Chapter 408
Project Azureveil was a massive complex, and the hospital inside only served its members and government leaders.
When Maggie woke up, she found herself in a spacious, luxurious hospital room and was a bit confused.
“Maggie, you’re awake. Are you hungry?” Kayla asked.
“I’m not hungry. My leg…” Maggie said.
“You’re healing up nicely. Once you’re out of here, you’ll be able to walk again in just a few days,” Kayla replied.
“Really? That fast?” Maggie was surprised.
Maggie was absolutely delighted, her eyes sweeping around the room. “This hospital looks really fancy.”
“Of course it is,” Kayla replied.
“So, which hospital is this?” Maggie asked.
“Just let it go. This place is kind of top secret. We’re not allowed to talk about it to anyone outside,” Kayla said.
Maggie instantly clammed up, not daring to ask another word.
Lunova was full of secrets and places they couldn’t talk about openly.
This place was so high-end, and the care was top-notch. It had to be reserved for the top brass.
Maggie thought, ‘Kayla even managed to pull off this kind of connection just to help me get better. That’s really moving!’
“Kayla, thank you…” Maggie said.
“It’s nothing,” Kayla replied.
Kayla ladled out some soup and tried to help Maggie eat.
Maggie was too embarrassed to act all high and mighty, so she quickly insisted, “No, no, I can do it myself.”
Since Maggie could handle it, Kayla didn’t insist. Besides, she wasn’t exactly used to waiting on people anyway.
Suddenly, her phone rang, and the name “Joyce” flashed on the screen.
Maggie frowned and sneaked a peek at Kayla.
“Go ahead and answer it. Don’t mind me,” Kayla said, clearly amused.
Kayla couldn’t help but think, ‘Seriously, which one of us is the senior?’
Maggie put it on speaker, and Joyce’s voice came through in her usual sugary tone. “Maggie…”
“Cut it out. We’re not godfamily anymore,” Maggie said, not amused.
Joyce quickly changed her tune. “Mrs. Prescott.”
Maggie was speechless. ‘Ugh, that sounds awful,’ she thought.
“Don’t ever call me again. I don’t want to see you, and I definitely don’t want to hear your voice,” Maggie snapped.
“Mrs. Prescott, I just wanted to return the necklace to you,” Joyce replied sweetly.
Maggie’s finger, which had been about to hang up, hesitated in midair. She shot a guilty look at Kayla.
The necklace was a Prescott family heirloom, but Maggie had let herself be sweet-talked by Joyce back then and ended up giving it away.
She still hadn’t dared breathe a word of this to Betty or Raymond. If she could somehow get the necklace back, that would be a lifesaver.
She thought, ‘Once I get it back, I’ll just give it to Kayla.’
“My leg’s still hurt, you know that. Just have someone drop it off at the Prescott house,” Maggie said.
Joyce immediately picked up on that. “You’re not home, Mrs. Prescott?”
Maggie shot back, “Thanks to you, I’m back in the hospital again.”
“Oh, which hospital are you in? I’ll come see you and bring the necklace over,” Joyce said.
Since it was on speaker, Kayla could hear everything loud and clear.
She shook her head at Maggie.
Project Azureveil wasn’t an average hospital. No random person could just stroll in here.
Maggie quickly said, “No need. I’ll have someone pick it up.”
“Then just have Kayla come get it,” Joyce replied.
Kayla raised an eyebrow, keeping her cool and not reacting.
Maggie, not really overthinking it, figured the necklace was going to Kayla anyway, so she agreed.
After they set a time, Maggie said to Kayla, “I didn’t actually want to give her the necklace that day. She basically forced me.”
“It’s fine. I don’t care,” Kayla replied.
It was just a jade necklace. Kayla had way better stuff lying around.
“Honestly, I already regretted it back then. I had Joyce tell that woman to get an abortion, and to keep it quiet so none of you would find out…” Maggie explained, her voice trailing off.
Kayla just listened in silence.
Joyce was honestly out of her mind. She’d gotten pregnant by some guy just to be his mistress, and then he went and spread their bedroom drama everywhere.
