?Chapter 1651:


    Inside the car, Christina rested her head against Hurley. He repeatedly asked if she felt any better, his concern steadily tipping toward panic. A mix of remorse and tenderness weighed on her as her thoughts circled back to everything that had happened with the Wade family.


    Her own family had weed the Wades with sincere goodwill, and her father, more than anyone, had dropped all his defenses. Yet the Wades’ behavior made it unmistakably clear their kindness wasrgely an act. She had long known the Joneses and Wades were closely linked — that her father and Zahir had once sworn brotherhood. What she had never understood was why. Such bonds between men usually formed around a defining event.


    Just as she was about to question her father, she noticed him pulling a cup from beside him. The color matched one she had seen in his office, but the marking was unfamiliar. Her attention sharpened immediately, eyes fixing on the container.


    “Dad, why are you carrying a cup everywhere?” she said lightly, smiling as she probed.


    “I’m used to it now,” Hurley replied with a rxed smile.


    “Oh,” Christina said, tilting her head yfully. “So what is it — some kind of wellness drink?”


    “Sharp as ever. You got it right,” Hurley said, his generosity spilling out without restraint. “What do you want as a reward? Name it and I’ll buy it for you.” The simple thought of giving his daughter a gift filled him with unfiltered joy. The idea delighted him so much that he wished he could ce every treasure in the world into her hands.


    “I don’t believe you suddenly turned this health-conscious,” Christina said yfully. “Let me check.” Like a mischievous child, she reached out for the cup.


    Hurleyughed and passed it over. “Here. Still doubtful?”


    He assumed she was only teasing him about his habits,pletely unaware that a slow poison already lingered inside him. Christina leaned in and took a careful, discreet sniff. At once, she lifted her head with a bright grin. “Wow, Dad — you really are serious about this health stuff. Looks like I guessed right!”


    Seeing her so delighted, Hurley’s face broke into an equally broad smile. “So, what do you want? Just name it. Even if it’s a ne or a yacht, I’ll get it for you.”


    Christina reced the lid, slipped her arm through his, and smiled. “I don’t want any of that.”


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    “Then what do you want?” Hurley asked. As long as it was something his daughter desired, he would move heaven and earth to provide it.


    “I want everyone to stay safe and healthy,” Christina said earnestly. “And I want you to stay with me a little longer. Just a little longer.”


    Emotion flooded Hurley’s chest, and the tears he had been holding back broke free. She wanted nothing for herself — only her family’s well-being and a little more time together. His eyes reddened as he kept wiping at them. “Ah… how did an eysh end up in my eye?” he said, his voice thick. He was inly overwhelmed, yet stubbornly refused to admit it.


    Christina didn’t call him out. She tightened her hold on his arm and smoothly shifted the subject. “Dad, if you’re that serious about staying healthy, do you keep this cup with you all the time?”


    What she truly wanted to know was whether anyone else had handled it — but with the driver present, she couldn’t ask openly. Even though the driver was Etta’s son, she treated him with the same caution as anyone else. In her mind, every person under the Jones name was a possible risk, even those who seemed entirely trustworthy.


    “No,” Hurley answered inly. “I usually leave this one in the car. The cup I use at work stays in my office.”


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