CHAPTER 293: CHAPTER 293: IT’S NOT THAT WE DON’T WANT TO LOCK HIM UP—WE JUST CAN’T

The next morning.

Aunt Tawny took Caden to school, and Tanya Sinclair said goodbye to Caden at the door.

"Goodbye, Mom. Pick me up in the afternoon, okay?"

"Okay, goodbye, sweetheart, be careful on the way."

Tanya smiled and lifted her eyes to see the figure of Mason Vance standing a few steps away.

He met Tanya’s gaze, then lowered his head, seemingly ashamed to face her.

"Miss... that day, I should have stayed by your side the whole time. Old Ninth King and the Lynn Family mother and daughter wouldn’t have had the chance..."

"How can you guard me 24/7?" Tanya comforted him with a smile. "Besides, look, I’m fine now, aren’t I? Go take Caden and Aunt Tawny, okay?"

Aunt Tawny walked ahead holding Caden’s hand, with Mason Vance a few steps behind, suddenly remembering something.

"By the way, Miss, did my dad get in touch with you?"

Tanya was puzzled. "No, did something happen on Grandpa’s side?" She started to get anxious.

Mason hurriedly said, "No, no, Old Master Sinclair is fine. It’s like this, Miss. Last night, I went back to the rehabilitation center to fetch something and saw that Old Master Sinclair’s old laboratory lights were on. I ran over and found the door locked, couldn’t get in. My dad said Old Master suddenly regained some consciousness and locked himself in the lab, not allowing anyone to disturb him."

Tanya was taken aback, filled with excitement. "Are you saying Grandpa woke up?"

"Miss, over the years, Old Master Sinclair has occasionally had moments of clarity, but they were very short, and although he was clear-headed, his memory wasn’t complete." Mason sighed and said, "His memories are stuck many years ago... My dad might worry you’ll be saddened seeing Old Master like this, which is why he didn’t tell you. It’s my fault for speaking out of turn."

Tanya maintained her composure and said to Mason, "I understand. You should go take Caden first."

After Mason left, Tanya quickly packed her things and drove straight to the rehabilitation center.

Tanya recalled that she had visited her grandfather’s laboratory before, and it had been emptied, as he was probably conducting important research before. After he became seriously ill, everything related to the lab was removed...

Actually, Mason wasn’t entirely right. In cases like Grandpa’s, when he regains consciousness occasionally, his memory solidifies on the people and events he cares about most.

Tanya frowned slightly.

So what exactly was the experiment Grandpa had been continually researching, that it became his most cherished concern?

If she hadn’t met Zeke Pierce, Tanya would have simply thought that building the rehabilitation center to care for Grandpa Sinclair was Declan Pierce’s way of showing affection for her, loving what she loves.

But having dealt with Zeke Pierce once, Tanya subtly sensed it wasn’t that simple.

Zeke Pierce, at his core, is an extremely selfish and shrewd businessman, and acknowledging Declan as his brother is merely a means to use him as a blood source to prolong his life.

Only Declan, being ruthless and shrewd enough, gained his freedom and power.

Had it been anyone else, they’d probably be kept by Zeke and drained of their blood by now.

But regardless, many of Declan’s actions are under Zeke’s surveillance...

Grandpa’s experiment might not only concern Declan, but it’s likely related to The Pierce Family!

Tanya sped all the way to the rehabilitation center.

"Miss?" Uncle Vance was quite surprised to see Tanya suddenly appear, a flash of panic in his eyes but quickly returning to normal, "Why are you here? Mason didn’t escort you."

"Uncle Vance, where’s my grandpa?" Tanya, uninterested in small talk, got straight to the point.

Uncle Vance guessed that Mason might have said something. Knowing he couldn’t hide from Tanya, he led her to the ward.

Pushing open the door, the frail figure of Grandpa Horace Sinclair came into view.

He was standing by the window, blankly staring into the distance.

Uncle Vance sighed and said, "Miss, Old Master Sinclair reverted to his usual state early this morning."

"..."

Tanya slowly approached and called out, "Grandpa."

Horace Sinclair had no reaction, still gazing out the window.

Following his line of sight, Tanya saw it was towards the laboratory.

She draped a coat over her grandfather and left the ward, heading to the lab, where she found the blackboard densely covered with complex physics formulas.

Tanya examined them for a long time, only partially understanding the concept, which involved the structure of microscopic matter.

Physics wasn’t Tanya’s specialty, so she photographed all the contents on the blackboard.

Tanya organized these photos and sent them to Professor Carter’s email for clarification.

