Ch. 1371..1380

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1371--Without waiting for Lily’s answer, Dominic grumbled, "That research institute is up to no good, isn’t it? What the hell are they doing?"

"No, no, it’s not the research institute."

Lily shook her head and continued, "It’s something I’ve noticed, but I’m not sure if it would work."

"It is possible, but there are too many uncertainties! How much we can absorb from the herbs after cooking could be studied based on experience accumulated over the generations, but to study how much we would absorb through their scents is a whole new level of difficulty, not to mention the interaction between different herbs.It's not only tough but also risky!"

Dominic picked up a glass of water and took a sip.

"I wonder what kind of test subjects are required to obtain accurate data for an experiment like this?"

He thought about it, looked over his shoulder, and asked, "Using monkeys?"

Lily was surprised.

"We can consider monkeys as closest to human beings.However, one could only obtain data that are detectable and wouldn’t be able to receive feedback on physical discomfort, pain, and others.It’ll be even harder for other animals."

Dominic shook his head and gulped down more water.

"How about a human being?"

"If the experiment is successful, it would ultimately apply the finished products to human beings.I’m talking about when the experiment is conducted..."

As if he suddenly realized what she was saying, he stopped talking halfway and stared at Lily wide-eyed.

"You’re talking about using a human being as a test subject? A living person?"

His voice almost trembled toward the end.

‘Experimenting on a human being without knowing what effect it would bring is no different than committing a murder!’ Appalled, he looked at Lily and said, "What have you discovered?"

"I’m only guessing for the time being, and I’m not sure yet," Lily said.

"However, after hearing what you said, I guess I understand it more or less."

After getting the answer she wanted, she got up and prepared to leave.

"Oh, yes, the wilford root..."

"What?"

The older man blinked his eyes.He had not recovered from his trance.He was wondering what he had said that made her understand.

"You promised me it’s mine, and I’m going to take it home next time." Lily chuckled and headed out.

"Hey, what promise? Who promised you?"

Dominic caught himself, yelled, and bolted to his feet.

"Also, what did I say that made you understand?"

Lily strode away without looking back—instead, she simply waved her arm.

"Thanks!"

Dominic was bewildered.

‘Thank me? What the hell? This little wench always comes and goes without making herself clear.Doesn't she know I’m old and have limited comprehension skills? Still, who would be so audacious to experiment with medicinal herbs on human beings?’

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1372--Anastasia returned home joyfully and noticed that Maria was there again.She grew impatient seeing the miracle doctor with her aunt waiting for her.

‘Didn’t I tell her I don’t want to see him? Why can’t she leave me alone? If she continues like this, I wouldn’t want her to enter the house anymore"

Although upset, Anastasia still greeted her aunt, "Hi, Aunt Maria."

"Tasia, you’re finally home.You’re always coming home so late day after day, and yet your father has never gotten worried.What is he thinking?"

Maria knew their relationship had been strained for the last two days and conveyed her concerns instead of getting to her point.

"I'm a grownup, and I wasn’t going to shady places, so why worry? You seem quite free to come here so often,"

Anastasia spoke bluntly and lifted her eyelids as she looked over to Austin, who remained quiet on the sidelines.

"Also, you’re always accompanied by a man of dubious background.Aren’t you afraid my uncle would get jealous?"

She said half-jokingly on purpose.

Taken aback, Maria waved in embarrassment.

"What are you saying? This is the miracle doctor, Mr.Fike, and you’ve met him! Besides, your uncle knows about me arranging for him to treat you.You enjoy joking around with me, huh?"

Maria took a step back and seized the chance to add, "Mr.Fike is so busy, yet he’s kind enough to come here with me to examine you.So, be nice and let him take a look at you, okay? Not only will you feel better when he cures you, but your father will also be happier, don’t you agree?"

She glanced at Austin while speaking, worried that Anastasia’s attitude would offend Austin.

Maria thought he would still be upset, and it would be hard to invite Austin over, but he came to look for her instead and asked if she was free to visit the Rollins together.

The miracle doctor offering to visit Anastasia was like a dream come true for Maria.

She immediately got into the car and brought him to the Rollins family’s house.

