Andrix walked off, and I stood there in a daze. "Raelyn, are you okay?" Aiden nudged me gently. I finally snapped out of it and looked at him. "I was just thinking about what Andrix said. I feel like..." "You’re thinking Andrix isn’t that simple either, aren’t you?" Aiden met my eyes—he clearly had the same suspicion. "Last time Andrix threatened me with Madam Regina’s life. But now he goes and snatches the knife from Taylor’s hand to save her. What do you think? Does he really care about Madam Regina or not?" Andrix’s behavior was too strange. I couldn’t see through him at all. "What do you think?" Aiden asked. "I think that whole knife scene was an act," I said, frowning. Aiden froze. "An act?" Seeing he didn’t get it, I explained seriously, "Think about it. What kind of person would risk their mother’s life as a gamble? You don’t seriously believe the respirator incident was some kind of accident, do you? Nurses check on her every day. Andrix is the director of the hospital. Who would dare remove that respirator without his approval?" My breakdown of the situation sent Aiden deep into thought. After a long silence, he pressed his lips together and said in a serious tone, "Mom has always been good to him." "I know. Madam Regina loved all five of you like her own. But look at the way Andrix has acted. Does he seem like someone who knows how to be grateful?" Thinking about everything Andrix had said, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. "Let’s keep an eye on him for a few more days. I want to see what else he tries to pull." Aiden’s voice turned icy cold. At this point, he had completely lost trust in the brother he’d grown up with. I sighed and reminded him, "In the meantime, make sure to protect Madam Regina. Even if she’s stable now, you need to be prepared for anything."Aiden nodded. "You take care too." "I will. If Taylor tries to come after me, I’ll be ready for her." Suddenly, Aiden stepped forward and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "If she lays a hand on you, don’t go easy on her." "Okay." Aiden’s words sent a warm feeling through me. This cold, stoic man was finally learning how to show he cared. "Oh right, Adam’s fifth anniversary as an artist is coming up. I heard he’s throwing a concert. We should all go." I nodded. "Sounds good. Let’s go together." Aiden added, "But before that, we’ve got something else to deal with." "You mean Lawson Corp," I said, meeting his gaze. Aiden smiled. "Exactly. Now that my mom’s situation is settled, I say we take action tonight. My assistant already checked—Mr. Gary doesn’t have any meetings or business appointments tonight. It’s the perfect time to invite him out and talk some business." I couldn’t help laughing. "Alright, no time like the present. Let’s do it tonight." With that, I picked up my phone and invited that lecherous Mr. Gary to dinner. As expected, the moment he heard it was me, his tone perked right up and he agreed immediately. I hung up and looked at Aiden. "Hooked." … That evening, Aiden and I arrived at the private room in the hotel as planned. Sure enough, Mr. Gary was already there waiting. From the moment I walked in and sat down, all the way through the food being served, his beady eyes never once left my body. After some small talk with Aiden, Mr. Gary turned to me directly and asked, "Ms. Raelyn, what exactly did you want to see me about tonight? Have you finally changed your mind and decided you need my help?" As he spoke, he even reached out to touch me.I dodged just in time and gave a smile. "Mr. Gary, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We should take care of business first. Then we can talk about the rest." Mr. Gary narrowed his eyes and nodded quickly. "Sure, sure. Business first. Then we talk about the rest." "It’s about that plot of land. I wanted to talk to you about it." I deliberately pouted and looked reluctant. "We don’t want it anymore. Can we cancel the contract?" Mr. Gary was stunned. "Why don’t you want it all of a sudden? Did something happen with the land? Is there a problem?" "Mr. Gary, you might not know this, but there’s a gold mine under that land. Our Eclipse Corporation doesn’t deal in mining, so I figured it would make more sense for your side to take it back." Mr. Gary’s eyes went wide. "Gold mine? I didn’t know that! I personally inspected that land myself!" I widened my eyes too and put on an innocent look. "Really? You didn’t know? There’s tons of gold under there, which is why construction has been so difficult... Wait, your inspection team didn’t tell you?" My performance was almost too convincing—and with the lure of gold on the table, Mr. Gary’s expression started to change. If there really was a gold mine underneath, then he’d seriously be missing out on a huge profit. There’s no way he wouldn’t take the bait. But I knew this man was cunning and sly. He might not fall for it that easily. Sure enough, his eyes darted back and forth before he asked, "Well... can I take another look at the geological survey? If it’s true, I’ll draw up the contract right away and repurchase the land at the original price."