Ch. 401..410
Chapter 401 Scheme
Nicole’s heart seemed to quiver as she looked at the scene. Could it be that it really isn’t Pierre, and is Norman instead?
After thinking about it for a while with her lips pursed, she spoke again. “Hayden, try going along the same direction and see if you can help me find out if there is any connection between Norman and Pierre.”
The boy nodded upon hearing her request as his fingers flew across the keyboard.
As he searched for information, he commented, “Sure thing, but it is going to take some time, Mom. You can go and take a rest. I will let you know when I find something.”
Hayden had a focused gaze as he stared intently at the computer that didn’t look like it belonged to a child at all.
She felt somewhat emotional looking at her son’s serious appearance. She never would have thought that she had such a capable son.
At the same time, Pierre was starting to get agitated because of the rapid progress the research base has now achieved.
He quickly made a call, and it was answered by a low and matured voice that didn’t sound too pleased.
“Pierre? What are you calling me for?”
Pierre then jokingly replied, “I haven’t seen you in so long, Doctor Clancy. What’s the matter? Does getting a call from me annoy you?”
Norman was a man in his fifties. Even though he didn’t want to have anything to do with Pierre now, he had no choice but to keep his anger at bay as they had their hands on each other’s weaknesses.
“Just spill it. I don’t have so much time to be listening to you talk about anything unimportant,” Norman warned, his voice low.
Pierre chuckled upon hearing that, and he immediately got straight to the point.
“Do you remember who Nicole Anderson is?”
Norman froze when he heard the name. “Isn’t she White Nicholson’s disciple? What about her?”
“I bumped into her. She has now joined the vaccine team in Espad.”
A frown appeared on Norman’s face after he heard Nicole’s name. Even though no one knew that the two of them had plotted against White back then, he was the one who put a face to the crime after all.
He knew Nicole. In fact, he was familiar with Nicole. She might seem like a gentle sheep, but she had the temperament of an ox.
She definitely would cling to Norman if she ever found out the reason White died.
“What do you plan to do?” Norman asked, making Pierre’s eyes dim.
In a glum voice, Pierre hissed, “Of course I am going to ruin her reputation.”
This made Norman feel conflicted. The reason why he and Pierre teamed up back then was to obstruct White because he was always a step ahead of Norman. He never had any chances to make something out of himself wherever White was.
That was the reason Norman commited the sin back then. However, Nicole now posed no threat to him. He didn’t want to be involved in something like this anymore.
“Nicole is not a doctor anymore. We don’t have to keep going after her. It has been so long. If we continue trying to hunt her down, neither one of us can dream of a peaceful life if someone were to find out what happened in the past,” Norman persuaded in a hushed voice.
Norman only joined hands with Pierre because the former was displeased with how White was appointed to be the next director at the hospital by the director who was retiring.
All he wanted was to smear White’s name so that he himself could legitimately become the director. Things had unfortunately taken an unexpected turn when White fell gravely ill from it, and died on the hospital bed.
This was a guilt that Norman would never be able to get over.
He had killed a fellow apprentice!
“Nicole is already researching drugs, and she is known to be White’s apprentice. If she really succeeds, White’s name will be made known to the public again. Don’t you think someone will be curious enough to try to find out how White was framed?”
Pierre’s tone was ominous as he uttered those words.
Even Norman’s gaze hardened after he heard Pierre speak.
Pierre wasn’t wrong. If the vaccine researched by Nicole turned out to be successful, it would definitely be a matter worthy of a national celebration. And if her reputation rose, they could only imagine what would happen when White’s story was dug out.
Chapter 402 Scheme: Commence
Norman’s grip on the phone tightened after he heard Pierre’s words.
As both the leader of the industry and the director of a big hospital, he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes now. The medical school had even been inviting him back to the school to become a professor these few years.
Norman was at his prime now.
If the truth about what happened back then to White was found out, Norman might be treated like a street urchin that everyone turned their backs on.
He couldn’t possibly let that happen!
After thinking about it for a moment, he finally asked, “What are you planning to do?”
A wide smile spread across Pierre’s face when he noticed how Norman was starting to get concerned about the issue. In a loud voice, he mentioned, “Easy. Now that the research for the vaccine is about to be completed, don’t you suppose it will raise some sort of reaction if it is lost at a time like this?”
