Chapter 270: Is This the Person You’re Looking For?

Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Is This the Person You’re Looking For?

"Jared Hawthorne," Chadwick Whitman said calmly. "Your older brother spends his years on The Exchange; he must have dealt with him."

"It’s really him?!"

Kyle Lockwood froze, his face filled with shock.

He had heard his brother mention Jared Hawthorne countless times.

A legendary titan of capital on The Exchange. His vision was ruthlessly prescient, his strategies had never failed, and his methods were decisive, swift, and fierce. He was a legend in the international financial world whom no one could touch, and the only titan his own brother truly respected and considered an equal.

Three years ago at a financial summit in New York, he had caught a glimpse of the man from afar and was shaken by his noble, cold, and commanding presence. He seemed like an unreachable figure, high above the mortal world.

Who could have imagined that this unparalleled king of capital was his good friend’s brother-in-law!

Chadwick Whitman stubbed out his cigarette, the message to leave loud and clear.

"If there’s nothing else, head back. I still have to review the plans for the banquet in two days."

This was his sister’s debut party, after all. He needed to handle every detail personally.

"I came to see you the moment I landed, and this is what I get? You’re kicking me out?" Kyle Lockwood feigned heartbreak, a cheeky grin on his face. "It’s been a while since I’ve seen Mr. Whitman and Miss Rhodes. I’ll crash at your place for dinner tonight and say hello to them."

"My parents don’t have time to entertain you."

Chadwick Whitman stood up and started walking out, and Kyle Lockwood quickly hurried to follow.

"So, now that you have a sister and brother-in-law, our friendship is worthless, huh? You never said a single word of protest when I used to come over and freeload dinner all the time!"

Chadwick Whitman paused his steps and glanced at him sideways. "I think you have an ulterior motive."

"I’m a perfectly respectable guy. What ulterior motive could I possibly have?" Kyle Lockwood laughed candidly. "I just want to meet your sister and give her a welcome gift."

"There’s no need. I’m the one who will spoil my sister." Chadwick Whitman changed the subject. "How has Lockwood been lately?"

Kyle Lockwood sighed in frustration. "The same as always. I came back this time, and she doesn’t seem to be doing well."

She has chronic insomnia, and after taking medication for so long, she’s developed a tolerance. Regular sedatives don’t work on her anymore!

It’s a chronic condition she’s had for decades. Top experts and senior hypnotherapists from Veridia and abroad have all seen her, but they can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Now, she sleeps a maximum of four to six hours a day. She can barely eat or sleep, her temper is terrible, and she’s getting thinner by the day.

At eighty years old, she’s already wasted away to skin and bones.

Kyle and Asher’s parents died young. Kyle was only six, and Asher was ten. The extended branches of the Lockwood Family were eyeing The Lockwood Group’s assets like vultures. It was the elderly Mrs. Forrester who personally stepped in and single-handedly raised the two brothers.

That’s why both brothers are so devoted to The Mrs. Lockwood; their bond with her is exceptionally deep.

Chadwick Whitman’s gaze sharpened slightly. He said thoughtfully, "Perhaps someone can cure her."

Kyle Lockwood looked up in an instant, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Who? Some reclusive medical genius?"

"Not some reclusive master."

"Don’t keep me hanging!" Kyle Lockwood was frantic. "If there’s even a shred of hope, we have to try it! If you can cure her, the Lockwood Family will owe you a massive favor!"

"I’ll ask her for you first, to see if she’s confident she can help. Wait for news from me."

He knew Vesper Grayson’s medical skills were extraordinary, but he wasn’t sure if she could overcome such a deep-rooted, chronic case of insomnia. He didn’t make a promise lightly, not wanting to get Kyle Lockwood’s hopes up for nothing.

...

In the villa’s bedroom.

After airing out the smell of smoke downstairs and finishing an international work call, Jared Hawthorne pushed open the door and entered the bedroom.

