Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
Jordan, walking behind her, chatted with her cheerfully for a few moments before heading to the front desk to arrange things with the manager.
With no other choice, Yunice maintained a careful distance as she continued following Wyatt.
At the entrance of the private lounge, the attendants opened the doors in two directions. The moment Wyatt stepped inside, Yunice, fearing she would be shut out, quickly followed him in.
She hadn’t expected a familiar voice to suddenly ring out in the room. “Yunice?”
Yunice’s back stiffened. She turned to look at Paul.
Paul was standing there, still in the middle of greeting Wyatt, but the moment he saw Yunice, his expression completely changed. Yunice could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest. Meanwhile, Wyatt had already taken a seat on the sofa across from them. When Jordan walked in and saw Yunice still standing, he called out, “Why are you just standing there? Go sit with Wyatt; Mr. Paul is treating us today.”
Yunice glanced at Jordan, and she felt as if all the blood in her body had turned ice-cold. Just because they had met a few times as children, she had felt a certain familiarity with him, like running into someone from the same hometown. But now that she had been played by both him and Wyatt, she realized she was the biggest fool in the world. She had thought she was scheming against Wyatt, but in reality, she was the one being played.
However, after the initial wave of shock, Yunice quickly regained her composure and walked straight over to sit on the sofa beside Wyatt. Paul’s eyes widened instantly. It was already shocking enough that Yunice wasn’t at the Saunders mansion but instead showed up at a club. Now, she was actually sitting next to Wyatt?
Does she not know that Wyatt is the Porcell family’s mortal enemy? She isn’t standing with me? Paul was furious. He barked out, “Yunice, do you have no shame? Get over here right now!”
“No shame?” Yunice lifted her gaze. “Mr. Paul, we are neither related nor close. Don’t raise your voice at me.”
Paul knew she was reminding him that their engagement had been called off. But that didn’t mean she could sit with his enemy! Did all the kindness he had shown her before mean nothing?
Frowning, Paul said, “Even if I don’t plan to marry you, I still have to keep you in line. Do your brother and the Saunders family even know you’re out this late?”
Yunice clenched her fists. Just hearing the mention of her brother was enough to make her panic. But she knew no matter what she did, Paul would tell Owen about tonight. That meant she would be facing Owen’s fury and imprisonment. After that, she would never be able to leave the Saunders mansion again.
Digging her nails into her palm, Yunice said, “I’m already 21. I have my own freedom.”
Paul sneered and ignored her. Instead, he strode forward, grabbed her wrist, and turned to Wyatt. “Wyatt, she must be crazy to run off with you. I’m taking her out of here first, then we can talk.”
“Crazy! Just using the excuse of mental illness, he thought he could take me away as he pleases? How long is he going to keep throwing this accusation at me!” Her eyes turned red with grievance and frustration. Struggling to free herself, Yunice protested, “I’m not crazy! You’re falsely accusing me.”
She couldn’t be taken away. She hadn’t done anything yet…
Paul retorted, “Not crazy? Then who was it that got sent to a psychiatric hospital?”
Turning back to Wyatt, he added, “Wyatt, her patient ID at the psychiatric hospital is 1030. You can check for yourself. I’m taking her now before her family starts worrying.”
Yunice’s face filled with panic, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn’t break free from Paul’s grip, so she could only look around the room, hoping for help. But when she scanned their faces, she realized that everyone here held significant status. Yet, they all remained indifferent and were watching coldly. No one was going to stand up for her.
“I’m not going back! I’m not going back!” Yunice shook her head, struggling desperately against Paul.
To his surprise, he couldn’t drag her away. Paul was shocked by her sudden burst of strength, but at the same time, he still…
.
Suddenly, Yunice screamed, “Wyatt… Wyatt! I can neutralize the Aconite! I can neutralize the Aconite!”
Paul had no idea what nonsense Yunice was yelling. The others in the room didn’t understand either; many of them had never even heard of Aconite before. But Wyatt understood. His gaze landed on Yunice’s tear-streaked face; his expression crumpled in despair. She is crying. So annoying. Irritated, Wyatt shifted his gaze to Paul and said, “Let go.”
Paul hadn’t even processed what was said before he felt Jordan’s fingers dig into his wrist. The sharp pain forced him to release Yunice. Immediately, she scrambled toward Wyatt, her entire body trembling uncontrollably from fear and distress. Seeing her shaking so badly, Wyatt frowned. He reached out, pulled her over to his side, and grabbed a couple of tissues.
Yunice was stunned when her chin was suddenly lifted. Her eyes were still wet with tears. Without hesitation, Wyatt started wiping her face with practiced ease.
Paul happened to witness the whole scene. What is Wyatt doing? Since when did Yunice get so close to Wyatt? For a moment, Paul was too stunned to react. But more than that, he found the sight downright unbearable. How dare Yunice be this intimate with another man right in front of me?
Send Gifts
Paul walked over and grabbed Wyatt’s hand, which was wiping Yunice’s tears. He said coldly, “Wyatt, if you want to disgust me, at least use a smarter method. Chasing after a woman I don’t want only makes you look cheaper.”
