CHAPTER 152: CHAPTER 152: SHE REALLY IS STILL ALIVE

After buying the medicine, Serena Sawyer returned to the car, looked at the man in the passenger seat who was already asleep, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

After tonight, this man would never escape her grasp again.

Thinking of this, her mood became increasingly excited, and she couldn’t help speeding up.

Once home, she struggled to help the drunken man into the bedroom and onto the bed.

Timothy Xavier still had his eyes closed, muttering something incoherent.

When Serena leaned closer, she heard him mumbling the words "Zoe, Zoe."

Suddenly, her hand was grabbed by Timothy Xavier.

The man frowned, seemingly in pain: "Zoe, I know I was wrong, please don’t leave me! Don’t go, okay?"

Serena’s eyes instantly turned cold, her nails digging deep into her palm.

But soon, she quickly suppressed that wave of jealousy.

No matter, once she successfully carried his child, Zoe Ellison would never have another chance.

Suppressing the jealousy within her, she turned to pour a glass of water, took out a pill, and coaxed softly, "I won’t leave you. Come, take this hangover medicine first."

Half drunk and half awake, Timothy Xavier swallowed the pill.

Serena Sawyer curled her lips, revealing a determined smile.

She then opened a cabinet and took out a high-definition camera.

This was something she used in the past with Declan Ellison, to seek thrills.

Now, using it on Timothy Xavier was just perfect.

Having finally seized this opportunity, she couldn’t let it slip.

Not only did she plan to conceive his child tonight, but also leave enough evidence.

Photos, videos, recordings—once she had these in hand, even if Timothy Xavier tried to back out later, she would have a way to make him comply.

Coming out from the bathroom after a shower, the drugs seemed to have started working.

Serena Sawyer sat by the bed, clinging to the irresistible man, murmuring softly, "Timothy Xavier, after tonight, you’ll never shake me off. Our fates, from now on, will be tightly bound together."

...

In the morning, the light of dawn seeped through the heavy curtains, casting a thin strip of light on the carpet.

Timothy Xavier woke up with a severe headache.

The dizziness of a hangover surged like a tide, making his throat dry and sore.

Instinctively, he moved, unexpectedly touching a patch of warm skin, and instantly sat up in shock.

Beside him, Serena Sawyer lay naked, her body covered with kiss marks of varying depths, her long black hair scattered on the pillow, sleeping soundly.

Timothy Xavier’s brow furrowed deeply.

The fragmented memories clashed in his mind, flashing by scene after scene, yet he couldn’t piece together a complete picture.

He stared at the marks on Serena Sawyer’s body, his face darkening inch by inch, the air around him chilling to the point it almost froze.

He admitted that the death of Zoe Ellison’s mother was Peter Sawyer’s fault and had nothing to do with Serena Sawyer.

But the reason Zoe was forced to release the video was ultimately Serena Sawyer’s livestream that stirred up trouble.

No matter Serena’s original intent, just seeing someone with the surname Sawyer made him inexplicably repulsed.

Just then, Serena Sawyer pretended to wake up with a confused expression.

"Why is this happening? Why am I here with you?" Timothy Xavier’s voice was as cold as ice, suppressing his anger.

Serena Sawyer suddenly acted aggrieved, fumbling to pick up her phone from the pillow.

She brought up the message from Zoe Ellison from last night, showing it to Timothy Xavier while choking up, "Timothy, last night Miss Ellison sent me a message, asking me to pick you up at The Ellison Family. You were very drunk and said you wanted to rest at my place. I originally intended to send you back to The Xavier Residence, but you wouldn’t let go of me, and when we arrived at my house, you just... just..."

Her tears flowed like a storm, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Timothy Xavier looked at the message from Zoe Ellison on the phone screen, then at the state Serena Sawyer was in, feeling a throbbing in his temple.

He wished he could slap himself.

He hadn’t even sought Zoe’s forgiveness yet, and now he’d messed up like this again!