Vesper Grayson was sitting quietly on the sofa, a thick stack of asset documents spread on her lap, looking down and flipping through them carefully.

On the bed nearby, a brand-new couture gown, a matching jewelry set, and exquisite high heels were laid out neatly.

With her head bowed, she looked gentle and serene. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulder, obscuring half of her delicate profile, her features soft and docile.

"Did the gown fit?"

Jared Hawthorne slowly walked to her side and sat down.

"Mhm." Vesper Grayson nestled into his embrace and looked up at him. "My parents just gave me a ton of assets."

Jared Hawthorne’s gaze swept over the documents on the table; he understood completely.

"They want to make up for what they owe you all these years."

"I know, but it’s just too much," Vesper Grayson sighed softly. "Thirty percent of the Whitman Group’s shares, plus all that real estate and those businesses... it must add up to tens of billions."

She had once started from nothing, fighting tooth and nail to build a net worth in the tens of millions. Back then, she thought she’d reached her personal wealth ceiling—enough for financial freedom, enough to live without constraints.

But now, standing among the true upper echelon, she realized her former self had been living in a tiny bubble, her perspective far too narrow.

Jared Hawthorne looked down at the person in his arms, his voice deep and gentle, with a hint of a lazy smile.

"Mrs. Hawthorne needn’t feel burdened. To the Whitman Family, a fortune of this size is merely a drop in the bucket."

"Honestly, it feels so surreal," Vesper Grayson said, leaning against his chest. "I’m actually a bona fide rich woman now!"

Jared Hawthorne’s fingertips gently stroked the top of her head, his thin lips curving into a low, teasing laugh. "If I ever make a bad investment and go bankrupt, I’ll have to rely on Mrs. Hawthorne to support me."

Vesper Grayson snorted lightly. "I’d sooner believe the world was ending than believe Mr. Hawthorne could ever go bankrupt."

"You have that much faith in me?"

"Of course." She lifted her fair face, her eyes filled with pride. "You’re the man Vesper Grayson chose, after all."

Her proud, feisty expression was inexplicably cute to him. His heart stirred, and he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Mrs. Hawthorne has impeccable taste. I believe it."

"Where are we going tomorrow?"

She had been full of energy lately. Today was a rare day of rest at home, and already she was getting restless again.

"Where do you want to go?"

"I asked Dad for one of his pharmaceutical factories. I want to go take a look, and I was also thinking about acquiring a medicinal plant cultivation center..."

She explained her idea.

This way, she could make money, benefit society, and not let her medical skills go to waste.

She wouldn’t even have to be based in Veridia permanently. The factory personnel could follow the detailed formulas she provided, with production compartmentalized. Each team would be responsible for only one step of the process, and a strict isolation protocol would prevent the full formula from ever being leaked.

Even if someone leaked their part, they couldn’t piece together the whole formula.

"It’s a good idea. But if you do that, won’t you have even less time for me?"

’What am I going to do? I kind of don’t want my wife spending her time on anything other than me.’

"I can do the research at home! While you’re at work during the day, it’ll be a way for me to pass the time."

The baby is due in five or six months. After that, she’ll have her postpartum recovery period and need to look after the child. She’ll be at home for a long time to come.

’With Gwen holding down the fort at Grayson Corporation, I don’t really have to go back. That would give me more time to focus on my own career!’

’Before, when I didn’t know I wasn’t Milton Grayson’s biological daughter, I could accept things from him with a clear conscience. But it’s different now. I can accept his kindness, but I can’t accept ownership in Grayson Corporation.’

’That all belongs to Gwen and Jonathan.’

"Alright. When we get back, I’ll have someone convert a bedroom into a dedicated lab for you."

"Okay! Then I’ll market the products domestically and internationally and build a global brand."

Jared Hawthorne raised his eyebrows. "Done. Whatever Mrs. Hawthorne does, I’ll support it!"

...

