One day passed.
Iris Paxton was still lying in the ICU of Crestview Hospital.
Her face was pallid, her body was filled with tubes, and she had intermittent uncontrollable convulsions, with indistinct murmurs escaping her mouth.
Toxicology screening results: No known common neurotoxins or drug abuse components detected.
This allowed Elias Langley’s anxious heart to relax a little.
No drug abuse components were detected, which should mean it hasn’t been long since the dosage, or it was tampered with in some other manner.
Old Mr. Paxton looked at the report, and the wrinkles on his face tightened into deep creases.
Because no evidence is the best evidence.
He forcefully tapped his cane, "Go, deal with Nathan Carter for me!"
The secretary, who had been following him for years, did not oppose his suggestion, but still found it necessary to remind him, "What about the investment from The Zenthian Sea?"
"No worries," Taotie never misses a meal, "tell them the progress is unaffected, let them send someone else to negotiate with me. Just a pawn, the Carter Family can afford the loss."
The secretary nodded and went on to execute the plan.
Old Mr. Paxton looked at Elias Langley, "Do you think this matter is related to Juliana Jacobs?"
Elias Langley "seriously" pondered for a few seconds.
"Logically, she shouldn’t be irrelevant, but for her to make a move on my turf, it’s absolutely impossible. However, what puzzles me now is, first Evan, then Iris, in this... who on earth is against you?"
Old Mr. Paxton was successfully misled by his words and fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, at Varden Private Hospital.
Evan Grant woke up from a coma, was transferred to a regular ward, and wanted to see Juliana Jacobs.
Ethan Carter relayed the message, and Juliana Jacobs came in the evening.
Evan was leaning back on the bed, still looking very weak, but there was a light in his eyes as soon as she appeared.
"Did you achieve your goal?" he asked feebly.
Disguised as a doctor, Nathan Carter had just arrived at the doorway and halted his steps.
Juliana Jacobs sat down on the chair by the bedside, her expression calm.
"Sort of, but I hadn’t expected Nathan Carter... no, Stella Windsor to use such a potent biological toxin on Iris Paxton, Dylan Paxton won’t let him go, now he’s in grave danger, do you plan to take revenge on me for yourself and him?"
Evan closed his eyes at her words, responding half helplessly, half jokingly, "In my current state, what can I do to you?"
So, he willingly let her use him, even getting poisoned without complaint.
Nathan Carter, standing outside the door, unconsciously clenched his fingers.
Juliana Jacobs, however, was not moved by his indulgence, "I only came to say thank you to you in person..."
Evan waved his hand weakly, interrupting her.
"Don’t expect to say we’re even through this matter, as long as we’re alive, we’ll never... untangle."
Juliana Jacobs saw his stubbornness, hitting a wall repeatedly, and didn’t bother persuading him further.
"I no longer talk about feelings, you insisted on getting close, got hurt, that’s your problem, has nothing to do with me."
Evan showed a serene smile on his pale face, "Yeah, I know, so my life... if you want it, take it anytime."
"Evan!"
The ward door was abruptly slammed open, Nathan Carter tore off his disguise, glaring in with bloodshot eyes.
He stared at the weak yet calm man on the bed, his neutral voice trembling with pain.
"For that woman, how could you... how could you become so low?!"
Juliana and Evan were both momentarily stunned by his sudden intrusion, not responding immediately to his words.
At that moment, sounds of a fight came from outside the ward.
It was Evan’s bodyguards in the corridor clashing with two assassins sent by Dylan Paxton.
Two bodyguards tangled with one, while the other assassin, with a clear target, rushed into the ward, heading straight for Nathan Carter.
Nathan Carter’s pupils constricted, and he instinctively dodged behind Juliana, who was closest to him.
This guy actually wanted to use Juliana as a shield!
Juliana, mindful of her child, didn’t struggle too much.
"Mr. Carter, come with me, I will not harm you," the assassin said.
Nathan Carter, gripping Juliana, spat from behind her.
"Don’t think I don’t know your trick, take me away and make me vanish quietly in some deserted place, I’m not that stupid."
The assassin decided to take both of them out.
