With that, Mason Lawson gave her one last, deep look and left Aurelia Quinn’s hospital room.

Eve Vaughn could no longer suppress the wave of sorrow that washed over her. Covering her mouth, she broke into sobs.

She looked despairingly at her comatose mother on the bed and choked out, "Mom, can you please wake up? Please, tell me... what am I supposed to do?"

’I really love him so much...’

’Every time, I think I can rein in my love for Mason Lawson, even just a little. But then his tall, imposing figure would appear before me, and I’d fail all over again.’

Eve Vaughn gently wiped down her mother’s body with a towel, but her mind was completely filled with thoughts of Mason Lawson.

What he had just said had truly shaken her to the core.

’If it weren’t for a voice in my head screaming that I couldn’t—that I couldn’t drag him down anymore—I probably would have thrown my arms around him from behind as he was leaving.’

Eve Vaughn was distractedly wiping her mother down with the towel when she noticed the needle marks on her arm.

They were clearly new, and there were quite a few more than there should have been.

Finding this strange, Eve Vaughn went to the nurses’ station.

"Excuse me, has my mother had blood drawn for any tests recently?"

’If a patient has blood drawn for tests, the doctor always informs the family and explains why it’s necessary.’

The nurse checked her records. "She had routine blood work done this morning—a CBC and a chemistry panel. We do it once a week, so we assumed you knew."

Eve Vaughn grew even more suspicious. "That can’t be right. One blood draw would be enough for that, but my mother’s arm is covered in needle marks."

With that, Eve Vaughn led the nurse to Aurelia Quinn’s bedside.

After examining the arm for a moment, the nurse said apologetically, "I’m so sorry. An intern must have done the draw this morning. Your mother’s veins are rather fine, so she probably had to stick her a few times."

Eve Vaughn was annoyed. "My mother may be in a coma, but you could at least get someone competent to draw her blood. Look at her arm! There are at least five or six puncture marks here."

The nurse apologized profusely and promised it wouldn’t happen again.

...

Meanwhile, word that Eve Vaughn had questioned the nurse about the needle marks quickly reached Mason Lawson.

Neil Kane broke out in a cold sweat. "Mr. Lawson, you don’t think Miss Vaughn is getting suspicious, do you?"

’If Eve Vaughn finds out what we’ve been doing to her mother, she’ll raise hell.’

Mason Lawson’s expression was unreadable. "She’s an open book, and this possibility would never even cross her mind. From now on, tell them not to draw blood from anywhere obvious. Also, we’ve sent over so many blood samples. Has GeneCorp come back with any results?"

Neil Kane reported, "They said it will be another month."

Just then, a message arrived on Mason Lawson’s phone.

A look of utter shock spread across his face as he read it.

Then, he said to Neil Kane, "Get the private jet ready. We’re leaving for Vesperia. Now."

Neil Kane’s eyes lit up. "Is it a lead on your mother’s whereabouts?"

Mason Lawson nodded, then added with a hint of concern, "We have a lead. But... she was found in a psychiatric hospital."

Neil Kane immediately went to prepare the private jet.

By that evening, they had arrived at the psychiatric hospital in Vesperia.

To avoid attracting attention, they had traveled in secret.

As Mason Lawson stared at the puppet-like woman before him, he couldn’t believe this was his biological mother.

She wore the standard-issue hospital gown, and though her eyes were open, they were utterly vacant.

She didn’t speak and showed no expression, like one of the living dead.

However, the DNA test results confirmed they were mother and son, leaving Mason Lawson no choice but to accept the truth.

The genetics expert at his side said, "Mr. Lawson, we’ve sent your mother’s blood sample to GeneCorp. If I’m not mistaken, her genes have been forcibly modified, just like the previous sample you sent us."

’It’s not surprising,’ Mason Lawson thought. After all, according to Simon Vaughn’s research notes, both his mother and Eve’s mother had been subjects of his experiments.

Mason Lawson pulled out the file on Simon Vaughn. "Are you sure you’ve never heard of this man in your circles?"

The expert shook his head. "Never heard of him. I don’t recognize him at all."

Mason Lawson said, enunciating every word, "I can’t wait a month. Two weeks, max. I need to know what this experiment was about and why my mother ended up like this."

