Chapter 32

Nick Arthur was all too familiar with Milna Dillon’s kind of rhetoric. In the past, he too had been deceived by her words and believed her claims.

But in the end, what he got was news the next day about the increasingly intense rumors involving him and Milna Dillon.

He still remembers how innocently Milna Dillon suggested to him back then that maybe they could turn their fake relationship into a real one.

After that, Nick Arthur was completely disappointed in Milna Dillon. He really couldn’t deal with a woman who was practically insane like her.

Nick Arthur made it clear that he refused to cooperate. But if things reached this point and Milna Dillon were to give up, then she wouldn’t be Milna Dillon at all.

Rejected by him, Milna Dillon vented her anger on Martha.

She believed that if Martha hadn’t intervened and taken up most of Nick Arthur’s attention, he certainly wouldn’t have rejected her so decisively.

Just thinking about it made Milna Dillon furious.

She even went so far as to think that Martha’s skills were actually taught to her by her mother.

In her eyes, although she didn’t know who Xiaoli’s mother was, she must be some kind of seductive fox spirit who knew how to charm people.

Thinking this, Milna Dillon felt both anxious and annoyed. But since Nick Arthur was still present, she couldn’t show her feelings openly.

“Why do you have to reject me? Just because of that unfortunate incident back then, do you really want to condemn me to eternal suffering?” Milna Dillon looked at Nick Arthur in confusion. Her furrowed brows made her look extremely pitiable.

She’s confident that any normal man, upon seeing her delicate and charming appearance, would surely be tempted.

In fact, it makes sense according to common logic. But obviously, Nick Arthur doesn’t act in a way that can be predicted by common logic.

Especially when Nick Arthur has a little baby in his arms, such things are even less likely to happen.

“If there’s nothing else, Miss Dillon, you’d better leave now. I still have a lot of work to do. I’m sorry, but I can’t keep you company!” Nick Arthur said this while pushing Martha onto his office chair.

What he said was clearly an order to leave. Obviously, this unexpected guest failed to grasp the hidden meaning behind his words.

Or rather, Milna Dillon understood perfectly what meditation was meant to convey, but she refused to believe it.

Yes, it’s impossible for her to believe such things. Just as she constantly challenges Nick Arthur’s authority, only to fail time and again.

She believes that one day, she will be able to conquer this iceberg. By then, with the wealth of the Arthur and Dillon families, she will possess unparalleled riches.

“If you refuse to go out to dinner with me, I definitely won’t leave. Besides, I’m not here just to catch up with you. There’s something very important I need to tell you…” Milna Dillon said, trying to use the same tactics again.

She believed that Nick Arthur, being a successful businessman, would surely understand how important the information in his hands was.

As long as Nick Arthur takes a look at the information in her hands, he’ll surely regret having driven her away. Then, she’ll be able to push Martha out of the way, giving herself more time to develop a relationship with Nick Arthur.

But Nick Arthur’s determination was beyond her expectations.

“I’m sorry, but if you really have any important cooperation to offer and want to work with us at Arthur, then please follow the rules. Discuss this matter carefully with my project managers. I won’t keep you any longer!” Nick Arthur glanced at Milna Dillon impatiently, then pointed toward the door.

Having come this far, it would be truly embarrassing for Milna Dillon to stay any longer. She looked at Nick Arthur with disappointment.

“Do you really have to treat me like this? Can’t you see how much I’ve given for you? Why do you have to be so cruel to me?” Milna Dillon could take it no longer. She demanded to know why Nick Arthur treated her in such a way.

In the end, she directed her anger at Martha. If it weren’t for that child, Nick Arthur wouldn’t have been so rude to her.

Such thoughts seemed to take root in her mind, driving her even further into obsession.

This made her take a deep breath, as if she had given in. She said to Nick Arthur, “Alright! Since you’re being so heartless to me, what else could I possibly do to you… I’ll go talk to your project manager. Please, don’t treat me like this anymore!”

Milna Dillon felt utterly humiliated, just like the devoted female sidekick in idol dramas who gives her all without reservation, only to never receive any reciprocation.

