Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Olivia glanced at the main entrance as she spoke.
Thomas should be here by now. Why isn’t he here yet? He couldn’t have forgotten. I reminded him about it.
“There’s someone who isn’t here yet?” Ophelie was startled. Who is it? Dad and Grandpa are here, as well as me, her little sister. As for her friends… I know her well enough to know that the only friends she’s close to are here already too. Who else is she waiting for?
“Who is it, Olivia?” Ophelie quizzed.
Olivia blushed. “A-A friend…” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
Ophelie walked over to the dining table and asked Norman, “Dad, does Olivia have a boyfriend?”
“A boyfriend?” Norman looked at Olivia who was looking around at the entrance and shook his head. “That’s impossible. If she did, she would’ve told me about it. Don’t make such wild guesses.”
“Hah! Kids don’t tell their parents everything these days!” Ophelie retorted with a pout.
Norman frowned. Thanks to Ophelie’s question, he suddenly recalled Olivia’s strange behavior the past few days. She rarely smiled and laughed in the past, but she had been doing that so much more lately.
It was hard for others to notice since Olivia stayed by herself, but Norman saw her often at the company.
“Who do you think Olivia’s waiting for then? All of her friends and family are here. We’re the ones who’ve been celebrating her birthday with her every year.”
Norman shook his head. “I don’t know. She didn’t tell me. Relax. We’ll find out once the person arrives.”
He was also curious to know who his daughter was waiting for.
Nevertheless, as time passed, the person Olivia was waiting for was still a no-show and she couldn’t make everyone wait.
She had no choice but to start dinner.
However, she was listless the whole time. She no longer felt happy about her birthday celebration.
How could Thomas break his promise? Really now! All my effort has gone to waste! I purposely made sure I looked my best. I even wore my new dress! You’re the first man I ever invited over for my birthday! Didn’t you promise to come? How could you be a no-show? How annoying!
Later that night, Olivia didn’t head back to her apartment. She slept at Pearson Residence instead.
Despite the comfortable bed, she kept tossing and turning without being able to fall asleep. She kept trying to figure out why Thomas failed to turn up.
She had no idea that the person on her mind was currently lying on a hospital bed covered in wounds.
Quincy Hofstead, the director of Irieson’s Prescott Hospital, was personally tending to Thomas’ injuries. It was a rare honor that few could enjoy.
Quincy was one of the most eminent figures among the medical professionals of Irieson. Not only was he an accomplished expert himself, but even the students he taught went on to become remarkable talents in their own right. All of the prominent families in Irieson tried to maintain a good relationship with him. After all, the wealthy were even more afraid of dying compared to the average person.
Thomas sensed danger just a second before the explosion. It was an instinct honed by years of battlefield experience. He swiftly jumped out of the car and used the momentum from the jump to throw
himself as far away as possible. If he hadn’t done so, he would be nothing more than a corpse right now.
Even so, half his body was covered in glass shards.
“You’ll need to bear with the pain,” Quincy said to Thomas.
“It’s fine. Just go ahead and do what you must,” Thomas calmly replied.
He was in a terrible state right now. There was not a single square of his skin that was unscathed. Blood was leaking out in several places and even his face had a few scratches and bruises, though not as many.
Quincy had gotten quite a fright when he saw Thomas. He immediately rushed over to attend to Thomas’ wounds himself.
“Ouch!” Thomas’ forehead was covered in sweat. Alas, he was a human with perfectly functional pain receptors.
He was busy trying to figure out who wanted him dead.
The Minacia Oito of Irieson? Out of the eight of them, two have died at my hands. But… it doesn’t add up. I destroyed the security footage when I left Westsea Manor. That woman, the only one who survived, never saw me, and the other six wouldn’t know that I did it.
After thinking this through, Thomas figured that it could only be the work of the Hind Family. They would definitely know that the hitman they sent after me the last time is dead. I guess they don’t plan on stopping until I’m dead!
“Done!” Quincy wiped his sweaty brow and let out a heavy exhale.
Thomas got out of bed. Quincy came over with a bottle of disinfectant, but he simply stared at Thomas as he was a little afraid to apply it.
It’s going to hurt a lot when I apply the disinfectant. What’s with Thomas anyway? Why didn’t he let me give him something for the pain? Does he like being in pain?
Thomas had his reasons for skipping the painkillers. As a top sniper, he needed to have excellent reflexes, and drugs like anesthetics ran the risk of leaving a lingering effect on his nervous system. He didn’t want to take the risk.
He had refused to use painkillers or anesthetics for injuries far worse than what he sustained today, including surgeries too.
“Go ahead!” Thomas lit up a cigarette and puffed away.
It was just a bit of pain. That wasn’t enough to scare him.
Quincy nodded and sprayed the disinfectant all over Thomas’ wounds.
Thomas shuddered for a moment, but he soon regained his composure.
As Quincy bandaged the wounds, he shook his head and exclaimed, “My, my! What a tough guy you are!”
While Quincy was spraying the disinfectant, Thomas’ blood started running down too. The sight was enough for Quincy to imagine the pain, so he was in awe of the fact that Thomas was able to bear it.
Thomas’ clothes were in no state to be worn, so he followed Quincy back to the latter’s office. Quincy gave Thomas one of his own suits.
Thomas sat on the couch and quietly smoked his cigarette.
It was already past midnight. He missed Olivia’s birthday entirely. I couldn’t give her the present I made for her. I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow.
“Who’s vicious enough to do something like this, Thomas? Who wants your life?” Quincy asked curiously. He had seen the videos of the car explosion online.
Thomas flicked his cigarette as he spat out, “The Hind Family!”
“What? The… Hind Family?” Quincy was thunderstruck. “Blake Hind’s family?”
Thomas nodded.
“Why do you have bad blood with them? They’re not people you should mess with!” Quincy lamented bitterly. The Hind Family was an established family in Irieson that had been around for many years now. They had both the means and the connections.