Ch. 511..520

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 511

"The operation was a huge success. Hesper’s condition is very stable now." Professor Miles was visibly happy; when he came out, he looked a bit tired. "We’ll transfer her to a ward for 24 hours of observation. If nothing goes wrong during this time, Hesper’s legs will get back to how they were before."

Matthew breathed a sigh of relief; no matter what, it was a good thing that Hesper’s leg injury had been cured.

Rickard sat on the other side of the bench, not making a sound. Professor Miles could not help but feel a little strange.

‘Didn't Rickard care about Hesper the most? But now that the result of her operation is out, why is he so silent?’

Matthew was not surprised. Professor Miles took a step forward out of curiosity, but Rickard suddenly fell from the bench.

"Mr. Duval!"

Since Matthew was the closest to Rickard, he quickly supported him, who was about to drop to the floor face down.

The moment he saw his face, he realized that Rickard’s cheeks looked so pale that it seemed that all blood had been drained from his face.

"Rickard Duval?"

Matthew frowned and patted his cheek twice. Professor Miles also frowned, strode forward, and took Rickard’s pulse, his expression then changed immediately. "Mr. Duval has been poisoned. His pulse feels erratic."

"…What?" Everything happened so quickly that Matthew could not react.

Professor Miles’ brows creased tighter and tighter. "Help me lift him up. We have to bring him to a lab and run a whole body checkup on him."

Matthew could also see that Rickard’s situation was very serious.

‘But he was still doing very fine an hour ago. How could he get poisoned all of a sudden? And we’re the only two waiting in the corridor.’

Realizing this, Matthew’s expression changed instantly.

‘If something happens to him, nothing I do will be able to clear my name… And because Rickard only borrowed the operating theater, all the surrounding surveillance cameras have already been shut off. And I just so happened to punch Rickard right before this accident.’

As Matthew carried Rickard out with Professor Miles, they ran into Benji, who had been waiting in the corner.

Seeing this scene, Benji hurried forward. "Mr. Duval! What happened to him?"

"He’s been poisoned. We still don’t know what poison it is and how it got into him," Professor Miles explained succinctly. "Judging from how his pulse is reacting, this poison might be lethal. Go to the hospital’s management and borrow some equipment from a lab. I have to run a comprehensive examination as soon as possible."

"What?" The expression on Benji’s face disappeared instantly. He frowned and nodded. "I’m on it."

Julian, who watched from the side as everyone sank into a turmoil, transferred Hesper to her ward. As Hesper rested, he tidied every strand of her hair in a leisurely manner so that they would not be crushed and stared at Hesper’s peaceful sleeping face. A smirk appeared at the corners of his lips.

"Hesper, it’s wonderful that you're going to recover to the state you were in before all that misery.

"Soon, we’ll be able to return to the good old days when Rickard Duval was non-existent… Do you still remember the time that we spent together in the orphanage? Although we weren’t rich and didn’t have many resources, we always had each other’s back.

"…I’m obviously the person that's closest to you. So why? Why won’t you look back at me?"

The door of the ward abruptly flew open. Julian keenly turned his head around, only to find that Professor Miles had returned and was glaring at him silently from the shadows.

"Master?"

Professor Miles took a few steps toward Julian. That was when Julian got a clearer look at Professor Miles’s expression——

Professor Miles frowned as he stepped forward and grasped Julian’s wrist. "I’d strongly advise you to hand over the antidote right now. We're talking about Rickard Duval here. Are you planning on dying prematurely?"

Julian gave a faint scoff. "Master, how are you so sure that the person who poisoned him is me?"

"I’m glad that you still remember that I’m your master." Professor Miles’s voice turned colder. "I’ll give you one last chance. Hand over the antidote. If Rickard dies, do you really think you could get away with it?"

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 512

The smirk on Julian’s lips disappeared. He glanced at Hesper, who was lying on the bed with her eyes tightly shut, and said in a deep voice, "This has nothing to do with you, Master. I know that the Duvals are very powerful, but I already thought it through before deciding to do this."

"What’s there for you to think about? Hesper and Rickard love each other. Do they really need you to intervene in their relationship?" Professor Miles snorted coldly. "Don’t do a whole list of things that’ll only move you and only you at the end of the day."