“You want me to steal it?” Norman questioned him as soon as he heard his words.
I won’t do something like this!
Pierre naturally knew that Norman wouldn’t do so. Even a dog could jump over a wall when cornered, let alone a human being.
“Just get me the access card to the research facility, and I will handle the rest.” Pierre didn’t want to put too much pressure on Norman for now.
Norman hadn’t lost his mind like Pierre had. Being the more sensible one of the two, the former knew what should and shouldn’t be done. After thinking for a while, he still hesitated.
“You can ruin her reputation with other things. After all, the vaccine does affect many people…”
There was a full-scale outbreak in Espad. Thousands, or even tens of thousands of people, could die if the production of the vaccine was delayed.
He couldn’t possibly do such a conscience-striking thing.
Seemingly aware of Norman’s worries, Pierre reassured, “Just relax. I know when to stop. The blame will be put on Nicole when the item is stolen. And when they find that it is with her, her reputation will go down the drain without anyone else being harmed. We will be hitting two birds with one stone.”
Norman took some time to ponder over it, and came to the conclusion that this seemed like the only way after all.
“Alright. I will get it for you, but whether or not you succeed has nothing to do with me!”
It was obvious Norman wanted to draw the line between him and Pierre.
Pierre eventually couldn’t help but laugh out loud when he heard the aloofness in Norman’s voice.
“Oh Norman, I admit it when people say that I am both a bad person and doctor. After all, I am blatantly, unabashedly cruel. It is actually dirty dogs like you who act differently behind people that are harder to guard against.”
Pierre’s unceremonious provocation made Norman’s face turn pale. However, Norman had no choice but to hold himself back since Pierre had his hands on his weakness.
“Watch your mouth, Pierre Toth! Don’t expect my help otherwise!” Norman gave a stern warning.
Upon hearing his words, Pierre wiped off the smile on his face, but his eyes were still filled with disdain.
“C’mon, it was just a joke. No need to get your knickers in a twist. Don’t forget what you promised me.”
He swiftly hung up after throwing that out.
Back at the research institute, the whole process was now going smoothly because of a major breakthrough.
“It is all thanks to Nicole that we are no longer stuck there. We might not complete it in even half a year, let alone three months.”
“Exactly! If this keeps going so smoothly, the vaccine will be successfully produced in just another month.”
“Mhm. We will be able to save more lives as well if the schedule is brought forward!”
As the problem had been resolved, everyone had a somewhat relaxed smile on their faces. The atmosphere in the institute was harmonious.
Hearing that, Nicole humbly replied, “It is what I should do.”
Other than wanting to bait Pierre, she also wanted to help in the way she could.
“We are almost done here. Let’s come back after we have a meal. We have to both work and rest. It will make things tougher if our bodies fail us.”
Chapter 403 Commencement
Nicole had a slight hesitation on her face as she stared at the unfinished work she was holding on to. After thinking for a while, she told them, “I still have a little something to finish up. It will be done in an hour. Why don’t you all go ahead and eat? I will come when I am done.”
Instead of forcibly bringing her with them, they only patted her on the shoulder. “Alright. We will be going first then. Good work, Nicole.”
She shook her head and smiled. “It is my duty. Go ahead. I will be there when I am done.”
The researchers then walked out together, leaving Nicole alone at the wide research table.
Now that she was alone, she stared intently at the thing in her hand, and bent her torso slightly as she started fiddling with it.
Some time must have passed by the time she was done, as her waist felt sore when she straightened it.
Even her neck had started hurting as she had lowered her head for an extended time. She only felt more relieved after she reached out and bent her neck while she lightly pounded her waist.
She then wrote down the result of the research she had just done in her notebook.
After letting a relieved sigh at the completed work, she tidied up the desk and left.
Just as she went out the front foot, the entire medical base behind her suddenly had a power outage.
Not that Nicole realized it.
The location of the medical base was on the more remote side. Built against a mountain, the medical base initially had a canteen and dormitory to give the researchers easy access to rest and meals.
However, due to the heavy rain the day before yesterday, the canteen and dormitory were partially damaged by rocks that were washed down from the mountain.
Even though the building wasn’t completely destroyed as it had a solid build, no one stayed there for safety’s sake. The base had arranged two shuttle buses to pick them up and send them home to rest.