After learning that Anastasia had gone to Lily’s house again, Maria dared not call her niece and urged her to come home because Maria feared the young woman would purposely return late.

Maria then waited at the house and told the housekeeper not to tell Anastasia about it.

At first, she worried that Austin would grow impatient, but he was unusually patient and sat there drinking tea while playing on his phone without getting restless.

AS Maria secretly let out a sigh of relief, she could not help but feel puzzled.

‘What's the deal with him?’ Maria noticed her niece was not responding, so she walked over to hold her arm.

"Tasia..."

To her surprise, Anastasia turned away to dodge her hand and said impatiently, "I don’t want to see him! I’m not sick."

"Tasia!"

Maria said seriously in a graver tone.

"It’s not good to avoid seeing doctors! You’re no longer a child, and your father has been worried sick about you for so many years.

Do you bear to see him getting worried all the time? "Even if it’s only for the sake of your health, you shouldn’t be so willful too! Be a good girl.Mr.Fike is very experienced.Let him check your pulse and see what he says."

"Aunt Maria, I’m fat, not sick, and I don’t need a miracle doctor.I appreciate that you're trying to help but no thanks.As for him..."

Anastasia turned to look Austin up and down.

"I didn’t hire you.I don’t care what kind of miracle doctor you are, and I hope you understand that you shouldn’t come here uninvited."

"asia!"

Maria was appalled and thought what her niece said was too much.

Anastasia did not just try to get rid of him but also failed to show him respect.

Austin would have left in a fit if it were the past.

He would not allow himself to be humiliated by a young girl who looked down on him and even accused him of being a con man.Still, he single- mindedly wanted to compete with Lily and tolerated such humiliation despite himself.

He chuckled coldly.

"Lily was the one who told you that you’ re just fat and not sick, did she, Ms.Rollins?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1373--"Mr.Fike..."

Maria worried Austin would get upset and hurriedly try to explain her niece’s behavior.

However, Austin ignored her and focused his attention on Anastasia.

Anastasia turned to look at him straight into his eyes.

"Why do you care?"

Austin smiled indifferently and said, "Did she also tell you that as long as you have a reasonable diet and adjust your nutrition structure well, you would be able to eat until you’re full while losing weight?"

Anastasia looked at him warily without saying anything, but Maria babbled loudly, "What kind of deviant theory is that?! How can we not go hungry when we try to lose weight? How can we be full and yet slim down? That’s total b*llshit! Tasia, you mustn't believe that!"

"No, to a certain degree, she’s right," Austin said, to Maria’s surprise.

Maria was puzzled.

"You think that she’s right too?"

Without realizing it, Anastasia became less hostile toward Austin.

"I’m saying to a certain degree, "Austin said blandly.

Many weight loss experts knew about this theory.

One could gradually lose weight by creating a calorie deficit, adjusting the nutrition structure, and removing oily and high-sodium food with a lot of fat and calories from the meal plan.

That would increase protein and healthy fats intake, replacing fast food carbs with low carbs —for example, swapping refined food with unprocessed ones.

Yet, Anastasia might not be able to tackle her obesity through a simple adjustment of nutrition structure.

Anastasia could not comprehend and asked curiously, "What do you mean?"

"Let me take your pulse.Then I can tell you the answer, Ms.Rollins."

Austin gave her an alluring gaze.

After some hesitation, Anastasia looked down at her wrist, then up at him.

Maria said impatiently, "Tasia, just let Mr.Fike try it.It won’t kill you, will it?"

She tried to grab her niece’s wrist as she spoke.

However, Anastasia put her hand behind her back and lifted her chin as soon as Maria touched her.

"Must I do as you say? I don’t want to!"

"Hey, you..."

Maria angrily stopped her foot when she missed Anastasia’s hand, knowing she was no match for Anastasia’s size and strength.

On the other hand, Austin was much calmer.

He revealed a half- smile, saying, "You don’t want to, or you don’t dare?"

"Are you joking? Why wouldn’t I dare?"

Anastasia chuckled mockingly and said, "Don’t think you can goad me into doing this!"

"You take Lily as a good friend, and you worry she would lose face if I cure you.You’re worried I’m right and she’s wrong, so you would rather protect her reputation at the cost of your health."