Before Wyatt could speak, Yunice immediately countered, “By that logic, if I chase after a man I don’t want, wouldn’t that make Elsie just as cheap?”
Paul looked at Yunice in surprise. She was actually defending Wyatt! Wyatt glanced at Paul with a mocking smirk, finished wiping Yunice’s tears, and then casually held Yunice’s trembling hand in his palm. Yunice’s fingertips were cold, making Wyatt’s hand feel burning hot in comparison. She looked up at him uneasily but didn’t pull her hand away.
Paul’s eyes burned with anger. Yunice isn’t shaking Wyatt off. Does she really think Wyatt is a good person? She might not know what kind of person Wyatt was, but she knew he had helped her. If she didn’t side with Wyatt, should she side with Paul instead?
Paul stood frozen in place. His rational mind told him that a heartless woman like her deserved whatever she got. But his eyes betrayed his unwillingness. So this was the kind of easy woman Yunice was? Just a few days after breaking off their engagement, she had already found a new man?
“Wyatt, Yunice is already discussing marriage. You’d better show some respect, or if this gets to Grandpa, you won’t get away with it.”
Yunice frowned. “Discussing marriage?”
Paul said, “Your mom and brother are arranging it for you. Don’t tell me you don’t know.”
Yunice really didn’t know. No one had told her anything. Seeing her pale face, Wyatt let out a short laugh. “Even people who are engaged can cheat. If you can do it, why can’t others?”
Paul was speechless, his face turning red. He instinctively glanced at Yunice, but she wasn’t defending him like she used to. Dissatisfied, Paul was about to snap back at Wyatt when he suddenly noticed something. He reached out and grabbed Wyatt’s wrist.
“Why is the bracelet with you?” Paul’s mind raced before he sneered at Yunice. “So it was you…”
“You stole the bracelet and gave it away, then tried to frame Elsie? Do you know how guilty that made Elsie feel?”
Yunice was still thinking about Owen trying to marry her off and wasn’t even listening to Paul’s ranting. Seeing that Yunice was ignoring him, Paul shook his head. “Yunice, do you know why I came here today? I know Alphasirox pills are important to you, so I humbled myself to ask for the medicine on your behalf. But you really let me down.”
It sounded like Yunice was really in the wrong. But if Paul truly had good intentions, then why did he stay silent when Elsie was fighting her for the medicine?
Yunice didn’t want to argue with Paul in front of so many people. She had already drawn enough attention today. Paul, seeing no reaction from her, felt embarrassed and left in anger. But his departure didn’t make Yunice feel any better.
What was she supposed to do when Owen came back? What if the Saunders family forced her into marriage? Legally, she was classified as mentally ill and needed to be controlled by her family. Even if she ran away, they could still bring her back. She hadn’t even escaped the nightmare of her birth family yet, and now she was about to be thrown into the nightmare of marriage?
Feeling the warmth on her wrist, Yunice snapped out of her thoughts. She saw Wyatt rubbing medicine between his hands to warm it up before gently applying it to her swollen wrist.
Wyatt said, “I wasn’t the one who called Paul here.”
Yunice didn’t respond. Whether Paul was called here or not didn’t matter. What was done was done. There was no point in…
Yunice said, “I did use some tricks with the Alphasirox pills, but I only wanted to show you my value. That’s all.”
As long as she had value, as long as she was needed, she wouldn’t be trapped in the Saunders family. Wyatt wasn’t stupid. Being direct would make it easier for him to trust her.
Yunice said, “Solving the Aconite toxicity issue is simple. You can market Alphasirox pills as requiring a three-course treatment. The first and second courses are taken alone, while the third is paired with Licorice Root.”
“Licorice Root?” Even people who weren’t in medicine knew it was a common ingredient.
“Licorice Root detoxifies and neutralizes poison. The toxicity of the Aconite in Alphasirox pills has a delayed effect. We just need to neutralize it when it takes effect.” Yunice continued, “Wellinges Pharma must have already produced a large stock of the medicine. Destroying or recalling it would cause huge losses. Money is a small issue; Wellinges Pharma’s reputation is what really matters.”
Medicine was a matter of life and death. Once trust collapsed, a company would be on the brink of bankruptcy.
Yunice said, “This is the simplest solution I can think of right now, with the least loss.”
Wyatt caught the underlying meaning. Without stopping, he asked, “You have other solutions?”
“Clinical trials take at least three months. No matter whether this risky plan works or not, it must eventually be replaced by a more refined drug.” Yumice said with certainty, “I can create a better one.”
Wyatt finished applying the medicine, pulled out a wet wipe to clean his hands, and asked, “What do you want in return?”
Hearing that, Yunice felt relieved and said, “I want money. Cash.”
Wyatt nodded. “That’s easy.” Then he asked, “I thought you’d want this.”
Yunice looked at the bracelet on his wrist. She said, “Even if you give it to me, I wouldn’t be able to keep it. It’s safer with you.”
The Saunders family was dangerous. If she took the bracelet back, it would only benefit Elsie. Money was much more practical.