Upon leaving the lab, Tanya found a photograph in the corner behind the door.

The photograph was quite old, covered with a protective film, yet the woman’s features were still clear. Tanya didn’t recognize her at first, but upon flipping the photograph, she saw the writing on its back.

It was her grandfather’s bold handwriting, saying— Beloved, Iris.

Grandmother’s name, Iris Keene.

Tanya Sinclair left the laboratory and went to the ward. The room was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant, and there were traces of mopping on the floor.

She saw that her grandfather’s pants had been changed and knew what had happened, feeling a wave of sadness.

Her grandfather was already too ill to take care of himself.

If he were still conscious, being such a proud person, he wouldn’t tolerate needing help from others to clean after himself, a state with no dignity...

"Grandfather." Tanya Sinclair walked over and gently pried open her grandfather’s emaciated hand, placing a photo of Grandmother when she was young into his palm.

Yet, Horace Sinclair maintained his gaze out the window, showing no reaction.

Tanya Sinclair sat quietly for a moment, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and silently left.

Shortly after she left the room, Horace Sinclair moved slowly. His gaze gradually lowered and he saw the photo in his hand.

A faint light appeared in the cloudy eyes of Horace Sinclair.

"Iris..." His elderly, gaunt hand caressed the photo of his still young and beautiful wife, and murky tears rolled down, "Iris, I’m running out of time... when will you wake up?"

Phoenix Court.

The large living room was as silent as death.

An elegant and noble woman sat on the sofa opposite Declan Pierce, namely, the current matriarch of The Pierce Family, and Zeke Pierce’s biological mother, Mrs. Pierce.

She looked coldly at Declan, not hiding the icy disgust in her beautiful eyes.

That bewitching face easily reminded her of that cheap woman! That was truly the only blemish in her glamorous and noble life!

Mrs. Pierce raised her hand to adjust the hair on one side and, in the process, gave Professor Albright a look.

Professor Albright stepped forward immediately, opened the small case he had brought, and showed it to Declan.

Inside the case were three bottles of new medicine.

"Stop taking the previous medicine. This is the new drug, three bottles in all." Mrs. Pierce’s tone was calm, but her gaze was contemptuous, with an inherent arrogance and haughtiness, "Finish them within two months, and there will be another batch sent to you."

She paused for a moment, a barely discernible sneer appearing at the corners of her mouth.

Mrs. Pierce commented meaningfully, "After finishing the next batch, I think you’ll be free. Everything will be over."

Declan casually picked up a bottle of the medicine, opened the cap, and poured out a pill.

It was an almost transparent capsule, and under the light, you could see the red granules inside.

"Professor Albright, what improvements does this new drug have?"

Declan’s chilly voice sent a shiver through Professor Albright, making him look up stiffly at Declan’s face.

He remembered clearly the shock and horror at their first meeting.

Looking so handsome, yet dragged in covered in blood... not an angel, but a blood-drenched demon.

Even when severely injured to the point of lacking the strength to stand, Declan’s gaze was still dark and cold.

Like a lurking hunter eyeing its prey, ready to pounce at the optimal moment and bite his throat!

—Exactly like now, no different!

Professor Albright shivered at his spine; in an official tone, he said, "This is how it is, Mr. Pierce. The new medication can develop your genetic potential further, helping your body heal and recover faster."

Upon hearing this, Declan raised his brows and smiled, glancing at his right leg.

"That’s perfect, I really need it right now. Many thanks to Mrs. Pierce."

Mrs. Pierce replied with a forced smile, "No need to thank me. As long as you’re well, my son will be okay."

After speaking, Mrs. Pierce stood up to leave.

At the entrance, a row of black cars was lined up. Mrs. Pierce got into the one in the middle, with Professor Albright accompanying her.

Mrs. Pierce coldly glanced at this Phoenix Court through the car window, with intense loathing in her eyes.

"Zeke is just too kind-hearted. I said from the beginning, keep Declan in the hospital, one side supplying blood for medicine, while Professor Albright continues his experiments. Find a cure to end things once and for all. But he actually agreed to make deals with such..."

She squinted her eyes slightly, looking for the right words to describe Declan.

"Such lowly and filthy goods! It’s simply a waste of time!"

Professor Albright dared not refute her as he listened.

But in his heart, he knew very well that The Pierce Family’s eldest son, Zeke Pierce, was definitely more ruthless and shrewd than anyone!

The reason for not keeping Declan locked up was entirely because—he couldn’t be restrained!