Chapter 50
Standing outside Annie's door was Annie's attending physician, Dexter Whitaker. Dressed in a white lab coat, his face lit up with a warm smile, perfectly embodying the image of a skilled and compassionate young doctor.
He gently ruffled Annie's hair. "The weather's lovely today—perfect for discharge."
Annie's excitement bubbled over. "Dexter, can I really go home? Am I really allowed?"
The Whitaker family's legacy in alternative medicine was well-known. After Daxon brought Annie back, he bypassed other hospitals and went straight to Whitaker Medical Center. Dexter and Daxon's close friendship led Dexter to prioritize Annie's care.
"Of course," Dexter smiled warmly. "The nurse is handling your paperwork. Just relax and watch some TV."
Daxon, sitting nearby, seemed hesitant. He gestured for Dexter to step outside for a private conversation. They left the room and headed to Dexter's office.
"Dexter, you said Annie's back injury was serious. Isn't discharge a bit premature?" Daxon's concern was evident. He'd seen the extensive bruising—nearly covering her entire back, worst around her lower back, where deep, sunken bruises lingered.
Leaning against his desk, Dexter casually picked up an X-ray, pointing to Annie's lower back. "Her injury stems from years of physical abuse; it's chronic and requires ongoing care."
Daxon's lips tightened. He felt that simply removing Annie from her abusers wasn't sufficient punishment. Most would be intimidated by his brooding silence, but Dexter, a childhood friend from one of the four prominent families, remained unfazed.
"Alright, alright," Dexter playfully punched Daxon's shoulder. "Finding and bringing her back is a huge blessing. We'll handle the rest later. Still, it's better than what happened to our family…" His warm smile faded, replaced by a sigh.
Daxon's heart stirred. "Still no news about your aunt?"
Unlike Annie, who was abducted as a child, Victoria Whitaker disappeared as an adult, despite having bodyguards. A reported car accident claimed the bodyguards' lives, yet Victoria vanished without a trace—a pregnant woman, no less.
"You didn't go to Mereida? You heard nothing?" Dexter's anxiety was palpable. The Whitaker family had spent over a decade searching, recently hearing a possible sighting in Mereida.
Their background in alternative medicine meant most family members were always busy—surgeries, lectures, or international exchanges. When Daxon mentioned his Mereida trip to audit a company, Dexter asked him to inquire about Victoria. This was Dexter's sixth attempt to get an update.
Daxon shook his head. "Sorry. Nothing."
Dexter slumped back, disappointment evident. "I wonder how that little girl's doing…"
Before Annie's discovery, Dexter found solace in the Harrison family's similar loss. Now, with the Harrison heiress's return and Victoria's continued absence, his despair deepened with each sight of Annie.
After a pause, Daxon asked, "I heard your aunt was pregnant. How did you know the baby was a girl?" He wondered if the family's desire for a granddaughter influenced their certainty.
Dexter looked at him blankly. "Did you forget what we Whitakers do? We run hospitals. Pregnant women have monthly checkups. Ultrasound reveals gender easily, and my aunt's medical skills are impeccable." He realized the question's absurdity.
Daxon simply asked, "Feeling better?" To his surprise, Dexter's mood noticeably improved.
Dexter stood, playfully punching Daxon. "Trying to cheer me up, huh?"
Daxon nodded silently. A comfortable silence settled between them.
A warm breeze drifted in through the slightly open window, lifting the curtains and carrying the warmth of the day, a welcome contrast to the hospital's usual chill.
Daxon looked out, thinking Dexter was right—the weather was perfect for discharge. While Daxon felt relaxed, Dexter remained burdened by Victoria and the baby's disappearance.
Then, a new email arrived, further depressing Dexter. "Daxon, you're auditing Sunrise Pharmaceuticals, right?"
Dexter's voice jolted Daxon from his reverie. Seeing Dexter's distress, Daxon leaned in, reading a failed product test report from Whitaker Medical Center's pharmaceutical warehouse. His brow furrowed.
"Sunrise's production manager embezzled funds and passed off substandard products. The general manager addressed it. It's likely a logistics problem. Leave the medication; I'll have it destroyed," Daxon said.
The Whitaker family, while prominent in alternative medicine, didn't produce all their drugs in-house. Many were imported or sourced from other pharmaceutical groups. Daxon's Mereida trip stemmed from Sunrise Pharmaceuticals' substandard drugs.
The Whitakers and Harrisons' longstanding relationship meant Dexter didn't want this issue to strain their bond. He asked Daxon to investigate, while Dexter would destroy the faulty drugs.
Although Daxon could've delegated the investigation, he personally led the audit team, discovering the problem originated with a production manager named Giles. The investigation revealed a trail from the finance department's allocation of funds to the purchasing department, then the materials' delivery to the production workshop, ultimately culminating in Giles's actions.