Nick Arthur was utterly speechless at seeing how moved Milna Dillon was. He wanted to persuade her to stop being so paranoid, but Milna Dillon left the office before he could say anything.

Watching Milna Dillon leave so happily, Nick Arthur finally felt relieved.

To be honest, if Milna Dillon continued to stay here, he really had no idea what kind of disgusting things he might do.

Of course, by “annoying behaviors,” I mean those actions that are rude or inappropriate to do in front of children.

“Alright, the person who caused us trouble is gone now. Martha, you can go back to doing your homework!” Nick Arthur winked playfully at Martha, who was in his arms.

Masha, whose eyes were still slightly red, was deeply moved by Nick Arthur’s words. In her heart, Nick Arthur now held a place no less important than Simone Milton’s.

She gently stepped down from Nick Arthur’s arms, nodded understandingly, and said to him, “Okay, I understand, Uncle Arthur. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely finish my homework!”

Seeing such a well-behaved and sensible child, Nick Arthur felt that his soul, which had been “contaminated” by Milna Dillon earlier, had finally been purified again.

He gently patted the child’s head and said with a smile, “Of course, our Martha is the most obedient and sensible one!”

After interacting with Martha, Nick Arthur got back to work. What he was doing now would determine the outcome of the next few days.

He did this solely because he wanted to have more time to take care of the child.

After all, no one can expect someone who’s busy working all day to have the time to take meticulous care of a tiny child.

And just like that, the atmosphere in the office returned to its warm and harmonious state once again, just as it was before Milna Dillon arrived.

But that doesn’t mean Milna Dillon won’t try to cause trouble anyway.

In fact, Milna Dillon, who had just left the president’s office, was now hiding inside Arthur Group’s headquarters, carefully planning how to give Martha a proper lesson.

She just needed a little lesson to teach the child what to do and what not to do, so that Martha wouldn’t be able to interfere with Nick Arthur.

As long as Martha couldn’t bother Nick Arthur, Milna Dillon was confident that she would be able to win Nick Arthur over completely and get him to agree to go out to dinner with her.

Milna Dillon waited and waited, for a full two hours, before finally seeing Martha emerge from the president’s office alone.

The reason Martha left the office alone was that she needed to use the restroom. The restroom wasn’t far from the office, so Nick Arthur wasn’t too worried.

Just as Martha came out after using the restroom, Milna Dillon blocked her way inside the stall.

Looking at this fierce-looking auntie who blocked her path once again, Martha trembled with fear and glanced at Milna Dillon.

“Ah…” Remembering how Milna Dillon had acted frantically before, she quickly retracted the word “auntie” that was on her lips. Feeling a bit scared, she said instead, “Sister, what do you want to do? Why are you holding me back here?”

Mirna Dillon felt somewhat relieved hearing her sister call her that. She rolled her eyes and firmly grabbed Martha by the chin.

“Isn’t it pretty obvious why I’ve trapped you here? You’re so smart—how could you not understand my motives?” Milna Dillon looked down at the little girl with scorn, her tone sarcastic to the extreme.

“I didn’t… I had no idea what you wanted to do, sister…” Martha was terrified now. She pushed backward desperately, trying to find a safe place to be.

But the more she stepped back, the closer Milna Dillon got, her smile growing ever more sinister.

“Don’t back away, child! Why would you back away? I’m not going to hurt you…” Milna Dillon glared fiercely at Martha, even grabbing her arm. “Are you trying to hide something? I knew you had ill intentions!”

Martha was startled when her arm was suddenly grabbed. She immediately started to struggle to get free. But how could a child’s strength possibly compare to that of an adult?

“Hey, I told you not to struggle! Otherwise, you might get hurt, and I won’t be able to do anything about it!” Milna Dillon frowned and threatened Martha harshly.

The utterly terrifying Martha would never listen to what Milna Dillon said. He knew that this vicious woman meant him harm. Instinctively, he tried to get away from her, struggling desperately to escape from that dangerous place.

She was scared to tears once again.

“Ugh… Mom, please save me! Uncle Arthur, please come quickly! I’m so scared!” Martha cried loudly.

