Chapter 111

The next day, Isabel went to the hospital to visit John. She had spent the morning in her private basement lab, working on new medications. These drugs were illegal and could not be sold commercially; she primarily used them for herself or, in critical cases, for patients at Elysian Hospital. This clandestine practice was the unspoken secret behind Elysian's remarkable success in treating terminal illnesses.

Isabel instructed the nurse to administer the medication to John, who was soon to be discharged. By noon, as she left the hospital, a car was parked by the roadside, its occupant seemingly waiting for her. A middle-aged man emerged and greeted her politely. "Ms. Clyde, hello."

"Are you sent by Mrs. Yolanda Yates?" Isabel asked.

The man smiled. "How did you know?"

Isabel replied, "I saw you at the Yates residence last time."

The man was surprised. He had believed his presence at the Yates residence was unnoticed. Isabel's sharp observation impressed him. He admitted, "You have a good memory. Mrs. Yolanda Yates sent me. She wants to invite you for a chat."

"Sure," Isabel said, entering the car.

The man was pleased by the ease of the encounter. They soon arrived at the Yates residence. Isabel followed him inside.

"Ms. Clyde, please wait here a moment while I inform Mrs. Yolanda Yates," the man said.

"Alright," Isabel replied, looking around the room. The view was lovely; it would be a perfect spot for coffee. She recalled Yolanda's apparent fondness for coffee, noting the faint aroma she had detected during her previous visit.

Suddenly, a voice called from behind. "Isabel, how's it going?"

Isabel turned to see Zack, Blake's younger brother.

"Mr. Zack Yates," Isabel greeted him politely.

Zack smiled. "Isabel, you can just call me Zack. Blake's not around, so what brings you here? I'm just curious, don't get me wrong."

Isabel replied, "I was invited by Mrs. Yolanda Yates."

"My mom! What's she up to now?" Zack wondered. "Isabel, don't worry, my mom is actually very nice. She might seem strict, but she's not like that behind closed doors," Zack reassured her.

Isabel offered a wry smile. She suspected Yolanda's kindness was reserved solely for Zack, judging by her treatment of Blake.

"By the way, did you get the flowers I sent? Do you like them?" Zack asked.

Isabel was startled. Could this third bouquet of blue lilies be from Zack? Why would he send her flowers?

Zack explained, "Isabel, don't get me wrong. I owed you a gift last time, and I couldn't think of anything else, so I sent flowers. Don't all girls like flowers?"

Isabel thought, Is he really that naive? A brother sending flowers to his brother's wife!

At that moment, the middle-aged man returned. "Ms. Clyde, Mrs. Yolanda Yates is asking you to come in."

"Mr. Zack Yates, I'll go ahead," Isabel said.

"Alright," Zack replied.

Zack, only a year younger than Blake, possessed a strikingly innocent smile, a stark contrast to Blake's seriousness. Isabel found the Yates family utterly perplexing. After Isabel's meeting with Yolanda, Zack called Blake. "Blake, Isabel was invited to our house by Mom. Did you—"

"What did you say?" Blake interrupted, shocked, during a company meeting.

"Isabel was invited to our house by Mom," Zack repeated.

Blake said, "I'll be right back."

"Blake, don't rush. Mom probably just wants to talk to her. After all, she is your fiancée," Zack tried to calm him.

Blake had already hung up. Zack murmured, "Looks like Blake really cares about Isabel."

In the conference room, Blake announced, "The meeting is over."

Timothy slammed the table. "Blake, what do you mean? The meeting is only halfway done, and you're just leaving. What kind of attitude is—"

Blake glared at Timothy. "I'm the CEO. I make the decisions here. You, as vice president, should follow orders. Meeting adjourned."

Furious, Timothy vowed to report Blake to Thomas.

Blake immediately left for the Yates residence, deeply worried about Isabel. He knew Yolanda all too well.

In the coffee room, Isabel found Yolanda skillfully making coffee. Yolanda, born into a scholarly family, had inherited their elegance and refinement. Yet, Isabel couldn't comprehend why such a refined woman married Thomas, seemingly settling for the role of a mistress.

The coffee aroma filled the air, but Isabel sensed an unsettling atmosphere. "I wonder what you want with me, Mrs. Yolanda Yates?" she asked.

Yolanda ignored her, continuing to fuss with the coffee. Isabel waited, then remarked internally, What a show! She harbored no affection for Yolanda's condescending demeanor.

"Since you don't want to talk, I'll take my leave," Isabel said, turning to go.

"Stop! Do you have any manners at all?" Yolanda finally spoke.

Isabel thought, The one without manners is her! "Mrs. Yolanda Yates, just say what you want," Isabel said, losing patience. If not for Yolanda being Blake's mother, she would have left long ago.

"Sit down," Yolanda said contemptuously.

Isabel sat. Yolanda poured her a cup of coffee. "Taste my coffee. Is it good? Blake and Zack, as well as their father, all love my coffee."

Isabel frowned, unconvinced. She remembered Blake's aversion to coffee at the Calvez residence. Yolanda's confidence seemed misplaced.

"The coffee isn't that good, Mrs. Yolanda Yates, just get to the point," Isabel said.

Yolanda glanced at Isabel—the first person to criticize her coffee—then placed a card before her.

"What's this?" Isabel asked, already suspecting its purpose. It resembled scenes from novels where the male lead's family attempted to buy off the female lead.

Yolanda said, "There are three million dollars. Take it and leave Blake."