I didn’t return to the villa that night after my fight with Ashton. That wasn’t the main reason for my absence, though. Summer and Hailey were both in the hospital, and Hailey didn’t have any family. I couldn’t ask my Mom to stay with her at the hospital, so I went there instead.
The hospital was shrouded in a gloomy aura; I ended up sleeping fitfully that night. Cameron and Zachary dropped by early the next morning with some breakfast.
Hailey was recovering well, as was Summer. After greeting Cameron, I left for my appointment with Brandon.
We met at a heritage eatery that was neither big nor grand. When I arrived, I spied Brandon sitting in the corner of the eatery. Seated, his posture made him seem shorter and fatter.
He looks just like a wobbly man toy.
He waved and hollered when he saw me. Then, he caught the attention of the eatery owner and ordered a few oily dishes. I sat down in front of him, not in a rush to speak.
He didn’t appear to be in a rush either. He’d ordered more than ten dishes for the two of us, and he ate most of the food. He didn’t question my lack of appetite. I guess he’s probably used to it. He devoured his food so quickly I half-suspected that he barely chewed at all. He only spoke to me after we finished the meal.
Now that the food was gone, he wiped his oil-stained mouth and said, “Take a look at the contract. If there aren’t any issues, you can sign it now.”
He passed a thick stack of papers to me. I was blinded by the rows of complex legalese on the sheets. I frowned, unable to understand much of the contents of the contract.
At least I could understand the sums in the contract. I counted the number of zeroes and knitted my brows. “Why is the cost of the surgery suddenly increased to a million?”
He pursed his lips before cleaning his teeth with a toothpick. “Ms. Stovall, I heard from Mr. Murphy that money isn’t a concern to you. Plus, this is a private operation. The operating theatre, doctors, the equipment; everything has a price. I’m sure you know how expensive these things are. And hey, what about compensation for my efforts? I also need money to settle with that kid’s parents. Please, that one million I quoted you is a discount already.”
I held in my laughter. He’d managed to make a life-or-death operation sound like a business deal. Still, I wasn’t in a hurry to sign. I looked at him directly and said, “You’re right. It’s actually not a big sum. I do have one request, though. Since this isn’t a legal procedure, I want to see the operating theatre, the equipment, and meet the doctor beforehand. There are two children’s lives at stake here, one of which is my daughter. I’m sure you understand my concern.”
He frowned slightly. After some thought, he replied, “I need to think about this.”
I nodded. “Sure.”
Our discussion ended here. I supposed he had to discuss my request with his boss before he could give me a firm reply. If Hailey was right, then Brandon was probably acting under Armond’s orders.
After saying goodbye to Brandon, I walked into an alley. After waiting for a short while, I came out of the alley and followed him. Sometime later, I saw him get into a black Accord. The driver wore a pair of shades, and he looked vaguely familiar. After a brief greeting, the car moved.
I couldn’t walk closer to the car, but luckily the driver rolled down his windows as the car drove off. I was stunned when I realized who he was.
Dante! Why is he hanging around Brandon? Did he end up working for Armond after Abe’s death?
I only managed to collect myself after the car was out of sight. From what I know about Dante’s character, he wouldn’t hang around Armond since he had a hand in Abe’s death. All these men are sticklers for loyalty. Abe treated Dante like his own brother when he was still alive. So why would Dante be chummy with one of Armond’s lackeys? Unless Dante himself is involved in the black market?
Suddenly, I sensed someone behind me. Nerves taut, I broke out in a cold sweat when I realized that I had nothing to defend myself with.
“Scarlett!” The gruff, familiar voice turned my surprise into joy. I turned and saw Danny behind me.
I smiled happily at him and asked, “Why are you here? Are you ok? How have you been?” I’d tried to track him down when I was in A City, but he’d hidden his tracks well as if he was trying to avoid me. I learned nothing about him and had never expected to bump into him here.
He appeared to have lost some weight, looking much thinner than his usual muscular self. The angles on his face were sharper as well. With a fairer complexion and a buzzcut, he blended right in with the residents of this city.