At this moment, the weak Evan on the bed said between breaths, "As long as you don’t harm my woman, whatever you want to do, I’ll handle it for you."
Nathan Carter was stunned by his words.
He survived after falling off a cliff. To return to his side, he meticulously plotted, endured what others couldn’t, even underwent a surgery that changed his body completely.
But what he got in return was his resolute abandonment for that woman.
So all along, he never had the slightest place in his heart.
Devastated and desperate, Nathan Carter froze on the spot, shattered in spirit.
The assassin seized his distraction and rushed up.
He only cared about completing his task, not Juliana’s safety.
But just then, the door burst open, and a figure dashed inside from outside.
With too quick a move, the assassin was knocked off balance, crashing through the window, falling to his death.
The figure leveraged the force to land, pulled Juliana aside, and stood between her and Nathan.
Juliana took a deep breath, calming her startled emotions quickly, to avoid affecting her unborn child.
Elias Langley, wary of Nathan Carter, glanced back at her, noticing her face was still normal, probably suggesting no major issues.
Then, the police, who had followed closely, rushed in.
They were there to arrest Nathan Carter.
Raine Kane hurried in, anxiously asking Juliana, "Juliana, are you okay?"
She had followed instructions to deliver Nathan Carter’s DNA identification report to the police station. Initially, the police had to go through a series of approvals to carry out the arrest, but Zachary York came, said a few words, and the police immediately acted, arriving at the hospital.
Though it was still a step too late.
Juliana shook her head, indicating she was fine.
Raine remarked, "The one who fell downstairs is dead, at least we managed to capture one in the corridor..."
Before finishing, a policeman rushed in, speaking to Elias Langley, "The assassin swallowed poison. The poison was hidden in his mouth, it couldn’t be stopped."
"Oh wow, now there’s none left." Raine amended her comment.
Old Mr. Paxton sent out, of course, those who wouldn’t pose a risk to himself, the Deadpools.
However, the police’s main purpose this time was to arrest Nathan Carter, the investigation on the assassin’s identity could be conducted slowly.
"Stella Windsor, you’re under arrest!"
Several policemen surrounded Nathan Carter and produced handcuffs.
Nathan Carter was still not giving up at this point.
"I don’t know any Stella Windsor, I’m a man, you can verify my identity."
However, Evan Grant on the bed chimed in the next second, "I have records of your gender reassignment surgery in The Zenthian Sea... I can submit it to the police anytime they need."
This sentence completely shattered Stella Windsor.
He turned his gaze towards Evan, tears welling up uncontrollably.
"Why... Evan Grant, I loved you so much... why won’t you even give me a bit of sympathy?"
Evan didn’t answer, instead, there was a hint of disgust on his face.
"Your affection makes me feel sick."
Finally, Stella Windsor was almost dragged away.
Elias’s task was completed, Nathan Carter didn’t die, he had to return to report and dispel Dylan Paxton’s doubts.
As he turned to leave, he gave Juliana a deep look.
Their eyes met, both clear about each other’s positions and limitations, yet at this moment, even an extra word seemed extravagant.
Elias left decisively, leaving her by her ex-husband’s side.
Returning to the hospital where Iris was.
Iris had woken up.
However, the results given by the doctors were not good.
Her body suffered damage from an unknown substance, resulting in involuntary tremors, slurred speech, and risk of incontinence, and possibly even hallucinations.
In other words, she was practically ruined.
Dylan Paxton was waiting in the doctor’s office for Elias Langley.
"Went a bit late, arrived with the police, could only let the police take him first," Elias said.
Dylan Paxton’s face showed little surprise or anger, if this step didn’t succeed, he had the next one ready.
Seventy years of life, he had never lost.
"Iris’s incident happened in your territory, she ended up like this... Elias, you hold an unshirkable responsibility, her lifelong wish was to marry you, what are you going to do?"
Elias remained silent for a moment, then replied calmly, "I will get a divorce as soon as possible."
Dylan Paxton was not surprised by this answer, nodding, "Good, let her sign the papers. I’ll handle your divorce procedures, no need to wait for the cooling-off period."