Chapter 8

If Nimbus Group ranked itself among the top ten companies in Astoria, the Lockwood family was in a league of its own. Their family alone was wealthier than the combined net worth of the top ten families in Astoria. Gregory frowned, confusion flickering in his eyes. "I thought the Lockwood family was never interested in pharmaceuticals. Why would they suddenly acquire Solvance Pharmaceuticals?" Callum spread his hands and shrugged. "No idea. Maybe the industry just looked too tempting to pass up. No one ever turns down a bigger slice of the pie." With that, Callum checked the time and stood up to leave. At the door, he turned back to remind Gregory, "Right. Don't forget that Sebastian is flying back tonight. It's his birthday today, too. We're meeting at Weber's at 7:00 pm to welcome him back." Sebastian Lynch was one of Gregory's roommates back in college. Thus, there was no way Gregory could blow him off. After a few seconds of thought, Gregory picked up his phone and called the villa's landline. "Mr. Hart." Serena was the one who picked up the call. "Where's Mrs. Hart?" Gregory asked. "She's inside her room." "Put her on." The landline was connected straight to the phone in Cassandra's room, so all Serena needed to do was transfer the call. Gregory felt his patience wearing thin after waiting for about half a minute. In the past, Cassandra would pick up his call within seconds. Cassandra's voice sounded, "Gregory, what's up?" Gregory asked curtly, "What have you been busy with? Why did you take so long to answer the call?" Glancing at the silver needles prickling her legs, Cassandra didn't plan to hide it from him. "I'm trying some acupuncture. I'm hoping it helps my legs recover as soon as possible." Cassandra planned to continue acting blind, but she needed her legs to recover. Otherwise, all her future plans would be delayed. Born into a family of doctors, Cassandra had been holding needles ever since she started walking. Even without sight, finding the right acupoints was second nature to her. Gregory didn't question it. Instead, he went straight to the topic. "Tonight, I…" Suddenly, he paused and came up with a lie, saying, "I might work overtime tonight, so I'll be home late. Rest earlier. Don't wait up for me." Gregory didn't plan on informing Cassandra that he was meeting Sebastian and the others tonight. It was simply too troublesome. For years, Cassandra had tried hard to fit into his circle of friends. She even went as far as to memorize their birthdays and prepare their gifts a month in advance. However, her gifts were always modest, such as her carefully prepared herbal tonics and remedies. Yet to his friends, people used to luxury, their branded gifts only made hers seem out of place. Gregory still remembered the distaste in their eyes when Cassandra handed the herbs over. He knew that they looked down on her and her gifts. If she found out he was going to Sebastian's birthday party tonight, she'd insist on tagging along. And in her current state, she'd only make herself a target of their amusement. Yet, the last thing Cassandra could care about was him working overtime. She was more concerned about her kids. "How about Ashton and Noelle? I can go pick them up." Gregory glanced at the photo of their two children on his desk with an unreadable expression. "I just remembered they have two piano lessons after school today with an internationally renowned pianist. I'll have the driver take them. You just rest at home." Cassandra forced a smile. "Okay. Don't overwork yourself either. Once my legs recover, I'll head back to the company." She was the head of Nimbus Group's R&D department and the chief medical officer. Thus, she had to reclaim her career and pride. Yet to Gregory, her eagerness to return to the company was nothing more than a desire to please him. Gregory couldn't help but smile. Cassandra was still the same as ever, putting his needs first before anyone else's. A single praise or smile from him was all it took to keep her content. His tone softened. "As long as I'm still at the company, you'll always have a place there." Cassandra's stomach churned. She had earned the position through talent and three patented medical formulas. Yet, Gregory made it sound as if he were the one who gave her the position. She caught her indifferent and weary look in the mirror, yet her voice carried a false sweetness. "You're so good to me, Greg." Yet, the truth was far from it. No one knew that Cassandra, head of Nimbus Group's R&D department, earned only a single dollar a year. All because Gregory had said, "I just got promoted to general manager, so I need a flawless financial report to show the board. Can you help me out, Cass?" Just like that, she cut her own million-dollar salary. Gregory had been deeply moved back then. "Cass, what's mine is yours. I'll never let you worry about anything, especially over money." At the time, he'd even given her a supplementary credit card. Now, rummaging through the back of her closet, Cassandra found the card and called the bank to check. Yet, the person-in-charge's reply made her freeze. "The card was deactivated by Mr. Hart five years ago, ma'am." Cassandra stared at the useless piece of plastic in her hand, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. "So, this is what you meant by never letting me down, Gregory?" Gregory had completely betrayed her love and trust in him. Suddenly, her phone buzzed twice. Only one person would message her at this hour—Evelyn. Evelyn spoke, "Cass, I dug up what you asked about Olivia. It's super juicy! When should I give it to you?" Since Gregory wasn't returning tonight, Cassandra decided to take the chance to meet Evelyn. She replied, "Let's meet tonight at the same spot at Weber's."