After Nicole left the medical facility, she looked up at the sky to gauge the weather.
It was still the afternoon, but the sky had already turned dark and was showering a dense, yet light drizzle.
There was hardly anyone in the medical base when she came out because of the drizzle. It looked like Nicole was the only one here at a glance of the huge base.
She then quickly jogged back to her car to drive off to the nearest restaurant, which would take her about 20 minutes to arrive.
She would often forget to have her meals while researching the vaccine.
With her stomach empty, she started the engine and headed to the restaurant.
There was only a narrow road leading to the outside, but a layer of cement road had been paved for convenience going in and out.
After she drove out for less than 10 minutes, she suddenly hit the brakes when she saw the tree trunk blocking her path in the middle of the road.
She couldn’t help finding it bizarre.
Why would there be a tree trunk in the middle of the road when it is only drizzling?
On the other side of the tree were the other people from the base. After seeing them, she finally realized why they weren’t back after being out for such a long time. It turned out they were blocked by the tree trunk.
They started waving at Nicole when they saw her. “Nicole!” They then yelled, “We can’t drive over with the tree in the middle of the road. We couldn’t move the trunk at all when we tried earlier.”
As Nicole stepped forward and looked at the root of the tree, she could tell that something was wrong after she glanced at it. The tree didn’t fall naturally—someone had put it there.
After thinking about it for a while, she suddenly seemed to think of something, and she quickly suggested, “Do you want to climb over so that I can take you back to the research facility? We can get an excavator to remove the tree afterward.”
The people on the other side mulled over her suggestion for a moment before they agreed with what she said. Seeing as to how the rain was only getting heavier, they would be drenched if they continued to stay here.
Nicole then took them back to the base, and that was when they found that the power had gone out at some point. The fingerprint door lock couldn’t be opened as well.
When they asked the security guard guarding the place, he also only said that he didn’t know the reason for the sudden power outage. He did reassure them that he had been staying by the door the whole time after the electricity went out, and that no one had entered nor left the place.
Chapter 404 Labelled
One of the facility’s personnel went to check the electrical box and found that a wire had been cut, but all it took was some knocking and twiddling for the power to resume again.
When they went in, they noticed that the place was still as neat and tidy as it was before they left. The only difference was that all the reports they had made before had disappeared.
Not only that, even the data on the computer had been erased.
The data on the computer were all encrypted. It was impossible to gain access to the file without typing in a password.
The theft of data at the research centre was no laughing matter.
Its severity even alerted the SWAT team.
Colton, too, hurried over after he heard the news. He was let in as the Gardner Family was an investor of the entire research base.
Colton stood beside Nicole, and the people beside them all spotted a solemn look on their faces. They couldn’t believe that the result of the research they had been conducting for over a month had been stolen just like that.
The theft would lead to serious consequences. They would have to waste at least another month if they were to start from scratch.
“What is the matter?” Colton asked in a soft voice.
Nicole lowered her eyes and frowned. She seemed to be thinking about something before she eventually answered, “Someone must have come in and cleared all the data. They even took away some handwritten materials.”
After hearing her words, Colton couldn’t help but let out a frown of his own. He then raised his eyebrows and his eyes swept across the crowd. Thoughtfully, he reached out and brought Nicole out of the room with him.
Instead of resisting, she quietly went out with him.
It was only after they left the crowd that he asked, “Is it Pierre Toth?”
Nicole had already guessed who was the culprit before Colton even asked her. She blinked a few times, and only nodded after making sure there was no one else around them.
“That is my guess as well. But he hasn’t given himself away yet. We will plan the next step when he does.”
Even though Nicole was sure of herself, Colton couldn’t help but worry. “How sure are you about this?” he asked.
She looked up at him and beamed confidently, stretching out her hands to the side. “100%.”
He slightly curled the corners of his lips as he looked at the woman in front of him and chuckled. She was always so confident, as expected of the woman he fell for.
“Alright, but you can tell me if there is anything you can’t do by yourself. I am willing to lend a helping hand, Miss Nicole.”
The situation could no longer be taken for granted because the data was stolen and intentionally deleted.
All the staff of the medical base were all detained in the research institute. To make matters worse, even the SWAT team had started their investigation on the issue.
