Ch. 511..520
Chapter 511 Heard Everything?
Even though Hayden had now gone out of his mind, he would quietly sit at the side if there was nothing going on, and he wouldn’t even make a fuss.
Colton smiled and said, “Queenie said that Hayden was playing by himself when he accidentally fell and got injured.”
“Queenie?” When Nicole heard Queenie’s name, her expression turned even worse. She frowned and said in a low voice, “Are you saying that Queenie has been alone with Hayden before?”
Colton nodded.
For some unknown reason, Nicole suddenly got mad, and she immediately began reprimanding Colton, “How could you leave Hayden alone with Queenie? You should know what sort of woman she is!”
Looking at Nicole, who was a little worked up, Colton reached out and patted her on the shoulder. He then comforted, “Don’t worry, nothing serious happened to Hayden.”
Hayden’s condition was like a heavy piece of iron that weighed upon her these days, and it was threatening to crush her. Now, even the smallest thing could stir the woman’s emotions.
“Nothing serious? Can’t you see that large red mark on Hayden’s body?”
Nicole sniffled and continued with her eyes red, “We both know what sort of person Queenie is. She wants to marry you, so Hayden and I are the biggest obstacles in her path!”
Colton fell silent. He probably never thought that Nicole would get so worked up. He was about to say a few words to comfort her, but he soon swallowed them.
“Okay, I won’t leave Hayden alone with Queenie in the future. Don’t worry.”
Nicole also realized she was getting too emotional. She adjusted her temper, dabbing at the tears in the corners of her eyes as she said quietly, “I didn’t mean to act like this. I just couldn’t control my temper when I thought about Hayden getting hurt.”
Nicole found that she was more prone to anger these days, and she would make a fuss out of the smallest matters.
Now, Nicole’s mind was tense like a taut line, and she couldn’t bear any provocations.
Seeing how weak and fragile the woman was in front of him, Colton softened his expression and reached out to hug Nicole. He pulled her in his embrace as he comforted her by saying, “It’s okay, my research lab is finalizing their study, and they are confident that this illness can be cured.”
A stunned Nicole looked up at Colton and her voice trembled as she asked, “Really?”
Seeing Nicole’s hopeful look, Colton felt as if his whole neck had stiffened. He couldn’t shake his head as he smiled and nodded.
“Yes.”
Joy bloomed on Nicole’s face as she sniffled and said, “Thank you, Colton.”
Colton didn’t say much. He looked at Nicole’s exhausted face and said quietly, “Go back and rest well. I’ll have Hayden cured as soon as possible.”
Nicole was truly too fatigued, and she didn’t want to move at all. As such, she nodded.
When Nicole left, Colton went back to his room. As soon as he opened the door, he found Hayden crouching beside it. He seemed to be listening in on the conversation.
Colton smiled, then reached out and carried Hayden back to the bed. Even though there was a thick carpet on the floor, it still wasn’t ideal to walk around bare-footed.
He looked at Hayden on the bed and asked, “When did you wake up?”
Hayden seemed to be a little upset as he replied in a low voice, “I woke up when Mom came in.”
“So, you heard everything between Nicole and I?” Colton asked.
Hayden nodded. “Yes.”
Seeing his grave face, Colton knew that Hayden was thinking of coming back, so he asked straight away, “When are you giving up on this act?”
“Tomorrow.”
Hayden’s reply was resolute. He originally wanted to fake it until Queenie’s wedding, but seeing how troubled his mother was about his own condition, as well as how out of sorts she was, Hayden couldn’t keep up the act anymore.
Chapter 512 Cured
The next day, before Nicole set out for the research center, Colton brought good news that the Gardners’ medical team had already developed the antidote, and Hayden would recover as soon as it was injected.
Nicole didn’t quite believe it and was even a little doubtful, but after Colton guaranteed that there were no side effects to this medicine, she finally agreed to it reluctantly.
However, the syringe only contained common glucose. After all, Hayden was very healthy, and he wasn’t ill at all.
