The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 569

Desperate to extract himself from the conversation, Leonard dropped a bombshell.

"My youngest daughter was unfortunate enough to eat at a street vendor supplied by Costello Ranch. She was so traumatized she ended up hospitalized."

"Whoa! Your eldest is a forensic pathologist? You never mentioned that. Talk about keeping secrets."

"Wait... I heard Mr. Devereaux and his family have been pulling strings for a female medical examiner with the last name Hayes. Is that her?"

Leonard puffed his chest out, positively beaming with pride. "Yes."

"She just happened to be at the Devereaux charity gala. She cleared their son of a murder charge and ended up saving his life. The Devereaux family has been incredibly grateful ever since."

The men exchanged loaded glances, their eyes now swimming with jealousy and blatant sycophancy.

"You've been holding out on us, Leonard. We've known each other for years, and you never once dropped that little tidbit."

"Seriously. Hiding a daughter with that kind of resume? Were you afraid we'd try to poach her for our own sons?"

The Hayes Group projected an image of unstoppable wealth, but internally, the company was bleeding money.

Leonard wasn't one to settle, constantly chasing aggressive expansion strategies to patch the holes in his ship.

He had banked entirely on landing a massive contract with the Devereaux Group to save him.

When the deal spectacularly fell through, it was a devastating blow.

His cash flow was severely constrained, a fact that kept him awake at night.

Add in the relentless drama between Nora and Mia, and Leonard couldn't remember the last time he had a reason to smile.

But right now, basking in the glow of their envy, Leonard laughed from the bottom of his heart.

"Oh, stop it. She's just a civil servant. It's nothing that impressive."

He hadn't expected Nora to be such a massive asset.

Feeling the shift in the room's power dynamic, Leonard hardened his resolve. He was going to secure an alliance with Arthur Peyton, and he was getting his daughter back.

Sliding into the back of his chauffeured car, Leonard headed straight for the hospital, completely oblivious to the black Bentley that silently pulled away from the curb right behind him.

In the back of the Bentley, Arthur rested his arm against the window, massaging his temples.

The Driver navigated the dark streets, stealing frequent glances at his boss through the rearview mirror.

Seeing Arthur wince, he voiced his concern. "Boss, should we swing by the hospital?"

When Arthur didn't respond, The Driver sighed. "With your current condition, you really shouldn't be drinking."

As far as The Driver was concerned, those executives were entirely useless.

Arthur had degraded himself by sharing a room with them, let alone sharing a drink.

"How else do you expect me to pry information out of them?" Arthur's voice was devoid of emotion.