Chapter 124
After some consideration, Arthur sent a message.
[Caroline, Logan is sick. He's asking for you. Come to the Windsor Group Building tonight to get him.]
The message sat unanswered for what felt like an eternity.
A few minutes later, Arthur sent a second message.
Caroline, this is your last chance. Layla and Logan are your children. Taking care of them is your responsibility. I'm ordering you to come immediately.]
Still nothing but silence.
Just as Arthur's patience reached its breaking point and he reached for the video call button, Logan's condition worsened.
He had no choice but to set his phone aside and tend to his son.
The entire Windsor Group Building blazed with light. Tonight would clearly be sleepless for everyone involved.
---
Meanwhile, Caroline enjoyed her first good night's rest in ages.
At 6:30 AM, lab assistants delivered breakfast to all volunteers and began monitoring their vital signs.
"Ms. Hamilton, we administered preliminary medication last night. How are you feeling?" one asked.
"Much better," Caroline replied honestly. "Not nearly as exhausted as before."
This wasn't an exaggeration. Having already experienced the experimental drug once, she was only feeling its fatigue-relieving effects. Otherwise, the results would have been even more dramatic.
After checking her vitals, the lab assistant introduced herself. "Hello, Ms. Hamilton. I'm Sophia Griffith, your assigned researcher for the upcoming experimental phase. Feel free to contact me if you need anything."
Caroline's attention caught on the surname.
Griffith?
She couldn't help but think of Gareth, a wave of melancholy washing over her. She had promised to visit him at the Griffith Manor personally.
Now it seemed she'd never get that chance.
She lowered her eyes, her mood visibly darkening.
Sophia immediately noticed the shift. Knowing they had over an hour before departing for the research facility, she gently suggested, "Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Windsor has arranged a farewell gathering for volunteers and their families. You're welcome to invite loved ones for a final goodbye."
Caroline shook her head. "No need. I don't have anyone to say goodbye to."
Her closest family now felt like strangers. As for her mentor, senior colleagues, and grandmother—perhaps her absence was the kindest gift she could offer them.
Sophia understood that many cancer patients faced abandonment by family members upon diagnosis. This drove many to give up on themselves entirely.
Yet something about Caroline struck her as different. She seemed... familiar somehow.
After offering a few more words of comfort, Sophia pushed aside her nagging feeling and left to continue her preparations.
As she closed the door, she encountered a familiar face in the hallway.
"Heidi? What are you doing here?"
Heidi wore a flowing white dress, her long hair starkly out of place against the lab's sterile aesthetic.
"Ms. Griffith, it's been a while," she smiled warmly. "I heard you're representing Celestial University to escort the volunteers. I came specifically to see you."
Sophia didn't believe this for a second.
Though both were Windsor Group employees, one was a laboratory researcher and the other a sales director. Their paths rarely crossed under normal circumstances.
Heidi seeking her out deliberately? Highly unlikely. She clearly had ulterior motives.
Did Heidi really think Sophia was ignorant of her true nature?
Heidi, unbothered by Sophia's skepticism, casually remarked, "I heard you've gathered ninety-nine volunteers? I'd like to review their files to ensure accurate compensation distribution."
Sophia's gaze held deeper meaning.
If Arthur was entrusting even this to Heidi, their relationship must truly be progressing.
Heidi and Arthur's involvement was hardly a secret among Sovereign City's elite circles.
She gestured toward a stack of documents on a nearby table. "The volunteer files are right there. Feel free to review them."
Translation: Leave me alone.
Having achieved her goal, Heidi smiled softly, unbothered by the rudeness.
Once Sophia left to continue her work, Heidi eagerly began examining the files.
Arthur spotting Caroline's name among the volunteer records last night couldn't be coincidence.
After reviewing just two files, Heidi found the name she was looking for: Caroline Hamilton.
After comparing the name, academic records, and address, Heidi confirmed this was indeed the Caroline she suspected.
Late-stage ovarian cancer? Benign turned malignant?
This news was unexpectedly delightful.
No wonder Caroline had willingly left the Windsor family and surrendered those two projects. This explained everything.
It seemed even God was on her side.
Though Heidi hadn't directly participated in the cancer drug trials, she understood the basics. The experimental treatment could only potentially succeed when administered to patients at death's door.
If Caroline had volunteered herself as a test subject, how perfect would it be if she died at the research facility, never to be heard from again!
Still, having Caroline and Arthur in the same building made Heidi deeply uneasy. If Arthur happened to visit the basement level, he would certainly discover Caroline.
That would ruin everything she had planned.
This couldn't happen. She wouldn't allow it.
Before leaving the basement, Heidi deliberately sought out Nick, the project manager.
"Since all volunteers have arrived," she suggested, "it would be best to depart for the research facility as soon as possible. Everyone is eager to see the project's final results."
Nick looked confused. "Mr. Windsor mentioned last night that he wanted to organize a farewell gathering for volunteers and their families before departure."
Heidi's smile cooled slightly. "Is that really appropriate?"
"We all know the outcome of this experiment. Though the drug is promising, most volunteers have late-stage conditions. How many will actually survive?"
Nick laughed uncomfortably. "Ms. White, that's rather harsh."
If volunteers overheard such talk, it might cause unrest.
Heidi disregarded his concern, focused solely on getting Caroline away from the building.
"If you arrange this farewell gathering and volunteers suddenly change their minds about participating, who will compensate the company for its losses? You?"
"I'm not—"
"This cancer drug project has the attention of the entire society. We can't disappoint people. How would anyone trust the Windsor Group again? Besides, compensation has already been paid. Can the company afford the loss if volunteers back out?"
Nick kept his head down but didn't agree to her suggestion.
"The farewell gathering was Mr. Windsor's direct instruction..."
Before he could finish, Heidi interrupted with a smile. "Are you the CEO?"
Nick didn't dare argue. "No."