While crying, the child kept waving its arms around. Perhaps because of the intense crying, Milna Dillon wasn’t able to hold the child firmly in her arms for a moment.

Milna Dillon, who had been injured by Martha’s desperate struggles, completely lost her good mood. She now hated Martha with all her heart. Especially when she realized that her newly bought dress had been marked with dirty footprints left by Martha’s kicks. This made her hatred even stronger.

“Oh, you damned thing! What have you done to me?” Milna Dillon glared angrily at the annoying brat before her. In a moment of impulse, she let go and slapped him hard.

At the peak of her anger, she completely ignored the fact that Martha was still just a little girl. All she knew was that anyone who dared to defy her would have to pay a price.

Even if it was she who provoked Martha from the beginning, and even if she ends up in a miserable situation, in a sense, it’s simply her own doing.

But Milna Dillon was convinced that Martha was being deceitful and trying to make a mess of herself just to mock her.

That fierce slap turned Martha’s cheek completely red. In just an instant, her face swelled up.

Most importantly, Milna Dillon’s sudden release of her grip, combined with the slap she gave Martha, caused Martha, who was already unsteady on her feet, to fall to the ground.

And worst of all, such a violent impact caused Martha to lose consciousness immediately. Thankfully, she only suffered a minor cut on her arm.

But even just this was enough to make Milna Dillon feel relieved.

Looking at Martha, who was lying unconscious on the ground, Milna Dillon felt no sympathy at all. In fact, she even thought of herself as having defeated the villain.

To be precise, she regarded Martha as Simone Milton, as her imaginary enemy whom she had never met in person.

“Hmph, let’s see how you dare to oppose me anymore…” Milna Dillon clapped her hands in satisfaction. Then, she realized another problem.

If she caused the child to end up like this and Nick Arthur saw it, then Nick Arthur definitely wouldn’t forgive her. In fact, he’d probably consider her extremely cruel.

She could imagine what kind of vicious words Nick Arthur would use to hurt her fragile heart at that time.

That wasn’t the kind of situation Milna Dillon wanted to see. So, she needed to find a way to clear herself of suspicion. The first step in doing so was to leave the crime scene.

Otherwise, if anyone found out, she wouldn’t be able to explain herself properly.

Although she was indeed right in what she did, she wouldn’t admit it.

“It’s you who couldn’t keep your balance and fell. It has nothing to do with me at all!” Milna Dillon said this, then washed her hands carefully before leaving the restroom.

As for what will happen next, it doesn’t matter to Milna Dillon at all. All that matters is that she’s gotten her feelings off her chest.

Half an hour later, Nick Arthur, who was working in the president’s office, casually looked up and didn’t see any sign of Martha. That’s when he realized something was wrong.

After all, half an hour ago, Martha simply said she needed to use the restroom. There’s no reason why it would take her half an hour to do that.

Nik Arthur, feeling uneasy, immediately called Hobson’s assistant and asked him to come and help find the child. On his own, he had no idea how long it would take to find the child.

Upon receiving the call, Hobson’s assistant rushed to the president’s office. After learning of the situation, she immediately asked Nick Arthur what had happened before the child went missing.

After hearing such a question, Nick Arthur simply told Assistant Hobson what had happened earlier, and hoped that Assistant Hobson would find the child as soon as possible.

Upon receiving the request, Hobson’s assistant rushed to the restroom immediately, hoping to find the child there.

Nick Arthur, on the other hand, focused his attention on the other rooms. He was afraid that Martha might go into those rooms without his knowledge and get trapped inside. That would be terrible.

Fortunately, Nick Arthur didn’t have to search for long. News came from Hobson’s assistant, informing him that the child had been found.

“Really? That’s great!” Nick Arthur immediately felt relieved upon hearing Hobson’s assistant report that.

But then, Assistant Hobson hesitated for a moment before saying to Nick Arthur, “But although we’ve found the person, the situation isn’t good right now. Boss, I need your help.”

When Nick Arthur received a call from Assistant Hobson, he rushed to the scene. There, he saw Assistant Hobson on the phone, looking very worried.