The most likely suspect now was Nicole, as she was the only one left in the laboratory before it happened.
However, Nicole wasn’t at all surprised to find herself being labelled as the culprit. She only laid it bare by telling them, “It wasn’t me. Furthermore, I have no use for this information.”
The investigation reached a dead end because of how there were no surveillance records in the research institute when the theft happened as the power supply was cut off.
The last video from the surveillance camera was the one where Nicole left the door.
This research was extremely important, and yet the people who were sent here hadn’t been successful at finding the key information. The only way to the research institute was blocked by a tree, and the last person to leave and re-enter after the power outage was Nicole.
It only took about a minute after she left for the power outage to happen.
Later, due to the pressure from upper management, Nicole had to be detained as a suspect.
She didn’t resist them either. She didn’t even say a word to stop them when they brought her straight to jail.
Nicole had become famous overnight, and was supposed to have a bright future ahead after the operation she conducted on Benedict. However, her being charged with data theft had immediately sent the public into a frenzy as anger consumed them.
Chapter 405 Trust
‘Quisling!’ ‘Nicole Anderson is a traitor!’ ‘Anderson disregards human lives!’
At some point, these comments started appearing on the Internet. Even though the authorities didn’t have a concrete result yet, it exploded to the point where everyone thought it was Nicole who did it just because she was detained. Someone had also been fanning the flames from behind the scenes.
It was easy for matters that could potentially affect thousands of lives to arouse the anger of the public.
There were even numerous people who came out and demanded her to have the death penalty despite her not being convicted yet.
Even though she was arrested, her life in jail was still a pleasant one where she was fed, clothed, and served as she usually would due to a lack of evidence and, of course, the Gardner Family’s backing.
Knowing how fervent the discussions about her were, Colton couldn’t help feeling worried, and he paid her a visit.
“The world is saying that you are a traitor. This is only getting worse. Your reputation may be completely ruined if we don’t stop it in time,” he tentatively told her.
The corners of Nicole’s lips lifted. She didn’t seem bothered at all as she raised her eyebrows and told him, “The reason people are so angry is only because they think I am the thief. Pierre intentionally adding fuel to the flames is exactly to smear my name.”
Seeing how unconcerned she was, he asked curiously, “But you can’t find evidence when you are in jail. All the ‘evidence’ available is of Pierre’s doing.”
“I have the evidence. I am just waiting for the right time.” Nicole languidly leaned backward on the stool she sat on.
Colton suddenly felt that he had been worrying in vain these days. He initially thought that she was doomed this time, but he didn’t expect her to still be in high spirits and exuding confidence.
Wiping off the worry on his face, he intertwined his slender fingers and clasped his hands together with slight force. He then softly asked, “Is there anything I can do for you now, Miss Nicole?”
Hearing that, she unhesitantly requested, “Help me get out of here on account of insufficient evidence, but not because I was not the one who stole the data.”
Colton narrowed his dark eyes which looked deep and unpredictable at the moment, but he soon beamed. “Nicky, you are trying to draw the snake out of its hole.”
Nicole didn’t deny it either, and her bright gaze looked scheming.
“Of course I can’t just sit here and wait. Since he wants me to have a hard time, there is no reason I should let him enjoy his life.”
Colton, who found it interesting how stealthy like a kitten she was right then, nodded and hummed. “Okay.”
It wouldn’t be hard for someone of his status and caliber to get her out of jail.
However, she would have to put up with people cursing her out once she was released.
As this was too big an incident and it was a national issue, a special investigation team had to be set up.
Colton brought Nicole back to the Gardner Residence out of fear that she would be attacked back at her own place.
She didn’t refuse it either. After all, she hadn’t been here to take care of Benedict since that time she operated on him. Now seemed like a good time to come.
Anna believed that Nicole was innocent. As soon as she saw her, she immediately had a tender expression on her face. She even stepped forward and gently held Nicole’s hands as she comforted,
“Nicole, the Gardners are on your side in this. We will prove your innocence. Don’t you worry, child!”
Upon hearing that, Nicole felt a warmth through her chest as the tip of her nose burned for no reason. She swiftly lowered her head, her eyelashes hiding the emotions that flashed across her eyes.
“Thank you for believing in me, Mrs. Gardner.”
