Ch. 571..580

 

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 571

"Okay, go then."

This was not Hesper’s first visit to Arthur’s room. Hesper thought of the moments she shared with Arthur back then and felt that fate really had its own way of playing with people.

After all, familial affection was something she thought she didn't deserve, and she had always reminded herself that, sooner or later, she would have to return everything that she owed to someone else.

Thinking of this, Hesper suddenly hesitated to open the door, but she still made up her mind and knocked on the door.

"Is that Hesper? Come in."

Hesper was a little surprised. Hearing Arthur’s voice, it seemed that he had been waiting for her for a long time. Without much hesitation, Hesper quietly opened the door and walked in after obtaining Arthur’s permission.

"You’ve lost a lot of weight." Arthur was laying on his bed. He took a closer look at Hesper and then sighed. "Life must be very difficult out there. You look much thinner than you did a year ago. You’re now almost as thin as you were when you first came here."

Hesper did not expect such an opening remark, and this instantly caused the bottom of her eyes to slightly tear up.

It was as if nothing had happened before this, and she was still Arthur’s most beloved granddaughter.

Arthur seemed to know what Hesper was thinking, so he motioned her to come over and then patted the back of her hand like he always did in the past. "If you’ve suffered any grievances out there, don’t forget about the Lanes and me… Apart from that, how can you be this cruel to your grandpa? It’s been a whole year since you last came here to visit me."

Hesper lowered her head. "I don’t think I should show up here anymore. Now that Rachael has returned, I can’t help but feel guilty about the fact that I stole a lot of her things, including her identity."

"Silly girl." Arthur sighed and did not say much. Hesper had a hunch that he seemed to have something to say, but when he met her probing gaze, he chose to keep it to himself.

After catching up with Arthur for some time, Hesper finally felt slightly more relaxed than before. This was the only time where she had room to catch her breath in recent days, so before she knew it, she had already fallen asleep beside Arthur’s bed.

Arthur stroked Hesper’s hair affectionately and then covered her with a thin quilt.

…

It was already dawn when she woke up again. Realizing that she had fallen asleep on the edge of her grandfather’s bed, Hesper smacked her head in a daze.

When she opened the door of the room, she just so happened to run into the driver of the Lanes.

Howard had had a good relationship with Hesper in the past because Hesper had been kind to others and did not showcase the attitude of a spoiled young lady. Even when he picked her up a few minutes late once, Hesper did not blame him.

Meeting Hesper’s gaze, Howard instantly lowered his head with a guilty conscience.

Hesper initiated the conversation first. "Mr. Lindberg, what are you doing here so early?"

Howard nodded with a complicated expression and then looked around.

Thinking that no one was awake at this time, he dragged Hesper to the side. The guilt in his expression became more and more intense.

"Ms. Lane, are you angry at me for not picking you up yesterday?"

It would be a complete lie if she were to say that she did not feel disappointed at all. Although Hesper understood the truth that humans would die for money and birds would die for food, she had shown genuine affection to all those people. But once she was no longer the eldest daughter of the Lanes, the people whom she regarded as her elders were quick to abandon her.

Recalling all this, it was still rather sad to see them react so.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 572

Seeing Hesper’s expression, Howard knew that Hesper was still a little angry. He looked around again to make sure there was no one else then said in a low voice, "In fact, everyone received some form of favors from you back then, Ms. Lane. That’s why all of us treated you like we would our own juniors… However, Ms. Rachael told us not to be too hospitable to you whenever we see you.

"Yesterday, I was getting ready to drive to the airport to pick you up, but Ms. Rachael suddenly called me and asked me to come to the downtown shopping mall to help her buy something. This kind of errand has always been done by other servants, not me."

Howard did not elaborate more; he had already told Hesper all she needed to know. She naturally connected all the dots.

Hesper already knew that Rachael did not like her, but she did not expect her to be such a two-faced and cunning person.

‘If I hadn't run into Mr. Lindberg today, I don’t know how much longer this misunderstanding would last.’

Howard sighed. "It definitely isn't easy for you to continue to stay in the Lanes. When you used to stay here, you never treated us like servants. All of us remember that, so seeing you get wronged left, right, and center really makes us feel bad."