After the call ended, Assistant Hobson carefully led Nick Arthur into the restroom.

Looking at the child lying on the floor, completely unconscious, Nick Arthur felt his whole body trembling. He simply couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing.

“What’s going on? I need an explanation… Why? Why has a child who was once so lively and full of energy turned into this now?” Nick Arthur said, kneeling down beside Martha.

He wanted to touch Martha, but he didn’t dare to move, fearing that any accidental touch might cause further harm.

Looking at Martha, who seemed completely lifeless, Nick Arthur felt nothing but intense anger. From the scratches on Martha’s arms, it was clear that she hadn’t fallen on her own.

Moreover, the floors of their toilets are usually very dry, so there’s no way they could cause anyone to slip. Therefore, this is clearly an act of intentional harm.

Assistant Hobson looked helplessly at Nick Arthur, who was devastated with grief. She was also very angry about what had happened to Martha.

She simply couldn’t understand who could be so shameless as to target such a child. After all, the child hadn’t done anything wrong at all. Why would she have to go through such things?

But despite her anger, Assistant Hobson managed to hold back her emotions. Taking a deep breath, she said to Nick Arthur, “Boss, I’ve successfully gotten the doctor here. I also contacted the hospitals under our group, and they’ve sent people to take Martha away right away. Please don’t be sad.”

What she really wanted to say was to get Nick Arthur to calm down and stop being so angry. After all, such anger could harm Nick Arthur’s body, and he couldn’t afford to go through that.

Taking deep breaths to calm my heartbeat, Nick Arthur said angrily to Assistant Hobson, “Find out who’s targeting this child! I want them to pay for it, no matter who they are!”

Upon hearing this, Assistant Hobson immediately agreed, “Okay, I understand! Boss, I’ll keep a close eye on this matter and make sure everything gets sorted out. Don’t worry!”

After saying that, Hobson’s assistant glanced at Nick Arthur with concern. She spoke carefully to him, “Boss, you should go and rest. I’ll take care of everything here. I’ll keep the doctor informed throughout the process. Please rest properly to avoid having a relapse.”

Surprisingly, Nick Arthur refused the offer. He turned down Hobson’s assistant’s proposal.

“No, Simone Milton left me a healthy and lively Martha in her care. Now, something like this has happened to her under my watch. I simply can’t accept this. I need to be with her constantly to feel at ease.” Nick Arthur said these words, once again overwhelmed by pain and self-reproach.

If he hadn’t devoted all his energy to work, and if he had shown even a little bit of concern for Martha, perhaps such things wouldn’t have happened.

But it’s too late to say anything now, Nick Arthur regretted deeply.

If time could be reversed, he certainly wouldn’t focus on work as much as he did before. Instead, he would devote much more of his energy to Martha.

“Ultimately, it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been careless, Martha wouldn’t have encountered such problems at all. I deserve full responsibility.” Nick Arthur grew more and more upset as he spoke. He even felt that he wasn’t suited for this job at all.

He let Simone Milton down, and he’s a terrible adult.

“But things might not be as bad as we think… Boss, you need to think that way. You must focus on positive things, instead of constantly blaming yourself and suffering like this.” Assistant Hobson tried to persuade him once again, helplessly.

After much persuasion, Assistant Hobson finally managed to calm Nick Arthur down.

Soon, the private doctor, who had been notified by Assistant Hobson, arrived at the scene promptly.

“Boss, Assistant Hobson… I heard the situation was urgent, so I rushed over right away. Which patient is it?” The doctor stepped up to Assistant Hobson and asked them both.

Assistant Hobson immediately tapped Martha, who was lying on the ground, unconscious and in critical condition. He ordered the personal doctor to quickly assess her condition and determine what was happening to her.

“When we arrived, the child was already unconscious. So we don’t know what the current situation is. Please make sure the child is safe and unharmed.” Nick Arthur said.

Upon hearing this, the private doctor immediately knelt down and carefully examined the child before him.