After a long silence, he spoke, his voice full of apology, "I’m sorry, I drank too much last night and lost control. But you must keep this to yourself, absolutely no one can know, especially not Zoe. Whatever amount of money you need, or whatever compensation you want, you can tell me, and I’ll meet your demands."

"Timothy, how could you say something like that?"

Serena Sawyer suddenly raised her head, tears flowing even harder, "I was never with you for the money! I’ve already given you my whole self twice; I’m yours now. I have no other requests, just please don’t push me away, okay?"

Timothy Xavier was taken aback, looking at Serena Sawyer’s reddened eyes, suddenly feeling like he was dealing with a hot potato that wouldn’t let go.

He had indeed taken advantage of her and tarnished her honor, and by all accounts, he should bear the responsibility.

But in his heart, there was only Zoe Ellison, and he couldn’t possibly give Serena Sawyer any status.

He heaved a heavy sigh, explaining patiently, "Serena, Zoe and I will never divorce, that will never change. If you stay with me, you can only be a mistress in the shadows. With no status, you’ll endure many grievances. It’s not fair to you."

"I’m not afraid of grievances!"

Serena Sawyer suddenly lunged into his arms, holding him tightly, crying even more intensely, "Timothy, I’m really not afraid! I’ll obediently be the woman behind you, I won’t disturb you and Miss Ellison, nor will I cause you any trouble. I’m begging you, don’t push me away... Everyone else in the world has abandoned me. If you don’t want me either, I really don’t know what to do, what meaning is there in living?"

Her words pierced into Timothy Xavier’s heart like a thorn.

He suddenly recalled Serena Sawyer’s previous suicide attempt, feeling a sense of fear inside.

"Calm down, Serena."

Timothy Xavier quickly patted her back to soothe her, his tone softening, "This matter... we’ll discuss it thoroughly later. But you must promise me, no third person can know about this, especially not Zoe, understand?"

"I understand!"

Serena Sawyer immediately nodded, burying her face in his chest, her voice with a sobbing tone, yet her eyes couldn’t hide the smugness.

She knew that Timothy Xavier’s sense of responsibility would never truly abandon her.

Of course, she had already prepared a backup plan.

In the drawer of the nightstand, that miniature camera was still lying there quietly, clearly recording everything from last night.

If Timothy Xavier regretted it in the future and refused to acknowledge what happened, she would throw this evidence in his face.

By then, whatever demands she made, Timothy Xavier would have no choice but to comply obediently.

Thinking this, Serena Sawyer’s hand slowly slid down the texture of Timothy Xavier’s muscles, only to have her wrist suddenly gripped by Timothy Xavier.

The man’s deep eyes showed a hint of displeasure, immediately picking up the clothes beside the bed to dress himself calmly.

Serena Sawyer really wanted to have another round this morning, but clearly, Timothy Xavier wasn’t in the mood at all.

He hastily dressed, leaving behind a sentence: "Take a good rest, I’ll be going first."

He almost turned around immediately as if something scorching was chasing him from behind.

It wasn’t until he was in the elevator that Timothy Xavier let out a long sigh of relief.

The numbers on the elevator dropped one by one, Timothy Xavier’s fingers unconsciously rubbing the phone case.

Just then, he suddenly remembered something, and immediately called Serena Sawyer.

Serena Sawyer was on the bed watching the video from last night with Timothy Xavier.

Receiving Timothy Xavier’s call, her tone carried a hint of excitement, thinking that Timothy couldn’t let her go.

But unexpectedly, the man’s tone was tense, saying, "Don’t forget to take Plan B, getting pregnant would harm your health."

There was silence on the other end of the call for a few seconds, then Serena Sawyer’s voice came, as compliant as a kitten: "I’ll do whatever Timothy tells me."

In a place Timothy Xavier couldn’t see, Serena Sawyer nearly ground her molars to pieces.