"Tasia, don’t be so silly! We're talking about your health here.What does Lily know? She's just a perfumer who makes perfumes.Lily knows nothing about curing diseases! Even if she’s not trying to harm you, she’s not a professional.Let Mr.Fike take your pulse.It'll only do you good!"

Maria tried to look concerned.

"How about giving it a try?"

Austin smiled and held out a hand.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1374--Austin rested his fingers on Anastasia’s wrist and dropped his smile, looking much more solemn.She was nervous.

In the past, they had engaged many doctors.

Some gave her X- rays, and some took her pulse, but they had not discovered anything and simply said her endocrine system was unstable and needed treatment.She later took herbal medicine for a while, and it was so bitter that she wanted to cry.

Ultimately, the result was not good, and she gradually gave it up.She also went to the gym.

Being obese, she was not suitable for strenuous exercises and could only walk about and perform simple activities.

But back at home, she would fall into a deep sleep and wake up feeling hungrier.

This disrupted her circadian rhythm and made her want to eat more.

After a while, she slowly lost hope and gave up.

For the past two days, she has been happy at Lily’s house.

She neither thought about losing weight nor whether she would feel guilty eating a particular food.

It was as if she gave her body a brief break, and she was happy and carefree.

She was struggling internally as she extended her hand to allow the 'miracle doctor' to take her pulse.

On the one hand, she wished that he was a miracle doctor who could help her improve her health and lose weight.

On the other hand, she wished he was not, so she could prove him wrong and teach him a lesson on Lily's behalf.

Just as her thoughts ran wild, Austin’s fingers gently moved away.

"So?"

Anxious, Maria immediately shoved her head over and asked.

However, Austin did not say anything and simply stared carefully at Anastasia.

Getting uncomfortable, the young woman looked down at herself and lifted her head.

Thinking something was wrong with him, Anastasia asked, "What are you looking at me for?"

"Do you feel drowsy often and doze off when you sit down? Do you sometimes feel you can’t control your appetite? That you don’t feel full even after eating a lot of food and might even eat until you throw up?"

He asked a lot of questions all at once.

Anastasia was surprised, and before she could answer, Maria nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes, she's just like that! You’re truly amazing.Everything you said is correct!"

She flattered him as if he were not a miracle doctor but a fortune teller.

Anastasia snorted indifferently and said, "What's so amazing about it? Every obese person is like this, and other doctors have said the same.I thought he was something else."

"Tasia, don’t talk nonsense!"

After chastising her quietly, Maria asked, "So, is there a solution? Or how much herbal soup should we make?"

"Yes, there’s a need to make several doses of decoction."

Austin nodded.

Hearing this, Anastasia disdained him even more.

"Just as I thought!"

The previous ones had prescribed decoctions, and the miracle doctor did the same.

Having tried medical patches for acupuncture points, a therapy pad, and others, she had lost faith in these things and thought they were scams.

"No thanks!"

Anastasia withdrew her hand and said blandly, "Forget prescribing decoctions because I won’t drink them.You can leave now that you've taken my pulse and know about my condition.

"You’re a miracle doctor, and many patients with difficult diseases are waiting for you to cure them.An ordinary fat person like me is not worth your time."

Finding him annoying, she simply wanted him to go away.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1375--"you're no ordinary fat person."

Shaking his head, Austin narrowed his eyes at her.

"I can tell your obesity is not caused by something common from your pulse.I think you're...poisoned."

"Poisoned?"

Maria and Anastasia spoke aloud almost at the same time.

This was shocking to them.

Anastasia had met many doctors and coaches and tried all sorts of methods.

Some told her that her DNA caused her obesity, some said it was the result of her letting herself go, and some claimed that it was a psychological problem and asked her to see a psychiatrist.

However, no one had ever told her that she was poisoned.

"No way.It can’t be, right?"

Horrified, Maria spluttered.

"How can she be poisoned?"

"That’s right!"

Catching herself, Anastasia also thought it was ridiculous.

"Even though you're a miracle doctor, you can’t spout nonsense.I’ve seen many mainstream and alternative medicine doctors, but none has ever said I was poisoned.Are you trying to say that they are all bad doctors and couldn’t even tell if I’ve been poisoned?"