Colton was forced to play along with Hayden for the sake of their bond.
The Gardners’ medical team arrived at the Gardner Residence, all completely prepared. Colton had asked them beforehand to come up with a convincing lie and claim that they had developed the antidote.
Anna was worried that it might trouble Hayden later, so she kept asking them about the side effects and whatnot.
After the medical team assured her, Anna finally agreed to let them give Hayden the injection.
The medical team went in and gave Hayden the injection, and soon after that, Hayden fell asleep.
When Nicole went in, the medical team had already emerged. Hayden was lying on the bed peacefully as if in a deep sleep. Nicole checked on Hayden and finally let out a sigh of relief when she confirmed that he was alright.
Fearing that their act might be seen through, the medical team gave Hayden some anesthetics so that he would sleep first.
They couldn’t figure out how a healthy person kept claiming that they were ill, but could stay convincingly ill for so long.
The person leading the medical team looked earnestly at Nicole and said, “The medicine has anesthetic properties, and the patient only needs some sleep to recover.”
Nicole was still a little worried as she looked at him and asked, “May I know the percentage of success?”
There was nothing wrong with this child in the first place, so they were naturally a hundred percent confident about it. However, they remembered what Colton told them, so the medical team answered humbly, “Around eighty percent. We’ll wait here until the child wakes up. If something happens, we can help out right away.”
Nicole nodded, feeling reassured.
The deceived people were all very worried, fearing that the medicine wouldn’t work. Likewise, the Gardners sat on the couch and waited from morning until afternoon when Hayden finally woke up.
Nicole hastily went upstairs to check in on him. When she saw Hayden sitting quietly, she called in a soft voice, “Hayden?”
When Hayden heard her voice, he slowly turned around, a glint in his dark eyes as he looked at Nicole and called sweetly, “Mom.”
Seeing that her son had already recovered, Nicole couldn’t help but feel her eyes warming up. She stepped forward and grabbed Hayden in a hug, choking as she said, “Hayden, Hayden, you’re alright!”
Hayden pretended to be confused as he looked at Nicole and asked, “Mom, did something happen to me? Why are you crying so sadly?”
Nicole sniffled and shook her head. “No, I’m just a little too emotional.”
Hayden blinked. Perhaps because the anesthetics hadn’t fully receded, he felt groggy all over.
Colton even told him that it was just glucose, but he felt sleepy soon after getting the injection, and he even felt terrible after waking up.
“Mom, I’m hungry. I want to eat meat,” Hayden said pitifully.
Throughout the last few days of putting up an act, he could only have chowder every day. His taste buds were stripped of strong flavors for so long, and he wanted nothing more than to feast right now.
Anna had been watching them from the side, so when she heard that Hayden wanted to eat meat, she hastily told Edith beside her, “Go and tell the kitchen to prepare some nice dishes and plates of meat.”
Nicole agreed readily. “Okay,” she said.
Chapter 513 Recovery
Anna walked up and looked at Hayden, feeling distressed. “Let me have a look at you, Hayden. I’m glad that you’re alright,” she whispered.
Hearing her words, Hayden blinked his eyes and nodded, knowing that she was concerned about him. “I’m fine. I just feel a slight pain here.” After finishing his words, he rubbed his waist, which was where Queenie had pinched him.
Then, he thought for a moment before continuing his words. “I had a nightmare, Grandma. I dreamed of a bad woman wearing a light blue dress. She pinched me.” He tugged on Anna’s sleeve and looked at her innocently with his big doe eyes.
When Anna heard Hayden’s description of the woman, she knew immediately that he was talking about Queenie as she was wearing a light blue dress when she came to the Gardner Residence!
At that moment, Anna was fuming in anger. Yesterday, she kept insisting that Hayden fell on his own. I didn’t know that she was lying to me! she thought.
When he saw how furious Anna was, Hayden deliberately asked, “What’s wrong, Grandma? You look like you are mad.”
Noticing that he realized she was angry, Anna immediately regained her composure and looked at him gently. “No, I’m not angry. Since you have woken up, go for a walk with Mommy. I’ll see if there is any food in the kitchen,” she said.