Timothy Xavier didn’t notice anything unusual, and the burden in his heart finally eased.

Then, he transferred two million as pocket money to Serena Sawyer.

Hoping that this could slightly compensate her a little and reduce his own guilt.

After all, it was her greedy parents and trouble-making brother who did wrong, and those messes shouldn’t have fallen on her shoulders.

In the end, she is just an innocent person burdened by her family.

Timothy Xavier suddenly remembered that this morning Serena Sawyer told him it was Zoe Ellison who asked her to go to The Ellison Family to pick him up last night.

So, did Zoe Ellison deliberately do this knowing that he might get involved with Serena Sawyer after getting drunk?

Thinking of this, Timothy Xavier felt a faint pain in his heart.

Where did the woman who once cared about him, who had eyes full of him, go?

...

Meanwhile.

I just dropped the kids off at kindergarten.

The phone lay quietly inside the bag.

Since leaving The Ellison Family last night, I haven’t received any information about Timothy Xavier.

Sure enough, only Serena Sawyer can really handle him.

This rare peace made me feel much more at ease.

But on my way home from work in the evening, I always felt as if someone was watching me from behind.

I deliberately slowed my pace, quickly scanning the area diagonally behind me with the corner of my eye, but found nothing.

I don’t know if I’m just overthinking it.

As I pushed open the living room door, I heard the old lady on the phone getting angry.

"I had to say so much to convince her to stay another week! There are only a few days left, and if you don’t come back to make her happy, I won’t care about your affairs anymore!"

Before she finished speaking, the old lady saw me entering and suddenly paused.

The anger on her face instantly faded, replaced by a slightly awkward smile: "Zoe, you’re back? It’s that scoundrel Julian Sinclair, always making me upset!"

From the way the old lady spoke, Julian Sinclair should still be angry with me, so he didn’t give the old lady any face either.

Actually, after that dispute, I pondered over it for quite a while.

It was no wonder he misunderstood, seeing me cry over something that once belonged to Timothy Xavier.

If he is willing to come back, I must explain the situation clearly and not let this misunderstanding deepen.

So, instead of avoiding mentioning Julian Sinclair’s name like the past two days, I actively asked the old lady: "Did he say when he’ll be back?"

The old lady’s eyes lit up, and she immediately put on a cheerful smile, leaning closer to tease me: "Missing him?"

Her question made my cheeks heat up, and I was too embarrassed to nod or shake my head, so I just vaguely turned my face away.

Seeing this, the old lady sighed lightly, her tone becoming more serious: "He only said that he’s abroad now, but he didn’t specify when he’d be back. Zoe, why don’t... you call him personally? I guarantee, if you make that call in the morning, he’ll fly back by the afternoon!"

I understood clearly, making a call essentially means whoever acts first concedes first.

But these two days, I’ve felt so uneasy that it’s unbearable.

It’s better to take this step rather than continue suffering.

Thinking of this, I lightly nodded, agreeing with the old lady.

I intended to take out my phone right then to dial, but the old lady pressed my hand down, whispering, "Don’t call now! Otherwise, he’ll think we’re desperate for him to come back! Wait until tomorrow and find a suitable time, just casually ask, and don’t be too soft, otherwise, he’ll get used to it, and who knows how he’ll behave later!"

Looking at the old lady’s appearance, both wanting to matchmake and afraid of me being wronged, I couldn’t help but smile and obediently nod.

Her comfort dispelled much of the gloom in my heart.

...

In a sterile lab abroad, the subtle sound of instruments at work was exceptionally clear.

Shaun Sinclair clutched a freshly printed examination report, striding quickly toward Julian Sinclair, unable to hide his excitement: "Julian, Eleanor Thorne pulled through!"

He handed over the report, his fingertips trembling slightly with excitement, "Look, now her heart and lung functions have stabilized. This proves that the new drug I developed is effective in the human body!"