Hesper was indeed feeling a little disappointed at first, but after hearing Howard’s explanation, these emotions were resolved very easily. In fact, how Rachael treated her could never hurt her at all.

These were petty tricks played by kids, too childish for Hesper.

"I’m fine. I understand now. Thank you, Mr. Lindberg, for telling me this." The corners of Hesper’s eyes narrowed as her lips widened.

Howard sighed guiltily, but he could also see that Hesper was not saddened by his actions anymore.

Rachael and Hesper were completely different people. Howard knew that he was not in the position of commenting on the affairs of his employer’s family, but seeing Hesper getting wronged from the side, most of the servants really felt bad for her but had no place to vent their dissatisfaction.

"Then I’ll go first. There are still things waiting for me over there."

Hesper nodded, and Howard turned around and left. After that, Hesper fell into deep thought.

‘If this is the case, Rachael will put more trouble in my way from the shadows in the future. I have to find an opportunity to have a good chat with her.’

…

Returning to her previous room, Hesper changed into some more casual clothes and realized that it was time for breakfast.

When she came out, she saw Matthew walking out too.

Matthew looked at Hesper, who seemed emotionally stable.

‘It seems that she and Grandpa talked about a lot of things last night.’ Matthew breathed a sigh of relief.

Hesper immediately asked, "Have you found anything special while investigating Nathaniel?"

"…Yes." As soon as Nathaniel was brought up, the muscles on Matthew’s face stiffened. "Let’s talk about this matter in Grandpa’s study later. For now, we should go down and eat."

Hesper did not ask any further questions. In the morning, the kitchen crew made winter crab ravioli served in a seafood broth, which was Hesper’s favorite food.

Rachael wouldn't get out of bed around this time, so the two of them enjoyed the breakfast in peace. While eating, Hesper paused for a split second then brought up what Howard had told her earlier. "I don’t want to speak ill of Rachael. I'm only bringing this up to you because I feel like there aren't many twists and turns between us."

Matthew of course knew exactly what kind of person Hesper was, so he sighed.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 573

It was expected that Rachael would make Hesper the target of her frustrations. After all, even before Hesper came back, Rachael had shown her resistance to Hesper on many occasions. Fortunately, Hesper probably would not meet Rachael too often.

"I’ll never let her affect you again," Matthew promised. "…You should also understand that she just came back not long ago, and she’s not as competent as you in all aspects of life, so it’s rather natural for her to be a little more sensitive when you’re mentioned."

Hesper did not say much about that.

‘The relationship between me and Rachael is indeed sensitive. Although I don’t usually go around offending others, she always makes the first move and comes at me first. I’ve been showing her a lot of patience out of guilt, but from now on, I’ll show her no mercy.’

The two finished their breakfast in silence and then went to Arthur’s study one after the other.

"You’re here." Arthur was already fully dressed. He turned his head when he heard the sound of the two walking in, and with a kind smile on his face, he welcomed them. "Come, take a seat. Let’s talk."

Hesper and Matthew exchanged gazes and sat down.

"About Nathaniel’s backstory, the story goes back to your parents’ era. It’s already quite a distant event for you two." Arthur sighed. "We should start with the son that I’m most proud of, Benjamin Lane. That’s your… Ahem, Matthew’s father. He met his wife during a mission."

"Benjamin, Simon, and Nathaniel’s father, Idris Tucker, were in a military squadron that was in charge of rescue at that time. They rescued countless people in various dangerous places and situations, so it was no surprise that time around."

Next up, Hesper and Matthew listened to a story about a damsel in distress and her hero. The hero of the story was naturally Benjamin, and the damsel was, of course, Matthew’s mother.

"Originally, this mission went smoothly. Matthew’s parents became very close and fell in love with each other because of this incident. However, unexpectedly, a few years after the rescue mission, something happened."

Because the story contained a handful of secrets, Arthur tried his best to avoid all the sensitive topics as much as possible throughout his narration, but Hesper and Matthew still managed to obtain the most critical information from just a few simple words.

For example, this mission was related to the research and development of a very specific type of drug, and Matthew’s mother was one of the test subjects in the concentration camp. However, a few years after that laboratory was taken down, this drug reappeared on the market out of the blue, causing many cases of addictions and deaths.