"This is because you’re suffering from chronic poisoning.

Since its toxicity is complex and could hardly be detected through your pulse, an ordinary physician would not be able to discover it."

Austin paused and did not finish what he wanted to say.

‘Besides, there are many problems among the practitioners of alternative medicine.

As some have started their practices without fundamental skills, many people have a profound misconception about alternative medicine and think its practitioners are charlatans.

‘Alternative medicine is a vast and deep subject, so one’s experience, ability to learn, and other factors matter a lot.

However, there’s no need for me to tell her these things"

"Really?"

Anastasia was still unconvinced.

After all, he was the first person to say she had become fat because of poisoning.She raised her brow.

"Since you claim I’m poisoned, what kind of poison is it, and how do I detoxify it?"

"Yes, yes!"

Maria also nodded.

"Mr.Fike, what kind of poisoning is Tasia suffering from, and how could it happen? She always stays at home and hardly has her meals outside.It’s not easy for anyone to poison her, and she couldn’t be poisoned by herself."

"I'm still unsure what might've caused the poisoning.

As for what poison it is, I need to observe her further."

After thinking briefly, Austin said, "I’ll give you a prescription, and you take ten doses first.

I then observe the changes in your pulse and make adjustments."

"That’s great!" Maria answered.

"As long as you can cure her, money is not a problem!"

"I’m willing to pay as long as you can make her well."

She looked like she was eager for Anastasia to take the chance.

Austin shook his head.

"It’s not going to be expensive, but watch what you eat as there are certain types of food to avoid while taking the herbal medicine."

After a pause, he added, "I think it’s best not to eat out.I'll create a meal plan for you to prepare at home.This allows me to study your changes while avoiding the consumption of outside foods that may interfere with the medicine's potency."

In other words, he was asking her not to go to Lily’s house.

Hesitant at first, Anastasia pulled a long face.

"It seems you’re not trying to cure me but to get back at someone.Are you trying to distance me from Lily in the name of treating me?"

"If you want to think of it that way, consider this a contest between Lily and me."

Austin looked like he did not care.

"If you trust her so much, why don’t you dare let me try?"

"So my health is now a tool of experimentation for you to prove yourself with?" Anastasia said coldly, upset.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1376--"How do you know Lily is not treating you as an experimentation tool herself?"

Austin smiled meaningfully and took out a pen and a piece of paper.

Then he lowered his head to write as he spoke casually, "I don’t mind you knowing that she and I are conducting research at the same lab.

"She might know a little bit about alternative medicine and medicinal herbs.Of course, she is mainly a perfumer and might have obtained some knowledge of alternative medicine through self-learning."

He paused and looked up at Anastasia.

"Still, you guys should understand that those who self-learn lack practical experience.Whenever there’s a chance, they’d jump at it."

Enlightened by him, Maria looked at Anastasia and said, "Tasia, she’s using you as a guinea pig!"

Anastasia could hardly speak for a moment.

What Austin said had somehow unsettled her.She wanted to tell herself that what he said was false and that Lily would never treat her as a guinea pig.

‘If that is the case, how come Lily always says she’s not trying to help me slim down and doesn’t know how to cure people, even though she’s helping me adjust my diet plan? If she had truly learned about herbal medicine, even by teaching herself, she could‘ve just told me, couldn’t she?’ "I know you're a good friend to her, and you might not believe me.You can ask her to see if what I said is true."

Putting his pen into his pocket, he let out a half-smile and did not seem to worry about being proved wrong.

"Here’s the prescription.You decide whether to try it or not.It’s your choice if you don’t want to believe me.

"As you said, it’s your body and health.If you don’t wish to become my tool of experimentation, why should you become someone else’s?" Austin got up.

"I’ve said all I have to say.It’s up to you to decide what to do."

He headed toward the door.

Taken aback, Maria hurriedly chased after him.

"Mr.Fike, we believe you! Of course, we believe you! What should we do next?"

"If she’s willing to take medicine according to the prescription, I'll come back ten days later to take her pulse." He looked back and saw Anastasia sitting there in a daze with her back to him.

She was overwhelmed by what he said.

"Yes, we’ll surely follow your instructions,"

Maria quickly answered, and she attentively saw him off.

