The girl was dressed in casual attire, with her long hair cascading down her back.
When she and Lewis descended the stairs, the car on their side of the parking lot was already waiting in front of them.
The girl and Lewis jumped into the car, and it immediately drove away.
Uncle Olsen, however, watched the direction in which the car disappeared, his gaze fixated.
Since the parking lot was quite far from the entrance, he hadn't gotten a clear look at Keira's face, but her bamboo-like demeanor made him recognize instantly that she must be Jodie South's daughter.
He stood there, transfixed as they drove away until the car had left the hospital and could no longer be seen, only then did he retract his gaze.
Seeing him in a daze, Ellis couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Olsen, what's wrong?"
Uncle Olsen quietly sighed. "It's nothing."
Ellis nodded. "The doctors have checked Mrs. Olsen, and they all say there's nothing to worry about. Mrs. Olsen's fainting was due to excessive anxiety and concern, and this time her fainting spell was her body's way of protecting itself. They said to let her rest well, which is why she hasn't woken up yet. There's no danger to her life, so are you going back to Clance now, or will you stay here for a few more days?"
Uncle Olsen pursed his lips upon hearing this.
He had known for a while that Jodie South was okay, hence he had planned to stand up for her daughter and then quietly leave.
But that one glance had stirred something within him.
He had an intuition that he wanted to meet Jodie South's daughter.
As for why, he didn't know.
Perhaps because he had promised Jodie South that they would never meet again in this life, so he wanted to catch a glimpse of her from her daughter?
Thinking this, Uncle Olsen looked at Ellis. "Let's stay in Oceanion for a few days."
"Then I'll stay with you. This place is quite fun."
...
Keira didn't care about Uncle Olsen and Ellis's affairs.
The car sped along the road and soon returned to the Horton residence. As soon as they parked, Lewis hurriedly pushed the car door open and rushed into old Mrs. Horton's courtyard.
Keira was a bit slower, and by the time she got inside, she saw Nathan, Oliver, Melissa, and Jake were already there.
Seeing Lewis, Nathan was the first to burst out. "The old lady always doted on you the most, but where were you when she was unwell?! All you do is hover around this woman every day. Do you think that's fair to the old lady?" fršš²š°ebnovšš„.šošŗ
Lewis clenched his jaw, well aware that this accusation was unfair, but he wasn't in the mood to argue. Instead, he entered the bedroom and looked at old Mrs. Horton, who was asleep on the bed.
Following him in, Keira saw the normally vigorous little old lady now lying there, quietly asleep and breathing steadily. She and Lewis then finally let out a sigh of relief.
The two quietly left the bedroom and came outside.
Lewis asked the family doctor, "How is Granny now?"
The family doctor had just examined old Mrs. Horton and replied immediately, "Mr. Horton, the old lady's condition... has worsened. She's stable for now, but I'm afraid she may not make it through the year."
The doctors had made this conclusion long ago, so none of the family members were surprised by these words.
There were still two months left until the New Year...
Lewis clenched his fists, his eyes reddening slightly.
Keira stepped forward, intending to comfort him when he was already looking back at the family doctor. "Is there any other option?"
The doctor was Lewis's confidant and began to speak upon hearing this. "The matter you've always asked me to inquire about has shown some promise. Nora's lab released a drug a few days ago, which is currently in the clinical trial phase. Their lab in Clance is recruiting patients, and this drug is so far the best specific cure... If the old Mrs. Horton could make use of it, she might be able to pull through this tough spot, but..."
Lewis's eyes darkened. "But what?"
The doctor sighed. "The volunteers they recruit for treatment, who are generally treated for free as part of the experiment, are required to stay in their designated hospital. Old Mrs. Horton is no longer suitable for travel, and the long journey from Oceanion to Clance aside, Clance's environment might also not suit her. Moreover, the patients they recruit are typically younger; at 86, the old lady no longer holds any experimental value, and essentially no lab would be willing to accept her."
Lewis tightened his jaw. "Then acquire their biotech company!"
At these words, Oliver couldn't help but say, "Lewis, aren't you being a bit too arrogant? Nora is from Divall Biomedical Technology in M country, which is a top pharmaceutical company internationally. Even if the Horton family has the capital to acquire it, they wouldn't let you buy them out!"
Lewis glanced at him coldly.
He had sent people to make contact in order to get that specific drug.
Over the years, he established some influence abroad, and with enough money and pressure from his power, they had already loosened their stanceāonly, Nora held forty percent of the shares in their company, and her agreement was needed to proceed with the acquisition.
But Nora was elusive, and he hadn't been able to make contact with her.
As long as she signed the papers, the acquisition could succeed.
Without further comment, Lewis looked again at the family doctor. "Acquiring their company might not be feasible in time. I don't care how you do it, but you must get the medicine for Grandma!"
The family doctor lowered his head. "Yes."
Keira's expression flickered upon seeing this.
She didn't want to reveal that she was Nora because several overseas tech companies had taken an interest in her abilities and were intent on poaching her.
Those people were ruthless and unprincipled. Keira didn't want to get involved with them, so she continued to hide her identity.
Keira said, "I know about this. I've submitted grandma's case to the research institute in Clance..."
She hadn't finished speaking when Oliver interrupted her. "What use is mass application? Didn't you hear from the family doctor just now? Grandma is 86 years old and holds no value for any experiment. I heard that the research institute isn't easy to persuade; many powerful and influential families couldn't get a spot even under pressure, and our family has no connections in Clance. All these years, because Lewis refused to cooperate with Clance, we have little understanding of it... Lewis, it all comes down to you being at fault!"
Lewis's gaze turned frosty. "What did you say?"
Nathan sneered. "Is what your older brother said wrong? If you could put aside your so-called pride and approach your mother to open up the Clance market for the Horton family, we wouldn't be in such a passive situation now!"
Oliver then looked at Keira. "And you, submitting your resume to a Clance research institute? What's the use of that? You might as well go beg the Clance Olsen Family... perhaps they'd have a way!"
Keira sneered back. "How do you know it's useless?"