After simply treating Martha’s injuries, the private doctor stood up and said to Nick Arthur with a serious expression, “In fact, the situation isn’t to be taken lightly. The child is quite seriously injured. We need to get her to the hospital immediately. Otherwise, her life could be in danger.”

As he said this, a clear expression of anger appeared on his face.

“Who could be so cruel as to target a child like this? Doesn’t this person realize how fragile children are? A little carelessness could lead to serious consequences!” lamented the private doctor.

“I don’t know, but we swear that we will definitely find out who it was that hurt the child,” said Assistant Hobson, his face filled with unprecedented seriousness.

Although she had guessed that the situation was serious, she hadn’t expected it to be life-threatening. But upon reflection, Martha had been unconscious for so long. If nothing serious had happened, how could she have remained unconscious for so long?

Thinking about it further, he felt even more disgusted with the person who attacked that child.

With these thoughts in mind, Assistant Hobson and Nick Arthur went to meet with the hospital staff again. With the help of the nurses, Martha was transferred into the ambulance.

Fortunately, they didn’t encounter any heavy traffic on their way to the hospital. Otherwise, it would have been very troublesome.

Nick Arthur, who had arrived outside the emergency room, sat helplessly in a chair, his face showing obvious despair.

Standing beside him, Assistant Hobson saw Nick Arthur like this. She sighed, then hesitantly asked Nick Arthur whether he wanted to tell Simone Milton about what had happened.

After all, Simone Milton is the child’s mother. She thought that Simone Milton had a right to know what was going on here.

But this means that Simone Milton will have to rush back from work.

Hearing Assistant Hobson ask this, Nick Arthur was hesitant. Of course, he preferred to call Simone Milton back.

At the same time, he was also afraid of what might happen if Simone Milton suddenly heard such explosive news.

“No… let’s keep this information under wraps for now!” It took Nick Arthur a long time to speak after thinking carefully.

“If that’s what you want, then the Boss will do as you say!” Assistant Hobson said, sighing deeply.

In fact, according to Assistant Hobson, they would eventually have to tell Simone Milton about such things. It’s impossible to keep something of this magnitude hidden forever.

If that’s the case, then it might be better to be honest from the beginning, just like Simone Milton did. Perhaps doing so could earn Simone Milton’s understanding.

But in reality, Nick Arthur wasn’t unaware of this truth. When he heard such a question, his first reaction was to tell Simone Milton about it.

But in the end, he decided to wait until the child was completely safe before telling Simone Milton about it. After all, it would be terrible if something went wrong due to Simone Milton’s haste.

“Let’s wait a little longer…” Nick Arthur stared nervously at the operating room, repeating those words over and over again. In his heart, he kept praying that Martha would pull through.

In fact, if Martha couldn’t pull through, he simply couldn’t imagine how he would be able to face Simone Milton.

Just like that, time passed by second by second. Finally, half an hour after the lights in the operating room were turned on, the doors of the operating room were opened.

The nurse rushed out in a hurry: “I’m sorry, but we’re in urgent need of RH-negative blood right now. This type of blood is extremely rare, and our hospital doesn’t have any in stock at all…”

“What?” Upon hearing this news, Nick Arthur immediately stood up. He simply couldn’t imagine what kind of serious situation could possibly require blood to be used.

“Yes, the situation is very complicated right now. It’s difficult to explain in just a few words… I was wondering if any family members have this blood type. If so, that would be perfect,” said the nurse.

“Draw from me instead. I have this blood type!” Nick Arthur immediately raised his hand. Although he was shocked that Martha also had the same blood type as him, he couldn’t care less now. Saving the child was what mattered most.

But this proposal was rejected by Hobson’s assistant. Frowning, she said to Nick Arthur, “Boss, while your intentions are good, you need to think about your own situation. You’re not in a condition to receive a blood transfusion at all. Your body simply can’t handle it.”

Upon hearing this, the nurse immediately joined in the persuasion: “Yes, Mr. Arthur, you’re too sickly to meet the requirements for blood donation at all… If the child’s relatives also have panda blood type…”

“That’s impossible. The child’s family isn’t even at home, let alone any relatives. So, there’s no way to do anything…” Assistant Hobson immediately became discouraged upon hearing the nurse’s words.

