Filed to story: The Daughter in the Shadows (Yunice) Book by Una Norris
The ironic twist is, before Yunice could find him, a request from the Powell family found her first. The call was from Taylor. But she wasn’t calling for Yunice. She was calling for Dr. Rylie, the other identity of Yunice-owner of Virtue Hall.
“Dr. Rylie, can you come to the Powell residence? I have a patient who really needs your help,” Taylor said politely.
It was Taylor’s wedding day, but her somber tone made it clear things weren’t going well.
“I can come,” Yunice replied.
Taylor’s voice brightened. “Send me your location. I’ll have Alan pick you up.”
Half an hour later, Yunice stepped out of the car, fully covered. She knew the layout of the Powell mansion better than Alan, but she deliberately took a wrong turn and circled around Paul’s residence, Maplecrest Manor. Alan didn’t realize she’d gotten away until he turned around. He had to go back to find her.
Yunice stepped out from behind the mansion. “This place is huge. I must have lost track for a second.”
This time, Alan led the way carefully, looking back every few steps. He led them through a winding waterfront corridor before stopping in front of a secluded courtyard. Yunice looked up. “This is Jensen’s residence.”
Moments later, Taylor emerged and motioned for Yunice to speak with her privately. She said, “The patient I’m going to show you… please don’t ask too many questions.”
Yunice asked, “What are the symptoms?”
Taylor looked embarrassed. “Loss of bladder and bowel control, constant shivering in bed, and mumbling nonsense.”
“Sounds like he’s been terrified,” Yunice said with a faint smile.
Taylor didn’t answer, but her silence was confirmation enough. No wonder the Powell family didn’t want to send Jensen to the hospital or reveal his condition. They were afraid the scandal would spread. After dealing with the Powells for more than ten years, Yunice knew exactly how their pride worked.
The moment she entered the room, she was hit by a pungent stench of urine and feces seeping through the curtain.
Yunice wasn’t allowed to see Jensen’s face. She was only allowed to check his pulse. After a moment, she withdrew her hand. “Acute stress reaction. Muscle tension and gastric distress?”
She wrote a prescription. Taylor didn’t even look at it before handing it to Alan to fill.
Just then, the sound of a cane echoed through the hall. Jackson entered and casually took the prescription sheet. As he read it, his face darkened. “Children’s urine?” It was the only word he recognized in the list of ingredients.
Yunice replied calmly, “The patient is showing signs of convulsions. Using warm urine as the base ingredient, about a pound, can wake him up immediately. Otherwise, if he continues to shake like this, it could turn into full-blown epilepsy.”
“A pound?”
Taylor cringed and subtly covered her nose. And how could anyone drink that… What kid could pee that much?
Still, she had no doubts about Yunice’s abilities. The last thing I wanted on her first day as a Powell bride was to be labeled “the one who ruined her father-in-law.” She vouched for her, “Grandpa, she used to be my father’s personal physician. Her skills are first-class.”
She looked back awkwardly at the curtain. “This really can’t be put off any longer. Paul is still unreachable, and we have a serious family discussion tonight.”
Right after she spoke, a fresh stream hit the screen again, leaving a long, wet trail. Realizing that Jensen had lost control again, Taylor stormed out in a huff.
I’d been spoiled all my life. It was bad enough that my new husband ignored me. But now, right after marrying into the family, I had to deal with this father-in-law’s mess? I would kill Paul right now if I had the chance.
Linda, wearing a mask, stepped out from behind the screen. Her eyes were red, whether from…
“Mr. Jackson, we can’t put this off any longer,” she said. “Please… just get him to the hospital.”
Jackson’s expression was thunderous. There wasn’t a trace of sympathy in his face, only cold disgust. “Useless thing.”
Both Linda and Taylor knew exactly who he meant. Jensen had been tied to a machine table by Wyatt earlier in the day. The saw had ripped his pants. That trauma alone was enough to put him in this state. To Jackson, who had lived a life of strength and command, both his son and grandson were pathetic disappointments. But he was old now. He couldn’t run the show anymore.
