Chapter 541

It had been four days since she had elapsed. Winnie's bleeding had stopped, and the pain in her lower back subsided.

Suspecting the abnormality was due to hormonal imbalance rather than her regular cycle, she switched to a different hospital for tailored herbal treatments.

Upon leaving, she was contacted by the hospital's legal department, informing her that the anesthesiologist who administered the general anesthesia had been identified.

With a piercing gaze, Winnie harbored doubts about this outcome. 'Could the hospital, under pressure, have scapegoated someone to close the case?'

Bringing Sidney along, she went to meet the anesthesiologist, a middle-aged man with a forgettable face. She couldn't recollect whether, a few days prior, this man's face was the same as the one before she was swiftly sedated into unconsciousness.

Though the issue seemed resolved on the surface, it left Winnie with a nagging thorn in her heart. "Mommy, is this the hospital where you had your gastroscopy that day? Didn't they check you properly?"

"Mhm, there was a bit of a medical mishap," Winnie replied, holding her son close as they sat beneath the shaded walkway of the hospital garden.

Suddenly, she remembered that dream about Oscar.

Winnie got to her feet at once, taking her son by the hand, and whispered, "Sidney, shall we try to find someone at the hospital?"

"Who are we looking for?"

"Oscar."

Sidney froze as if turned to stone, his eyes beginning to moisten. "You think Oscar is here? Mommy, why do you feel that way?"

"I don't have a clue. It was just a dream I had that day. But let's try our luck, okay? If you have a connection with Oscar, you can sense his presence here."

"Then, let's hurry!"

Oscar had been missing for a month, and Sidney missed him terribly, secretly praying for his safety every day.

He knew his mother and father was trying to figure things out, waiting for the right moment to get rid of Ishara, but, he didn't want to miss any chance.

The mother and son duo searched the hospital floors, clinging to a faint hope. Some private rooms were off-limits to strangers.

After searching through every room, Winnie faced the same outcome as before. She bent down to hug her son, her heart aching. "Do you feel anything? It doesn't seem like Oscar is here. If he were, he would've felt me and definitely cried out for help."

Sidney, feeling dejected, touched his chest, his heartbeat steady.

Winnie left the hospital with him in disappointment.

As they stepped out of the building, a pair of dark, sorrowful eyes simultaneously looked down from a securely guarded window.

The child was trapped in a hospital room, encircled by layers of bodyguards outside-he couldn't escape.

Oscar intentionally hid his presence. He had decided to stop running after witnessing his mother on the surgery table that day, unsure of what Leo and Ishara had done to her.

He chose to stay and figure it all out; he couldn't risk his mom's safety. Ultimately, he would burn his bridges if needed.

A week later, Manager Nelson had settled all the asset formalities for Triton Jewelry in Lymington.

Winnie, working out of a temporary office in Trento City, had completed leasing and preparations for their new locale. The physical address of Triton Jewelry officially moved to downtown Trento City.

Following a major corporate reshuffle months earlier, Winnie became the sole major shareholder of Triton, with no dissent from any shareholders.

"I've persuaded over a hundred key veteran employees for you, Ms. Winnie. They'll be arriving in Trento City to start work in just a few days. Triton Jewelry. opening its market in Trento City is just around the corner."

"Winnie, you've got to score the Harrington Group as your company's first client," demanded her trusted advisor. "Let's do a big marketing blitz, making sure our jewelry becomes the talk of the Trento City elite. Then, we'll see how the sales figures look."

Rock had also shown up, eager to join the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Triton. The meeting that followed was long and filled with vibrant discussion. The entire floor of the office building was bustling all morning.

At noon, Winnie treated her staff and executives to a lavish luncheon at a renowned restaurant. During the meal, they all urged her to have a drink in celebration.

Winnie picked up her glass, but Olivia instantly stepped in, deflecting the alcohol on her behalf. "Ms. Winnie, as the top decision-maker here, can't be sidetracked by mere spirits. Your boss's each minute is worth tens of thousands. Here, I'll drink with the rest of you-no going home until we're all thoroughly toasted!" she declared, pushing Winnie back into her seat with boisterous camaraderie.

Winnie was speechless. She didn't understand why Olivia didn't want her to drink.

Just then, her cell phone rang. With no time to question further, Winnie glanced at the caller ID, her expression darkening subtly before she ducked into a quiet corner to answer.

"Winnie, I can't stay with the Blanchet family any longer-I was handed my termination today by Patrick himself! He's finally taken a swing at me, but thanks to your foresight in having me plant informants within the ordinary departments, I was prepared. I'm so sorry to disappoint you, Boss."

Winnie's heart raced, her grip tightening on the phone. "Are there still any of my father's loyalists left in the company?"

"None. All of your father's loyalists, myself included, have been ousted by Patrick on various pretexts. He's a wolf in sheep's clothing, and in just two weeks, he's managed to sway the shareholders to his side. Your predictions were right-the Blanchets' control now lies solely in Patrick's hands. The financial reins are held by Eleanor's brother, Thomas! Those two conspiring adulterers are clearing the field to reshuffle the company's deck.

"The business world is reeling from the shock of Patrick's cunning; they're saying that the man with paralysis hid his depths well. If Patrick gradually grooms Ishara and sweet-talks Paul, then the Blanchets will no longer recognize you or your father's influence. After a lifetime of struggle, this is how it will end."

Winnie closed her eyes briefly. "How about Ishara? How's she doing at Blanchet Inc.?"

Her assistant hesitated. "Well, she hasn't been coming to work diligently for the past few days. I've heard she's sick and resting at home. You'd think that even if she was ill, Patrick would have her come in and negotiate some deals to showcase her talents."

Winnie frowned. She didn't buy the sickness story; Ishara had feigned illness before, and for all she knew, she was perfectly healthy. Winnie wondered what she was hiding at home.

Her assistant snapped her out of her thoughts. "Winnie, if you don't step in soon, Patrick is going to have free rein over the company."

"I understand," Winnie replied, her voice firm. It was time to make a move on Patrick. She had spread the rumor that her father might wake up within a month, but she was certain that Patrick would try something against her father before then. She needed to acquire strands of Ishara and Patrick's hair before making her next move.

Another weekend, Winnie is staying late at work. Olivia found her downstairs. "Melissa's transplant surgery is the day after tomorrow, you know that, right?"

Winnie nodded softly, taken aback. She had kept track of the date.

Olivia, gazing into her clear eyes, frowned. "But Lawrence hasn't come back! He wouldn't miss his mother's spinal transplant surgery. Do you think something happened to him in Africa?"

Winnie's heart skipped a beat. Lawrence had been abroad for a full two weeks without a word. Alarm bells rang in her head.