Anna nodded and pulled Nicole along with her. “I know the kind of person you are after getting along with you these few days. You would never do something like this!”
Chapter 406 Visiting Old Mr. Benedict
Not wanting to continue discussing the topic, Nicole swiftly changed the subject.
“By the way, has Grandpa’s condition improved? I have been so preoccupied nowadays that I haven’t had the time to drop by for a visit.” Speaking of Benedict, Anna instantly glowed and she stretched out her hand to hold Nicole’s.
“He has been doing fine these days. He can’t move around because he has just had an operation, but he is awake and can talk. Wendy and Colton have been taking turns to talk to him these two days.”
As she spoke, she seemed to suddenly recall something.
“He has been complaining about you not dropping by to see him after he woke up. He might even be feeling bitter about it now. How about you head over and see him?”
Wanting to do so, Nicole nodded. “I will go now,” she agreed, in which Anna let go of her hand.
It was almost time for dinner anyway.
“I know about what’s been going on lately. I have asked for Hayden to be brought over and have dinner together later. It would be better for you to stay here for a few days while we wait for the truth to unveil.”
Hearing that, Nicole parted her lips to reject, only to have the older woman interject before Nicole could speak when Anna saw her hesitation.
“Now that Old Mr. Benedict is recovering from such a serious illness, I am sure he will be happier to have you and Hayden around. Although Hayden is Colton’s child, I will not force Hayden to accept Colton as his father. You can rest assured.”
Nicole finally felt more at ease when she saw the gentle look on Anna’s face. With a nod, she gave her gratitude.
“I owe you my thanks, Mrs. Gardner.”
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony between family members.” Anna laughed. “I will head over to the kitchen to see what is good. You can go ahead.”
After Nicole gave a short reply, she went to Benedict’s room and pushed the door open.
With how well the closed curtains blocked out the afterglow of the setting sun outside, the room was fairly dim.
There was a small night light lit by the bedside, where the dim yellow light shone on Benedict’s face, giving it a hint of warmth.
The man had opened his eyes when Nicole entered the room.
His eyes were blurry from being woken up, but they gradually regained their clarity as he responded when he saw someone walking into his room.
As Benedict propped up his hands and started to get up, Nicole quickly stepped forward to grab his arm and help him up.
He was squinting as he let out a relaxed yawn.
“Open the curtains, will you? It is too dark here. It is making me uncomfortable.”
She nodded and quickly opened the curtains. The evening sun wasn’t too strong, but the remaining half of the sun still hanging in the sky dyed the clouds red.
Benedict then turned his head and glanced outside. He must have been sleeping for quite some time now as he had lost his sense of time.
Eyes narrowed, he thoughtfully looked outside before he let out a long sigh. “I can’t believe my nap went on till the evening. I even complained before that I only sleep like this because I was sick. Turns out I am lazy.”
She couldn’t help but let a laugh slip when she heard him beat himself up.
Walking back from the window, Nicole pulled up a stool and sat in front of his bed. Although there was no makeup on her face, her skin was still glowing and soft. She had a smile on her face when she softly reassured him, “It is normal for the body to be fatigued after surgery. You won’t feel this way anymore after you have recuperated.”
He nodded and agreed, “I will take extra good care of myself then. Those punks don’t let me move around or get out of bed these few days. I might start sprouting mushrooms soon.” He quite trusted her words now.
Benedict still behaved like a child despite his age. When he said this, he was obviously a little upset from how he puffed up.
Chapter 407 Big Baby
Nicole recalled what she told Benedict before when she left.
Benedict had had a craniotomy. On top of that, his body would recover slower due to his old age. That was why it was only expected that she had him stay in bed and rest. “You look like you have healed considerably, Grandpa. I will take you out tomorrow and have a stroll in the yard.”
Nicole then checked Benedict’s wound. As the people in the family had taken good care of him the past few days, his wound was almost completely healed. It should be alright for him to walk around for a bit with her supporting him.
His eyes instantly lit up upon hearing that he could go out for some fresh air. With a nod, he huffed,
“See! I tell those punks that I am fine, but they don’t listen!”
“Don’t get too worked up, Grandpa.” Nicole chuckled. “You have to take care of your body. You can even go out for a jog once you regain your health.”