Just as he fell silent, Yunice spoke from the side. “I was actually conservative in my diagnosis. The patient has a trauma to a private area. That kind of injury can lead to serious complications… potentially fatal ones.”
Linda lowered her head, unable to speak. Jensen hadn’t been completely destroyed, but the sparks from the saw had burned him badly enough to be life-threatening. He is my last hope in the Powell family. But Jackson’s pride wouldn’t allow us to send him to a hospital.
Still silent, Jackson suddenly lifted his cane, swift and sharp. With a flick, the tip of the cane grazed Yunice’s nose and knocked her baseball cap off. Shocked, she staggered back and instinctively covered her face, too late. Everyone around her gasped. Her face…
Linda stared at the scars on her skin and frowned. “Burns?”
-Up Medicine
Taylor quickly retrieved the cap and gently helped Yunice put it back on.
I knew that Dr. Rylie wore full coverage every day because of the burns, but I had never imagined the scars would be so severe. Taylor was clearly upset. She was never one to swallow her pride. Defending Yunice, she turned to Jackson and snapped, “Mr. Jackson, Dr. Rylie came here because I asked her to. If you don’t trust her, just say so, and I’ll send her back. But did you really have to rip someone’s wound open like that?”
She was a newlywed, and her family had influence. Jackson said nothing. He glanced at the woman, who was hastily pulling down her cap to cover the scars on her face, then tossed the situation aside. “Do what you want. If you all can’t fix him, don’t come crying to me.”
Taylor rolled her eyes. Typical. This old man had been pampered for too long, acting like he was king of the world. It isn’t my son lying in that bed; it is Jackson’s son. Why should I care if he lived or died?
Linda, on the other hand, looked absolutely miserable. Where am I going to get a pound of warm child urine? Left with no choice, she sent someone to a kindergarten and begged them to pick it up, making sure to emphasize that it had to be from a child.
Taylor invited Yunice to rest in another hallway. While they had a quiet moment, Yunice took Taylor’s pulse. She’d been taking Yunice’s medicine for two months now, and her original problems had mostly cleared up.
Soon after, violent gagging sounds came from the next room. It wasn’t just one person. Even the maids were choking. Linda sounded the worst. Jensen lay on the bed, disoriented and burning, swallowing everything that touched his lips. He frowned after a few swallows but kept drinking. Eventually, the smell hit him so hard that even in his half-conscious state, he instinctively turned his face away, refusing another sip. Linda’s spoon wouldn’t go in. She snapped, “Hold him down!”
From the next room, Yunice heard the sounds of violent vomiting and angry cursing. Jensen had finally woken up, sick to consciousness. Taylor was overjoyed. “Dr. Rylie, you really are a miracle worker!” Yunice just smiled. Not a miracle, just a bit of mischief. He didn’t need urine to wake up. But I did to make him suffer.
I couldn’t catch the kid, but I can certainly punish the dad. Jensen today. Paul tomorrow.
Soon Linda came in. Yunice deliberately covered her nose. Linda had always carried herself with pride. When had she ever been treated like this? The humiliation stung, but she needed Yunice, so she pretended nothing had happened. “Dr. Rylie, he drank about half before the rest spilled… now that he’s awake, do we need to continue?” Yunice replied evenly, “Madam, you understand that dosages are important in medicine…” Before she could finish, Linda relented. “All right, I understand. I’ll get more…” Yunice said nothing. This was just a tiny taste. The Powells had done worse to me. She continued to think, planning her next move.
Night fell. The entire Powell compound was bathed in artificial light, bright as day. Jensen was now fully awake and no longer screaming in pain. To monitor his condition, Yunice was asked to stay at the mansion for the night. Not long after, Taylor made an excuse to leave. A maid brought in some light refreshments and tea, but Yunice didn’t touch anything.
Once she was alone, Yunice connected her phone to the Powell estate’s surveillance system. She quickly located the conference room used for official meetings. It was so sharp that the moment she spotted him on her screen, he raised his eyes and stared directly at the corner camera. The look felt like it pierced the monitor and met her eyes. Yunice nearly dropped her phone. Fearing discovery, she didn’t dare move the camera again. Which meant the feed stayed locked on Wyatt’s face the whole time.