“Okay. Thank you, Grandma.” Hayden nodded his head and gave her a sweet smile.
When Anna left the room, her face was gloomy. However, she did not make a huge fuss as Queenie’s wedding was just around the corner, and she would ruin Queenie’s reputation by then. As such, she suppressed her anger and waited for the time to come.
Nicole had been hugging Hayden ever since she saw that he was awake. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but now, she couldn’t get any words out of her mouth.
“Don’t be sad, Mommy. I’m fine,” said Hayden obediently as he patted her back.
Listening to his words, she hummed in response and didn’t say anything else.
To be honest, Hayden was feeling guilty since he had been lying to her. Fortunately, Nicole didn’t find out about it, or she would be really mad at him.
On the other hand, Colton wanted Anna and Nicole to keep Hayden’s well-being a secret. After all, Hayden was Queenie’s target. If she were to know that he had recovered, she might hurt him again.
When Anna heard his words, she furrowed her brows and fell into deep thought. After a moment, she felt that Colton was right and nodded. “This should indeed be a secret. Otherwise, we won’t be able to catch the mastermind behind this,” she said.
Likewise, Nicole did not oppose the idea. She did not have any opinions on anything else since she was still excited about Hayden’s recovery.
Only the Gardners knew about Hayden’s situation. The servants had no clue about it as Hayden spent most of his days inside the room, and his food was being served to him.
Since Hayden was getting better, Nicole was at ease.
At nighttime, she received a call from the research center, telling her to show up at tomorrow’s vaccine press conference since she was a member who helped with it. Then, she remembered that Norman was still denying his crimes in prison while Pierre was out in the open.
If Pierre were to save Norman, he would find a chance to bring her down. At this time, the best moment for him to attack was at the press conference. Thus, she agreed to be there as she was ready to fight back.
The next morning, Nicole dressed up and went to the press conference. Most of the members that participated in the research were already there. However, the meeting had yet to begin since it would only commence at 9.00AM. When Nicole looked at the time, it was only 8.00AM.
Chapter 514 The Vaccine Will Be the Death of Us
The succession of the vaccine could save countless people. Although the virus was in Espad, it would spread here if they didn’t control it.
The people at the research center sat together and chatted for a long time, and most of their conversations were about positive things. After all, they had made remarkable achievements this time. Due to the successful research of the vaccine, history would remember them.
When it was finally 9.00AM, the reporters readied themselves since this particular research was a massive breakthrough in the medical field.
Each one of the research center’s members walked up one by one. Some of them were nervous as they were the type to work hard and had never stood in front of a crowd before. They first introduced the vaccine and its research progress. Then, they said that the vaccine would be free of charge to the public.
Amid this grand scene, their words won the respect of the reporters.
Then, a reporter asked Nicole something. “Miss Nicole, we know that you are the apprentice of Dr. White, who has allegedly thieved from others’ research results. Although it has been clarified, we still wish to hear it from you.”
When she listened to the person’s words, Nicole smiled faintly and said, “A clear and innocent conscience fears nothing.” Although her words were not much, many people still applauded her.
At that moment, the conference was coming to an end. Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, a disheveled man suddenly bolted inside. Even though the bodyguards tried to stop him, he still managed to get inside. When the man entered the room, he roared, “The vaccine is not done yet! It will be the death of us!” He repeatedly said those words and even took out a red banner, raising it high up in the air. Although the bodyguards tried to drag him away, the man was strong. He struggled out of their grasp and continued, “The vaccine is not done yet! It will be the death of us!”
His words caught the reporters’ attention, and they raised their cameras while looking at the man. On the stage, the people at the research center were panicking. They didn’t know what was happening as their vaccine was mild and had never killed anyone.
“What’s going on? Didn’t we follow up with those who had taken the vaccine? Didn’t they say that they were fine?”
“We did check up on them, and everyone was fine. Why is this happening?”
