The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 19

Charley took a sip of his water and asked casually, "By the way, how is your dad doing?"

Saul and Lavinia exchanged a heavy glance.

"My cousin has a medical background," Saul said grimly. "Lavinia, you tell him."

"The doctor said the surgery was a success, but..." Lavinia hesitated. "The prognosis for this type of cancer is never good. The five-year survival rate is... less than five percent."

She lowered her head, a familiar sting burning in her nose.

"I've heard there's a new medication in Aethelgard called P-Drug. Even the president uses it, and the results are incredible," Charley noted.

Lavinia's head snapped up. "You know about P-Drug?"

"Of course. It's highly renowned over there, but extremely difficult to procure," Charley said, pausing slightly. "I have quite a few connections in Aethelgard. I could ask around, see if I can get my hands on it."

Lavinia's eyes lit up with a spark of genuine hope.

Charley had just returned from Aethelgard; with the right network, he might actually be able to pull it off.

She would keep pressuring Garnett, of course, but having a backup plan was infinitely better.

"Man, thank you so much." Saul raised his cup. "Cheers."

Lavinia raised her cup as well. "Thank you."

Charley offered a faint smile. "You're very welcome."

After lunch, Saul had to head back to his factory, and Lavinia had errands to run. With Mandy watching over Latham for the afternoon, she wasn't too worried.

Charley mentioned he was heading her way and offered to drop her off. He was still driving the same Toyota SUV from before.

Not long after they hit the road, Lavinia's phone rang. It was Corinne.

"Ms. Joplin, Mr. Harper specifically pulled me aside this morning to emphasize the matter you asked me to handle." Corinne's tone was sharp, making it clear she had just caught an earful from Garnett.

"Mhm, I'm listening," Lavinia replied, effortlessly slipping into the haughty tone of a wealthy wife.

"If there's an issue with my performance, wouldn't it be more efficient to communicate with me directly?" Corinne challenged.

Lavinia's lips curled into a cold smirk. "If our communication had been efficient to begin with, Corinne, I would have."

The line went dead silent for a few seconds.

"There's an old saying... When the small and weak act arrogantly toward the powerful, they invite their own ruin. Let alone a mere secretary." Charley's tone was incredibly nonchalant. "She's just an employee, yet she thinks she outranks the boss's wife. Someone like that..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but Lavinia understood perfectly.

She lowered her eyes.

Truthfully, she wasn't entirely convinced she outranked Corinne in Garnett's heart.

But still...

"Thank you."

Lavinia suddenly realized how wonderful it was to have a friend.

Her old classmates all had their own careers, while she had become a housewife. Without common ground or mutual support, her relationships had withered away over the last two years.

"I'm so jealous of Saul for having a friend like you," Lavinia said softly.

Charley steered with one hand, using his free hand to unlock his phone.

"Add my contact. If you ever need anything, just let me know."