Sitting on the sofa, Anastasia kept thinking about what Austin said —that Lily had taught herself herbal medicine and that, lacking practical experience, she would jump at any opportunity to experiment on anyone.

Lily was double-checking a recipe.

She was not an expert in cooking, but she had learned to read recipes for Anastasia.

It was easy to look for weight-loss- friendly food, and all Lily needed to do was let the cooks in her house choose the right ingredients and prepare the meals according to these recipes.

However, considering Anastasia’s preference and what she did not like to eat, Lily always picked food that was not only suitable but would also please her.

However, what mattered most was not the recipes or the menu.

The challenging part was tackling the complex toxicity that Anastasia had in her.

‘Yes, she’s poisoned!’ At first, Lily was doubtful as the symptoms were mild.

She had unintentionally learned about it when she took Anastasia’s pulse.

If Lily’s guess was correct, the poisoning had something to do with the plants in Anastasia’s house.

However, what mattered most was not the recipes or the menu.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1377--Lily wondered why there were so many plants and herbs around when she visited Anastasia’s house for the first time, even though the young woman did not particularly like them.

It would be normal if Anastasia was into herbs and loved to study them, but she knew nothing about plants.

‘Anastasia gave me such valuable agarwood, and several expensive medicinal herbs are all around her home.

Some herbs with potent smells are in the yard, while those with mild or refreshing aromas are in the house.

‘Such a variety of plants put randomly in one place could very well be the cause of the poisoning"

Of course, those were just Lily’s speculations, and she was unsure.

It was why she visited Dominic, who was well-traveled and knowledgeable.

Having been to many places, he might have studied these things.

Since Dominic admitted that her theory was plausible, she could be right.

Lily’s first step was to devise a proper diet plan so Anastasia could eliminate her food anxiety.

If the young girl could end self- suppression and stop blaming herself for taking a reasonable amount of food, it would be a success.

The next step was to visit the Rollins.

Lily wanted to take a good look at the herbs and remove them to address the root cause.

As for the poisoning, Lily could not simply use any medicine.

She had to find out what sort of poison it was to come up with a counteracting prescription.

She had not told these things to Anastasia.

On the one hand, she worried that Anastasia would feel pressure, which would be bad for losing weight because the more significant the stress, the tenser she would get.

On the other hand, Lily had no concrete proof, and Anastasia might think she was being an alarmist.

Besides, she had yet to find out where these herbs were from.

‘Let me take it one step at a time.There’s no hurry anyway"

Just as Lily wrote down her recipe, her phone suddenly vibrated.

She looked over at it, saw the word "Hubby" flashing on the screen, and her heart started pounding.

She put down her pen, snatched the phone, and answered it in a quivering voice, "Hello?"

"Lily, have you gone to bed yet?"

Lily wanted to burst into tears after hearing Alexander's familiar and deep voice.

She had always thought she was tough enough and that there was nothing to worry about, but she grew restless from being unable to reach him for the last few days.

Lily held back her emotions and said calmly, "Not yet."

"Sorry, you must be worried."

Alexander let out a soft breath and softly spoke as if he worried he might disturb his wife's sleep.

Lily could no longer fight back her tears and wept as her pent-up worries and frustration burst forth.

"So you knew I'd get worried, huh?"

She could not help but blame Alexander as he made her anxious for a few days.

However, his voice calmed her, no matter how troubled she felt.

"Sorry.I’m really sorry! The signal is terrible here, and the situation is a bit complicated, so..."

Although he did not say it, Lily could tell from his voice that he was exhausted.

All of a sudden, her anger was replaced by great concern.

"Why? What happened over there? Did someone poison the food?"

‘If he says the situation is complicated, it might not be a simple accident"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1378 --"No,"Alexander said.

"We checked all surveillance footage and didn’t find anyone poisoning it.We also sent the food residue for testing and found no traces of poison."

"So, what about the water supply if it’s not the food?" Lily asked after some thought.

"I thought about that too and had it checked as well."

‘If it’s not the food and water supply, and the mass poisoning is not an accident, then it’s rather bizarre"

"Can it be an accident? Where were the workers, or whom had they come in contact with?" Lily knitted her brow.