While they were still in discussion, Nicole looked at the man, who was still yelling. Pierre must’ve sent this person here, she thought. As Nicole thought about it, her lips curled into a cold smirk, waiting to see what he would do.
“Don’t worry. I’ll go and take a look,” Nicole said faintly. Then, she stood up and walked down the stage.
Although bodyguards surrounded the man, he was still screeching as if he had been through a trauma.
Nicole didn’t come close to him. There was a slight distance between them as she raised her voice and asked, “Did you say that the vaccine killed people? Did someone you know die?”
When the man noticed someone questioning him, he quickly looked toward where the sound came from. He looked as if someone in his family had indeed died, for his eyes were bloodshot. “Are you the one in charge of this?” he asked Nicole.
“Somewhat,” Nicole said while nodding.
At that moment, the man’s expression turned ferocious. He bolted toward her direction like he was going to tear her into pieces. Luckily, the bodyguards stopped him.
“Our lives mean nothing to you. Why would you guys use the vaccine in clinical trials when it is not done yet? My sister is dead because of you guys!” he yelled.
When Nicole heard his words, her face sank. Dead? Impossible. Nothing happened when we did so many clinical trials back then, she thought.
“Sir, I would advise you to watch your words as you need to take legal responsibility for this. The research center gives the vaccine to Espad for free. If anything were to happen because of your words, you would be taking people’s lives away.”
Chapter 515 Objection
Nicole’s tone was heavy, emphasizing the importance of this matter. However, the man clung to his view. “After injecting the vaccine, my sister died within a week. The doctor said that there were toxins inside her body. Other than injecting the vaccine, she hadn’t done anything!”
As the man spoke, Nicole was observing him, and it seemed like he was not lying. “Why don’t you come to the research center with us? We will be responsible for your sister’s death,” she said.
However, the man looked at her with caution, for he did not trust her. “Why should I believe you? You are just brushing me off. You might even kill me!” He raised his eyes and looked at her skeptically.
While listening to the man’s words, Nicole burst out laughing. “You are so funny, sir. We are a standard medical institution. Moreover, there are many reporters here. We won’t do anything to you.” She had a faint smile on her face as she continued, “I’m sure there must be a misunderstanding about your sister’s death after using the vaccine. The best solution is to investigate it thoroughly.”
The man heard her words, and his eyes were red with anger. Perhaps he had been brainwashed by someone as he didn’t believe a single word she said. “I will not believe these dignified words of yours. You guys are all hats and no cattle. My sister died an unjustful death, yet you guys are holding a conference with ease. Shame on you for introducing such a problematic product to the public!” he gritted his teeth and said.
Although the man was pressuring her with his words, Nicole was not nervous. In fact, she chuckled at him. “The reason for your sister’s death will never be uncovered if you keep making a huge ruckus right here. If you want to know how she died, someone would have to investigate it.” Before the man could speak, she cut him off. “Could it be that you are here to disrupt the scene? Or are you blackmailing us with your sister’s death?”
Her words seemed to have struck a nerve in him. “Nonsense! I just want justice for my sister!” he retorted.
“It’s simple. Just let us see your sister’s body, and the research center will investigate your sister’s death free of charge,” Nicole said confidently.
The man was at a loss for words. At last, he said in a small voice, “Her body has already been cremated.”
When she heard that, Nicole curled her lips and looked at him mockingly. “Cremated? Fine, let me ask you a few questions. Why didn’t you call us firsthand when your sister died because of the vaccine? All volunteers had our contact numbers. Secondly, if the vaccine was toxic, why did you cremate her body and not keep it as evidence?”
While facing her interrogation, the man was nervous. After some time, he said, “No matter what, my sister is dead because of your vaccine. You have to give me an explanation.”
If there was a millesimal death rate, the vaccine could not be sent to Espad even if they were being framed.
Nicole turned to the reporters and said sternly, “Before this matter is investigated thoroughly, we will not be giving the public our vaccine.” Then, she ordered the bodyguards to take the man out.