"You don’t even know how Rickard treated Hesper before. I can’t let her go back to him." Julian sneered. "As for the antidote, there’s none. Since I wanted to poison Rickard, why would I leave a way out for him…? He’ll soon die of organ failure. I’ll be watching from the side as he kicks the bucket little by little. And he’s not going to get the chance to turn things arou—"

His words were cut off, as Professor Miles slapped him across the face.

Julian turned his head to the side from the impact, taken aback. "…Not even you can stop me now, Master."

Julian licked the blood oozing through the corner of his lips, his gaze looking like that of a caged beast. "Even if you know that I’m the one who poisoned Rickard Duval, so what? You have no evidence and no antidote. Not to mention that we’ve lived together for so many years. Would you really have the heart to watch me go down in flames because of this incident?"

Professor Miles shook his head. Looking at the man standing in front of him, he could not help but feel as if he had never truly known him.

"Back then, I was willing to take you in because I remember that Julian Zink was a man who begged to see me and tried every means to get me to be his master in order to get the best treatment for Hesper." Professor Miles shook his head, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar man. After a long while, he sighed. "From now on, you’re no longer my apprentice!"

"Why must you be so stubborn, Professor?" Julian took a look at the time.

‘It stands to reason that the effect of the anesthetics that Hesper is on is already coming to an end. If I continue blabbering here, I won’t be able to hide the fact that I’ve poisoned Rickard or that he’s on the verge of death from her.’

Finally, looking back at Hesper, who was lying on the hospital bed in an extremely peaceful state, Julian strode to the door of the ward. "Master, there’s no way you can stop me. Once I walk through this door, you and I will no longer have anything to do with each other."

"Get out!" Professor Miles closed his eyes and only opened them when he heard Julian leave. He sighed after a while. "What a sin."

…

When Rickard opened his eyes again, it was already noon of the next day.

As a humanitarian man, Matthew stayed in his ward all night. When he saw Rickard open his eyes, he immediately contacted Professor Miles. He frowned after seeing Rickard’s pale face.

Professor Miles, who had been trying to create the antidote in the hospital, came instantly after receiving Matthew’s call. Although Rickard did not remember what happened the day before, he had already guessed what was going on as soon as he saw all the people waiting for him to regain consciousness in front of his bed.

"Anyway, the toxins in your body have been stabilized. Give me some time, and I should be able to neutralize the poison completely." After going through Rickard’s charts, Professor Miles finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that he had not worked tirelessly in vain. He had found a temporary solution, which was a medication that could relieve the effect of the poison.

Benji knocked on the door and walked in. When he saw that everyone was there, he paused for a split second then walked to Rickard’s side. "I’ve looked into this matter. The culprit poisoned you through one of your meals. As for who’s capable of doing so…”

Rickard did not hesitate to utter the name directly. "It’s Julian."

Benji nodded. "I’ve already asked Professor Miles… He admitted it too."

"Sorry, this is an issue that branched off me." Professor Miles lowered his head. "I'd noticed that something was wrong with him recently, but I didn’t expect him to secretly poison you… This happened because of my complete negligence as his teacher."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 513

Rickard knew the reason why Julian hated him more than anyone else, and he also understood that it was not anyone’s fault. All this happened only because he chose to trust someone who hated him and lost his logic and judgment.

Ridiculously, he did this for someone who did not have any feelings for him.

"The poison in your body might be more difficult to deal with than imagined." Professor Miles saw Rickard’s indifferent expression and frowned bitterly. "I’m indeed Julian’s teacher, but he concentrated on studying the drug, and I’m not an expert in this field. Do you know what that means? If I don’t manage to develop an antidote before the poison’s effect takes place again, you’ll die."

He did not expect the poison in Rickard’s body to be so lethal. In addition, Professor Miles had given Rickard some medicine to relieve the effect of the poison, so Benji had not been taking the matter seriously at all. His eyes widened in shock as he stared in Rickard’s direction.

Rickard did not panic and nodded calmly. "I have faith in you, Professor Miles. As for this matter, now that we’ve arrived at this point, it’s pointless for us to argue more."

Matthew looked at Rickard suspiciously.