Benedict hummed in reply, and he added again after giving it some thought, “Right, I want to go out. It feels like it has been so long since I went shopping. What do you think, Nicole? Can I go?”
She saw the look of anticipation in his eyes as he spoke. He looked exactly the same as Hayden when the boy wanted candy back when he was a child.
Still, Nicole managed to not succumb as she coldly rejected, “You can’t.”
Seeing the disappointment on Benedict’s face made her smile a little.
She soon started to coax him, “Grandpa, now is not the time for you to go out. You are just recovering from a serious illness. The commotion outside isn’t good for your recuperation. How about I bring you and Hayden out when you are all better?”
As much as he knew that she was just buttering up to him, Benedict was also aware of his condition. Left with no choice, he could only nod and reply,
“Deal. No going back on your word, though.”
Hearing that, she pursed her lips and smiled.
Just as they were having fun chit-chatting, Anna suddenly walked in and called out to Nicole, “Dinner is ready, Nicole.”
Nicole then stood up and peeked at Benedict.
There was a lot of food that the man still couldn’t eat post-surgery. He couldn’t help feeling grumpy that he could only stay in the room. Waving his hand dismissively, he simply closed his eyes and shooed her off.
“Off you go. I can’t eat anything. Don’t tell me what you are eating just for me to imagine it.”
Seeing him grumble, she started reassuring him, “You are healing well. It won’t be long before you can eat everything again.”
He only closed his eyes without a word. Anna then took Nicole’s hand and brought her out.
It was only after they were out the door that Anna informed her in a low voice, “There is a lot that he can’t eat now, which is why he is upset. He has become a big baby after the operation. We will have to be a little more tolerant toward him.”
Nicole nodded understandingly as a hint of amusement flashed in her dark eyes.
“I took a look earlier. Grandpa is recovering pretty well. He will be okay once his wound heals in about two days.”
“Richard said so as well.” Anna smiled.
As Benedict gradually recovered, the cold atmosphere in the Gardner Residence had also gotten warmer as everyone felt more relieved.
The women continued to talk on their way to the dining hall, and when they arrived, they were greeted by the sight of Hayden sitting on Colton’s lap. Colton, on the other hand, was holding the boy by his waist with one hand, and grabbing some food with his fork with another.
When Nicole saw this, she came in front of Hayden and chuckled.
“Not even the owner of the house has started eating, but here you are chowing down food. What a brazen child.”
Hayden swiftly lifted his chin when he saw Nicole. Blinking his clear eyes, he had an aggrieved look on his face.
“Can’t I? But my tum-tum is hungry,” he mumbled.
His little boy’s voice immediately brought out the sympathy in Anna as she blurted out, “Of course you can! This is a family dinner. Anyone who is hungry can start eating anytime. It is not good for children at the growing stage to starve.”
Chapter 408 Zachary Yates Resigns
Hayden squinted and flashed a proud smile before he grinned at Nicole.
“That is what Grandma said, Mom,” he bragged. Nicole couldn’t do anything about how Anna was extremely doting to the boy. However, it indeed was a family dinner. Benjamin seemed to have gone abroad for some reason, and there were only Wendy, Colton, Anna, Hayden and herself at the table.
Nicole then reached out and tried to take Hayden from Colton’s arms, only for the boy to refuse.
His fists were holding onto Colton’s shirt as he turned the other way and demanded, “No. I want Dad to feed me in his arms!”
Nicole’s outstretched hands froze slightly. Just as she was about to say something, Colton reached out to embrace Hayden rather naturally.
Gentle amusement flashed in his dark eyes as he murmured, “Let me.”
Nicole didn’t stop him, but she began to wonder, Since when did such a smart child need someone to feed him? I hope he is not up to something again.
Despite his mother’s glare, Hayden didn’t say anything else as he enjoyed his dinner with Colton.
Nicole suddenly remembered something after the meal—Whitney hadn’t come along this time.
Brows pulled together, Nicole lowered her head and asked Hayden, “Where’s Whitney?”
“Miss Whitney has something to attend to,” he solemnly replied as he rolled his eyes.
Nicole fell into deep thought after hearing that. Whitney didn’t seem to have many friends in the country. After all, they had gone abroad together to grow their career.
Could she have gone to Douglas because of what happened last time?
Nicole had a deep frown when she considered the possibility.
