Chapter 16

Hermes waved dismissively. "I'm no miracle doctor! You've got it all wrong!" Tamara clung to him. "You don't have to pretend anymore, Mr. Quirke. We know your true identity." Nox locked arms with him on the other side. "We did some digging, Mr. Quirke. You've been living in that humble clinic in Wesbury all these years. You may keep a low profile, but you've got quite a bit of wealth under your name!" Even Adrian, whose eyes were usually cold, now showed hints of admiration. "Don't be afraid, Mr. Quirke. We bear good intentions. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you today. All we ask is for you to treat our brother's legs." Hermes looked from Mildred to Kieran, seated in his wheelchair. "I… I can't. I can't do anything about his legs!" Nox quickly offered, "Two million dollars—would that be enough for you, Mr. Quirke?" Hermes' jaw was on the floor. "T-Two million?" "Is that not enough? What about three million? We'll pay any price as long as you can get him back to his feet!" Tamara chimed in. "You know, Mr. Quirke. We've already found out who you are and where you live. If you refuse to help us, we'll have no choice but to beg every day at your doorstep." "That's right—we'll do just that. You wouldn't want everyone to find out about your true identity, would you?" "You don't have to worry about that, Mr. Quirke. As long as you say yes to us, we'll keep your identity a secret." Hermes scratched his almost-bald head. "I guess… I can try." Kieran was elated. "Thank you, miracle doctor!" "What miracle doctor?" Margaret interjected. "This has been pure nonsense!" Tamara had been weighed down by this engagement for years. Just yesterday, she was still begging Margaret. But now, at last, she could finally hold her head high. She raised her voice and questioned, "Isn't Mr. Quirke the miracle doctor who's been treating Arthur?" "Of course not!" Tamara sneered. "We admit, Mrs. Luzon Senior, it was impressive on your part to have uncovered a miracle doctor. Despite our many requests, you refused to tell us about him. "Now that we stumbled upon Mr. Quirke himself, you refused to acknowledge him? Are you trying to gatekeep him from us or what?" A trace of annoyance flashed across Margaret's eyes. "How dare you speak to me this way, Tamara?" Tamara simply huffed. She turned to her brothers and immediately wore a pitiful yet stubborn look. "Kieran, Nox, Adrian, you all saw how I begged Mrs. Luzon Senior for information about the miracle doctor. "Not only did she refuse to let on, but she even tried to tell us that Mr. Quirke is a hoax. If I were to marry into a family like that, I think I'd rather die!" Right then, Nox seized the opportunity. "Now that I think about it, didn't Arthur try to call off the engagement? In that case, let's proceed as he wished. "He still seems extremely frail, and I don't think I want my sister to be a caretaker for the rest of her life." Kieran chimed in with a cough. "Mind your manners, Adrian. Still, considering even the wedding dress fitting had gone wrong today, I believe it's a bad sign. "The engagement hasn't been announced to the public, so cancelling it won't be a big deal. Didn't you say you'll personally call my father about it, Mrs. Luzon Senior? I'll gladly leave that to you, then." Margaret's chest heaved from his brazen words. "You… All of you… How dare you…" Arthur cleared his throat and slowly sat up. "You're right. The engagement should be canceled. But first, let me confirm something. I'd like to ask this so-called miracle doctor that the Gingers claimed him to be… "Have you determined the cause of my fainting?" Tamara's eyes flickered briefly. "Arthur, everyone in Riverdale knows you've been frail since childhood; you have frequent heart palpitations." However, he fixed his gaze on Hermes. "Have you determined the cause of my fainting? Yes or no?" Hermes stroked his beard and explained, "Judging by your pulse, it looks like you took something that didn't agree with your constitution, young man. That's likely what triggered the severe palpitations and caused you to pass out." Arthur smiled dryly. "Is that so? Funny thing—I didn't have anything today except for a glass of mocktail at the bridal boutique. And that glass just happened to be handed to me by… Tamara." Nox was unamused. "What are you insinuating, Arthur? That Tammy drugged you?" "Arthur, even if we're not engaged, I still see you as a friend," Tamara said pitifully. "How