GeneCorp was the largest genetic research institute in the world; right now, it was Mason Lawson’s only hope.

To expedite the results, he multiplied their fee several times over.

Just then, a staff member approached and whispered, "Mr. Lawson, security here is extremely tight. We can’t just walk her out. You’ve been here for a while now. If you don’t leave soon, I’ll arouse suspicion."

This was the only contact they had on the inside.

To avoid tipping their hand, Mason Lawson gave his mother one last look and reluctantly left the hospital.

That night, a fire suddenly broke out in Room 608, the room belonging to Tanya Thorne. The blaze spread rapidly.

Amidst the chaotic firefighting efforts, the fire was extinguished. The other patients suffered only minor scrapes and bruises.

Only Tanya Thorne was said to have burned to death, leaving behind a body that was burned beyond recognition.

...

Mason Lawson watched the news on television, his deep gaze inscrutable.

Sitting beside him was the very woman reported dead on the news: Tanya Thorne.

Mason Lawson looked at her and said softly, "Mom, we’re going home."

But it was impossible to tell if the woman heard him. She remained as still and wooden as ever, showing no reaction at all.

Mason Lawson took her hand, and the initial thrill of finding his mother was finally extinguished by her cold, vacant state.

He now had only one thought: find the truth and a way to reverse his mother’s condition as quickly as possible.

Just then, Neil Kane knocked on the door. "Mr. Lawson, we shouldn’t linger here. It’s time to head back. A safe and secure residence has been arranged for your mother back home. No one will find her."

Mason Lawson instructed, "Remember, keep a close watch on the hospital. Report any sign of trouble. If anyone still has designs on my mother, or if they have a guilty conscience, they will definitely investigate whether that body is really hers." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

And so, after rescuing Tanya Thorne, Mason Lawson did not linger. He returned to his home country immediately, his movements silent and traceless.

...

「In the blink of an eye, it was the day before Eve Vaughn was scheduled to leave to study abroad.」

Mia Kendall and Regina Shaw came to see her off, and the three girls got together for lunch.

It was the first time Mia Kendall and Regina Shaw had met.

However, Mia had heard Eve Vaughn talk about Regina so often that she was very curious to meet her.

As for Regina Shaw, she preferred straightforward people.

A frank and simple girl like Mia Kendall was exactly her type of person.

So, Regina Shaw joked, "I was just thinking how I’d finally made a good friend, and now you’re leaving before we’ve had much time to hang out. But that’s okay! Now that you’re gone, I can hang out with Mia!"

Mia Kendall hit it off with her instantly, grinning. "I was just worrying about the same thing a few days ago! Now that you’re leaving, I can keep hanging out with Regina."

Eve Vaughn watched them, speechless. Suddenly, she lost her appetite.

Just then, her phone, lying on the table, rang. The caller ID read: Mason Lawson.

Eve Vaughn couldn’t summon the courage to answer, so she just flipped the phone face down on the table.

’He must be calling to ask about my decision.’

’He must be waiting for me to come back to him.’

’But I can’t go back.’

’The best kind of love isn’t about mutual sacrifice, but about helping each other become better.’

’I just can’t bear to hear his voice right now.’

’I’m afraid if I hear his voice, all my resolve will crumble.’

Seeing her reaction, both Regina Shaw and Mia Kendall knew exactly who was calling.

Mia Kendall asked, "Are you really not going to answer? Are you just going to let it end like this? I actually think he’s really good to you."

Regina Shaw shot Mia a look, signaling her not to interfere with Eve Vaughn’s decision.

She said, "Even if Mason Lawson is good to Evie now, who can guarantee he’ll be good to her forever? Besides, the Lawson family is notoriously difficult. Evie would be miserable if she married into it! If you ask me, she should go abroad, improve herself, and learn to rely on herself instead of anyone else."

Eve Vaughn lowered her gaze. ’I’m willing to believe Mason would be good to me for the rest of our lives,’ she thought.

’And that’s exactly why I want to do what’s best for him.’

’The only thing I can give him is my absence, so he can have so much more.’

Regina Shaw saw Evie’s sadness and tried to comfort her. "Evie, you’re still so young—not even twenty. You have your whole life ahead of you. Honestly, there’s no need to waste your youth on some older guy, especially one who can’t offer you a future."

