Chapter 319

Dr. Charles gripped the steering wheel with one hand, veins bulging on his right. Blood still seeped from the wound on his left palm, staining the leather wrap.

He irritably tapped his Bluetooth earpiece and dialed a number.

"Speak." A hoarse yet authoritative voice came through.

Dr. Charles's eyes darkened instantly. "She insists she hasn't reconciled with Adrian."

"Hah. That woman..." The old man sneered. "She promised to leave Adrian forever if we found a liver donor. Now she's going back on her word!"

"But her tone didn't sound like she was lying."

"Not now doesn't mean never!" The voice sharpened. "You must keep getting closer to her. If she sees Adrian as Mr. Alistair's substitute, then we'll give her someone who resembles him even more!"

Dr. Charles frowned. "Do I... really resemble Mr. Alistair more than Adrian does?"

"Your face is less similar, but you must master his demeanor and speech. When Stella fell for him, she hadn't even seen his face. What does that tell you? She loves the soul!"

"But she shows no interest in me..."

"Then you're not convincing enough!" The old man snapped. "Use any means necessary to make her leave Adrian!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Dr. Charles's eyes. "Understood."

"What happened to your hand?"

"Cut by a knife. The left one."

Silence stretched for several seconds.

"...What a coincidence."

"What?"

"Nothing. Remember your mission."

Stella hugged Celeste tightly as the cold wind made her shiver. The remote location meant no taxis arrived even after ten minutes of waiting.

"Miss Valentine?"

Two rough-looking men suddenly blocked her path. Stella instinctively stepped back, shielding her daughter.

"Too important to remember us?" The taller one grinned. "At Mr. Rubenstein's place, we saw that heroic rescue firsthand."

William Rubenstein's men! Stella's chest tightened. "You've been following me?"

"Mr. Rubenstein said," the shorter one rubbed his hands, "either call your little lover here, or... spend the night with him." His lecherous gaze slid to Celeste. "Let the kid learn something too—"

"Shut up!" Stella snapped, pushing Celeste behind her.

The tall man suddenly lunged for Celeste. Stella twisted away, but the shorter one seized her wrist.

"Mommy!" Celeste cried, pounding the man's arm.

"You little brat!" The man raised his hand to strike.

Stella whirled around, shielding her daughter with her back.

The expected blow never came.

A dark figure flashed past. The man screamed as he was sent flying.

A matte gray helmet gleamed coldly under the sun. The black-clad rider scooped up both mother and child, settling them securely on his motorcycle.

"Knew you'd show!" The men pulled out knives with vicious smirks.

Adrian dodged the first blade, but the second grazed his neck, leaving a thin trail of blood.

Without hesitation, he revved the engine. The motorcycle shot forward like an arrow, vanishing around the corner in seconds.