Just getting off the car, Luke and his men walked forward.
"Have you got the stuff? We need to get the ’Genesis’ data before we can send you to the open sea, and they need to get the chip design data to let you enter. Without it, you’ll have to stay here."
Dylan Paxton watched Elias Langley carry Iris Paxton onto the wheelchair and pushed her into the house before replying, "Why rush? I’ve got the person. Within a day, the stuff will be delivered to you."
"Well... let me know if you need anything."
After Luke finished speaking, he went to clean up after them.
The secretary caught up with Dylan Paxton and asked in a low, uncertain voice, "What if Sebastian Sinclair doesn’t care about his wife’s life, what do we do?"
Walking inside, Dylan Paxton snorted, "Then we’ll cut her into pieces and send them to him. Worst-case scenario, mutual destruction."
The secretary involuntarily shivered.
Juliana Jacobs and Mrs. Sinclair were locked in a dark room.
The guards only gave them a bottle of water and two pieces of dry bread, which was their food for the day.
Juliana wasn’t in good shape and couldn’t eat; she leaned against the wall and barely managed to drink a sip of water.
Mrs. Sinclair was very anxious, holding her, "Juliana, no matter what happens, you must hold on."
Juliana felt the burning temperature in her palm and realized the infection in her wound had already caused a fever.
Just as she was about to speak, the door lock clicked, and Elias Langley walked in.
With an expressionless face, the man tossed a bottle of orange-flavored nutrient water beside Mrs. Sinclair, saying flatly, "You’ve got a wound infection. This will boost your resistance. Don’t die before the stuff is exchanged."
Mrs. Sinclair hurriedly picked up the nutrient water and placed it on her chest.
Despite no prior communication, she knew this bottle of nutrient water was for Juliana.
Elias Langley was about to leave when the light at the door dimmed.
Iris Paxton was helped into the room.
She was so weak she seemed like even the wind could blow her over, but her gaze at Elias Langley was intense.
"Elias, don’t think I haven’t noticed, you’ve been taking care of her all the way."
She raised her hand towards Juliana but had to give up as she was too weak to point directly.
"You are my husband, why do you keep thinking about her?"
"Husband?" Suddenly invigorated, Juliana supported herself against the wall and stood up, "Have you completed the ceremony? Exchanged rings? Registered your marriage? The wedding turned into a funeral, yet you still dream?"
Elias Langley, slightly stimulated by her suddenly sharp-tongued demeanor, subtly curled his lips.
Juliana took a breath, gazing at Iris Paxton with mockery, "You’ve lived a life both pathetic and hateful. Even if you use all your schemes to tie a man to your side, you can’t change your utter failure inside and out!"
Being sharply provoked, Iris Paxton’s breathing became more rapid, and her already pale face turned even paler.
Her body swayed, and she directly fainted.
Elias Langley sighed, looking at Juliana with a mix of love and hate, then swiftly picked up Iris Paxton and took her to the medical room.
The doctor fleeing with Dylan Paxton quickly examined Iris Paxton, arriving at a shocking conclusion:
Acute renal failure in both kidneys, they must be replaced immediately, or she won’t last three days.
Upon hearing this, Elias Langley knew the tonic he gave her had taken effect.
Only the timing of the illness wasn’t too ideal.
Without saying a word, Dylan Paxton went to the dark room and ordered the door open.
Pointing at Juliana, he said, "Remove her kidney."
"Don’t you dare touch her!" Mrs. Sinclair stood in front of Juliana.
Dylan Paxton squinted his eyes slightly, "What secret does the Sinclair Family have that I don’t know?"
At this moment, continuing to hide Juliana’s identity was likely to bring lethal disaster upon her.
Disregarding much, Mrs. Sinclair spoke plainly, "Yes, she is my biological daughter who disappeared more than ten years ago."
Dylan Paxton’s dull eyes suddenly brightened.
"You’ve kept it under tight wraps! Even tried to fool me with a fake one. And where’s the stuff?"
He glared fiercely at Juliana.
Juliana raised her brow, "Wasn’t it given to my dad already?"
Well, the circle went right back again.
Furious, Dylan Paxton’s hands shook uncontrollably.
Mrs. Sinclair hurriedly added, "Therefore, if you use her to threaten my husband, he will surely surrender the USB drive. But if you remove my daughter’s kidney to save your daughter... I guarantee you’ll get nothing!"
For the first time, Dylan Paxton was cornered, almost trembling with Parkinson’s from anger.
"Good, very good."