She wanted to help her husband solve the problem as soon as possible.

Since people had died, they had to find out what happened and give an explanation to those people’s families.

"Based on our investigation, these workers stayed and had their meals at the factory.They haven’t been in contact with outsiders over the past few days."After a pause, he said, "We're still investigating, and I believe we’ll get to the bottom of what happened.

Don’t worry too much, okay?"

A Static noise disrupted Alexander’s voice, and the call started to break up toward the end.

"I know.Watch your health, okay? Also, the situation over there has been a bit chaotic lately.you must protect yourself well."

Lily learned from the news that the region was rife with wars, and she was worried.

"I know.I’ll be fine!"

Alexander said something else, but Lily could no longer hear it clearly.

"What?"

She covered one ear and asked.

"Nothing.The signal is bad here, so I’ll tell you later, okay? Stop worrying!"

He stressed again.

"Okay, I know..."

Before she could finish talking, a dial tone came from the other end.

The signal was not stable, as he said.

However, Lily could finally set her heart at rest a little.

Nonetheless, Alexander was still safe and just tired, judging from his voice.

It seemed to Lily that he had a trickier problem, but she could not fly over to help him and could only wait.

She felt that being apart was a tormenting experience for the first time.

‘It’s so nerve-wracking!’ Back home, Maria felt pleased with herself, thinking that the miracle doctor was indeed something else.

‘His words were shocking, and he has also shaken Tasia.It serves her right since she keeps talking back to me lately! The miracle doctor is right.Lily Russell is using Anastasia as a guinea pig even though that silly girl has treated her as a good friend.Tasia is such a fool!’ She saw Fabian drinking, and it ruined her good mood.

"Why are you drinking again? Aren’t you supposed to get busy with the bid submission? How come you've been so free these days? I’m exhausted from running around!"

As Maria spoke, she flopped down on the chair and asked a housekeeper to bring her tea and snacks.

"I’m not in a hurry."

Fabian raised a brow and said indifferently, "You shouldn't be either! This project is within our grasp.What else should I be doing besides drinking?"

"You're that confident?"

‘He worried about this and that two days ago, and now he has become so cocksure?’ "Of course!"

Fabian was smug.

"Alexander Russell hasn’t returned from overseas yet, and there’s no news of him.I think he might be dead, and even if he’s okay, he wouldn’t be able to make it to the bidding event.Who else would get the contract but me? Just prepare yourself to live a good life with me, okay?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1379--"If that’s the case, it would be marvelous!"

Maria got happy after seeing how confident her husband was.

She saw the maid bringing a cup of tea over and waved her off.

"To hell with tea.I’ll have wine."

Maria picked up a bottle of wine and poured herself a glass.

"Times have changed.It’s our turn to get filthy rich now.Things keep happening in our favor, don't they?"

"Why do you say that?"

Fabian looked toward her.She took a swig of wine, felt her throat burning, and coughed a few times before saying, "I told you Tasia refused treatment, right? Today she saw the miracle doctor!"

"She did?"

The person who asked this question was not Fabian but Rhea.

After taking a shower, she partially blow- dried her hair and let it loose as she descended the stairs.

"Rhea?"

Maria was surprised.

"When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me? Fabian, you should've told me she’s back! Tell the maids to prepare some nice dishes.It’s a good day for our family, and we must booze it up today!"

Having received a shove from his wife, Fabian grumbled, "I didn’t see her when I got home just now, and I have no idea when she came back.

Ree, what time did you get home? Why didn’t you come downstairs to say hello to me?"

"Whether I was back or not wouldn't interfere with your drinking, would it?" Rhea said blandly.

Fabian was speechless for a moment.

"How could you say that?"

"It’s all your fault! All you know is drinking.You weren’t even unaware that your daughter had come home!"

Maria naturally sided with her daughter and gave her husband two smacks.

Then she hurried over to her daughter.

"Ree, what would you like to eat? I'll get them to prepare right away!"

"Oh, never mind, it would be a waste of time! You’re hardly ever home.How about we eat out to celebrate the occasion?" Maria asked smilingly and reached out to hold her daughter’s arm.

However, Rhea turned away to dodge her mother’s hand.