But Nick Arthur, because of what the nurse said, suddenly remembered that, if he remembered correctly, Alberta Arthur should have the same blood type as him.

Although he cannot receive blood transfusions due to health reasons, someone as strong and healthy as Alberta Arthur should meet the criteria for blood transfusion.

Hearing this, the nurse nodded. “Perhaps we could have Young Master An give it a try to see if it matches. If it really doesn’t work out… then there’s nothing else we can do.”

“Try it, you must try!” Nick Arthur immediately understood what the nurse meant. He quickly asked assistant Hobson to call Alberta Arthur.

Isn’t that just too coincidental? Alberta Arthur had just finished her announcements this morning.

Upon receiving another call, Alberta Arthur thought that something was wrong with Nick Arthur again. Without bothering to inform the rest of the family, she rushed to the hospital immediately.

Albert Arthur, who rushed to the hospital in record time, arrived at the floor specified by Assistant Hobson. There, he found Nick Arthur sitting there, seemingly unharmed.

“Second Uncle, didn’t something happen to you? Why are you here?” Alberta Arthur rubbed his eyes. The next moment, he realized he’d been tricked and immediately wanted to leave.

Seeing that Alberta Arthur was about to leave, Nick Arthur immediately said, “There’s something very important you need to do right now. Saving one life is worth more than building seven stupas. There’s a child who desperately needs a blood transfusion to survive. You and I both have blood type. So I hope you’ll try to donate blood for him.”

“But…” After hearing such an excuse, Alberta Arthur felt a bit awkward. Just as he was about to object, Nick Arthur continued speaking.

“I originally wanted to go up myself, but my physical condition isn’t up to par. The nurse said my body is too weak to undergo a full blood transfusion. So, it has to be you who goes instead! Please don’t let me down!” Nick Arthur gave Alberta Arthur a stern look.

Albert Arthur, who kept muttering to himself, eventually gave up struggling when he saw Nick Arthur’s imposing demeanor.

“Alright, alright. Since you say so, I’ll go then!” He shrugged his shoulders and finally followed the nurse who had been waiting for him, to get his blood tested and receive a blood transfusion.

The results came quickly: Alberta Arthur and Martha had the same blood type.

This result finally put Nick Arthur at ease.

After Alberta Arthur had had enough blood drawn from her, she sat down weakly beside Nick Arthur.

He looked at the nurse, stepping into the operating room with his newly acquired knowledge. Curious, he asked Nick Arthur, “Uncle, who is the child lying there? Why has he earned your favor?”

“Kids shouldn’t ask so many questions. This is my business, and it has nothing to do with you.” Nick Arthur gave Alberta Arthur a lazy glance. If it weren’t for the fact that his nephew was still useful to him, he would have kicked him out long ago.

In fact, once the nurse informed them that no further blood transfusions were needed, Alberta Arthur was mercilessly abandoned by Nick Arthur.

Albert Arthur, who rushed to the hospital in a hurry just to get a blood transfusion, was extremely disappointed.

But there’s nothing I can do. I can only leave this place slowly. A typical “tool” that’s discarded once it’s no longer useful.

Meanwhile, Nick Arthur, who had remained outside the operating room, saw that the lights in the operating room finally went out two hours later.

Comatose Martha was wheeled out by the nurses and placed in the intensive care unit.

The attending physician, who was walking at the back, approached Nick Arthur. “Mr. Arthur, the surgery was a complete success, thanks to that bag of blood. It won’t be long before this little lady recovers completely.”

Hearing this, Nick Arthur, who had been extremely worried, finally felt relieved. He let out a sigh of relief, so deeply that he almost fainted from not breathing properly.

Hobson’s assistant was so frightened that she immediately helped Nick Arthur up and gave him his medicine. Only then did Nick Arthur start to recover.

“That’s great, really great. I’m sorry for losing my composure a bit.” Nick Arthur said weakly to his attending physician.

“It’s okay, this is completely normal. We understand.” The attending physician maintained a polite yet slightly awkward smile.