At that moment, everyone from the research center followed her. They admired her smartness and calmness when facing such a situation and even rhetorically questioned the man. Initially, they were in a tight spot, but things took a turn because of her.
Chapter 516 Being Ganged Up On
As the bodyguards escorted the man to the break room, people from the research center followed suit.
Although they had never encountered such a situation, they were sure their vaccine was not deadly. After all, they had done multiple tests on the lab rats before proceeding with clinical trials. Most of the medicine used at clinical trials would not harm the human body. Even if there was, it would not cause the death of someone.
“Why don’t we let the specialists handle this? I’m all for the vaccine being tested again to ensure there is nothing deadly inside,” the people from the research center said confidently.
Then, Nicole lowered her head and looked at the man while smiling. “Do you think that I’d believe your words? If there really was something wrong with the vaccine, why did you cremate her body and not keep it as evidence?”
The man trembled as he listened to her words. At first, he thought he could let this matter spread for a while, but he never expected Nicole to retort his words. As long as he kept saying that his sister was dead because of the vaccine, he would get a lot of money after all of this was over.
Nonetheless, his sister had been cremated, so there was no evidence. Even if there was, all he had to do was play innocent, saying that he was furious about his sister’s death to the point that he caused a stir.
“The doctor said that the virus infected her. If I didn’t cremate her, what would I have done if the virus spread?” The man insisted, feeling like he hadn’t done anything wrong.
When Nicole heard his words, she chuckled and looked at him. “This matter will put the country in a crisis. Are you sure that nothing will happen to you after making a ruckus? Do you believe the government will send an investigation group to check on this?”
“It is true that my sister died because of your vaccine. I’m not lying, and you guys can’t threaten me with this!” the man gritted his teeth and said, for there was no going back at this point.
“In that case, let’s investigate it. However, if you talk nonsense during the process, I don’t mind appealing a slander charge to make you stay in prison for a couple of days.” With that, she asked the bodyguards to let him go.
At this moment, the whole research center was panicking. They didn’t know why their vaccine had killed someone, for this was a serious matter.
“What should we do? I’m sure that there is nothing wrong with this batch of vaccines. If it gets delayed, the virus will kill thousands of lives a day since the situation in Espad is bad!”
Nicole knew what the person meant, but there had been a dead case on their vaccine. Plus, all the reporters had heard the man’s words, and they would tell the public about this. Thus, the vaccine definitely had to be confiscated.
“Our first matter in hand is to solve the man’s problem. Since there were many reporters at the conference, his words will travel regardless of their authenticity,” said Nicole.
Listening to her words, everyone went silent since she was right about it. No matter what happened, this matter should be their topmost priority.
Just when they thought all they had to do was investigate this matter, many citizens gathered around their hotel the next morning. They held a banner that said the research center treated human lives like dirt.
Many people who had injected the vaccine wanted an explanation from them. After all, the research center had made it clear that there were no potential risks when they were searching for volunteers. However, now that someone had died, the volunteers would also die if there was anything wrong with the vaccine.
Humans were afraid of death, and they would become a madman when something could lead their life to danger.
While an angry mob surrounded the people at the research center, Nicole was back at the Gardner Residence. She only noticed it when she arrived the next day and saw that the hotel was surrounded, and many people were cursing them while holding up signs.
Chapter 517 I’ll Fix This
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Nicole went inside the hotel from the back door. Then, she met up with the people from the research center to find out what had happened. It was only then that she found out someone had anonymously posted the news online, saying that the vaccine was not yet done and had killed someone during clinical trials, causing someone to make a stir at the scene.
When Nicole clicked open the post, she saw the man from yesterday holding up a banner while screeching. If someone who was clueless about what happened saw this post, they would definitely believe what had happened.
After looking at it, Nicole lowered her gaze and said, “There are many people outside the door right now. If we don’t give them an explanation, they will not trust us.”
Right now, they were like trapped beasts as they didn’t know what to do.
At this moment, Pierre, who was on the other side, was looking at the post that had gone viral online. When he saw it, he couldn’t help but smile, thinking that Nicole couldn’t have expected him to provoke outrage rather than doing something to the vaccine.
