Chapter 521

Winnie nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. "If we manage to get a hair sample from Ishara and Patrick, we'll be able to bring the truth to light. That strategy could also be applied to Patrick and Eleanor by disclosing the matter to the shareholders. If Ishara isn't his biological daughter, she won't inherit the Blanchet family wealth, and my father's company could be regained. But that would mean revealing my father's scandal. He has always believed Ishara is his legitimate daughter. Also, I need to consider the Blanchet family's reputation and how much Patricia Paul can endure. With dad in a coma, I have no idea if he would approve of my actions."

Olivia understood. "That's the nuclear option. You can't seek revenge now, but you certainly can dig into Ishara's past."

Winnie gave a slow nod. She would do it one step at a time. Taking down Ishara was her only chance to save Oscar.

"Right." Olivia suddenly remembered something. "Laura messaged me a few days ago. Darcy just disappeared. Ray searched the hospital for a long time and couldn't find her."

Meanwhile, in the car, Jeremy brought up the topic with Lawrence. "Ray called me and said Darcy just up and left the hospital, vanished without a trace."

"When did this happen?" Lawrence frowned.

"Just in the past couple of days. Ray has people combing through Lymington, but there is no sign of her."

"What about the cops assigned to watch her?"

Jeremy felt uneasy. "I asked. They were out for a meal, probably tricked by Darcy. Do you think she might have gone back to Trento City?"

There was nothing for Darcy in Trento City. The Ordelia family has fallen.

This uncertainty didn't sit well with Lawrence. He didn't need additional complications, "Go check her place. See if she's returned home."

"Got it."

Jeremy texted his informants and, starting the car, shifted the topic. "Bryan said you told him to give Rock some trouble. It looks like Winnie didn't take your land offer?"

Lawrence's tone was cool. "Even if she refuses my property, she won't be able to move in with Rock either."

Jeremy gave a thumbs-up. "Did you ask her about Melissa's condition? What's going on with her spine?"

"I didn't get the chance."

Winnie cut him off before he could say more.

Besides, he wasn't sure whether he should reveal the disturbing fact he had uncovered about her medication being toxic for the past three years.

However, Lawrence. had already called Dr. Moore.

Dr. Moore informed him that Winnie suspected someone had injected something into his mother's spine.

"You're saying Winnie suggested to you that my mother's spine had been tampered with the night she was kidnapped?" he asked.

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah, I don't think Winnie would lie to me about something like this."

A coldness swept through Lawrence's gaze. There might be a link between his mother's leukemia and her spine being compromised. It had to be either Darcy or Ishara.

Ishara had been present on the night of the abduction. Otherwise, there was no way that Oscar could have ended up in her possession.

A shiver ran down his spine as a thought struck him. It was almost an impossible coincidence that Ishara's blood type and spinal marrow matched his mother's precisely.

His eyes darkened at the thought.

'What if this was all a premeditated scheme? What if my mother's leukemia was a result of misdirected research by Dr. Moore, and it had nothing to do with Winnie's medication?'

His heart clenched in realization.

Maybe he had been led astray from the start, wrongly blaming Winnie.

This meant Ishara deserved the harshest punishment.

She should make amends to his mother, and ensure her recovery. After that, he would make sure she faced the most severe consequences.

Jeremy noticed the turmoil in Lawrence's eyes. "Mr. Rodriguez, are you starting to think there's something fishy about Melissa's illness too? What's going on?"

"I'm not sure yet."

Lawrence. felt a sharp pain in his heart. If all this was Ishara's plot, he and Winnie had been chasing ghosts.

That damned Dr. Moore.

He immediately texted Dr. Moore, "Reanalyze the pills you've been giving my mother for the past three years. Are you absolutely certain there's no chemical toxin that could cause leukemia?"

His fingers pressed hard on the screen as he put away his phone. Winnie's face-unburdened by guilt-flashed across his mind.

Maybe she had never harmed his mother, whether intentionally or accidentally. All she had ever shown was endless kindness and respect.

Regret and agitation reddened his eyes.

"Mr. Rodriguez... Mr. Rodriguez! Your phone is ringing," Jeremy alerted him.

Lawrence cast his gaze downward, the brooding on his face dissolving, as he pinched the bridge of his nose and answered his phone. "Bryan."

Jeremy glanced at the rearview mirror briefly. In just an instant, the somber look returned to Lawrence's face. "Rock's been released in less than an hour? Who pulled strings for him? You can't find out?"

Jeremy pulled the car over to the side of the road without a word.

Lawrence's expression turned frosty, "That failed construction project Rock bought used to belong to a property venture under the Rodriguez Group. Who could possibly have Rock's back? Mars or Hellen, are there any other contenders?"

On the other end of the call, Bryan's voice carried a hint of distress. "Mr. Ivan, I've checked everything. Lately, Rock hasn't met with Mars or Hellen, or any of their emissaries. Whoever is backing Rock up remains a mystery. But it's clear, this person has been consistently aiding Rock."

Lawrence remained stoic.

His acute senses told him that whoever was propping up Rock was likely targeting him. However, he couldn't think of anyone else. Yet, there was something that baffled him.

For years, Mars had covertly funneled incalculable funds into the Peterson Group through their alliance with the Rodriguez dynasty.

The Peterson Group, once a low-tier business in Trento City and the Peterson family without any significant figures, had no reason to receive such support.

Yet, Mars allied with Hellen to elevate the Peterson Group.

The two were merely cousins. Such closeness didn't add up.

It seemed that he needed to head back home and have a long talk with Bob.

"Jeremy, take me back to the Rodriguez family estate in Camellia Mount."

Jeremy frowned. "Mr. Rodriguez, what's wrong?"

"Somebody's assisting Rock, probably to target me." Lawrence considered for a moment. "But my gut tells me this person has some connection to Mars."

"The Rodriguez empire has been going through rough waters too." Jeremy sighed. "You're facing trials both inside and out."

In the detached guesthouse at the back of the Blanchet residence, Eleanor sat on Patrick's lap, drenched in sweat. She had a face of contentment as she slowly got dressed.

Patrick stood, wrapping his arms around her, his gaze softening as he peppered her with kisses.

"Easy there, Patrick, I'm beat," she protested gently.

"At last, no more sneaking around," he declared triumphantly.

A hint of coldness flickered in Patrick's eyes, adding a softer edge to his handsome features.

Compared to someone like Carlos, Patrick was no less attractive, but he lacked that rugged charm and Carlos' polished grace.

He was often somber, and living with a disability seemed to darken his outlook.

Eleanor calculated her next words in her mind, maintaining a gentle expression, "Patrick, now the Blanchet Group is ours. Thank you for everything you've done for our daughter."

When she brought this up, Patrick hinted heavily, "Eleanor, we've loved each other for so many years, now I'm at the helm of the Blanchet Group. Ishara has become the heiress. She's the apple of my eye. When will you tell her I'm her biological father?"

Eleanor's face shifted subtly at the mention.