‘In all fairness, if anyone were to find out that they were about to die soon, naturally, they wouldn't react like this, let alone someone like Rickard, who is successful in life. Is he really not afraid of death? But how is that possible? As long as there are still things in the world that he cares about, how can he not be afraid of death?’

"How is Hesper doing now?"

Not noticing Rickard’s feeble tone, Professor Miles sighed and lifted his gaze. "Hesper is doing well, but you should be more worried about yourself now. She woke up as soon as the effect of the anesthesia faded. I haven’t told her about your current condition."

Speaking of this, Professor Miles took a glance at the time. "I’ll go to Hesper’s ward and check her condition. You’d better not move around. This toxin will spread to all parts of your body through your blood vessels. So, before we cure you completely, don’t act rashly."

"Okay."

Hearing the words, Benji said, "I’ll look into Julian’s whereabouts while you grab some rest, Mr. Duval… As for Mr. Lane, would you prefer to accompany me?"

"…Yes." Although Matthew did not like Rickard, he knew that the poisoning was no small matter. Hence, he followed Benji out of the ward, feeling a little complicated.

In an instant, there was no one else in the ward. Rickard sat on the hospital bed and raised his arms, which felt a little weak at the moment.

This toxin was really invading his body faster than expected. It had only been half a day since he got poisoned, but all the strength in his body was almost drained.

…

Hesper had already woken up long ago. When Professor Miles came into her ward, he saw her lying on the hospital bed with her eyes open as if she was thinking about something.

"How are you feeling, Hesper?"

Hearing Professor Miles’s voice, Hesper shook her head calmly. "I feel fine. Nothing special."

Hesper seemed a little off, but Professor Miles could not figure out what she was trying to say.

'Rickard will certainly want to hide his poisoning from Hesper, but she'll recover sooner or later. We won’t be able to keep this matter a secret for long.'

While Professor Miles was struggling inwardly, Hesper had already opened her mouth. "How’s Rickard doing now?"

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 514

Hesper raised her gaze. "There’s no need for you to hide it from me. The effects of the anesthetic wore off a little faster than you anticipated, so I heard what you and Julian talked about here last night."

Professor Miles was at a loss for words. He cleared his throat, finding it a little difficult to put the matter into words. Finally, he explained vaguely, "The most important thing now is for you to take good care of your body so that things can return to the way they used to be."

"Don’t hide it from me. It’ll only cause me to overthink." Hesper chuckled lightly and deliberately tried to keep the atmosphere from getting too heavy. "Could it be that the first event I’ll be attending after I fully recover is Rickard’s funeral?”

Professor Miles quickly denied it. "It’s not that serious. The poison is indeed a pain in the *ss, but as long as Rickard stays in bed and doesn’t move too much, the poison will spread very slowly, leaving me with more time to develop the antidote."

Hesper breathed a sigh of relief at that. When Professor Miles came over, he found that her hands were trembling.

"If it weren't for me, Julian wouldn’t have gone to such an extent," Hesper said with a tremble in her voice.

Professor Miles sighed and patted Hesper reassuringly. "It’s not your fault. It’s Julian’s own stubbornness that's brought everyone here. There’s nothing wrong with loving someone and being loved in return."

Hesper understood this, but her self-blame was still greater than everything else.

‘If Rickard loses his life because of me, I’ll feel guilty about his death for the rest of my life. Even if he’s the one who owes me a debt for these legs in the first place.’

Professor Miles knew what Hesper was thinking with a single glance. He sighed. "Actually, onlookers see most of the game. Julian’s told me a lot about what happened in the past. I believe that Rickard must have been a jerk in the past, and he must’ve treated you really badly. But what about now? Do you really not plan to accept him?"

Hesper lowered her gaze and could not help but smile when she heard those words. Her beautiful almond eyes finally narrowed as she smiled, but there was not even a hint of hilarity in her eyes. "It’s really difficult to live with someone that doesn’t love you. I’ve tried it once, and I don’t want to try it ever again."

"Weren’t you already thinking about forgiving Rickard before? Could it be that I’ve misunderstood things?" Professor Miles sighed. "What a pity."

Seeing Professor Miles’s expression, Hesper lowered her gaze.

'I’ve already given him a chance. I also tried to verify whether Rickard really changed, but in fact, he hasn't changed at all. He’ll always be the aloof man he is, while I’ll always be the price that he’s willing to pay in exchange for any kind of interest.'