He always knew that humanity was easily provoked, especially when there were benefits to it.
The man’s sister had cancer to begin with, and she couldn’t live for long. Likewise, he helped the man fake false proof of her well-being and cleared all her medical records in the hospital. Now that the body had been cremated and there was no evidence, this matter would not be settled if the man insisted that his sister had died from the vaccine.
Moreover, he had heard from Queenie that Hayden was an idiot now, so that Nicole would be distraught at the moment. Now that this had happened, he wondered how she would handle it.
Since this matter was getting out of hand, the police had to intervene. They drove away the citizens and took them to another place to stay. Only then did this matter quieten down. However, the news of the vaccine that killed someone had spread out. Although it was not for the country itself, it still caused a massive stir in public.
Meanwhile, the medical team was in chaos as they were accused of treating humans like animals.
All of them knew that this batch of vaccines was very important, and no mistakes could be made. Little did they expect such a thing to happen at this moment.
“What should we do now? I don’t care if my reputation is ruined, but if this batch of vaccines cannot be sent out, I’m afraid we won’t be able to suppress the virus in Espad anymore.”
“That’s right.”
While they were discussing, Nicole lowered her head. To be fair, she didn’t know what to do either.
The team discussed it until nighttime, but their discussion was not fruitful. At nighttime, Nicole returned to the Gardner Residence. When she stepped inside, she saw that Colton and Hayden were bickering about something. “Is it getting out of control?” Colton asked when he saw that Nicole had returned with a sour expression on her face.
Nicole nodded tiredly as she rubbed her temples. “Yes,” she replied.
When Colton heard that, he patted her shoulder comfortingly and said, “Don’t worry. I have sent my men to search for the person who caused all of this. Things will end soon.”
With that being said, Nicole was shocked as she didn’t expect him to be so quick to handle this matter.
“Don’t be so surprised. It was Hayden who found out where the man lived. I just sent someone to get him. After all, I invested in the research center. I can’t let someone bring it down just like that,” said Colton with a smile when he saw her shocked expression.
For some reason, Nicole felt better after listening to his words. She nodded and said, “Thank you.”
Seeing the tiredness in her, Colton knew better than to disturb her any longer. Thus, he bid goodbye to Hayden and left the room.
Then, Hayden walked toward her and reached out his hands, rubbing her temples. “Don’t you worry, Mommy. Daddy said that he would take care of this matter. You have to smile more—you don’t look pretty in this state, you know,” he cooed.
Chapter 518 Being Brought Over
As Nicole listened to his words, her heart warmed. Then, she nodded and hugged him as they rolled on the bed. The following day, Nicole woke up early because of this matter.
Things were done efficiently when the Gardners stepped in. By the time Nicole woke up, Colton told her that the man had been found and the bodyguards had taken him over.
The man had lived miserably for the past few days as he had been hiding from them. He looked like a mess with his blank eyes and disheveled look.
On this day, Colton wore a black suit and shiny leather shoes. When he walked, one could hear the clicking sounds it made.
As the man was being held down by the bodyguards, unable to move an inch, Colton took a seat on the sofa. He then looked at the man with disdain without saying anything.
When Nicole arrived, she saw Colton sitting on the sofa while staring at the man. She didn’t say anything and just stood behind him.
Even though the man was being held down, he could still turn his neck. With that, he struggled to raise his head and was shocked when he saw Colton.
After looking at him for some time, Colton asked, “Tell me. Why did you do such a thing?”
When faced with Colton’s calm tone, the man was nervous. However, he gulped hard and suppressed the nervousness in him. “W-What are you talking about? I don’t understand,” he stammered.
Listening to his words, Colton chuckled and looked at the man while smiling. Then, he deepened his voice and said slowly, “If you don’t know anything, I guess you are useless to me.” After saying that, he looked troubled as he propped his head with his hand. He closed his eyes and continued, “Fine. Take him away from here since he is useless now. Remember to throw him in the ocean when it’s dark. Chain him up, or else he won’t sink.”
