The Replacement He Never Wanted

Chapter 220 The Cold Shoulder

Isaac quickly drove off to buy dinner, leaving Lance standing still. Lance waited for a while longer until the last of the patients had finished their appointments. Leon sat in his chair, feeling exhausted after seeing so many patients. He even skipped his lunch; he was growing weary. "Dr. Daves, hello," came Lance's polite voice from nearby. Upon hearing the patient, Leon instinctively adjusted himself and lifted his gaze. "Hello. Please briefly describe your symptoms." But when he saw the man's face, Leon froze. Lance?! His expression immediately shifted. What had been warm and friendly turned cold and distant, even tinged with hostility. Leon instinctively glanced over at Addison. How did she bring this guy here? Doesn't she know I don't want to see Lance? Furthermore, this medical consultation had nothing to do with his family—what was Lance doing here? Addison met his gaze and innocently shook her head. She subtly conveyed that she hadn't conceived of Lance's presence. "Dr. Daves?" Seeing the strange look on Leon's face, Lance cautiously asked again. Leon reluctantly broke eye contact, his tone far from welcoming. "Why are you here? What's wrong with you?" Lance caught the disdain in Leon's voice, but he replied politely, "I'm not sick." Leon's eyes widened in surprise. If he wasn't sick, why was he here taking up a spot in line with people who couldn't even afford treatment? Some rich person's whim? "Why come here if you're not sick? Next!" With that, Leon waved to call in the next patient. "Dr. Daves, please don't drive me away. I came to ask about the divine healer." Lance quickly stepped in to stop Leon's gesture. "Divine healer?" Lance nodded seriously. He had asked Mike to look into the whereabouts of the divine healer last time, but even after Mike used all his connections, even traveling to Kreshill himself, he still couldn't find any leads on the healer. The Daves had done a great job in keeping things under wraps. There was no information about the divine healer anywhere on the market. He had even spent nearly a hundred million on the black market, but it was all in vain. But he couldn't just stand by while Steven's condition worsened, so he had spent an entire day standing in the cold wind, hoping to catch any hint of where the divine healer might be. "I spent the whole day lined up in the cold wind today, just hoping to find a clue about the divine healer to save someone." Lance's expression was unusually sincere. He had even dropped his usual cold demeanor, looking almost desperate to save Steven from his illness. "Really? You stood in line for the whole day?" Leon's eyes flashed with skepticism. He glanced at the proud president of Johnston Enterprises, who didn't seem like the type to do such a thing. "Absolutely," Lance said, his words earnest. He glanced at the patients behind him and said, "They can vouch for me." Leon scoffed coldly. He didn't say whether he believed it or not. "As a doctor, I'm sure you wouldn't want to watch your patients slowly lose their lives in front of you, unable to do anything, right? "As long as you're willing to share any information about the divine healer, anything you want, I can offer you." Lance spoke with confidence. Leon scoffed again. Forget it. The sort of things that Lance could offer weren't worth reaching for.Addy was the only one who thought this guy was some precious. "How can you be so sure I have any information on the divine healer?" Leon said, his eyes full of disdain. Before Lance could respond, Leon impatiently continued, "You should leave. If you want information about the divine healer, go somewhere else. I don't have any here." Lance wasn't giving up. But Leon stood up and physically started pushing him out of the room. "Go away! There are many patients waiting." Lance, who was well over six feet tall, was pushed back step by step by Leon. "That's right, we're waiting!" Someone from behind called out. "Quit wasting time if you're not getting treated!" In the eyes of the others, the man in front, despite his expensive-looking clothes and handsome face, didn't matter. They knew he was probably wealthy, but they had no idea who Lance really was, so they had no reason to be intimidated. Those people just wanted to get through the line as quickly as possible and move on with their treatment. Who this man was didn't matter, as long as he didn't waste their time. The murmurs of dissatisfaction from behind made the atmosphere awkward. Lance stood there, stunned. In all his years, he had never been rejected, scolded, or told to leave by so many people. Addison, of course, heard the complaints and looked at him. The usually composed and commanding man, standing in the middle of a crowd, now seemed out of place and uncertain. Interesting. Addison smiled faintly, watching the scene unfold. The CEO of Johnston Enterprises was certainly getting quite the cold shoulder from her uncle. She had no intention of stepping in to help. Instead, she watched the drama unfold with quiet amusement.The voices from behind continued, but Lance's embarrassment was turning into frustration. Yet, he couldn't do anything about it—after all, he needed something from Leon. One word from Leon could save Steven's life. Lance had no choice but to endure it. After a moment of fierce inner struggle, Lance finally relented. "Fine." The words came slowly from his mouth, and he stepped back, leaving the line. Addison raised an eyebrow as she watched him walk away, smiling to herself. Just as Lance stepped out of the line, Isaac jogged over. "Boss, the lunch is ready!" Behind him, a stretch limousine was filled with luxurious, aromatic meals, all beautifully packaged. Lance, still seething from the humiliation, clearly wasn't in the mood to talk. He just glanced up and muttered, "I know. Have someone hand it out." "Got it." Before Isaac could unload the food from the car, the sound of another engine roared. Another stretch limousine arrived, also filled with a variety of delightful dishes. The driver of this one was Ryan. Ryan got out and locked eyes with Lance. ... Meanwhile, Virginia had just gotten in a car, having temporarily escaped the torment of Samuel and his group. But even in the car, she remained on edge, not relaxing for a moment. She cautiously shifted to the corner of the seat. Georgina, ever direct, noticed Virginia's movement and immediately spoke up. "Are you afraid of us?" Upon hearing the question, Virginia nervously tugged at the hem of her sleeve but remained silent. She felt it was best to keep quiet until she knew more about the woman in front of her.But the sight of Virginia nervously clutching her sleeve only made Georgina feel more pity for her. "Do you know who those people who kidnapped you are? Did you anger anyone?" Virginia's heart skipped a beat. How could she admit that she not only knew these people but was also the mastermind behind the kidnapping? "I don't know." Virginia shook her head, looking scared. Georgina's sympathy only deepened. With a wave of her hand, she spoke with resolve. "Don't worry. Everything you've suffered today, I'll make sure they pay for it. I'll find out who's behind all this!" Turning to Jim, she barked, "Jim, turn the car around." "Ms. Georgina, are you sure you want to go back?" Jim's voice was laced with concern. "Turn around quickly!" Georgina was unwavering. No one could stop her from doing what she planned. The car headed back to the abandoned factory. After a fierce struggle, Samuel's group was quickly overpowered due to their smaller numbers. They were forced to the edge of a foul-smelling, garbage-filled ditch. "Tell us who's behind the kidnapping!" Georgina demanded sternly. Samuel remained silent, kneeling on the ground. "Still not talking? If you don't, I'll throw you all into that ditch and let you drown!" Her voice grew colder, her threat even more serious.

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