Chapter 134
Chapter 134
An hour earlier, Artemis had received word that Bailey left the Chivers residence in a hurry.
He promptly investigated Veronique's whereabouts and learned that she had gone to a laboratory under her name.
A possibility surfaced in his mind. Bailey must have rushed out of the Chivers residence to meet Veronique.
Hence, he quickly ordered someone to find the address of Veronique's laboratory and rushed over as fast as he could.
Based on the surveillance camera footage of the building, he confirmed that Bailey had indeed visited Veronique's laboratory.
Artemis asked Veronique again, “What happened to her? Why is she so averse to the operating table?”
Massaging her temples, Veronique replied, “That's her secret to tell, and I won't betray her by revealing it to you. You saw yourself, Mr. Luther. Anonymous can no longer hold a scalpel in her hand. So please, I implore you not to force her to operate again. I fear she'd go mad. The incident years really traumatized her.”
Though he pursed his lips in frustration, Artemis kept mum.
Lowering his gaze, he realized Bailey had fallen asleep in his arms. He noticed teardrops on her eyelashes, a rare show of weakness on her part.
Is she still that imposing, tough woman I know?
His initial shock after learning she and Anonymous were one and the same had worn off quickly enough.
It was almost as though he had expected it.
A woman as mysterious as Bailey was the only possible candidate for the insanely talented doctor, Anonymous.
With that in mind, Artemis declared, “It's fine. I'll ask her myself when she wakes up. I promise I won't force her if she truly does not wish to operate again.”
Then, he stood up with Bailey in his arms and strode toward the door.
Veronique hastily stopped him. “You must be a busy man, Mr. Luther; I'm sure you don't have time to tend to an unconscious woman. Why don't you leave her with me? I have a bedroom here, where she can rest undisturbed. I examined her earlier. She only fainted because she was so agitated she forgot to catch her breath. She'll be fine after a quick rest. There's no need to trouble you at all, Mr. Luther.”
He must be hallucinating if he thinks I'll hand Bay over to a sly fox. He's going to eat her alive!
Freezing in his tracks, Artemis shot her a sidelong glance. His gaze then landed on Bailey's pale face.
This is the perfect moment for me to play my trump card.
“You have a nephew named Zephyr, am I right? I investigated him on my way here. He's a real handsome kid. He looks kind of familiar, though, almost like...”
Here, Artemis smiled cryptically and continued, “He looks like your brother-in-law. Like father and son.”
Veronique was no fool. She began quivering anxiously as she read through the lines of Artemis' cryptic message.
Did he discover something? Ugh, Artemis is cold-hearted enough to even take on his relatives. No one who has challenged him in the past has ever emerged victorious.
“What a funny observation, Mr. Luther. Zephyr is my brother-in-law's son; of course they look alike. In any case, my lab is closed up most of the time, and it's pretty stuff. Bay probably can't get a decent rest here. I find I must trouble you to take care of her, Mr. Luther.”
After that, she took two steps back and cleared a path for Artemis to leave.
Pleased with her response, Artemis smirked and replied, “Of course, Ms. Revelle. Don't worry. Everyone knows the child you're caring for is your elder sister's son. It has always been this way, and it will not change in the future.”
Veronique perfectly understood the hidden meaning in his reply.
Mr. Luther is close to Justin. He probably already guessed that Zephyr is Justin's son but doesn't plan to reveal the boy's parentage for Justin's sake. After all, Justin's getting married soon.
As that thought crossed her mind, Veronique said, “Yes. He's my nephew. I hope you don't have any
misunderstandings about that, Mr. Luther. Well, I won't see you out then.”
Artemis shot her a piercing stare before carrying Bailey out of the operating room.
At his private seaside mansion, Artemis lounged on a couch in his study, a glass of red wine in hand. The ruby red liquid swirled against the walls of the wineglass, leaving faint streaks in its wake.
Ken stood quietly in the center of the study.
Artemis asked him, “How is the investigation going? Did you find anything?”
Bailey must've been triggered by something at the Chivers residence, or she wouldn't have tried to approach an operating table after her visit. Perhaps Old Mr. Chivers said something to her.
Ken nodded slightly and explained, “We uncovered an incident that happened about fifty or sixty years ago involving Old Mr. Chivers. It also involved Ms. Bailey's maternal grandmother.”
His explanation caused Artemis to arch a brow and smile. A thought surfaced in his mind, and he asked, “Did Old Mr. Chivers pursue Bailey's maternal grandmother in the past?”
Ken rolled his eyes wordlessly. Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.
Mr. Luther, are you sure you're doing the wise thing by making jokes about your own granddad?
Artemis smiled and shrugged. “Never mind, pretend I never said a word. Please continue.”
After a moment of silence, during which Ken organized his words, he explained the incident to his
employer in detail.
Artemis did not appear too emotional as he listened to Ken, yet understanding dawned in his gaze.
So she's trying to repay him for saving them. No wonder she behaved so oddly and even felt compelled to touch a scalpel again. She must be determined to repay his kindness, or she would never force herself to recall such a traumatizing experience.
“Okay, thanks for letting me know. How is your other investigation going?”
Alas, Ken shook his head and said, “Anonymous' past has been completely wiped clean. It's difficult to find a single trace of her. But don't worry. I'll have more men working on the investigation. I'll have the report out for you in another three days.”
“There's no need for that now.” Artemis emptied his glass of red wine before heading for the door, adding, “I'll ask her myself. I already know her true identity, and I don't think she'll see a further need to hide her past from me.”
Ken stared after him in silence.
Meanwhile, Bailey had just regained consciousness in the master bedroom of Artemis' home.
Confusion assailed her as she stared at her strangely familiar surroundings.
Wait a minute, this is...
Before she could complete that thought, someone twisted the doorknob and came into the room.
She instinctively looked toward the doorway and saw Artemis' striking face.
Practically jumping out of bed, the woman immediately checked if her clothes were still intact.
Pajamas... Men's pajamas.
Her face soured in an instant.
“Did you change my clothes?” questioned Bailey.
Artemis raised his hands in mock surrender and replied, “Who else could it be? That mastiff I own?”
Jerk!
Without a further word, Bailey snatched a pillow beside her and threw it at his head. “Get out!”
Artemis easily dodged the pillow before striding toward the bed. Crossing his arms over his chest, he appraised her. A wicked grin curved his lips, and he boasted, “I didn't just change your clothes. We couldn't help ourselves and even engaged in some rather pleasurable activities together. You seemed to enjoy it a lot.”
At his words, Bailey's eyes were as wide as saucers.