Thinking about this, Hesper said, "Is the poison that difficult to deal with? Then what if I went to Julian? Do you think I could get my hands on the antidote?"

"About that…"

Professor Miles frowned for a short while. "Since you heard what we talked about last night, I guess I’ll just give you the truth. Although Julian might not have developed an antidote, poisons aren’t as exaggerated as the legend say. As long as we can learn its formula, it’s very easy to create an antidote from it.”

"So, would the method I suggested work?" Hesper asked.

As she spoke, she struggled to sit up in the bed, but Professor Miles grabbed her arm and shoved it back into the quilt. "Don’t worry about it for now. Even if you go to Julian now, what makes you think that he’ll come out to meet you and hand you the antidote? Do you really think that he’s still the Julian Zink that you know?"

Hearing this, Hesper paused.

‘I’m only doing this because I don’t want to owe Rickard anymore. Continuing to get involved with him will only turn me into a joke.’

"Your priority right now is to take good care of your leg injury." Professor Miles nodded helplessly. "Now that I think about it, when Rickard broke into Daybreak to save us, Julian and Riley must’ve already agreed to do something to harm Rickard."

"Wait a minute," Hesper said, interrupting Professor Miles. "Rickard broke into Daybreak… In order to save you?"

Looking at Hesper’s expression, Professor Miles knew that Rickard must have kept that incident from her. With a sigh, he said, "Julian and I were kidnapped and locked away by Daybreak. If Rickard hadn’t threatened Daybreak, they wouldn’t have let us out so easily."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 515

Hesper closed her eyes for a moment.

‘How could I forget about this? Julian was obviously being manipulated before, but I completely overlooked that when he reappeared in front of me. Antellon is Daybreak’s territory, yet Rickard actually went to snatch them out of their headquarters. He probably took a great risk for that.’

…

Rickard sat on the bed and frowned.

The documents in his hand fell to the ground. Rickard clenched his weak hand, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

When Matthew walked into the ward, he saw Rickard was about to bend down to pick up the papers on the floor and stepped forward to pick them up for him. "Why are you still try to put on a tough façade? Didn’t the doctor tell you not to move?"

Rickard took the document from him.

"If it weren't for Hesper’s sake," Matthew said awkwardly, "I wouldn’t even care about your life. If you were to die here, Hesper would certainly feel guilty for it."

Hearing this, Rickard paused. "Oh, would she?"

Matthew clenched his fists. If it weren’t for the fact that a punch might kill Rickard, Matthew would have shown no mercy that day.

"As soon as Hesper’s leg injuries recover, you should bring her away from here." Rickard’s voice sounded emotionless. "I’m the cause of her leg injuries, so just consider it as my way of compensating her."

"Do you really think her legs are all that you owe her?" Matthew asked.

"What, should I kneel in front of her and beg for her forgiveness?" Rickard replied.

When Hesper was pushed to the ward by Professor Miles, she saw Matthew and Rickard glaring at each other as if a fistfight was imminent.

"…Ahem, ahem."

When Hesper cleared her throat twice, the two men looked up at the same time with different emotions on their faces. Hesper did not expect the two of them to be so uniform. Professor Miles pushed her in and closed the door behind him.

"Aren’t you two going to say something now? You just wouldn’t stop asking me how Hesper was doing before, but now you don’t even dare to speak when you see her in person?" Professor Miles ignored the awkward atmosphere completely. "You can see that Hesper is doing very well now. If nothing special happens, she’ll recover a lot sooner than Rickard."

Only then did Rickard realize. ‘Didn’t I tell him to not tell Hesper about my poisoning?’

"How do you expect me to hide it from her?" Professor Miles seemed to know what Rickard was going to say, so he started the conversation straight away. "She heard everything that Julian said when he confronted me that day."

Rickard looked at Hesper, who lowered her gaze.

"Mr. Lane, can you come out with me for a bit?" Professor Miles said. "I have something to talk to you about."

"Me?" Matthew frowned. "Sir, you can say anything to me here. You’ve cured Hesper’s legs, so that makes you a benefactor of the Lanes. If you have any requests, just name them."

