guess I'm just too nervous."

The surgery was held in the local hospital, which was well-equipped. When anesthesia was injected into her body, Hesper soon lost consciousness.

Julian and the doctor exchanged looks. They had worked together on countless surgeries. Just as the doctor had said, Hesper was in good condition, so there was no way the surgery would fail.

Rickard sat outside the operation theatre and Benji flew over from Halwanest. The surgery wasn't a small procedure, so if something happened, he could help Rickard out.

"Mr. Duval, you should rest."

Benji looked at how tired Rickard was and immediately knew that he wasn't able to sleep well for the past few days. His boss was already anxious about the surgery before, but then Hesper was taken too, so he hadn't been able to sleep for a few consecutive nights.

Rickard shook his head. "Fredonia isn't Genecity. We don't have an advantage here, so if something happens… I can't relax."

Benji was going to say something but a male voice was heard.

"Rickard!"

The two men looked over and saw a familiar face rush over, punching Rickard. It was so quick, Benji and Rickard didn't have time to react.

"Where's Hesper?"

Grabbing Rickard by the collar, Matthew looked at the lights that indicated surgery was in progress and became anxious. "Did something happen to Hesper? Who's in surgery?"

"Mr. Lane, you've misunderstood."

Benji rushed over to pull Matthew away. Rickard raised his hand and felt the corner of his lips. Matthew's punch was so heavy that his face had started bleeding.

"Misunderstood?" Matthew scoffed and shoved Rickard so hard that he stumbled a few steps back. "Was everything that my sister had to go through in the Duval household a misunderstanding too? Were the kneeling, the jumping off a building, and Juniper all misunderstandings? Or was the misunderstanding about you not loving her?"

Rickard adjusted his collar. He couldn't refute anything; he owed Hespe for all of that.

"Ms. River is in surgery, but it's just for her legs. Mr. Duval flew over to Fredonia to find a doctor who could heal her. Ms. Rivera consented to this."

Rickard stood there silently. When Matthew heard that, he pushed his tongue against his cheek.

"What, are you trying to be loving now? I'll admit that Hesper has lingering feelings for you. She's mature and outstanding in every way, but falling for you will be her downfall."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 510

Matthew's eyes were cold like glaciers. "Thank you for all you've done for my sister recently, but do you really think Hesper will forgive you?"

Rickard looked up at that.

Matthew took out his phone and played a recording he made of Hesper talking.

"Don't worry, Matt, I'll keep my distance and make sure I don't fall for him."

"An eye for an eye. The pain I suffered for love can only be redeemed with love."

Realizing that something was wrong, Benji looked over to Rickard.

The recording ended. Matthew knew that when Hesper said that, she was somewhat lying to herself, but he didn't want to see her go down the same path.

He had seen Hesper at her lowest, and it was all because of Rickard. If Rickard didn't exist, Hesper would be free and proud instead of lowering herself because of love.

Even if he was being selfish, he wanted Hesper to be better. He had to chase Rickard away before she got back together with him.

Matthew believed that anyone who heard that their love was used in a revenge plot wouldn't be so forgiving, even if the person who used them was someone they loved. He didn't believe that Rickard truly loved Hesper.

As Rickard looked up, his eyes flared with rage. "Play that again."

Matthew smirked and replayed it just to fulfill Rickard's wish.

Hearing how heartless Hesper was, Rickard's eyes turned colder and colder. Benji, knowing that something was wrong, nervously stood by his side. "Mr. Duval…"

Ever since Rickard promised Hesper that he would make amends, he had been sincere to her. However, even if he made a lot of mistakes in the past, was Hesper's heart made of stone?

Everything that he had done was just part of her ploy and that made him feel like a joke.

"Big T." Myriade walked down the stairs. The night breeze was gentle. She looked at the man's back, then walked over to his side and handed him a lollipop. "Why didn't you choose to take action even after what Riley told you?"

The man took it and patted her head.

"Because I didn't have the heart to."

Myriade shook her head. "I don't think you have feelings for her at all, because then why would you use her? Maybe my life is too simple, but I have a feeling that if Hesper found out about this, she would hate you to the bones."

The man was silent but then he chuckled. "Well, the truth is, the interesting parts have yet to come, so there's no need to show up now."

After the recording was played, the outside of the operation theatre fell into silence.

Benji looked at Rickard and knew that something was wrong, so he made up an excuse to leave. Only Matthew and Rickard sat there waiting for more than an hour.