Georgia and Leda had only met once, and that was the coincidental meeting with Riley.
She also happened to know that Leda and Robert had somewhat been in a relationship before.
Now Riley was bringing such a woman to such a place. Georgia's heart sank a little.
She didn't know what Riley meant by this.
She also didn't know why Leda had been brought over. Ivan hadn't told her before coming back.
Georgia had looked at her phone before. There were missed calls from Ivan.
But she'd been sleeping then, and she still wasn't too sure what Riley had said after meeting Ivan, and what else had happened.
Since Riley was here, though, that meant that it was true what Riley had said about being able to fix Robert's condition.
She still trusted Ivan on this, and Ivan was a doctor as well, and had to be able to judge this much.
Georgia tried her best to remain calm.
Since Riley had a solution, she had to rein in her attitude if she needed something from him. She really did hope that Riley actually could help.
"Let's put it all out in the open, Riley. Can you tell me why you knew about Robert's condition? And why do you have a way to help him?"
"We can talk inside, Georgia. It's a long story."
Georgia nodded, looked at Leda, then went inside in silence.
Riley took a sip of hot tea and turned back to Georgia.
"I found out about Robert because the hospital he'd been to for his emergency belonged to the Powell family. I had a bit of stock there, so I put people on it and found out Robert's current condition. As for calling you, I figured since it was someone I knew for so many years, I should just lend a helping hand."
"I don't feel like you're such a good guy, though."
Georgia jabbed bluntly.
Riley laughed out loud instantly.
"You know me pretty well, Georgia. Then I'll up and say it. Jayson's lab began many years ago, and my lover was held there once. By the time I saved her, she was already run ragged and out of it.
"I don't know if her condition is worse than Robert's, but her will is strong, so she survived in there for a while. She was injected with all sorts of chemicals that damaged her body tremendously, and she still hasn't woken up. So I built a lab specifically meant to treat her. I recruited experts from all across the world, and even managed to snatch up most of the missing personnel from Jayson's lab roster.
"I wanted them to save her."
Georgia showed a shocked expression in an instant. She hadn't thought that Riley had thought sort of reasoning.
In that moment, she actually understood how he felt. Maybe Riley was in even greater despair than she was.
Robert had been normal before, and only gotten in his fevered coma this time.
From what Riley was saying, his lover might have been in a coma for years, but he was still fighting on.
Wilson had said that he'd only found where Adolf from Jayson's lab ended up, and never turned up anything on the rest.
So Riley had picked them up. Her side couldn't discover anything and never even knew. With all the things Riley had done in the dark, he really had kept it secret very well.
"Then what's your lover's situation? And your resources and effort should be placed all on her. Why are you willing to help me with Robert?"
Even though she and Riley were in similar situations, Georgia also knew full well that Riley wasn't the sort of person to selflessly give back to the whole world.
If he actively got in contact to help Robert, that meant he had other intentions.
"I told you that my lover hasn't woken up all along. Her situation isn't better off than Robert's, but I'd already hired a professional team to study her body. They've been treating her for years, and her condition is similar to Robert's which is why I said I could help you."
"Then how did you know Robert was in a similar situation to your lover's?"
Georgia asked strangely. Even though the condition had been leaked in the hospital, Robert's data hadn't.
She had cleaned it up with Ivan. The most anyone could have turned up was that Robert was unconscious, but Riley couldn't have known that Robert's condition was just like his lover's.
"I'd already known about this months ago, before you even realized Robert's body had a problem.
"Didn't I just say it? Jayson's lab data and his diffused research staff are over on my side. I absorbed most of the workers at that lab and hired them for myself, so I know what's going on with Robert."
Georgia felt an inexplicable rage all of a sudden.
"If you knew several months ago, then why didn't you tell us?"
Georgia knew that that was a little unfair, as if she didn't trust Riley and had to speculate on his wards.
How could he have spilled everything with them in the first place?
And Riley chuckled mockingly as well.
"Our relationship isn't there yet, I had data on Robert's condition, but he was normal in his day-to-day appearance, which was strange to me. So I wouldn't even know where to begin to tell you. I had a good grasp of Robert's data not because I took the lab figures, but because I used Robert's blood for a test."
As Riley said that, Georgia jolted, then stared darkly.
"That time, you said you were playing a prank on Robert and had me put him under. Then you took a picture of him and posted it online. It was just a front, wasn't it? You used Robert's blood for a test and had started even back then, hadn't you?"
Georgia was almost in a rage as she said that. She had been wondering why Riley was still pranking Robert like they were kids.
So that had been his goal from the beginning. He'd already known that Robert's body was off, and still deceived her on purpose to have her help him plot against Robert to take his blood for research.
And throughout all that, Riley hadn't let out a peep. His machinations were terrifying.
"You're right, Georgia. At that time, I'd already wanted to research how it was that Robert could stay energetic and work like a normal person. His experiences were the same as what my lover went through in that lab, but she stayed unconscious throughout. I want to know what secrets his body holds.
"Of course, I want to know if he can help my lover wake up even more. He's the only exception. It's the same as when the Wimbledon heir kidnapped him. I know Eric was sick, so he also wanted to find the secrets of Robert's body to recover his own health. I decided to cooperate with you because I didn't want to become your enemy like Eric did. I want us to work together and come up with a solution. I'll help you smooth over Robert's current condition, while you have to provide continued assistance for us to think of some way to research Robert's blood and system condition, so my lover can wake up."
"So that's what it is..."
Georgia sighed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry or to be pleasantly surprised.
Riley really did have a way to manage Robert's situation. She turned back to him.
"How long has your lover been unconscious?"
"Five years, so my team has more experience than yours. I've accumulated five years of research data and been through a great deal of situations. Many times when she was hanging by a thread, we found some way to keep her alive. Since Robert's condition is similar to hers this time, I've brought my team over. They're not here physically, of course. I have them working elsewhere, and I think we can combine our efforts."
"I don't even have a reason to refuse you..."
Georgia smiled bitterly. Robert was already in such a condition. Despite all the angles she and Antonio had, without experimenting on other people, Georgia didn't dare use them on Robert's body.
She was afraid that Robert's condition would worsen. But with Riley's five years of experience, they must have already experimented on countless people and animals, and their methods would be more reliable than her thoughts or Antonio's.
Their own hypotheses, after all, didn't have live tests with patients. They could be radical, or they could bring destruction.
Clearly, Riley was a bit cleverer than Eric. Or it should be said that that didn't mean he was clever.
Eric, after all, had been too confident, and hadn't imagined that Georgia would go all-out against him. Meanwhile, Riley was willingly cooperating with her in a deal she couldn't refuse, because she had no other options.
"Set your team on Robert's results and condition, then. He's still in intermittent high fevers. I can't think of a way to mediate it. As for the data you bring, I'd like to see. For these five years, the situations and solutions you've experienced – can our sides pool our information?"
"Of course."
Riley smiled. He and Leda stood, and seemed to be about to go check on Robert.
Georgia couldn't help but raise the question.
"I remember you said last time that you had some form of cooperation with Leda. Why is she here with you? What status is she coming as? I don't want people who have nothing to do with this to come disturb Robert. I hope you keep these things separate too, Riley, and keep from bringing unrelated people over.