Professor Miles pulled Matthew away. "It’s not as easy for me to bring the topic up in here. Just come out with me…"

Dragging the confused man out, Professor Miles could not help but think deep down, ‘This young man may look smart, but he can he be very slow-witted!’

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 516

In the lengthy silence, neither of them took the initiative to speak first.

Hesper looked at Rickard quietly, and as soon as they exchanged gazes, they realized that apart from indifference, there was no other trace of emotion in the other party’s eyes.

She could not help but laugh at herself inwardly. Never had she been so clear that love was not an emotion that could be found in his eyes.

‘Perhaps I have a filter on whenever I look at him. Just when will I accept the fact that Rickard doesn’t love me?’

——

"Excuse me, is this Ms. River A.?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Hesper frowned and looked down at the caller ID. It was indeed Juniper, who had not contacted her in quite a long time.

‘Her wedding gowns have been completed and are being temporarily stored in Eustoma. So, what’s with the sudden call?’

Hesper cleared her throat and responded in her fake voice, "Yes, it’s me."

Juniper sat in front of the mirror, holding her phone in one hand and applying ointment on her face with the other. Looking at the slap marks on her cheek, Juniper took a few deep breaths before continuing. "My wedding's date has been pushed forward. It’ll be at the end of this month, so can you send the gowns over earlier?"

Hearing this, Hesper frowned. "It’s been pushed forward?"

‘Hadn’t Juniper and Carter's wedding date already been fixed long ago? Why has it changed so suddenly?’

Looking at the slap marks on her cheek, Juniper thought of the haughty look of that mistress that came home with Carter earlier. She could not help but clench her fists and sweep everything on the table to the ground.

‘No matter how embarrassed I am, who are these people to watch from the sidelines?’

"Because I’m already pregnant. If I were to get married as planned, I might not be able to fit into the beautiful gowns."

‘Pregnant?’

Hesper did not expect this to be the reason, but it was reasonable. She did not believe that someone like Carter would hold back his lust just because of courtesy. If Juniper was with child, there seemed to be nothing wrong with bringing the wedding date forward.

But with her current state… Coupled with the fact that Rickard had been poisoned, Hesper suddenly felt at a loss.

‘If I can’t attend Juniper’s wedding, then everything I imagined before this would crumble to dust. She'll walk down the aisle in the gown that I designed and live happily ever after. She’s done all sorts of evil deeds, yet she still gets her happy ending.’

Hesper was not reconciled.

"Ms. River A.?"

"Ahem… I just ran into some unexpected accidents over here, and now I’m not sure if I can make it to the ceremony on time at the end of the month."

Juniper no longer cared if Hesper could come or not. She wanted Hesper to attend the wedding before this just to attract more benefits through the gimmick of the designer, River A.

But all she felt now was hatred. As long as the wedding and this child in her womb could disgust Carter and that woman, Juniper could not wait to get married to Carter.

"It’s fine if you can’t make it here in person. We’ll still have the chance to work together in the future, won’t we?"

Seeing herself smiling in the mirror, Juniper suddenly felt an intense tiredness.

‘When will this all come to an end?’

…

Rickard woke up at dusk.

Hesper was frowning and leaning against the armrest of the chair, looking at her phone. She had not even realized that Rickard was already awake.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 517

Matthew walked in and saw the two of them sitting in the same room without talking to each other. He did not know who was suffocating the other in this situation.

In the end, Hesper was the first to raise her head and see Matthew. "Matt… What’s wrong?"

Matthew straightened his face. "I might have to go back to Halwanest tomorrow… Grandpa has fallen sick. It’s quite a sudden illness, and his condition is more serious than before."

"What?" Hesper frowned when she heard that. "Why would he suddenly fall sick? Grandpa has always been in good health."

Arthur’s sudden illness had also interrupted Matthew’s original plan. He originally planned to wait for Hesper’s legs to fully recover before returning to Halwanest. Everything had been arranged too, but he did not expect Arthur to suddenly fall ill.

The two walked out of the ward. Matthew took off his jacket and draped it over Hesper’s shoulders.

"Don’t worry too much. Grandpa’s health has always been rather good, so he’ll be fine." Matthew knew that Hesper’s life was already in a mess, so he should not add more burden onto her shoulders. He patted her on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself. You can talk to Grandpa when you've fully recovered and go back to Halwanest."