The man felt shivers run down his spine when he heard Colton’s words. He raised his head in shock and looked at him. “This is a lawful society. How can you do this? Killing is illegal!” he said hastily.
“Illegal?” Colton stood up and looked at him with disdain. Then, he took two steps forward. “Do you think I care if it’s legal to not? Moreover, who do you think will go against me?” he said mockingly.
When the man heard his words, he broke out in a cold sweat since what Colton said was true. In this country, the Gardner Family had the most authority. Compared to them, he was nothing, and the Gardners could have killed him without anyone knowing.
While the man was in thought, Colton averted his gaze and turned around. “Take him away,” he said.
Just as the bodyguards were about to drag the man out, the man quickly yelled, “I’ll say it. I’ll tell you everything!”
Only then did Colton raise his hands and signaled the bodyguards to stop, to which they obliged.
Then, the man kneeled on the ground while trembling in fear. “My sister was diagnosed with cancer when she was eighteen, and our family spent a massive amount of money to treat her.
During that time, our father died from overworking. We were in debt because all the money was spent on her treatment. Because of this, I did not marry as well.”
He continued, “After that, a man appeared and told me to let her volunteer for the vaccine’s clinical trials, saying I would get a huge amount of money.
When my sister died, the man told me he would give me a huge amount of money to get out of here if I could make a stir at the conference. I was tempted when he told me about this.
After all, I was in poverty for so many years and had been burdened by my sister. It would only be fair if I could make money from her death. Thus, I agreed to it. After I did what the man told me, I hid and waited for his money. However, you ended up bringing me over here.”
Chapter 519 A Clarification
Colton didn’t feel pity for the man when he heard the man’s grief. “Who tempted you?” he asked. “I-I don’t know. I haven’t met him before. All I know is that he is a man through the phone.” The man shook his head and choked on his words.
Hearing his words, Colton sneered and looked at the man. “I’ll give you two choices. The first one is to explain the situation of your sister’s death. Either that, I’ll let you join your sister,” he said.
“I choose the first. I don’t want to die.” The man nodded as he was frightened by Colton’s words.
Then, Colton chuckled and waved his hand, signaling the bodyguards to let the man go. “I like people who know what they are in for. Tomorrow, I will hold a press conference. I’m sure you will know what to say and what not to,” he said coldly.
The man nodded his head repeatedly and promised, saying, “I understand.”
Only then did Colton say, “Take this man to rest. I want to see him in good shape when tomorrow comes.” As he saw the frightened man’s expression, he added, “If he tries to do anything funny, just do whatever you please—no bruises on his face, though.”
When the bodyguards took the man away, Nicole turned to Colton, saying, “Will this work? Wouldn’t he be angry because of your threats?”
Hearing her words, Colton chuckled and looked at her as he stood up. He leaned closer to her, reaching out to her face. Nicole was startled by his actions and tried to step back, but Colton pulled her back.
“Are you concerned about me?” he asked.
“Since this man was chosen, he wouldn’t be that easily threatened. I’m afraid that he will do something at tomorrow’s conference.” Nicole glared at him and swatted his hand away.
“We’ll see about it, then.” Colton smiled, not seeming to care about it.
Nicole saw how he wasn’t bothered by it, so she felt that perhaps he had something up his sleeve. Thus, she didn’t say anything more.
The next day, it was pouring rain outside. The leaves were rustling when the rain droplets hit them. Meanwhile, Nicole sat inside the car while looking outside. She saw that there was a wooden bench under the tree, and it was being filled with a puddle of water when the raindrops fell from the leaves and onto it.
Seeing how she was deep in thought, Colton smiled and asked, “Is there something on your mind?”
Upon hearing his words, Nicole averted her gaze from the scene and looked at him, who was smiling. Then, she nodded her head. Ever since she sat inside the car, there was a bad feeling in her gut. She suppressed it and said, “I just feel like something is going to happen. I feel uneasy.”
