After entering, Old Mercer didn't wait for Old Hughes to ask and immediately started explaining his purpose.
"Old Hughes, I came today because I suspect that Anna has been hypnotized."
"Hypnotized?" Old Hughes looked at Deanna in astonishment.
Deanna, looking somewhat pale, nodded. "Could you please check on me, Old Hughes?"
Upon hearing this, Old Hughes's expression grew serious. "How did you discover you were hypnotized?"
"It wasn't me; Old Mercer was the first to notice," Deanna answered truthfully, her heart filled with doubts about the situation.
She also wondered when she had been hypnotized.
Old Hughes, seeing the confusion in her eyes, furrowed his brows and asked again, "Could you tell me everything from the beginning?"
Deanna hesitated, looking towards Old Mercer.
Old Mercer nodded, "Go ahead, tell him."
With that encouragement, Deanna recounted the events without reservation.
Old Hughes listened intently, his brows tightly knit. "So, you're saying you started losing consciousness after receiving a phone call?"
"That's one way to put it. I checked my call log from that day later but found no record. Of course, that doesn't rule out the possibility that I deleted the information myself. However, I've already asked my assistant to get a printout of my recent call records from the carrier; it should be delivered here shortly."
Deanna nodded, explaining the steps she had taken afterward.
Old Mercer listened, satisfaction flickering in his eyes. He had been worried that Deanna might not handle the situation well, but she was surprisingly calm and knew to verify the facts.
However, Old Hughes's expression grew even more grave after hearing Deanna's words. "In that case, come with me to the treatment room, and I'll conduct a simple examination."
"Thank you, Old Hughes."
Deanna nodded and followed Old Hughes into his office.
Meanwhile, Old Mercer watched them disappear into the treatment room, his friendly demeanor turning stern. He instructed his butler who was always by his side, "Stay here; I'm going to make a call in the car."
With those words, he left the clinic.
In the treatment room, Deanna sat down in a chair as directed by Old Hughes.
"Anna, I only know the basic theory about hypnosis, but I can check if you're hypnotized," Old Hughes said as he pulled an old pocket watch from a drawer.
Deanna chuckled at his less-than-humorous remark. "It's okay; I trust you."
She knew Old Hughes was trying to make her feel relaxed.
Indeed, that was his intention.
Old Hughes swung the pocket watch in front of Deanna. "Good, just relax and watch this watch."
As Deanna watched the swinging watch, her vision began to blur gradually. Soon, a shadowy figure appeared in her consciousness, seemingly speaking to her.
However, no matter how hard Deanna tried to listen, she couldn't hear what the shadow was saying.
"What are you trying to say? Can you speak up?" Deanna finally couldn't stand it and reached out to grab the shadow.
At that moment, she suddenly woke up to find herself grasping Old Hughes, completely disoriented. "Old Hughes?"
"What did you see just now?" Old Hughes asked with a concerned look as he met Deanna's stunned gaze.
Deanna came to her senses and didn't hide what she had seen. "I saw a person in a black cloak talking to me. But no matter how hard I listened, I couldn't understand what he was saying. I tried to grab him, and then I woke up to find that I was grabbing you. Were you talking to me just now?"
After hearing this, Old Hughes's expression was beyond grave.
"I wasn't speaking to you. The person you saw must be the one who hypnotized you."
"So I really was hypnotized?" Deanna looked at him, her eyes filled with disbelief and fear.
Old Hughes watched her frightened expression and put away the pocket watch with a solemn voice. "Let's go outside and talk; your grandfather is waiting."
Outside the treatment room, Old Mercer quickly stood up and asked, "Old Hughes, how did the examination go?"
"Anna has indeed been hypnotized and even received some mental suggestions," Old Hughes reported gravely.
Old Mercer's face turned extremely grim.
Deanna also looked distressed, filled with self-reproach and regret. She had no idea when she had been targeted and now realized she had become a pawn for others, potentially harming her own people at any moment.
"I'm sorry Gramp; it's my fault that Mercer Group has suffered these losses. I'll compensate for the losses incurred by Mercer Group. From today onward, I resign from my position at Mercer Group. Although I don't know who targeted me, they want me to be a knife against Mercer Group and you all; I will not allow it!"
By the end of her declaration, Deanna's gaze was resolute.
Lance had been abroad dealing with those with ill intentions to protect her; she could not afford to be a liability back home and harm Lance's family.