However, she didn’t bring this up as the Gardners were here. She soon gave the excuse that she and Hayden were going for a walk before she brought him out with her lips tightly pursed.
She only asked him again after they went out. “Did Whitney say where she was going?”
Hayden had a brilliant glint in his round eyes as he pouted. “She went abroad. She is probably going to meet that person named Douglas.”
Nicole didn’t know how to react when she heard his words. It turned out her son even knew who Douglas was!
“Did Whitney tell you this?” she asked, her tone suspicious.
The boy instantly looked upset after he heard her question.
“I don’t need her to tell me something so trivial. I can find out everything using the computer.”
Hearing that, Nicole grumbled to herself, I almost forgot that my son is a famous hacker.
She soon felt a sense of helplessness. She could only imagine how it would turn out if Whitney really went to Douglas…
Pondering over it with her gaze low, Nicole eventually took out her phone to give Whitney a call when she couldn’t shake off the feeling that things were about to go wrong.
It only took a while before Whitney picked up the call. “Hey, Miss Nicole,” she greeted in a normal tone.
Nicole paused upon hearing that, but she soon went around the matter instead of directly asking Whitney about it.
“Whitney, are you outside the country?”
Whitney gave a short response in confirmation.
After realizing the reason Nicole had called her, she reassured her smilingly, “Don’t worry, Miss Nicole. I am not here for Douglas. Now that I know that he is living a good life, I won’t disturb him anymore. I am here because of F&M Apparel. President Yates wanted me to do something for him.”
Nicole felt her heart go back to where it was from her mouth when she heard Whitney’s reply. Even though Nicole knew how unfair it was for Whitney, it was a fact that Emily and Douglas had a good relationship. Whitney going to him would only add to her grief.
“Alright. Is something going on with Zach?”
Nicole was a little puzzled. She hadn’t had a lot of contact with Zachary these days. The last time they got in touch was two days ago, where he had asked if she was okay.
Their conversation ended soon after she told him that things were going well for her.
Whitney stopped talking for a second, but when she spoke again, her voice was heavy.
“Yeah. President Yates is resigning from F&M Apparel.”
Resign? Zach is resigning from the president post of F&M Apparel? This is rather abrupt!
Chapter 409 She Couldn’t Remember
“What… What happened?” Nicole asked reservedly.
Zachary had never mentioned it to her. Whitney sighed at that. She was now a double agent, telling Zachary everything about Nicole and vice versa.
“Yes. President Yates is returning to take over his father’s company.”
Nicole frowned right after hearing Whitney’s words.
She recalled Zachary saying that he started his own company because his family’s business did not appeal to him. Why did he want to take over it now?
However, after recalling what his father had done previously, she understood his decision.
“Okay, just follow him then. I’m fine over here. Everything is going as planned. Don’t worry.”
“Nicole, President Yates…”
Whitney wanted to say something, but she resisted her urge to do so as she couldn’t think of anything appropriate to say. Hence, she simply hummed and responded casually, “Okay. If there’s anything important, I’ll let you know right away.”
After that, Nicole ended the call.
Hayden was standing next to her. Though he couldn’t understand what Nicole and Whitney were saying, he could tell that something had happened.
“Has anything happened to Mr. Yates, Mom?”
Nicole nodded, rubbing her brows. There was a lot going on in these few days.
Zachary’s family matters were not something she could get involved in. The Yates Family, though not very influential within the country, was highly authoritative abroad.
Their sphere of influence was extensive. Even F&M Apparel, the global leader in the fashion industry, paled in comparison.
“Yes, but he can handle it on his own. We don’t have to be concerned about him.”
Despite saying so, Nicole still had her brows furrowed in frustration.
When Hayden noticed this, he reached out to grab Nicole’s pants. Raising his head, he said solemnly, “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll definitely give him a discount if he needs my assistance!”
That made Nicole laugh. She squatted down and pinched Hayden’s chubby face as she exclaimed, “You’re so money-minded!”
Hearing that, he quickly patted her hands and rubbed his cheeks. “I’m not, Mom! I simply want to save more money so that I can provide for you,” he said aggrievedly.
Nicole felt warm all over when she heard that. She knew that despite his young age, Hayden was obedient and thoughtful, and she had nothing to worry about.