"After the drug resurfaced, Benjamin and the other two took all the blame and punishment. Matthew, you were almost two years old, and your mother had gotten pregnant again, this time with Rachael. The higher-ups in the military demanded Benjamin and the squadron own up to their mistakes and do something about it by going after the person who developed the drug. Your father then became a deserter."

Matthew raised his head when he heard that last word, his eyes full of disbelief. Hesper frowned.

After saying that, Arthur seemed to have aged a lot in an instant, and a hunch appeared on his straight back. "No one believed it, but your parents really did disappear all of a sudden after receiving the military order that day. After that, Idris took over the mission. Meanwhile, Simon refused to believe that Benjamin would become a deserter. Because he was distracted during the mission, he came up with an inaccurate psychological profile of the enemy, which led to Idris’s death… And for that, he accepted the punishment and left the army."

His mistake led to the death of his comrade and best friend; it was no wonder Simon chose to leave.

Everything linked together and made sense now, especially the reason why Simon hated Rachael so much. Perhaps deep down, he always felt that his elder brother would never become a deserter. If it weren't for Rachael, he would never have left.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 574

If it weren't for Rachael, Benjamin would never have left, let alone chosen to become a deserter.

"By the time Benjamin came back alone with Rachael, Simon had already left home, and Idris Tucker and Lucille Chevalier had already been buried, leaving behind their only child, Nathaniel."

Compared to Matthew, who was suffering from an emotional breakdown at the moment, Hesper was much calmer, so she quickly caught the keyword that came out of Arthur’s mouth. "Alone?"

Arthur nodded and sighed. "No one knows where Matthew’s mother is now, but Benjamin had been looking rather depressed since he came back with Rachael. He later died in a shipwreck abroad. Everyone went on to claim that he died for love."

This was completely different from the version that Matthew had been hearing since he was a child. In his heart, his father died on a mission and was named a hero. But now he was being told by Arthur that his father was not only a deserter but also a murderer who had caused many deaths.

Hesper, noticing that something was wrong with Matthew’s emotions, held his hand.

Seeing this, Arthur also shook his head. "Your father did a lot of right things in his life and saved a lot of people… But perhaps he was still a selfish man in the end."

Many years had passed since that incident, and Arthur himself was a soldier too, so when something like that happened back then, he really wished he could break Benjamin’s leg as a form of punishment.

But a long time had passed, and the hatred and disappointment that he had for his son back then had long dissipated. Thinking about it now, he was just another ordinary man, so what right did he have to hate his son?

Although Hesper was also hearing this story for the first time and did not know much about Matthew’s parents, she could not help but feel that there were many loopholes in this story.

‘According to Grandpa, before Matthew was two years old, his father had been performing all tasks normally. Although Grandpa didn’t go into the details, I can tell that every mission accomplished by the team was nowhere near the level of 'simple'. Then why would Matthew’s father decide to escape with his wife only when she was pregnant with Rachael?

‘It’d be too far-fetched to say that this matter was related to Matthew’s mother. After all, as long as the people who created the drug were still alive and well for another day, Matthew’s mother would have to live under the surveillance of prying eyes for another day too. So, wouldn’t it be better to crush the organization from the root than to run and flee?'

It had been too long since the incident took place, and Hesper had never experienced it personally, so she only kept these questions in her mind. Seeing the depressed expression on Arthur and Matthew’s faces, she could only hold them, using each hand, and get them to take it easy.

"Nathaniel’s motives are very clear now. He believes that the Lanes caused his family’s ruin, so he’s remained dormant in the Lanes all these years, just waiting for a day in the future where he can deal us a fatal blow." Hesper analyzed calmly.

The grandfather and grandson duo did not refute. She then raised a question out of the blue. "But if that’s the case, what role do I play in this story?"

Hesper lifted her gaze, while Arthur and Matthew exchanged gazes with her after hearing her doubt.

‘Yes, by just looking at this backstory, everything in it revolves around the old scores between the Lanes and the Tuckers… But what does this have to do with Hesper? She's just an orphan. When all these things happened back then, she might not have even been born.’

‘Daybreak’s repeated attempts to get near her show that she must play a very important role in this story’.

During this trip back to Emperion, some doubts were revealed, but the mystery had not completely been solved.

