Lauren


    POV


    It was nearly impossible for a miser like Cayce to give our money back. I asked, "Cayce, what are you up to? The minute I gave you that five million dors, the cooperation between our hospital and you is done."


    "I know, I know," Cayce was afraid that I might hang up on him and spoke faster, "I didn''t get the money by honest means and I should give it back to you, Miss nco. And please forgive me for being so rude to you that day." I was utterly confused. Cayce sounded like he wasn''t that person who bossed us around that day and now he was acting very modest. I asked bluntly, "Cayce, just tell me what you want. I don''t have time for this."


    "I shouldn''t have done such a despicable thing to Miss M and I shouldn''t have forced her to give up her position by using the rumor of her and the duke. Now I only wanna apologize and give you your money back. As for the cooperation, you can still end it if you like," Cayce was practically begging her, "Miss nco, I''m terribly sorry for what I''ve done. Can you please spare our lives?" "Spare your lives?" I still didn''t know what he meant.


    "I know I offended you, and ever since that day, all the resources of ourpany have been cut off. I''ve talked to every one of our cooperative partners and they told me I pissed off someone I can''t afford to offend," Cayce said regretfully but he was probably just regretting all the money he lost, "Miss nco, I''m sorry for what I''ve done that day and please forgive me for old time''s sake. I can apologize to you in person!"


    Cayce could get off his high horse and stoop so low for money.


    "For old time''s sake?" I snorted, "that day when you asked M to give you the default fine, you didn''t let it slide for old time''s sake."


    I could still see the condescending look on his face in my head and since he made this call, I would definitely take back what I and M deserved. I wasn''t that innocent and kind.


    Cayce felt even more regretful and I could feel how restless and embarrassed he was right now on the other end of the line. He said, "It''s all my fault, and that five million dors wasn''t default money. It''s all just a misunderstanding, Miss nco!" What a cunning businessman.


    "If Miss M is still down for cooperation, we''re willing to double our investment this year! And I''ll still ask for the same interests... No, it can go lower!"


    I wondered what Victor had done to make Cayce so terrified.


    As I was pondering, Cayce thought I was still mad. He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Miss nco, I know I shouldn''t have offended you but I only did this because I was fooled by someone else. You know, I''m a nobody in the territory of the Fullmoon Tribe."


    In the territory of the Fullmoon Tribe...


    He was indicating who was pulling the strings.


    And I wasn''t surprised to hear that at all. At the moment, Manuel hated my guts, and L and Janice would definitely attack me even more fiercely. They even got M involved in this.


    But they didn''t expect that I wasn''t on my own and I wasn''t that weak and vulnerable.


    Cayce paused for a while and continued, "We didn''t give Miss M a hard time on purpose. They wanted you to get yourself involved in this and leave the hospital. Miss Lauren, there''s nothing more I can say about this. Can you please forgive us?" They were targeting me.


    But M didn''t say anything about this. No wonder I felt like she was hiding something from me that day. Those cooperative partners were putting pressure on her and they used this method since M didn''t agree to do this. That was why she had been avoiding me these days. She was trying to handle this secretly.


    I instantly felt outrageous and wanted to question L and Janice right now. But I knew anger couldn''t solve anything. I had to force myself to calm down and quickly kept it together. I said, "Of course, I can forgive you but before that, you must handle the rumor about M and that duke. Didn''t you say that this has ruined the hospital''s reputation? Then it''s your job to rify this rumor. I''ll forgive you when you take care of this."


    "Miss nco..." Cayce seemed pretty torn and there was something bothering him.


    "You seem torn."


    "I''m a nobody in the Fullmoon Tribe..."


    In another word, he didn''t want to offend any aristocrats.


    I didn''t say anything to push him. I just took the watering pot and started watering the flowers in the garden. But then someone took my hand and said, "Lauren, you''ve just watered those flowers. This is the second time already." "Victor?" neither Be nor I noticed Victor was here, "when did youe?"


    "Right after you picked up your phone," Victor nodded at me and asked, "do you need my help?"


    "Vic...Victor..." Cayce was stunned on the other end of the line.


    "Did you just say Victor, Miss nco? That Alpha Victor?" Cayce''s trembling voice sounded.


    He might not believe me and thought I was just bragging or I identally knew someone with the same name. After all, that was alpha Victor I was talking about. But when he thought about it for a while, he seemed to suddenly realize alpha Victor was the only one who was capable to do all this and order those bodyguards to pour coins into his office.


    "So he''s the one who''s behind all this..."


    Cayce was shocked.


    "You''re still on the phone?" Victor said casually but I could hear Cayce breathing sharply.


    Cayce instantly said, "I understand. That has nothing to do with Miss M indeed and I''ll help her rify the rumor and tell everyone who that duke''s mistress really is."


    "Okay. Just send the check to M''s office. Also, I don''t want anyone else to know about something they shouldn''t know."


    Something like Victor being involved in this.


    Cayce was smart enough to get what I meant, "I know. I only called to apologize to you today."


    Hearing the correct answer, I hung up the phone. Talking to a person like Cayce was much more exhausting than operating a surgery.


    Seeing that I was tired, Victor said, "If you don''t wanna deal with him, you can just tell Richard to do that and he''ll get the same result. You don''t need to waste any energy on someone like him."


    I couldn''t help butugh, "Alpha Victor, he''s your beta, not your secretary!"


    "He seems d to deal with this," Victor said indifferently.


    Huh?


    Was it because this had something to do with M? Was there something going on between them?


    But it looked like Victor was just making a joke and he didn''t seem to know what was going on. He wasn''t very interested in what kind of rtionship Richard and M were in because the next second, he looked at me, grinning, "Looks like I won the bet, right?" -- "Will you give me an award if they give the money back?"


    I suddenly remembered what Victor had said a couple of days ago.


    My cheeks turned a bit hot.


    "Can you give me the award now, Lauren?" Victor looked me in the eye fondly.


    I didn''t want to be in a passive position constantly so I grabbed his tie and leaned over. As he was staring at me expectantly, I stopped getting closer and didn''t kiss him, "They gave me a check, not coins. So it isn''t ''not a penny less"""


    Victor''s face distorted a little and I had never seen this look on his face.


    I was kind of thrilled because I just teased him a little.


    "I''ll tell Richard to inform them."


    I believed he was being serious and said, "Don''t give them a hard time."


    "Well?" Victor looked up at me.


    "I''ll keep my promise after I get back from M''s, alpha Victor."


    What a childish alpha! I thought to myself.


    "The award you want."