"What’s there to celebrate?"

"Well..."

Maria missed her arm and remembered that her daughter had a pet peeve about being touched and rubbed her hands.

"You’re home today.Isn’t that worth celebrating?"

"Oh, your father’s business is about to scale up, and we’re going to make a fortune!"

Maria paused momentarily, saw no reaction on Rhea’s face, and continued, "Besides, the miracle doctor I hired for Tasia is truly amazing! Today he determined her obesity was caused by poisoning and not DNA or hormonal imbalances.Don’t you think he’s something else?"

"Poisoning?"

Fabian was so shocked that he nearly choked.

"What poison? Who got poisoned? Tasia?"

Astonished, he asked incoherently.

"That's right! Tasia has seen many physicians, and none could ever tell that she had gotten poisoned except the miracle doctor.

All he did was take her pulse, and he told us immediately that Tasia had gotten poisoned!"

Gesticulating as she spoke, Maria was impressed today.

She knew her family would be, too, when she told them these things.

There was finally a change in Rhea’s expression.

She asked, "Did the miracle doctor say what kind of poison Anastasia is suffering from?"

"No, he says it’s too complex and needs further observations.He gave a prescription and asked Tasia to take medicine for ten days.She’s yet to make up her mind since she’s still thinking of Lily Russell.She should realize by now that the woman is just using her as a guinea pig!"

Maria pouted and thought that Austin was right.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1380--"What guinea pig? Why can’t I understand a word you say today?"

Blinking, Fabian looked bewildered.

Maria said eagerly, "Didn’t I tell you that Tasia trusts Lily and goes to have her meals at the woman’s house every day? She thought Lily was a good person who wanted to help her lose weight! "However, the miracle doctor told us that Lily is working with him at some lab and had only taught herself herbal medicine for a while.

She lacks practical experience and uses Tasia as a guinea pig! "Tasia is such a silly girl for thinking Lily cares for her! Who would be truly good to her besides her own family? Who doesn’t put self- interest before everything in our society? No one will help her if there’s nothing to gain!"

Shaking her head, Maria remembered something and turned to Rhea as she said, "Fortunately, you’re smart and capable.If you were like that silly girl, I'd be worried sick!"

Rhea curled her lips.

"You used to say she was pretty and smart when we were young."

A look of embarrassment crossed Maria’s face.

"I only said it to please her father! I explained this to you before, right? Why are you still holding a grudge? You’re my daughter.Of course, you’re my favorite!"

"So that’s why!"

Slapping his thigh, Fabian caught on to what his wife had said.

"Then I must tell Ron about it.Anyway, the Russell family is too much! How could they treat us like sh*t? It’s outrageous that Tasia is being treated as a guinea pig!"

"Yes, you must tell Ron about it.He must never give the contract to the Russells, considering what they’re doing!" Maria replied.

"1’m going back to my room."

Not interested in their conversation, Rhea turned and walked away.

"Hey, Ree, what about lunch?"

Maria hurriedly called after her.

"I'm not going.I'll get changed and return to the lab." Her voice drifted down from upstairs.

"Why..."

Opening her mouth, Maria looked helpless.

"Why is she going back to the lab again? She has become such a nerd! Aren’t you going to do something about it?"

"What can I do about it?"

Fabian said, "Since she was young, she has never troubled us as she has always excelled in her studies and work.Just mind your own business.If she enjoys going to the lab, then so be it.It’s better than her getting into trouble elsewhere, right?"

"I worry that she could never find a boyfriend if she carries on like this."

Letting out a sigh, Maria was helpless.

She knew her daughter had always been strong- minded, and it was challenging to make decisions for her.

In the office, Thompson was reporting the work progress.

"So far, this is what we’ve achieved.We already have three finished products, and I believe we will have more soon."

He was happy that the subsequent result was good, and the creation of the three products proved that he was right and that they were heading in the right direction.

"I don’t care about those things.What I want has yet to be created! "

The masked man said icily.

"I know.It should be soon! It wouldn't be long after this achievement," he said carefully.

"Soon? You told me that a month ago! Just when are you going to finish it?"

Mr.R slammed his fist on the table with a dull thump.

"Can you or can’t you do it? Should I keep the lab running?"