“I’m here. Nothing will happen,” said Colton, comforting her when he saw the worry in her eyes.
Slowly, Nicole was at ease when she saw how confident Colton was. Maybe I’m just overreacting, she thought.
Although the rain was pouring, the driver drove the car with ease. Nicole was getting fed up with the sound of rain hitting the car, so she closed her eyes and leaned against the chair.
After some time, the vehicle stopped as it had arrived at its destination. The bodyguards were holding an umbrella above them due to the rain. Inside the room, many reporters had gathered as they were all invited by Colton. They obliged his invitation due to their respect for him.
Nicole and Colton walked by each other’s side while the bodyguards escorted the man.
Chapter 520 He Threatened Me
The conference began when Colton arrived. Aside from him and Nicole, people from the research center were also present. Then, all of them looked at the man.
After some time, the man said in a low voice, “The vaccine isn’t the cause of my sister’s death.” Although it was raining, his words could still be heard.
When the reporters heard the man’s words, they were curious. He caused a stir at the vaccine conference, yet he’s explaining it now. Is the truth about to be revealed? they thought.
Just as everyone had their doubts, the cowardly man suddenly grabbed the microphone and shouted, “The reason I’m saying this is because the heir of the Gardner Family threatened me!
If I don’t do what he says, he’ll kill me! Even if he threatened me not to say it, I would still say it—my sister died from the vaccine. I’m not afraid of death, and I want justice for my sister!” As his words fell, the quiet scene was in an uproar.
Colton was the heir of the Gardner Family. The man’s words implied that Colton was threatening him. If word of this spread, the Gardner Corporation’s shares would fall. However, none of the reporters dared to betray the Gardners. After all, this was the Internet era. It would be bad for them to offend the Gardners as they had the authority.
The man was red in the face as he gritted his teeth and continued, “If I’m dead, it would be the Gardner Family’s doing. They will kill me to hide the truth!”
At that moment, all the reports turned their heads and looked at Colton, trying to see what his expression was.
Recently, Queenie and his wedding were the gossip of the town. The wedding would be held after three days, but such a thing had happened. They wondered what Colton had to say about this.
On the other hand, Nicole gripped her knuckles as she knew that the man wouldn’t obey Colton’s orders that easily. Just as she was about to speak up, Colton stopped her.
Then, he smiled and looked at the man, who was red in the face. “You said that I was the one who threatened you. Do you have any evidence?” he asked.
“Didn’t you threaten to kill me if I didn’t clarify this matter yesterday?” retorted the man.
“When did I ever say this?” Colton said shamelessly, for he would never admit this in front of the public.
The man was stunned when he saw that Colton was such a shameless person. After a while, he snapped back to his senses and said, “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. There’s no way that I will surrender to you when your vaccine has killed my sister!”
As this scene was played out, Colton seemed unsurprised. Then, his eyes darkened while an intimidating aura surrounded him. As his gaze swept across the reporters, he asked coldly, “Do you guys think I am that type of person who would threaten people?”
At that moment, the reporters shook their heads. They would agree with his words, for they were just specks of dust compared to the Gardners.
Seeing their reaction, Colton chuckled and looked at the man gloomily.
“Your sister had cancer, and you made false proof of her well-being at a hospital. Then, you received two million after she was vaccinated at the research center. Yet, she still died from cancer. Don’t you think you are holding us ransom by blaming your sister’s death on our vaccine?” he said.
“You’re lying. My sister was healthy!” The man insisted on his views when Colton interrogated him.
At this moment, Colton was also tired of dealing with him. He took out his phone and pressed a few buttons. Then, all the reporters received a file.
“I’ve sent all of his sister’s medical files to everyone. She was in chemotherapy at the end of last year, but things were not looking pretty. The doctor gave notice that she could only live for another half a month. To clarify, I have invited the doctor to the scene.” As Colton’s words fell, the doctor walked up the stage.
The doctor had long since retired, but Colton searched for him and brought him here. Since he didn’t dare to offend the Gardner Family, he told the truth aloud.