CHAPTER 7: CHAPTER 7: SHE TRULY SEEMS LIKE MERCHANDISE TO BE TRADED

"Grandpa, if you’re not feeling well, you must go to the hospital for a detailed checkup. Only then can the doctor prescribe the right medicine to help you recover faster!" Ann Vaughn smiled gently, discreetly checking Old Master Hawthorne’s pulse.

Luckily, it was only mild poisoning. As long as Grandpa Hawthorne went to the hospital for a checkup, he would be fine after detoxification.

Actually, the detox agent she extracted could do the trick, with no side effects. But if the Hawthorne Family found out, they wouldn’t let Grandpa Hawthorne drink it and would think she was trying to poison him.

The suspicion on her was minor, but if Grandpa Hawthorne’s toxins continued to accumulate, they might trigger old illnesses, which would be troublesome.

"Alright, alright, Grandpa agrees with you. Is that okay?" Old Master Hawthorne smiled, having made up his mind.

Only then did Ann Vaughn relax and smile lightly, not noticing Cyrus Hawthorne casting a glance her way, his brows furrowing as if he sensed something.

After dinner, Old Master Hawthorne decided to stay at the Hawthorne Residence for the night, and Cyrus stayed as well to keep him company and play chess to pass the time.

Holding a bone china cup, Old Master Hawthorne looked at his outstanding grandson with much emotion, "Cian, your father’s disappearance has always been a source of distress for Grandpa. I hope you won’t follow in his footsteps. Do you understand?"

Cyrus paused slightly with a chess piece in his fingers, lowered his eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

-

Ann Vaughn returned to her room. After bathing, she prepared for the second round of acupuncture.

Just as the seventh golden needle accurately pierced the acupoint, Ann Vaughn felt something and was about to insert the next needle when the door suddenly opened. She lifted her head abruptly.

Cyrus Hawthorne walked in with a cold expression, seeing Ann Vaughn’s shocked face. His brows furrowed as he noticed something amiss about her.

She wore only a white bathrobe, and from this angle, her slender waist was particularly eye-catching, delicate and almost beyond grasp.

Not to mention Ann Vaughn’s dazed eyes and panic-stricken face. Any man would find it hard to resist, recalling that night, feeling parched and restless.

But when Cyrus Hawthorne saw the few golden needles on her body, the budding desire in his eyes quickly cooled. He felt Ann Vaughn was up to something again and instantly anger surged.

He strode forward, grabbing her wrist without a word, "Ann Vaughn, you’re getting bold, first coaxing Grandpa not to agree to our divorce, now planning to use the self-injury tactic?"

Ann Vaughn trembled violently, her eyes colliding with his mocking, sarcastic gaze, her lips pressed tightly. Damn man, with which eye did he see her coaxing Grandpa not to divorce?

"Admitted it? Huh," Cyrus snorted coldly, looking at the golden needles on her shoulder, "You better save it, stop playing these tricks. Your self-injury tactic is useless on me."

With that, he reached to examine the golden needles on Ann Vaughn’s shoulder, but accidentally pressed one down, leaving only a small part exposed outside the skin.

Ann Vaughn’s face instantly changed color, hurriedly pulling out all the golden needles one by one, her lips turning pale.

Even so, her right shoulder quickly became red and swollen, the fine stinging pain in the flesh causing her to grip the sheets tightly.

Pain...

Cyrus Hawthorne looked down at the swelling on her fragrant shoulder, a hint of guilt and reluctance flashed in his eyes but quickly returned to coldness.

Then he released her wrist, pulled out a bank card from his wallet, and threw it at her face with a chilly tone, "There’s twenty million on this card."

"You can ask for any condition, as long as you can persuade Grandpa to agree to our divorce."

The edge of the bank card scraped against Ann Vaughn’s cheek, leaving a slightly painful scratch.

She endured the pain in her shoulder, fixed her bathrobe, her heart clenched tightly as if held by a giant hand, making it hard to breathe, but she dared not show any abnormality.

Otherwise, he would definitely think she was pretending to be pitiful.

Ann Vaughn looked at the cold card, smiled self-mockingly, the Vaughn Family used Grandpa’s shares to buy her to marry Cyrus Hawthorne in Cynthia Vaughn’s place.

Now, Cyrus Hawthorne used twenty million to buy her consent for divorce.

She really felt like merchandise to be bought and sold.