“I don’t need you to provide for me. My only wish is that you grow up safely and happily.”
He nodded in response. The boy then went on his toes, slipping his lips across Nicole’s face before kissing her on the lips loudly.
It made her so happy that her smile spread across her face.
Just as both mother and son were enjoying their time together, her phone rang.
Nicole thought it was Whitney calling to say something that she had forgotten earlier, but when the former took the phone out, the screen displayed Betty’s name.
“Hello, Ms. Betty! What is it?” Nicole answered the call and asked softly.
“Nicole… Nicole, I remembered something.”
Betty sounded anxious. Her voice was trembling while she spoke.
Nicole had a strange feeling. Her gaze twinkled with uncertainty and after a brief moment of hesitation, she asked, “What happened, Ms. Betty?”
“Lydia chased me out not long after she joined the Anderson Family, Nicole. Before I left, both Lydia and Queenie fed me a pill, and after that, my memory declined. I can’t remember a lot of things now.”
Chapter 410 Norman Clancy
Nicole was taken aback by what Betty said, and she tightened her grip on the phone. Indeed, Lydia and Queenie were capable of such a despicable act.
Betty, on the other hand, had an agonized expression on her face and her hands were on her head. She had no idea what she was fed at the time, but her head hurt every time she tried to remember anything.
“I was afraid of forgetting this, so I jotted it down in a notebook. But as time went on, I forgot about this notebook! Fortunately, I discovered it earlier today while cleaning the room,” Betty said as she flipped through her notebook.
On the other end of the line, Nicole could clearly hear the pages flipping as well.
After a short while, she heard Betty’s excited voice as the elderly woman exclaimed, “It’s here! I discovered it! Nicole, Lydia insisted on kicking me out of the house and framing your mother because your mother saw her having an affair with another man! As a result, she did so in order to keep us from telling William!
Nicole froze when she heard that. It had never occurred to her that Lydia, who was a mistress herself, would cuckold her father.
Her mother’s non-existent affair at the time was all concocted by Lydia!
Nicole’s eyes were filled with rage and her lips were pursed. Her voice was also muffled. However, her first priority now was to deal with Pierre. She could only put her mind to Lydia’s matter after Pierre’s was resolved.
Thus, after a few moments of thought, Nicole relaxed her furrowed brows and said hoarsely, “Hide the notebook first, Ms. Betty. I have something else to deal with now, but I’ll look for you next week. Then we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Betty nodded in agreement. She took a pen from the table and scribbled on the notebook, ‘Nicole will be here next week,’ followed by the time.
After writing it down, she tore this page from the book and stuck it onto the most visible part of her bed frame.
“Okay, Nicole. Take good care of yourself,” Betty reminded Nicole as Betty slipped the small notebook into her pocket.
“I will. Thank you, Ms. Betty. I’ll bring my son to visit you once my matters here are settled,” Nicole replied.
She had no intention of delaying Pierre’s case any longer. After a few days, when he was no longer on alert, she would deliver a fatal blow and completely destroy him.
Such a person deserved neither compassion nor pity.
As for Norman, if it was eventually discovered that he played a part in framing White, Nicole would undoubtedly make him pay his dues.
She then raised her head to look at the sky, trying to calm herself down.
To her, the sky that night appeared to be an entire black curtain devoid of any lights.
…
Two days had passed with Nicole staying at the Gardner Residence doing nothing. Her days were spent bringing Hayden around to play with Benedict and having their usual meals.
Pierre expected Nicole to take advantage of this opportunity to clear her name, but to his surprise, she kept her cool.
Finally, on the third day, she began her plan.
First up, Nicole called Norman.
He was surprised to receive her call, and it was as if he couldn’t believe Nicole would call him.
“Norman, I ran into some difficulties. Could you help me if you have the time?” she asked slowly. A faint smile appeared on her face, but her voice was exceptionally solemn.
Hearing that, the man reflexively felt guilty, but thanks to his many years of experience as the hospital director and dealing with difficult situations, he was able to calm himself down quickly.
“Oh, Nicole. It has been a long time since I’ve heard from you! I almost couldn’t recognize your voice now.”
Nicole, however, merely hummed dejectedly. She then sniffed and, in a slightly choked voice, she asked, “Norman, I’ve been framed. Could you help me?”