Chapter 160 The Deal Is Over, Never to Meet Again in Life or Death!

Chapter 160 The Deal Is Over, Never to Meet Again in Life or Death!

Chloe was gasping for breath, her face smeared with blood and hot cocoa, but she couldn't help breaking into a grin — the kind you wear when you've just cheated death.

She knew it. She knew Adrian would never abandon her. A billion dollars? So what? Adrian had been willing to shell out a billion just to protect her. That proved it — in Adrian's heart, she would always matter more than Elodie.

"Adrian..." Chloe scrambled to her feet and reached for his pant leg. "Thank you. I knew you cared about me the most..."

"Get away from me."

Adrian kicked her hand aside.

The smile froze on Chloe's face.

Adrian looked down at her, his expression completely blank.

"We'll deal with you when we get back to Astoria." He turned to the two bodyguards standing outside the door. "Take her back to the villa in Astoria. She doesn't leave her room without my permission. No visitors. No exceptions."

The two bodyguards stepped forward immediately, grabbing Chloe by each arm.

"Adrian! What are you doing!" Chloe panicked completely, struggling with everything she had. "You can't lock me up! I almost died just now!"

The bodyguards didn't give her a chance to say another word. They clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her out by force.

Chloe's shoes fell off in the hallway. Her dress dragged along the floor. She was hauled out of the medical room in a complete mess.

The room fell quiet again.

The two coast guard officers saw that the parties had reached an agreement in principle and that the lawyer was drafting the paperwork, so they put away their equipment and stepped outside to wait for the formal settlement document.

Lucas printed out the drafted agreement and handed it to Adrian.

"Mr. Stewart, please review it. Sign when you're ready."

Adrian took the agreement, didn't bother reading through the lengthy terms, flipped straight to the last page, pulled out his pen, and signed his name in two quick strokes.

Done. He handed the agreement back to Lucas, but his eyes stayed on Elodie's face.

"The money will hit your account immediately." Adrian softened his tone, trying to sound gentler. "Get some rest these next few days. Once we dock, I'll arrange a private jet to take you home..."

Ding.

Elodie's phone on the nightstand chimed once.

A message notification.

She picked up her phone and glanced at the screen.

[Overseas account. One billion in cash. Transfer complete.]

She gave a small nod, threw back the covers, and sat up on the edge of the bed.

"Elodie, don't move around!" Ellie rushed over to steady her.

Elodie waved her off to show she was fine.

She picked up her phone and, right in front of Adrian, blocked him on WhatsApp.

Smooth. No hesitation. Not even a pause.

Then she opened her contacts, found Adrian's number.

Added to blacklist.

She went ahead and wiped out every last contact she had for Chloe too, while she was at it.

Adrian stood two steps away and watched every move she made.

His expression darkened instantly.

"Elodie. What are you doing?"

"Honoring the agreement." Elodie set her phone down on the bed and looked up at him. "The money's in. Mr. Stewart can disappear from my life now."

Adrian's brow furrowed. He stepped forward.

"Stop being dramatic." He lowered his voice. "Think of the money as compensation. Once you've cooled down, we can talk properly."

Elodie laughed.

She thought this man was laughably full of himself.

"Does Mr. Stewart not understand plain English?" Elodie dropped the smile. Her voice went ice cold. "The agreement spells it out in black and white. Once I take the money, you and Chloe get out of my life for good. This isn't me throwing a tantrum. This is a transaction."

She pointed at the door.

"Now take your agreement and get out."

The door swung shut behind him.

Adrian's footsteps faded down the hallway.

Elodie sat on the hospital bed, listening until the sounds outside went completely quiet. Then she threw back the covers without a second's hesitation.

She reached over, pinched the IV needle in the back of her hand, and pulled it out in one clean motion.

Bright red blood welled up and dripped onto the white sheets.

"Elodie, what are you doing!" Ellie jumped in fright and grabbed a cotton swab from the nightstand, pressing it against the back of Elodie's hand. "Are you out of your mind? The doctor said you need to stay for observation!"

Elodie held the cotton swab in place, shook her head, and turned to look at Lucas, who was standing nearby.

"Lucas, is the fund isolation in place?"

Lucas pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose and opened his tablet. A long, complex chart of fund flows filled the screen.

"The full billion in cash has been transferred into overseas compliant accounts, isolated through a trust fund structure. Every step is legally documented. Your personal information won't be exposed anytime soon." Lucas kept his tone professional. "What do you want to do with it?"

Elodie wiped the blood from the back of her hand with a tissue. Her voice was steady.

"Split it two ways."

"Two hundred million goes into the Windsor Group's overseas partner account through anonymous investment channels. This is my lifeline, my hidden trump card. No one must link it to me."

Lucas nodded and started working quickly on the screen. "And the remaining eight hundred million?"

"All of it goes to the St. Gallen Cancer Research Center's institutional account." Elodie paused, her breathing a little heavier. "Tell them it's Elodie. I want a spot in their top-tier targeted therapy trial. Arrange it immediately."

Ellie had been listening with a puzzled look, but the moment she heard "cancer," she went rigid.

"What cancer center? Elodie, are you sick?" Ellie's eyes went wide. Her voice was shaking.

Elodie didn't hide it from her. She just patted the back of Ellie's hand.

"Just a minor thing. They can't treat it in Astoria, so I need to go abroad for a while." She kept it light and moved on, reaching under her pillow and pulling out a bank card, which she pressed into Ellie's hand.

"There's two million in that account. The PIN is your birthday."

Ellie recoiled like she'd been burned and tried to push it back. "Why are you giving me money? I don't want it!"

"Take it." Elodie held her hand firm, her tone unusually sharp. "You've been pushed around at that firm long enough. Use this to open your own practice, or buy into another firm. Don't turn down easy money."

Ellie's eyes went red. She gripped the card tight as tears rolled down her face.

Elodie had no time to comfort her. She turned and looked around for a pen and paper.

Lucas handed her a fountain pen and a notepad.

Elodie leaned over the nightstand and quickly wrote out several lines — an herbal formula she had pieced together from countless old texts, adjusted specifically for Benjamin's condition, to help restore his health.

In the Stewart family, Benjamin was the only one who had ever truly cared for her.

This was the last thing she could do for him.

She folded the note, slipped it into an envelope, and handed it to Lucas.

"Lucas, once we dock, please have someone courier this back to Stewart Manor. Mark it for Benjamin."

Lucas took the envelope and tucked it into his briefcase.

"The flights are booked." He checked his watch. "There's no flight back to Astoria. As soon as the ship docks, we transfer directly from the port onto a private medical charter — straight to Eldoria. By the time Adrian's people figure out you're not heading back to Astoria, you'll already be there."

Elodie nodded.

Everything was in order. She finally let out a long, slow breath.

Two hours later.

A port city. Private airfield.

A white Gulfstream rolled down the runway and lifted into the sky.

Inside the cabin.

Elodie leaned back in the wide leather seat, watching the clouds thicken outside the window. Without warning, a violent, tearing pain surged through her chest.

She doubled over, clapping a hand over her mouth.