When Hesper and Matthew left the room, both of them were still thinking about what bothered them the most in the story. As soon as Arthur decided to bring all these old events up again, recalling the sorrow and pain from back then was already inevitable. It turned out that everyone indeed needed time to digest and accept the truth.

"Matt… Hessy."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 575

Rachael’s timid voice came from the front. Hesper and Matthew raised their heads as if they had just been dragged back into reality, only to realize that Rachael was standing in front of them. They had no idea how long she had been standing there.

Hesper took a few steps backward, leaving space for the two of them to chat. From what she had learned about Rachael these past two days, Rachael probably wouldn't like her staying there. But just as she was about to leave, she was stopped by Rachael.

"Hesper, I want to apologize to you in front of Matthew."

Hesper froze in place and turned her head.

Rachael’s voice was not too soft, so the servants around them all looked over after hearing the sentence.

Helen just so happened to come out of her room at this moment, just in time to see the three of them in the corridor. She walked over.

"What are you three talking about in the corridor?"

When Helen walked over, Hesper knew that she could no longer play dumb and escape this conversation. She could only sigh inwardly, turn around and stand still, listening to what Rachael wanted to say to her.

Before Hesper could say anything, Rachael’s eyes started to tear up instantly as Helen approached them.

"I know that I’ve taken over your identity as Rachael Lane, but everyone around still likes you more than me deep down." Rachael lowered her head. "I’m jealous of the fact that you’re better than I am at everything. I also envy you because you’re liked and recognized by everyone else, which is why I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way."

Hesper straightened the baby hair on her forehead and frowned slightly. "I’ve never wanted you to…"

"I know that I’ve initiated some of your contracts, so you must be exasperated. That’s why I wish to apologize to you!"

Seeing this, Helen immediately responded in order to smooth things over. "We’re all from the same family, so why would you apologize to this extent? As for you, Hesper, Rachael just came back to the Lanes not long ago and still doesn’t know much about the rules, so perhaps you can just let this go?"

After hearing Helen’s words, Hesper did not know how to react apart from scoffing inwardly.

‘I didn't take the initiative to talk to Rachael about things that have been going on recently. I don’t even have the time to discuss the contract with her either. However, I didn’t expect her to come up to me first and apologize by saying loads of things that don’t sound anything near an apology.’

As soon as Matthew saw Hesper’s expression, he instantly knew that this matter would not end so simply, so he rubbed his temples tiredly, looked at Rachael, sighed, and did not utter a single word.

"First of all, Aunt Helen, it's been over a year since Rachael has come back to the Lanes, so what does not knowing the rules of the Lanes even mean? All she has to do is to live her life as Rachael Lane. Is that very difficult to do?"

Hesper’s almond eyes turned solemn, and they now looked as sharp as a pair of blades. "Secondly, the biggest problem that the contract you initiated brings about isn’t that you touched it without permission, but that you didn’t get approval from the legal department before initiating it without authorization. That was a contract offered to us by Duval Group. You do know that Duval Group and Lane Holdings are competitors in Genecity, don't you? How can you use it carelessly?"

Hearing this, Matthew turned to face Hesper. "Is there any problem with the contract?"

Having no intention of hiding anything, Hesper nodded and started explaining the situation directly, "Rickard included a demand in one of the terms listed in the contract. As long as I initiate this project, I must agree to three of his requests in the future. Otherwise, I’ll be accused of a breach of contract that will cost the company $15 million."

"15 million?" Matthew frowned.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 576

$15 million was not a very huge number to Lane Holdings as a company, but Hesper would lose a project that had been initiated out of thin air, and that would be coupled with a loss that cost $15 million.

Just thinking about it, Hesper felt that she had been played by Rickard and Rachael.

"It’s just $15 million, isn’t it? Just pay him the money and shut him up." Matthew’s creased brows were still tightly furrowed, and his tone sounded particularly decisive. "I don’t want you to stay connected to him in any form. You should know best that you’ve lost your judgment and rationale more than once in the past because of him. All the ongoing entanglements, debts, and repayments—as long as you two are still involved in any of the above, problems will surely emerge sooner or later."