For a moment, Hesper was at a loss for words. She never had the chance to tell Matthew what 013 said to her on the plane.

That she was not related to the Lanes by blood.

But it was not a suitable time for that, so Hesper could only nod. "Don’t worry about me. Professor Miles claims that my charts look great, so I’ll return to Halwanest as soon as my legs are healed."

"Really?" Matthew was originally worried that Hesper would stay behind because of Rickard’s condition, but Hesper’s expression looked very decisive.

Seeing Matthew’s expression, Hesper could not help but give a smile. "Do I look like someone who doesn’t know how to prioritize?"

Hesper also told Matthew about the call that she had received from Juniper recently. Matthew could not help but feel relieved to see that Hesper was indeed unaffected by Rickard.

"After going back to Halwanest, I’ll get rid of Juniper first… And no matter what, Rickard’s poisoning was caused by me, so I won’t shirk my responsibility. After I’ve tackled everything here, I’ll definitely head back home."

"…Okay, I believe you. But if anyone here bullies you, don’t forget that you have an older brother." Having said that, Matthew pinched Hesper’s cheek angrily. "If you dare disappear on me again, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth and dig you out."

Hesper's mood was completely different from how she felt when they had this exact conversation last time. Looking back, Hesper couldn't help but think that she was too arrogant when she left Halwanest.

Matthew’s protection was like God’s blessing to her, so hearing this, Hesper’s eyes warmed up. She nodded.

"Okay, I won’t disappear on you again."

"You're going to have to swear about it."

"…I swear," Hesper said helplessly.

The incident happened rather urgently, so Matthew’s flight would depart in the afternoon. Hesper’s condition would not allow her to send him off, but Matthew did not want her to send him to the airport in the first place. He was fine with the goodbye that he managed to get in the morning.

——

After disembarking from the plane, Matthew was picked up by a servant and went straight back to the Lanes’ ancestral residence. The people around him were so scared by the aura that originated from Matthew’s core that they did not dare to utter a single word.

Arriving at the entrance of the mansion, Matthew asked in a deep voice, "Where’s Rachael?"

However, the scene that welcomed him home was Helen striding up to him in a hurry.

Helen had already received the news about Matthew’s return to Halwanest. She stopped Matthew at the entrance of the mansion.

"Matthew, don’t get too mad. Rachael is still young; it’s common for her to make mistakes."

Matthew sneered when he heard that explanation then looked at Helen. "I wonder when the two of you became so close to each other. I’m looking for my sister. Who gave you the power to stop me here and talk nice about her?"

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 518

"Matthew…" Helen held Matthew’s arm, feeling a little hurt deep down. "What are you talking about? Rachael is my biological niece, so how could I not protect her?"

"So is this her excuse for getting Grandpa so angry that he fell ill? That she's just young…?" Matthew shook his head in disappointment. "She and Hesper are both of the same age, yet while Hesper was perfectly capable of managing the company and making Grandpa happy, why is it that all she’s done so far is get Grandpa hospitalized?"

Helen patted Matthew’s arm. "What are you talking about? Rachael is your sister."

The living hall suddenly became silent.

No one knew when Rachael had appeared behind the two of them. Simon and Theodore both heard the commotion and came down from upstairs too.

"I knew it… You do prefer Hesper over me. She’s the little sister that you want, while I’m nothing but dust in your eyes." Rachael’s trembling voice sounded as if she was on the brink of bursting into tears. "You’ve only ever loved Hesper and hated me!"

Hearing Rachael’s accusatory words, Matthew could not help but feel annoyed and distressed.

‘I have to admit, Hesper is much more competent than Rachael, but I’ve never blamed Rachael for that. In an ideal world, my younger sister wouldn't even need to be all that outstanding. I’ve spent so much time building Lane Holdings up just to make it easier for the people that I care about, not to make Rachael help out in the company as soon as she comes back home.’

"That’s enough, Matthew, Rachael. Stop arguing already." Helen stood between the two siblings, acting as the peacemaker. She walked up to Rachael first and patted the back of her hand. "Rachael, how can you talk to your older brother like that? Everyone in the Lanes can see just how much Matthew favors you and cares about you."

Then she looked at Matthew. "You too. How long has it been since Hesper left us? Why do you keep mentioning her? Rachael is a girl, and girls tend to be more sensitive."