could you think that I'd do something against you? You can't just point fingers at me without proof." He surprisingly nodded along. "You're right. I can't make claims without proof, can I? Don't worry—I've already told the staff of the boutique to come over." Tamara lowered her head, dabbing at her tears, though a flicker of disdain flashed in her eyes. Did they really think she would be dumb enough to leave evidence behind? She was a regular at that boutique and had long-standing ties with the manager. Before making her move today, she had already given instructions—the mocktail had to disappear afterward, and every bit of surveillance footage had to be wiped. Even if the Luzons tried to investigate, they would find nothing. Arthur would just have to swallow this humiliation. He shouldn't have attempted to marry her; marrying Mildred would've saved him half of this trouble. At the thought of Mildred, Tamara couldn't help glancing her way. The former sat calmly on the couch nearby, slowly peeling an orange, unbothered. When their eyes met, Mildred raised a brow ever so slightly, allowing the faintest hint of amusement to shine through her gaze. Tamara's heart dropped. What was Mildred smiling about? Could she… No—no way! Everything that happened today had been carefully planned. She had barely seen the world and probably hadn't even figured out what was going on yet. There was no way Tamara could mess this up! Besides, even if something did go wrong, her brothers would cover for her. Nothing serious could possibly come of it. At that thought, Tamara visibly relaxed. She took a seat beside Mildred and picked up an orange. "At last, you're free from the engagement, and Kieran's found hope. You don't have to thank me, though." Mildred wore a subtle smile. "Oh, no, the credit's all yours." Tamara took a bite of the orange and frowned. "Oof, that's surprisingly bitter. That reminds me—didn't you tell me to contribute something to the family and bring Kieran the miracle doctor? I finally did… "Of course, you don't have to be worried. Although I uncovered the miracle doctor, I wouldn't dare to fight anything you had in this family. All I want is for us to get along well. "So, will you finally stop making things hard for me, Mildred?" Seeing how Tamara had regained her usual spirit, Nox felt a great improvement in his mood. "You should learn from Tammy, Mildred." Kieran added, "This is all thanks to Tammy. Otherwise, I think I would've given up on my legs by now." At that, Arthur was so pissed he nearly clawed the couch to pieces. These Ginger fools couldn't tell a pearl from a fake, yet acted like they had won the lottery! Didn't Mildred say everything at the bridal boutique was in accordance? So, why hadn't the "evidence" shown up yet? All he wanted at that moment was to slam the proof right in Tamara's face. "Calm down…" Mildred uttered softly. Everyone was startled. Tamara asked, "Who are you talking to?" At that moment, the familiar sound of a car pulled up outside. Mildred had heard that sound countless times, and each time, she would eagerly run out to greet its owner. In this life, too, he had returned from abroad on this very day. She curved her lips into a gentle smile and looked toward the foyer. A man in a sharp suit stepped inside, weary from travel, his eyes filled with both urgency and nervousness. "Mildred? Where's my darling daughter?" The Ginger siblings were stunned. "Dad? Why did you return in advance?" Their father, Julian Ginger, replied, "What do you mean? I couldn't wait to return as soon as you told me you found Mildred! Where's Mil…" As soon as his gaze landed on the young woman sitting quietly on the couch, eating an orange, he was stunned. "M-Mildred? It's me, Dad…" Even having lived through it once before, Mildred's heart still trembled at those words. She clenched the orange peel in her hand, stood up, and forced a tight smile. "Dad." "Oh my!" Julian wailed, his eyes red from overwhelming emotion. "You look frail. I'm sorry; I should've found you sooner. You must've had it hard out there, haven't you? Are you settling in fine at home?" Jealousy brewed inside Tamara as she watched Julian doting on Mildred. "Dad, we have guests here!" It was only then that Julian noticed Arthur and Margaret. "Mrs. Luzon Senior? Arthur? Did something happen? Why does everyone look so grim?" At the same time, the owner of the bridal boutique had rushed over. "Mr. Luzon, we've got what you needed!"