Hesper definitely knew this. The more time passed, the more new memories she and Rickard created, lowering her hatred for him. What hurt her the most now was that she could neither hate Rickard nor fall in love with him again.

"Let me think about it first. Lane Holdings does need this project very much at the moment."

Originally, Rachael heard that she seemed to have brought about catastrophic consequences to the company, so she stood on the side in fear, not daring to speak. But when hearing about the three demands, she immediately curled her lips.

"It’s just three requests, isn’t it? At the end of the day, Rickard Duval isn’t that difficult to deal with, is he? Is there really a need for everyone to act so cautiously?" Rachael did not know who this person was at all, nor did she know anything about the competitive relationship between Duval Group and Lane Holdings. The only thing that she knew was that Hesper and Rickard were once husband and wife and were now divorced.

‘Hesper just pointed out that I’m not capable of seeing the overall situation and making the right decisions according to it, but now she’s disregarding the overall situation herself just because of her hatred and enmity with Rickard?

Seeing that Rachael did not care at all, Helen could not help but feel a little ashamed.

‘This is no small matter. After all, no one knows what Rickard wants Hesper to do. Agreeing to the demands is actually far more terrifying than the destruction cost that’s been listed clearly in the contract. Fortunately, it’s really not that difficult for Lane Holdings to come up with $15 million.’

"I won’t agree to this. There’s no need for you to talk me down. I’ll earn the $15 million back with my own hands. I don’t want to get one-upped by Rickard through such cheap means." Hesper lowered her gaze coldly, then looked at Rachael. "It’s time for you to learn how to run a company."

Seeing that everyone’s attention was no longer on the entanglement between Rachael and Hesper, Matthew took a deep breath, changed the topic completely, and grabbed Hesper’s arm. "Come to my room and tell me more about the situation that Lane Holdings’ branch in Genecity is currently in. As for Rachael, don’t you have anything else to do today? And Aunty Helen, I thought you said you have a dinner date tonight?"

Rachael and Helen took a few steps back in embarrassment. They both came up with excuses to escape the scene. If they still could not see that Matthew was creating a chance for them to step down at this moment, they might as well be blind.

Although Hesper could also see what Matthew was trying to do, she did not want to get involved in any more arguments with Rachael; she was not in the mood to fool around with her.

After giving Matthew a brief update on the branch in Genecity, Hesper felt a little tired. After all, she did not have a good rest the night before. What she got in return for falling asleep while sitting on the side of Arthur’s bed was a backache that almost killed her all morning.

"I’m heading back tomorrow. The situation that Lane Holding is currently in is not easy to deal with. I have to go back to meet with some clients."

This was within Hesper’s plan all along when she decided to come back. The most important objective of her trip back to Emperion this time around was to meet Arthur and find out more about Nathaniel… Now that she had achieved both goals to a certain extent, it was time for her to head back again.

"Genecity isn’t very stable and safe right now. Besides that, there’s no one around there who can help you out when you need it." Matthew hesitated. "If you decide to stay in Emperion for a period of time, Grandpa and I won’t blame you for it."

However, Hesper just shook her head slightly.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 577

"There are so many employees at Lane Holdings who are still waiting for me to save their jobs. I can’t selfishly leave them alone in Genecity only for my own safety’s sake." Hesper refused to admit her cowardice and failure. The chaos in Genecity was only momentary and would eventually pass, so she would not lose to it.

It could be seen that Hesper’s mind had been made up. Matthew also knew that Hesper had always been strong and emotional, so he could only nod and agree with her.

"Okay, you do you."

…

After returning to Genecity again, Hesper’s emotions eased a lot. In fact, she had always been thinking about what Arthur thought of her after the revelation of her real identity, as Arthur felt like a real relative to her.

However, Arthur’s attitude towards her was still the same as before, so besides rejoicing, Hesper still could not help but feel even more guilty.

‘Everything is still the same as before. I’m still borrowing the identity of Grandpa’s granddaughter; that’s the only reason why Grandpa still loves me. However, at the end of the day, I’m still a despicable thief, a liar, and, in short, someone who has nothing to do with Grandpa.’

But the tasks that emerged continuously did not give Hesper too much time to think, so she could only start working numbly. She went to meet with several partners that worked with the company before. Because they were more at ease after seeing Hesper’s return, they agreed to resume their business relationship with Lane Holdings and signed the contract on the spot. The outcome of the meetings finally managed to stabilize some of the issues that Lane Holdings was currently facing.

