Alyssa narrowed her eyes, her gaze cold.


    The man before her often disguised his vile and vicious nature beneath a fragile exterior. Justin was everything Jasper wasn''t—where Jasper was honest, strong, and serious, Justin exuded a chilling, sinister energy. He was like a snake in human form, cold and cunning.


    "Lyse, don''t listen to his nonsense," Ss said bluntly. "He''s just trying to unsettle you, luring you in with lies."


    Stepping forward, Ss positioned himself between Alyssa and Justin, confronting thetter. "Are you some gue or sewer pest? Why are you always around? You''re not wee here. Get out of Lyse''s sight right now!"


    "Ss," Alyssa murmured, gently tugging at his shirt as she shook her head.


    Then, turning her emotionless gaze toward Justin, she said, "Mr. Beckett, you im you can treat my father''s condition. Care to borate?"


    Justin pressed a clean white silk handkerchief to his mouth and nose, releasing a couple of dull coughs and furrowing his brows.


    Ss scoffed. "You''re a sick man yourself. How ridiculous of you to im you can treat someone else."


    Justin ignored the jab. Instead, he turned to Abel with aposed smile. "Dr. Liverton, I''ll have one of my subordinates deliver a box of stroke-suppressing medication shortly."


    The moment the Taylor siblings heard there was medication involved, they stiffened. rm bells rang in their heads.


    "Ms. Alyssa, I understand yourck of trust," Justin said, his voice thick with sincerity. "But I truly want to help Mr. Winston ovee this hurdle."


    His gaze hardened. "Once the medication arrives, feel free to run tests on it with Dr. Liverton and Dr. Lovce, the physician you trust most.


    "If the medicine proves poisonous, call the police. But if it''s safe, I ask you to bury the hatchet, let the past go, and ept my offer-prioritize your father''s condition."


    Jonah watched Alyssa closely as her face turned pale. He wanted to speak but held back. It was as though all his resentment and hatred had dimmed in the shadow of Winston''s condition.


    Soon, the medication Justin promised was delivered to the hospital.


    Alyssa donned herb coat and face mask. Alongside Abel and two biomedical researchers, she entered theb to analyze the medicine.


    Three hourster, she emerged, exhausted and dragging her feet. She removed her mask, revealing a conflicted expression.


    "How did it go, Lyse?"


    Both Jonah and Ss rushed to her, awaiting the results.


    Alyssa pressed her lips together, lost


    int. Then, in a quiene


    e said, "It''s just regr medication. Nothing''s


    with it."


    swet


    "What?" Jonah and Ss eximed in unison.


    It was good news, but they still found it hard to believe Justin hadn''t pulled any tricks.


    Ss scratched his head. "There''s no such thing as a free lunch. Can we really trust this to be gratis?"


    Jonah gave him a sidelong nce. "ept it if you want, but Lyse and I aren''t convinced."


    Ss had no response.


    "Even though it isn''t toxic and could benefit Dad greatly," Alyssa said with a heavy tone, "Dr. Liverton warned that potential side effects are unpredictable."


    She leaned her forehead into her palm, drained. "If we don''t use this medication, our only alternative is open brain surgery.


    "Dad''s condition is risky, and he''s elderly. Even if I perform the surgery myself, there''s less than a 3% chance of sess."


    In short, it would take a miracle. And if it failed, Winston might not survive the operating table.


    Ss spoke dazedly, "So... our only option is to ept Justin''s offer?"


    After a pause, he inhaled deeply and rested a reassuring hand on Alyssa''s shoulder. "Whatever you decide, Lyse, we''re behind you. Always."


    Alyssa''s lips curled into a faint,


    weary smile. Then she walked


    toward Justin, who waited patio


    in his wheelchair at the end of the hallway.