None of it had anything to do with Tuff.
So Kayla honestly couldn’t care less.
She thought, ‘Joyce can go crazy as she likes.’
But she still listened patiently to Maggie’s rambling.
Up north, winter days were so short that it was already dark by five.
Kayla showed up at the café just like they’d agreed.
Around dinner time, the café was nearly empty. Joyce sat alone by the window, nursing a cup of coffee.
Kayla thought to herself, ‘Who meets at a café at dinner time? Is she nuts?’
She walked over and took a seat across from Joyce, not bothering with any formalities. “So, where’s the necklace?”
“You do care, don’t you, Kayla?” Joyce teased.
That question came out of nowhere and left Kayla baffled.
She didn’t bother responding, just said, “I’m here to get the necklace back for Maggie.”
“The Prescott family heirloom is only passed down to the next Mrs. Prescott…” Joyce said, pulling the necklace out of her bag but keeping it in her hand.
She cradled it in her palm, tracing her fingers over it like she couldn’t bear to let it go.
She was clearly reluctant to hand it over.
Kayla shook her head scornfully.
“How much would it take for you to leave Tuff?” Joyce suddenly asked.
Kayla scoffed. “Three billion dollars. You got that kind of money lying around?”
Joyce was speechless.
The Lambert family was only middle-class in Lunova. Joyce couldn’t even scrape together 38 million dollars, let alone over three billion.
Joyce smirked. “Well, Kayla, what about you?”
“Give me three billion dollars, and I’ll leave Tuff. I’ll never show my face around you guys again,” Joyce said.
Kayla burst out laughing.
Kayla tapped her temple. “If you’re nuts, go see a doctor. Don’t let it get any worse.”
“You’re the nuts!” Joyce shot back, her voice rising. “Admit it, you just can’t stand to part with your money.”
“I’ve got plenty of money, but why on earth would I give any to you?” Kayla retorted. “If my in-laws asked, I’d definitely give it to them. They raised Tuff, after all. But who do you think you are, trying to use his name to squeeze money out of me?”
Joyce was momentarily speechless.
But remembering what she’d been told, she stubbornly pressed on, “Just give me the money, and I’ll stop bothering you guys.”
“If you’ve got nothing better to do, go ahead and keep pestering us. Honestly, even if you live to ninety, you still wouldn’t be worth three billion dollars,” Kayla said, holding out her hand. “Hand over the necklace.”
Kayla expected Joyce to put up a fight.
But to her surprise, Joyce actually handed it over.
Kayla immediately grew wary.
Just as her hand was about to touch the necklace, Joyce suddenly grabbed her coffee and flung it right at Kayla’s face.
Kayla reflexively dodged, but then something hard jabbed into her side.
It was a gun.
Slowly, Kayla turned her head to see a masked figure with chilling blue eyes glaring at her.
“Kayla, I gave you a chance. Three billion dollars…” Joyce said with a mocking smile, setting the necklace on the table before standing up to leave.
She was seated inside, so to get out, she had to walk right past Kayla.
Kayla seized the moment and, without hesitation, landed a stinging slap right across Joyce’s face.
Joyce was completely caught off guard, and the force of the slap sent her sprawling to the floor, stars dancing in her vision.
“You… you actually hit me?” Joyce shrieked.
Joyce screamed in pain.
Kayla stomped down hard on Joyce’s calf, grinding her heel in without mercy.
Joyce heard her own bone snap.
Joyce’s face went pale with shock. “How… How dare you?”
The blue-eyed guy’s gun was still jammed against Kayla’s waist. ‘Is she not afraid of death?’ Joyce thought in disbelief.
“Alright, let’s get out of here,” Kayla said, letting out a heavy sigh as she ran her fingers through her hair, giving the blue-eyed guy a nod.
Joyce’s eyes practically popped out of her head.
What really pissed her off was that the blue-eyed guy didn’t even stand up for her. He just followed Kayla’s lead and walked out.
She thought, ‘Wait, he’s actually leaving?’
Joyce sat on the floor, howling in pain.
None of the café staff dared to get involved. They just hid behind the counter and called the cops.