The corners of Renee’s lips curled into a grin after collecting the contract from their client. "Nice, this way, Lane Holdings will definitely not have to retrench anyone in this quarter."

Hesper squinted her eyes and gave off a brilliant smile. "Yeah, we’ve managed to keep it."

Although they had closed the quarter smoothly, Hesper certainly would not stop there. The plan that she had for Lane Holdings’ development in Genecity was enormous, and she was surely closing in.

She must continue to develop her ideas, allowing Lane Holdings to take root in Genecity and to grow bigger and stronger so that Matthew's teaching in those years did not go to waste.

Because she was busy with her work in Lane Holding, her studio’s establishment had to be placed on hold.

When Jessie received Hesper’s over-the-top salary, she felt a little disturbed. She could not help but feel like a pet that Hesper had raised. All she had been doing recently was coming into the studio and sitting in her office. Apart from that, there was nothing left for her to do.

Celine also felt the same as her, but she could still come up with designs and send them to Hesper. After all, the studio would someday be fully and formally established in the future, and various design drafts would be needed when the time came.

As for Hesper, she would occasionally go through Celine’s designs and filter those that looked fabulous whenever she had the time, so Celine was still living a fulfilling life from day to day.

…

When Tristan saw Hesper again, he wiped his hands using the hem of his coat in embarrassment.

"Ms. Lane, I didn’t expect us to meet again so soon."

Hesper did not give off any extra emotions.

Tristan did not expect that the business contract between his company and Lane Holdings would end up in Hesper’s hands again after going through a number of people in charge in Lane Holdings. He suggested with an awkward smile, "Our previous collaboration was a rather pleasant experience, Ms. Lane, so why not let me off this time around, and we can continue to work together?"

Hearing this, Hesper nodded, tapped her fingertips on the contract with a half-smile, and pushed the contract back under Tristan’s expectant gaze.

"Mr. Weber, you should know that among all the manufacturers in your field, your company is nowhere near the best."

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 578

Hearing this, Tristan panicked for a moment and quickly said, "Ms. Lane, what you just said is not necessarily true. You see, we’ve worked together for so long, and we know each other’s companies quite well. This isn’t something other companies can offer."

"Oh?" Hesper leaned back into her chair nonchalantly. "In the past, I really thought I knew you very well, Mr. Weber, but I didn’t expect you to love bullying the weak and fearing the strong."

What Hesper hated the most in her life were deception and betrayal. What Tristan did to her last time in order to curry favor with Rachael had already crossed the line.

It was true that what Tristan said was not wrong. Among all the other manufacturers, the quality and price that others could offer might indeed be better than Tristan’s, but the time needed for another company to break in with Lane Holdings was also something that the company needed to take into consideration.

Now that Lane Holdings was still treading on thin ice, it would indeed be more comfortable to work with a company that they had cooperated with before.

But if Tristan could not resolve her trust issue that day, the concept of working together would be a hurdle for Hesper. Even if Tristan’s company was the most suitable candidate, Hesper would not hand the contract to Tristan so easily.

"This…" Tristan wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead and gave an apologetic smile. "You should know that the Webers only got to where we are today because of the sudden acquisition of a wealth, and we only thrived throughout all these years because of our cooperation with Lane Holdings. Otherwise, we would’ve gone through all our fortune by now. After you left, Rachael lowered the price for the contract. For us, two zeroes down means that many people who work for me won’t get paid. Thus, I could only do everything in my power to please her."

Tristan was a clever and tactful man. He had always known how to be as slippery as an eel when it came to negotiating deals, and that was why Hesper chose to work with him in the first place. After all, not everyone in the business circle could impress her at first glance.

Hesper lowered her gaze, while Tristan continued to explain, "I know that I went too far the other day, but it was a last resort from my side. Everyone in the business community knows that Rachael doesn’t like you. That’s why I came up with such a terrible idea."

Hearing this, Hesper raised her eyebrows. "Rachael Lane doesn’t like me?"