After Roya Winters was arrested, she contacted Zane Rivers, but unfortunately, she didn’t get to see him.

For years, she had been a consummate socialite, but the one she truly loved was Zane Rivers. Unfortunately, she simply didn’t have what it took to capture his heart.

She had even offered herself to him, but he had never touched her.

But this only made Roya Winters fall more hopelessly in love with him.

She never expected Zane Rivers to be so heartless as to refuse to even see her once.

’Then again, how could a golden boy like him ever fall for a mere actress like me?’

’In the end, it was just my own wild, foolish fantasy.’

’The worst decision I ever made was getting involved with Terrence Lloyd. I ruined myself and lost everything!’

The day before her court hearing, someone came to visit her.

Thinking Zane Rivers had finally come around, she quickly tried to fix her messy hair and clothes.

But when she saw the person standing before her, it was Yvonne Lowell!

"Why is it you? Are you here to gloat?" she asked, looking at her coldly.

"I’m in no mood to laugh at you. I just want to ask you, sending me to Khemara, was that your idea, or did Terrence Lloyd suggest it?"

"Of course it was me. He was just following my orders!" Roya Winters sneered. "You sure are lucky. Someone actually saved you and brought you back."

’Yvonne Lowell was obviously inferior to me in every way. She wasn’t as famous. Yet somehow, she was the one who made it, and now her career is thriving while mine is over.’

’Why?!’

’I can’t accept this!’

’But now I’ve killed someone, I’m pregnant, my reputation is ruined, and I’ve lost everything.’

’There’s no getting out of this. There’s no starting over!’

"You hated me that much, held such hostility toward me, all over something so small?"

"Small thing?" Roya Winters grew agitated. "To make it in the entertainment industry, you have to fight and claw for every single opportunity. You were my rival. You stole an endorsement deal that should have been mine. Shouldn’t I hate you for that?"

"But that wasn’t something I could decide. We are just ordinary people; the decision-making power is in the hands of capital. I just feel that for you to target me and ruin yourself over such a small thing, it wasn’t worth it!"

"Don’t you dare lecture me. It’s easy to talk big when you’re the winner. Just you wait. Someday, someone will take away everything you cherish. Then you’ll know how I feel."

Yvonne Lowell looked at her calmly, a hint of pity in her eyes. "Do you know why you’ve ended up like this?"

"It’s because you’re pathologically greedy. You always covet things that aren’t yours—including men!"

"And you never realized that what you already possessed was something others could only dream of."

Yvonne Lowell stood up and left.

Roya Winters sat frozen in place. Suddenly, her shoulders began to tremble slightly, tears streamed down her cheeks, but her lips were pulled into a curve that was half-smile, half-sob.

From the moment she entered the industry, everyone had warned her how brutal and fickle showbiz was. If she wanted to make it big, she had to fight for every opportunity. If she slacked off for even a moment, an endless stream of new faces would take her place. Rarely did anyone ever mention that in this world of fleeting fame, true happiness is found in contentment.

...

"Miss Forrester, what a surprise to hear from you." Summer looked around hopefully and asked, "Is Nolan back?"

’I knew it,’ she thought. ’How could Nolan give up the Forrester family fortune for that bitch, Shiloh Sloan?’

’He poured his heart and soul into the company. How could he just give it all up?’

Mrs. Forrester looked up at her, her gaze piercing.

Summer flinched.

"Miss Forrester, what’s wrong?"

’Why does Miss Forrester seem so strange today?’ she wondered. ’The way she’s looking at me... her usual warmth is gone.’

"I asked you here because there’s something I want to ask you."

Summer felt a sense of unease. "What is it?"

"Sit down first."

After she sat, a housekeeper poured a cup of tea and withdrew.

In an instant, only the two of them were left in the entire living room.

Summer had just raised the teacup to her lips when she heard Mrs. Forrester’s quiet voice.

"Summer, the people who broke into Whispering Breeze Lodge and hurt Nolan... did you hire them?"