The living hall turned silent again

"I have to disagree with your statement there, Helen. Are you saying that Hesper isn’t one of the Lanes anymore?" Simon walked down the steps and looked at Helen with a half-smile. "I still remember how close you were with her when she was still living with us."

Helen chuckled awkwardly. "About that… Things are different now, aren’t they?"

"Oh, really?" Simon took a step back. "How are Hesper and Rachael different from each other to you? One of them is Ben’s daughter while the other is Theo’s. They’re both your biological nieces, aren’t they?"

Rachael was still staring at Matthew with a hurtful expression, while Matthew rubbed his forehead.

"The fact that I’m mad at you has nothing to do with whether you’re competent or not. As for the real reason behind this, you should know best deep down," Matthew explained coldly. "Even though I've warned you again and again, you still laid your hand on Hesper’s projects. You even spoke to Grandpa disrespectfully when he tried to stop you.

"Take Grandpa as an example. Although he’s already so old, he’s never had any major issues with his health. Now look at him. He’s lying on the hospital bed. Do you not feel even a tad bit guilty?"

Rachael lowered her head silently. After a while, she started sobbing.

"…I’m sorry. I know it's my fault. I just don’t want my relatives to keep thinking about the person who took my place in the past. It makes me feel as if I’m the redundant one in this household."

Simon stood aside, and Theodore, who had also come downstairs, stood beside him. They watched without uttering a single word.

"Okay, stop arguing already. No matter how much you blame Rachael, Father won’t get better all of a sudden," Helen said, standing up for Rachael. "Not to mention, if Rachael really feels this way, all of us are responsible.”

Simon scoffed while Rachael dared not make a sound.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 519

The person who confirmed Rachael’s identity the other day was Simon, but for some reason, she always felt as if he did not like her very much. Hence, every time she saw him, she would become very obsequious and dared not speak.

Not wanting to say more, Matthew turned to look at Theodore. "How’s Grandpa doing? I’ll go up and change into something else before I go to the hospital."

"He’s doing okay. His condition has stabilized a lot."

The hall once again became silent.

Theodore had always been a rather taciturn person and Matthew had long gotten used to his personality, so the two of them went upstairs in silence until the people downstairs could not hear them. That was when Theodore hesitated before speaking.

"Matthew, when you were abroad this time around… Did you find Hesper?"

Matthew paused for a moment, and then told him the truth. "I did find her. She’s living a good life over there. Her leg injuries have also been cured, so she should be able to come back to Halwanest soon."

"That’s great news." A smile finally appeared on Theodore’s indifferent face.

Matthew pursed his lips. "Uncle Theo, I didn't have the chance to ask you this before, but there’s something that I just haven’t been able to figure out… Did you really know that Hesper was your daughter all along?"

Theodore did not deny the statement, nor did he admit it. "Why do you say so?"

"Something just feels wrong in so many aspects. Do you really think that Grandpa believed it?"

The conversation could go on forever as soon as Matthew threw the question out, but the smile on Theodore’s face did not fade away. He looked slightly relieved. "I can only say that if Ben were still alive, he'd be very proud of you."

This was a weird and unreasonable response, so Matthew frowned.

Theodore continued. "I did know about Hesper’s existence a long time ago. Back then, my wife, your aunt, was the one who personally sent her to the orphanage. Later on, I brought Shawn there to visit her too."

Matthew failed to catch the underlying message of Theodore’s words. The two of them had already arrived at the door of Matthew’s room.

"Alright, go and change your clothes. Your grandpa must be delighted to see you," Theodore said unconcernedly. "Ever since you went abroad to look for Hesper, it’s been quite a long time since you last visited your grandpa."

He did not hear any blame in Theodore's tone, but when Matthew thought about it very carefully, Theodore’s statement seemed to be true.

After the revelation of Hesper’s identity, Matthew felt that his grandfather had been too cruel for instantly dismissing Hesper’s position in the company. Hence, he had not come to visit him again since then. However, he did not expect his grandfather to fall ill during his next visit.

"…Okay."

While Matthew turned around and entered his room, Theodore continued to stand in front of the door for a while more.

"Ben, can you see this from up there?"