"…Don’t you know about this?" Thinking of how Rachael dared not utter a single word in front of Hesper the other day, Tristan pouted. "Many of the smaller business partners that you left behind at that time were actually keen on the idea of continuing to work with Lane Holdings in the beginning, but all of them got rejected by Ms. Rachael. There was more than one company that was forced to lower their price, just like mine. The reasons that she gave to the partners varied, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that all she wanted to do was to replace the things that you had brought into the company when you were in power."

Hesper did not say anything.

After all, these could be regarded as the Lanes’ internal affairs, and it was not very appropriate for an outsider to make one comment too many. However, since she had gotten to the bottom of everything that happened in Lane Holdings while she was away, Hesper did not say anything and signed the contract without any hesitation.

"Thank you so… So much, Ms. Lane."

Tristan snotted and burst into tears. Hesper was a little disgusted by his reaction, so she asked Renee to come in and lead Tristan through the procedures at the legal department as soon as possible, then contact the factory to start working.

Meanwhile, Hesper was still thinking about Rachael’s matter. She had just finished dealing with Juniper, only for Rachael to step into the equation. It seemed to never end.

‘It’s no wonder that Rachael and Juniper were able to become friends. Both of them deserve to be nominated for the best actress of the year.’

Sighing, Hesper only hoped that Matthew would keep a close eye on Rachael so that she would not come out to disturb her. After all, her time and energy were very precious now, and it would be very troublesome if she became distracted from work while dealing with Rachael.

On the other hand, she did not know how to actually deal with Rachael. Although Hesper thought she should feel guilty toward her, her guilt had already been wiped out by Rachael’s repeated ill intentions.

"Ms. Lane…" Renee knocked on the door. When she saw Hesper’s subconscious frown, she hesitated but still forced herself to continue. "The hospital just called me, saying that Young Master Renfrew’s condition has suddenly deteriorated…"

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 579

"So perhaps you’re needed at the hospital now."

——

When Hesper arrived at the hospital, Rickard was already there, talking to the doctor about something.

As soon as Benji saw Hesper, he winked at her. Hesper frowned and walked over, hearing Rickard ask the doctor about Renfrew’s bone marrow transplantation procedure.

"About this… You and Renfrew were actually a perfect match, but your current physical condition won’t allow you to bear the intensity of this operation." The doctor naturally knew that the person standing in front of him was Rickard, so he adjusted his glasses a few times out of anxiety, thinking about how to explain the situation to him.

"The extraction of the bone marrow isn’t as simple as you think. It’ll cause a certain degree of harm to the wellbeing of the donor…"

"That’s enough." Hesper interrupted the doctor’s hesitant response. She looked at Rickard, who was standing on the side, and said calmly, "Even if you go hard on the doctor, he still won’t be able to find you a person whose bone marrow is compatible with Renfrew to proceed with the operation."

The doctor looked at Hesper gratefully. When Benji waved at him at the other end of the corridor, the doctor took the cue. He turned around and ran away from Rickard.

"Professor Miles said that he has a way to restore my body to its peak condition as soon as possible. Although there will be some side effects, I’m an adult and can bear it," Rickard said with an unchanging expression. Hesper scoffed.

When Rickard frowned, Hesper said, "So you’ll let your body suffer another breakdown, then leave everything to me again, and I’ll have to find a way to save you. What is this? Are you trying to play Russian roulette with death?"

Benji and Renee looked at each other and lowered their heads at the same time.

Although Hesper’s words sounded a little cold and humorous, her tone sounded completely indifferent. "Don’t forget, I just saved your life. If you want to throw it away in order to save Ren’s, I absolutely won’t agree to that."

Rickard had already thought about it carefully. Renfrew’s situation was quite urgent now, and his own health had always been rather excellent. It was just a few side effects that would not be too devastating to his health.

However, Hesper did not seem like she would take no for an answer at that moment, so Rickard did not refute.

Hesper continued. "I’ve just checked with the attending doctor about Ren’s situation. It’s not so urgent that we have to exchange one life for another."

‘But if his condition were to continue to deteriorate at this speed, I’m afraid that we won’t have much time left.’

Hesper did not utter the rest of the sentence, but everyone knew the obvious outcome deep down.

They were silent for a while until there was a sudden commotion coming from not far away.

"Why can’t I visit my grandson?! We’re talking about my grandson here!"