Julian Sinclair took the report, his gaze falling on the critical indicators, gradually relaxing his long-tense nerves.

Back then, Shaun Sinclair couldn’t directly administer the new drug to Eleanor Thorne in the hospital.

The drug hadn’t even completed repeated clinical trials, and exposure would be a serious breach.

At that time in the hospital, after Shaun Sinclair’s resuscitation, Eleanor Thorne’s heartbeat barely returned, but she remained on the verge of death.

In desperation, Julian Sinclair could only gamble.

Now, it seems they had placed the right bet in this grand gamble.

"There’s more good news." Shaun Sinclair’s voice echoed again, carrying a hint of excitement, "Her brain waves showed abnormal fluctuations, completely different from a normal vegetative state..."

Julian Sinclair raised his eyes sharply, his gaze brightening with urgency: "What does this mean? Is it a good sign or a bad one?"

"It’s a good sign!" Shaun Sinclair explained, "This indicates that her brain nerves might be active, with the possibility of waking up! But we aren’t certain yet; I need to contact experts in this field for a consultation as soon as possible."

A trace of relieved smile finally appeared on Julian Sinclair’s tense face. He pressed his fingers against his brow, his tone full of gratitude: "Looks like this time, we really bet correctly."

"But you must remember, this matter must be absolutely confidential."

Shaun Sinclair’s expression suddenly turned serious, repeatedly cautioning, "We absolutely cannot let the outside world know that my new drug was used on Eleanor without formal clinical trials; otherwise, we’ll both land in big trouble!"

Julian Sinclair nodded solemnly, speaking firmly: "Rest assured, only you and I know about this, and no third person will find out."

Every word of their conversation was caught outside the lab doors by a pair of eyes hidden in the shadows, observing everything inside.

The woman gripping the recorder bit down slightly, curling her lips into a cold smile.

It was so effortless!

Then, she silently left with the evidence.

Just then, Julian Sinclair’s phone rang.

The words "Zoe Ellison" on the screen made the corners of his lips unconsciously curve upwards.

Pressing the answer button, the voice from the other end carried a bit of tentative caution: "Have you been busy lately?"

Such an awkward opening line, slightly embarrassing.

Julian Sinclair let out a faint "Mm" from his throat, but his tone subconsciously softened a bit, asking: "Do you need something?"

"Uh... yes..."

Zoe Ellison hesitated a moment.

She initially wanted to directly explain the reason why she had cried over the peace charm that day, but seeing Julian Sinclair’s reserved demeanor, it seemed like he was still sulking, not wanting to engage much in conversation.

The explanation on the tip of her tongue abruptly shifted: "When will you be back? I have something I want to talk with you about."

The phrase "talk with you" entering his ears, Julian Sinclair’s gaze slightly darkened.

His fingers slightly tightened, a hint of self-mockery flashing through his mind.

Is she going to talk about how their relationship is progressing too quickly and needs some distance? Or discuss how they should both calm down and pull the brakes on this relationship?

"I’ll be back tomorrow."

He just uttered those four words and decisively hung up the call, as if any second more, Zoe Ellison would say something he didn’t want to hear.

Shaun Sinclair, watching all this from the side, couldn’t help but tease, "It was Zoe, right? With that attitude, aren’t you pushing her away?"

Julian Sinclair raised his eyes, unhappily retorting: "Was my attitude that bad?"

"You don’t know yourself?"

Shaun Sinclair laughed helplessly, shaking his head, "Women need to be coaxed; with that cold demeanor, how do you plan to win her over?"

This comment hit a soft spot for Julian Sinclair.

He felt a slight discomfort on his face, stubbornly retorting: "I’ll have to learn from you on that, back then directly sweeping a female student off her feet. If you count it, she should even call me senior!"

Shaun Sinclair was momentarily choked by the remark, coughing lightly a few times, hurriedly changing the topic: "Alright, alright, let’s talk about serious matters! When are you planning to tell Zoe about Eleanor?"