Mia Kendall nodded in agreement. "Exactly! Dating without the intention of getting married is just playing games! And besides, you’re lucky Regina is a good person. What if Mason Lawson gets set up with someone difficult or clingy? Then you’d really become the other woman, Evie. If he can’t give you marriage or a real commitment, then he isn’t truly good to you!"

Eve Vaughn managed a smile. "Thank you, guys. Even when I’m no longer in Rivaster, I’ll never forget you."

"Hey, don’t make it sound like a life-or-death parting," Regina Shaw said, patting her shoulder reassuringly. "Travel is so easy these days. We can fly over to see you anytime we miss you."

Mia Kendall added, "Yeah! And if my show is a hit, you’ll be able to see me on TV every day. You’ll get sick of my face!"

Between Mia’s talent for livening up the mood and Regina’s warm-heartedness, Eve Vaughn’s spirits finally began to lift.

’Besides Mason Lawson, there really are a lot of other people and things in the world worth loving.’

After lunch, Mia Kendall and Regina Shaw decided to go shopping. In addition to being a top student and a workaholic, Regina was also a huge fashionista.

Whenever a major luxury brand released a new collection, she never looked at the price tag—she bought whatever caught her eye.

Mia Kendall had been paid handsomely for her show. Rumor had it that Eric Kendall had invested heavily in the production, and as a favor to him, Mia, a newcomer, was paid even more than the female lead.

So, the two were on the same wavelength. With no work to do, they eagerly headed to the mall.

Eve Vaughn wasn’t in the mood to join them, so she made the excuse that she needed to pack and headed back to her dorm room.

That evening, the dorm manager knocked on her door.

"Eve Vaughn? There’s a man downstairs named Julian Lawson asking for you. Says he’s a friend."

Eve Vaughn was exasperated. Julian Lawson was impossible to shake, like gum on a shoe.

’I’d already blocked his number, but I never thought he’d resort to sending the dorm manager with a message.’

Eve Vaughn said, "Ma’am, please ignore him. I’m not seeing him."

She was about to close the door when the manager added, "He told me to tell you he has some kind of leverage over his ’little uncle.’ He said if you don’t go down to see him, he’ll... give it to the ’Old Master’? I think that’s what he said."

After all, the manager had no idea what the relationships were between all these people.

In any case, Julian Lawson had given her a thousand yuan just to pass on the message.

As expected, hearing this made Eve Vaughn instantly tense up.

’Julian has leverage over Mason?’

’What kind of leverage?’

When it came to anything concerning Mason Lawson, Eve Vaughn was always extra attentive and worried.

And for that very reason, she followed the dorm manager downstairs.

Julian Lawson was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

His eyes lit up with a smile when he saw her, and he held out a cup of hot cocoa.

"It’s from your favorite café."

Julian spoke with the same carefree air as when they were students long ago. "Here, see if it tastes the same as it did in middle school."

Eve Vaughn didn’t take it. "I don’t drink that anymore," she said coldly. "My tastes have changed."

A flicker of sadness crossed Julian’s eyes. He forced a smile, poked the straw through the lid himself, and took a sip.

He muttered to himself, "Mm, still tastes pretty good. Just like I remember."

Seeing that her expression hadn’t softened in the slightest, Julian maintained his strained smile. "I hear you’re leaving the country tomorrow."

Eve Vaughn just grunted in response, clearly unwilling to say more.

Julian gazed at her, full of reluctance. "Can’t you stay? You’ll be gone for so many years... I’ll miss you."

Eve Vaughn was growing impatient. "Didn’t you get me to come down here to tell me something?" she said, her gaze cold. "Get to the point. Stop wasting my time."

The softness in Julian’s gaze vanished, replaced by a dark shadow.

He laughed self-deprecatingly. "So it’s true. The only way I can even see you now is by using Mason Lawson’s name."

Eve Vaughn frowned. "So, what is this leverage? If you’re not going to tell me, I’m going back inside."

And with that, she turned to leave.

Julian immediately blurted out, "It’s proof that could completely ruin Mason Lawson! He embezzled company funds and took kickbacks from projects! If I were to tell Grandpa about this, what do you think would happen to him?"

Eve Vaughn’s heart clenched.

’How could Mason do something like that?’

She was thrown into a panic, with no idea how she could possibly help him.