‘This voice sounds familiar.’

Hesper frowned and glanced in the direction of the noise. It really was Julie. A nurse was stopping them from entering Renfrew’s ward.

Julie had her hips akimbo. Ever since she married into the Duvals, she had not been stopped outside any venue that she wanted to step foot into. However, this nurse was rather persistent. Julie had come by several times and was stopped outside the door every time.

After taking a few steps forward, Rickard opened his mouth. "Mother."

Julie turned her head and saw Rickard and Hesper standing side by side not far away, looking expressionless.

A Spoonful of Sugar: Don’t Beg for Love Chapter 580

It was as if she was the extra person present in the corridor, while Rickard and Hesper were the members of a family here…

This realization caused Julie to be stunned, and she stared at the two suspiciously.

She had not seen Rickard in a long time. Julie was not sure what Rickard’s feelings for Hesper were, but she had not forgotten how he was bewitched by Hesper before.

‘Have they reconciled and gotten back together?’

Hesper folded her arms. On the other side of the vexatious woman, as soon as she saw someone she knew, the nurse hurried over and reported anxiously beside Hesper, "Ms. Lane, this lady has been here many times, but Ms. Xanthos told me that you wouldn’t want her to come into the ward."

"You’ve done well." The corners of Hesper’s lips twitched. "Irrelevant personnel shouldn’t be allowed to enter the ward."

"What are you talking about? You shrew! The blood that’s flowing in Renfrew’s body belongs to the Duvals, so how am I an irrelevant individual?" Julie glared at her. However, because Sophia was not by her side that day, she seemed to feel a lot less confident.

Looking at Julie’s weakened presence, Hesper sneered and then squinted her eyes as she chuckled. Everything that she did was full of mockery.

"When Renfrew was living in the Duvals' residence, I never saw you act so nervously. I don’t know what kind of façade you’re trying to put on." Hesper did not believe that Julie missed Renfrew at all. "Plus, I don’t think Renfrew wants to see you either."

Taking a glance at Rickard who was standing silently at the side, not uttering anything, Julie immediately stepped forward and grabbed her son, who had always been very taciturn. "Are you seeing this? Just look at how this woman talks to me!”

Rickard did not think that this was unusual. Hesper had not been very polite-sounding when she was speaking to him either.

He could not help but frown at Julie’s mean and harsh look. "Mother, this is a hospital. You shouldn’t be speaking so loudly."

Hearing Rickard’s response, which did not show any intention of favoritism, Julie could not help but glare at him with some resentment, while Hesper continued to uphold an indifferent attitude.

‘As long as Julie and Sophia don’t do anything to Renfrew, I can still show them some patience. But wait, speaking of Sophia… Julie and Sophia have always been inseparable, so why isn’t Sophia here today?’

Hesper subconsciously licked her molars then turned her head and ordered Renee in a low voice to investigate what Sophia was up to that night.

Renee took a step backward and left immediately after receiving the order.

Julie felt a little embarrassed, realizing that she might not be able to see Renfrew. She could only clear her throat and say, "You may keep me from visiting Renfrew, but I will see him sooner or later. Whether you want to admit it or not, he’s my grandson!"

Looking coldly at Julie’s figure as she left the scene, Hesper could not help but feel that something was wrong. In her impression, Julie was not someone who would just accept this result without putting up much of a fight.

It was a short interlude, which did not take up too much time. After that, Hesper only gave Rickard a glance then opened the door and walked into the ward. She had been so busy and Renfrew had always been too sensible for someone of his age, so her attention had been diverted to many other places recently.

Compared to a while back, Renfrew seemed to have lost weight practically overnight. Hesper’s tears were on the brink of gushing out of her eye sockets.

Although the argument that took place outside in the corridor was separated by a door, some of the noise must have made its way into the ward. But Renfrew only lay quietly on the bed, fast asleep as if he had not heard anything.

Hesper walked up to the bed and sat down quietly without disturbing the little boy’s rest.

Rickard walked in right after her and saw her sitting next to the hospital bed. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was about to cry, but thinking that Renfrew would be sad if he were to see her cry, she held back her tears.

After everything that had happened in Fredonia, Rickard did not know how he should feel about Hesper anymore.