Chapter 177

"You know Cedric better than I do. I believe, without his help, you can still find a workaround." Leroy wanted to persuade Scarlett to act better than what the circumstances allowed instead of relying on Cedric. That man was clearly scheming up something. Leroy didn't want to gamble on it or be easily swayed by his few words. Scarlett stared at Leroy, saying nothing for a long time. They looked at each other in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Scarlett asked coldly. "Leroy, are you looking down on me? Do you think I'm not capable of managing Payne Group?" When he heard this, Leroy was taken aback. He hadn't implied that at all. Why would Scarlett think so? "I'm not doubting your ability. If you think what I said was wrong, then I'll stop." Leroy turned to leave, but Scarlett suddenly let out a sigh. "Leroy, stay. I have something I want to ask you. I met with Cedric. Doesn't that make you angry at all?" A flicker of anticipation appeared in Scarlett's eyes. The emotions she had been suppressing were swelling up now. In the quiet study room, her face remained cold, but internally, she felt conflicted. Looking at the man she had lived with for three years, Scarlett had recently felt an urge to understand Leroy more. She wanted to know everything about him. But Leroy frowned, thinking that Scarlett was probing his reaction to Cedric. "Scarlett, that's your personal life. I don't have any right to interfere. Cedric only talked to me about Payne Group and wanted me to persuade you. I'm just worried that this collaboration might go wrong, thus I tried to warn you." Leroy deliberately kept a distance. He didn't want Scarlett to misunderstand. "Leroy, are you really this heartless? Do you really have no feelings for this place at all?" Scarlett initially wanted to talk about herself, but she ended up mentioning the villa instead. Her pride wouldn't let her succumb, especially not in front of Leroy. Scarlett didn't want him to have the upper hand. Leroy merely nodded. His gaze was cold. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Scarlett, and she could only grit her teeth in response. "Get out." Leroy was confused about her sudden outburst of anger. He thought it was because of her meeting with Cedric earlier. As he left the study, Leroy glanced at the villa. It was still the place he felt most familiar with, but it wasn't his home. Suddenly, his phone rang. Leroy answered immediately. Zoe's anxious voice came through. "Leroy, where are you? A patient is in a critical condition. You need to come and take a look." Zoe's anxious tone made Leroy worried. After a brief exchange, he headed straight to the hospital. When he arrived, however, Zoe stopped him in the hallway. "Leroy, don't rush. There's something I need to tell you first." Leroy was puzzled. What was Zoe trying to say? "I called you without anyone knowing. The director and the others are still discussing the surgery. "The patient was in a car accident. Luckily, it's just an issue with their legs. However..." Before she could finish, Leroy interrupted her. "There are plenty of doctors who can handle this. If you're calling me, then there must be something specific about this patient." Leroy cut straight to the point. Zoe nodded and hesitated before speaking. "The patient is Yvonne. She just came out of surgery an hour ago, but she's still unconscious."