He turned to look at the secretary.
"Use her kidney! After the surgery, dig out her heart and send it to Sinclair Manor. Tell Sebastian Sinclair that if he doesn’t hand over the stuff, his daughter will meet the same fate as his wife."
The secretary lowered his head.
Elias Langley pressed his tongue against his front teeth.
Perhaps this secret should have been known to him earlier.
He cast a deep glance at Juliana, chuckled lightly, and followed Dylan Paxton out.
The door to the dark room closed again.
Juliana hid a trace of sadness in her eyes and looked at Mrs. Sinclair, "Why are you doing this?"
Mrs. Sinclair held her hand, her face flushed from fever, yet her gaze was clear.
"Juliana, this is what I owe you. When I was young, I thought children were an unintended burden... Treating you as an accessory to our marriage is the biggest regret of my life."
She took a deep breath.
"These years, even though I had Isabelle and Florence by my side, every time I thought of you, it hurt my heart. I wasn’t a competent mother, but if my life can protect you, can heal your wounds, I would be willing."
Upon hearing this, Juliana remained silent for a long time, until she finally withdrew her hand, turned around, and hid her surging emotions.
At five in the morning, the temporary operating room was ready.
Mrs. Sinclair was taken to the operating room, and Juliana struggled to stop it but was held down tightly by the guard.
"Juliana! Don’t move."
Mrs. Sinclair shook her head at her, urging her to protect herself and the child.
Old Mr. Paxton snorted, "No need to act out the mother-daughter drama here. If Sebastian doesn’t hand over the item when he sees your heart, then you and your mother will soon meet underground."
Just then, Luke burst in with his men.
"There’s a drone outside, we’ve been exposed!"
Dylan Paxton’s expression changed dramatically.
"Who? Who leaked the location?!"
However, no one answered.
Elias Langley had his hands behind his back, leisurely fiddling with his fingers.
He had sent out the coordinates six hours ago, and these people arrived quite late.
Juliana laughed immediately.
"You dream of taking my dad’s chip design data abroad to continue living lavishly? Dream on. The USB was already in your hands, and you destroyed it yourself."
"What did you say?" Dylan Paxton stared at her intently.
Juliana feared he misunderstood, so she said clearly word by word, "The car key you threw into the fireplace contained the USB you’ve been seeking for years. That ’bang’ sound was telling you, it’s gone."
Elias Langley allowed a barely perceivable smile to curve at the corner of his lips.
Her sharp demeanor even in utter despair made his heart burn.
"That... that thing was supposed to be my son’s, what right does your father have to claim it!"
Dylan Paxton’s body swayed, and nosebleed flowed out.
His secretary hurriedly supported him.
"You must stay steady, Ms. Iris Paxton still needs you!"
Dylan Paxton wiped the blood, raspingly saying to Luke, "Help me get out of here, and the several boxes of gold I brought are yours!"
Luke grinned, "Deal!"
Outside, the shrill sound of police sirens approached, surrounding the sanatorium.
Luke’s men positioned outside resisted stubbornly, prompting Elias Langley to ask Dylan Paxton for orders to go reinforce them.
Dylan Paxton nodded.
As Elias Langley passed by Juliana, he didn’t stop, only murmuring in a very low voice, "Hold on until I’m back."
Juliana’s eyes turned sharp as she supported Mrs. Sinclair, who had been thrown off the operating table.
In such a situation, Iris Paxton’s surgery had to be halted.
Gunfire erupted, and fierce crossfire engulfed both inside and outside.
Suddenly, a loud "boom" sounded.
A loyal subordinate stumbled in, urgently telling Dylan Paxton, "Elias Langley has turned traitor! He let the SWAT team in!"
The wrinkles on Dylan Paxton’s face twitched in unison.
The subordinate said, "My brothers and I can’t hold out for long, you better seize a chance to leave here."
Having said that, he charged out again.
Dylan Paxton looked around and realized the situation was lost.
His gaze hardened as he instructed his secretary, "Feed them the prepared drug, let them go down first to pave the way for me!"
The secretary quickly brought over two cups of liquid.
Dylan Paxton pointed at Juliana and Mrs. Sinclair and commanded, "Make them drink it!"
"No, let me drink it, all for me!"
Mrs. Sinclair struggled but failed.
The liquid was forced into the mouths of both mother and daughter.
"No..."
Mrs. Sinclair embraced Juliana, aching with heartache.
Juliana fiercely guarded her abdomen.
Ultimately, she hadn’t escaped this calamity.