Chapter 32: Lillian's Plan

Lillian clearly understood the implication as well.

She bit her lip, her face full of anxiety. "Ms. Edwards, that's not what I meant. I just can't come up with that much money right away. Can you give me some time?"

"Sorry, no."

Clara coldly refused, glancing meaningfully at Matthew.

Suddenly, Clara's lips curved into a smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Or perhaps, Mr. Garcia, are you willing to help Ms. Baker pay?"

The amount of 60 million dollars was exactly the penalty fee.

Matthew fixed his gaze on Clara, who was smiling broadly, and realized that since the beginning, everyone had been dancing to her tune.

Lillian hadn't expected Clara to mention Matthew directly. She cursed inwardly but put on a pitiful expression as she approached the man. "Matthew, could you please help me pay for it first? I'll repay you as soon as I can. We can't really let Riley go to jail, can we?"

For them, any issue that could be resolved with money was better kept away from the law, especially since Clara had solid evidence.

Based on that evidence, the police could directly charge Riley with attempted murder.

Once in jail, her life would be over.

Riley stood up as well, pleading pitifully. "Matthew, I'm the only daughter of the Garcia family. You can't just let me die!"

Matthew coldly brushed off Riley's outstretched hand, his icy gaze fixed on Clara. "Account number."

Seeing him so straightforward, Clara had no reason to refuse.

She immediately sent the account details to Matthew's phone.

After the transfer was completed and seeing the recipient's name, the coldness around Matthew intensified. "Daniel's account?"

'She wants this 60 million dollars for Daniel?' Matthew thought.

As this thought crossed his mind, he gripped his phone tighter.

"The money is mine now. Isn't it normal for me to decide whom to give it to?" Clara tilted her head nonchalantly.

She didn't care at all about Matthew's sudden anger.

Ignoring what Matthew might be thinking, Clara glanced at the time displayed on her phone. "There's still three hours before the afternoon surgery. If you’re done causing a scene, you can leave now. I need to rest and regain my strength for the surgery."

Andrew had been very good to her.

She wouldn't repay his kindness with ingratitude.

She was determined to treat this surgery seriously.

Lillian noticed Matthew's angry expression, fully aware that he was jealous because Clara was giving the money to Daniel.

Not wanting to cause more trouble, Lillian supported Riley and left the room first.

Seeing Clara's indifference toward him, Matthew felt a stifling frustration and slammed the door as he left.

Bang!

The loud noise startled Clara. She watched his retreating figure through the window, then lowered her head to type a message on her phone.

[As planned, cooperate with the Taylor family and set the terms at 60 million dollars. Get them to sign the agreement.]

The Taylor Group was the legacy her mother had fought hard to build, and she wouldn't allow it to fall into the hands of those predators.

On the other side, after Lillian helped Riley into the car, Riley immediately shed her previously pitiful demeanor.

Riley took a sharp gulp of water, her words dripping with hatred. "That little bitch Clara, she found the evidence so quickly. Didn't they say Daniel had already left the country? And Mia doesn't seem like someone capable. How did she manage to do it so fast?"

Those words sparked an idea in Lillian.

She sighed and held Riley's hand, adopting a sisterly demeanor. "Riley, I'm sorry. You stood up for me and got bitten back. I'll repay you the 60 million dollars as soon as possible. But let's not go after Clara anymore."

"Who knows... maybe she has more than one backer?"

Riley felt something was off, but seeing Lillian's genuine expression, she pushed her suspicions aside.

"It's just frustrating to have taken that beating and still not managed to bring Clara down..." Riley paused, suddenly anxious. "She wouldn't take the money and still sue me, would she?"

"No, she wouldn't." Lillian patted her hand reassuringly. "She took the money, so if she stirs up anything, it would be fraud."

"The priority now is to make Matthew see Clara's true colors."

Lillian's suggestive words were meant to provoke a reaction from Riley

However, Riley seemed deflated.

"Forget it. I need to lay low for a while. If my parents find out about this, they'll definitely ship me off abroad." Riley, though not the brightest, knew not to make waves during such a tumultuous time.

Lillian realized she couldn't rely on Riley.

But she had already thought of another good plan.

The surgery time approached quickly.

To prevent any mishaps, William had the operating table height adjusted to make it easier for Clara to perform the surgery.

Andrew, standing outside the room, saw Clara and wanted to say something, but his gaze caught sight of Matthew arriving. His anger flared up.

"Get out. Who let you come to the hospital?"

Matthew sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation, then stepped forward. "Whatever anger you have. They take it out on me after the surgery. I can handle it."

Andrew naturally understood what Matthew meant.

He glanced at Clara, who was smiling, then back at Matthew, grunting. "Remember my words well. Stop causing all this mess. The best guy is right beside you. If you don't cherish her, others will."

The meaning of his words was clear.

Matthew glanced behind him and pursed his lips. "You must come out safely."

Turning away, Matthew looked down at Clara, who was shorter than him. "Don't make any mistakes."

Clara slowly raised her head, meeting Matthew's worried gaze. Her tone was solemn. "I want this surgery to go smoothly even more than you do."

After their brief exchange, it was time for the surgery.

William assisted Clara into the operating room.

As the surgical lights illuminated and time ticked by, Matthew's worry intensified.

He occasionally glanced up at the glowing lights of the operating room, realizing his own trembling arms betrayed his anxiety.

Soon, the lights in the operating room went dark.

William emerged, looking tired. "Mr. Garcia is fine, the surgery went smoothly. But Ms. Edwards..."

Matthew's recently relaxed heart tensed up again at the second half of William's sentence.

"What happened to her?"

Before William could respond, the operating room door was pushed open again, and a nurse rushed out urgently. "Mr. Smith, Ms. Edwards suddenly fainted..."

Before the nurse could finish her sentence, William felt a rush of wind beside him.

William reacted quickly and turned back.

Matthew furrowed his brow tightly as he saw Clara's figure on the ground.

"Clara!"

Matthew turned her over, noticing her pale face and the bandaged knee, which was stained with blood.