——

As expected, Hesper managed to push through the whole rehabilitation procedure in under two weeks. The moment she stood up from the wheelchair completely, she breathed a sigh of relief.

‘Thank God that I completed it just in time. The time for me to go back home won’t get delayed now.’

River A.: Ms. Wight, I’m traveling to Halwanest tomorrow, but I still have some things to deal with as soon as I get there, so I can’t deliver the gowns to you in person. However, I’ll definitely come witness the love between you and your husband in person on your wedding day.

While Hesper casually sent the message, Pennleigh handed over the two gowns to her with a rather complicated expression.

"Hesper, are you really… Are you really going back so soon?"

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 520

Seeing the reluctance on Pennleigh’s face, Hesper understood everything deep down, but she still nodded lightly. "It isn't forever. I’m just going back to Halwanest to get some things sorted… I’ll be back in a month at most. I know I still have orders to complete in Eustoma; I won’t be that irresponsible."

Pennleigh was visibly relieved when he heard her response, but Hesper hesitated for a moment before she continued to say, "I don’t plan to fall in love now or any time soon. There are more things going on in my life now than you can ever imagine."

Looking into Hesper’s eyes, Pennleigh gave a wry smile. "You really aren't leaving me with a chance or space to work with, are you?"

Hesper had always regarded Pennleigh as a younger brother, and she had not found out about his feelings for her until very recently. She felt a little guilty deep down, but for this reason, she couldn't give Pennleigh any hope.

‘Cutting him off now would be better than dragging things out. There are many women out there who are worthy of his love, so he shouldn’t waste more time on me.’

"Starting tomorrow, I won’t be coming in anymore. And if Aunt Isobella asks to meet your girlfriend again in the future, I’m sorry, but I can't help you with that." Hesper packed her belongings and turned her head around. Her gaze burned with a trace of solemnity. "Seriously, Penn, just find yourself a real girlfriend this time."

…

After arranging her accommodation in Fredonia and bidding Roberto goodbye, Hesper was ready to officially embark on her journey back to Halwanest.

Roberto looked at the woman standing in front of him and felt slightly emotional. "To put it in Halwanese, you look worlds apart from how you looked when you first came here."

‘I still remember that when Hesper left Halwanest and came to Fredonia, she was in quite a sticky situation. The savings that she had at that time weren't even enough to allow her to stay in a safer, better community. However, she’s now the rather well-known River A. in the fashion design circle, and she got here without any of my help. She got here with just her own ability and tenacity.’

Ever since getting back in touch with Matthew, it was only natural for Hesper to reconnect with Renee and Isaac.

The two complained to her about her sudden disappearance, but they mostly wanted to know how she had been doing recently.

"Ms. Lane, do you know about Master Lane’s sudden illness?" Renee asked tentatively.

Hesper naturally knew about it, but Renee seemed to have something to say, so she shook her head. "Grandpa has always been in great health, so why would he fall ill all of a sudden…? Please don’t tell me that it has something to do with me."

"Well, it’s related to you, but at the same time, it isn't."

Renee did not know how to put it into words, but Isaac blabbered away instantly. "It was because of Ms. Rachael. She laid her hands on the contracts between you and Mr. Duval, and Master Lane found out about it."

Hesper raised her eyebrows.

‘I kept those contracts within the company because I had hoped that Lane Holdings could make good use of them and consider them as the last few things that I’ve left behind for the company. I didn’t expect them to be so well-protected.’

"It wasn’t a big deal at first, but Mr. Lane and Master Lane have issued repeated orders, saying that no one can touch your projects casually. However, Ms. Lane still ignored the order. She even quarreled with Master Lane… to the extent that he fell ill."

Hearing this, Hesper frowned.

‘Grandpa is the most important person in the entire Lane family. Even Wilfred wouldn’t dare to confront him directly. Rachael has only returned to the Lanes not long ago, so how could she speak rudely to Grandpa? …It’s obvious that Grandpa is someone who loves his grandchildren the most in this world.’

Isaac had been accumulating all his dissatisfaction about Rachael for a very long time, so he complained, "Renee hasn’t spent too much time with her, but I’m stuck by her side all day long. I have to say, she’s extremely annoying. Ms. Lane hasn’t been showcasing much ability in the company, but she flaunts her status and identity as a Lane everywhere she goes."

"Isaac."