As she continued to listen, she learned that they were discussing preparations for the Northvale project. Jackson had somehow negotiated with Wyatt to get some of the project rights back. It had originally been a 50-50 split. But since Carl had bought in with strong shares, Wyatt now had the upper hand again.
Soon Jensen appeared, dressed in a sharp suit that smelled freshly laundered. He walked past the executives and sat down across from Jackson. Except for the burn near his private parts, Jensen had no visible injuries, only a severe shock earlier. But that pound of medicine had given him a new reason to pull himself together. He felt like he was back in the game. Now, desperate to regain some dignity in front of his father, he showed up.
Hell
Jensen still felt uncomfortable. As he sat down, his hand on the armrest first, his eyes darted quickly to Jackson’s face, then instinctively to Wyatt. Wyatt sat hunched over, elbows on his knees, leaning forward with a mocking smile as he stared at Jensen. Jensen looked away immediately. Wyatt leaned back lazily, his posture even more relaxed.
“Pathetic,” he said. Jackson’s eyebrows furrowed even more. The leaders of the Powell and Cooper sides were engaged in a full-blown verbal war, clashing over a minor point of profit. They were shouting, their faces flushed, almost to the point of exchanging slaps. Neither Jackson nor Wyatt intervened until things had calmed down.
Eager to assert himself, Jensen was the first to speak. “All this fuss over some petty winnings? Wyatt, I didn’t hear anything about your company being on the verge of bankruptcy. When did you become so petty?”
Wyatt didn’t answer. Feeling bolder, Jensen continued. “Here’s what I propose. We use a dynamic profit-sharing model that adjusts distributions based on actual contributions at each stage. That way, both sides get the most benefit.”
Still no response. Jensen tried again, feigning fairness. “Let the Powell Group do the early-stage R&D and market expansion. The Cooper side can provide capital reserves. After all, Wyatt, you never went to school. You wouldn’t understand the technical side of things. So let me, your older brother, reluctantly handle the core segments.”
Taylor looked at Wyatt. I hope the Powell family will get the upper hand, but I also know Wyatt isn’t stupid. Sure enough, Wyatt let out a carefree laugh, then looked at Jensen with mocking eyes.
As soon as the words had landed, Jensen jerked back in his chair. His expression changed instantly. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He gripped the armrest of the chair so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged. Wyatt narrowed his eyes. What now? Everyone stared at Jensen’s strange posture and pale face. Jackson’s eyes widened as if he sensed something.
“Taylor! Your father-in-law doesn’t look well; help him out of here!”
If Jackson noticed, how could Taylor not? But she just sat there with an annoyed look on her face, unwilling to move. Then a loud gurgle came from Jensen’s stomach. He tensed, then a series of unmistakable, highly embarrassing sounds echoed through the hall. Clank. Jackson’s cane fell to the floor. His face froze in disbelief. He opened his mouth to scream, but the image in his mind was faster than his words. He imagined what would happen if Jensen got up, so he forced himself to hold back.
Jensen didn’t dare move a muscle. Drenched in sweat, he silently prayed that everyone in the room would just disappear. Suddenly, one of Wyatt’s executives slapped him on the leg and burst out laughing. “Your boss just crapped his pants! Hahaha!”
“Question for the finance team, should we add a new line item for diapers to Powell’s budget?”
“Honestly, it might be necessary. If he can’t do it in a meeting, what if he does it in the office? That would be very unprofessional.”
The Cooper Group had a bad reputation, and its employees were notorious for roasting people mercilessly. It wasn’t just Jackson and Jensen who couldn’t take it. Taylor couldn’t sit still either. She stood up with a cold face and left the room to get some air. Yunice, watching through the surveillance feed, had seen the show she wanted, so she cut the video.
Oh, the medicine might treat his illness, but it was also full of fire-purging herbs. Of course, he’d end up with diarrhea. And when Wyatt scared him earlier, it triggered his fear. There was no way his body could take it. The Powell family had made a big mistake. They picked the wrong person to attack, especially one who was a medical expert.