Chapter 451: Chapter 451: Crocodile Tears
"Oh my god! Secretary Shrek sure knows how to give gifts!" Ann Vaughn’s eyes instantly turned into two sparkling stars as she looked at the gold card and the food card.
These gifts hit right in her heart!
If it were direct cash, she would definitely return it, because she had already reached an agreement with the Crown Prince last night that all profits from the snake venom antidote formula would be donated to the World Charity Fund in Kenny’s name.
Including the high bonus granted to her by the President was also included.
But the gold card and food card were different; gifts are precious for being thoughtful!
Just as Ann Vaughn was happily playing with the two cards, suddenly a stack of cards appeared in front of her.
She turned her head in confusion, looking at Cyrus Hawthorne who was handling work on his laptop, "These..."
"Gifts." The man answered succinctly, his narrow eyes showing a bit of discomfort, "Do you like them?"
Ann Vaughn picked up that stack, whether gold-plated or diamond-studded, the luxury of the card surface alone was extreme, and after seeing the letters like Global Commerce Shopping Card, Entertainment Club Supreme Member, Black Swan Cake Platinum VIP, on them.
Ann Vaughn: ...
She reached out to hold down her twitching lips, looking at the shiny stack of cards in silence.
These cards, if casually thrown out one, would likely cause everyone to scramble madly.
He just gave them to her like that??
"Don’t like them?" Seeing her apparently speechless expression, Cyrus Hawthorne slightly furrowed his brow, his narrow eyes coolly gazing at the gold card and shopping card in her hand.
"No, it’s not that, I certainly like them very much." Ann Vaughn held those two cards tightly, feeling a subtle intuition that if she said she didn’t like them, these two cards would be thrown out of the car window by him.
Cyrus Hawthorne’s dangerous expression then slightly cleared up, turning his gaze back to the computer screen.
Ann Vaughn was both amused and annoyed, this man was too domineering, wasn’t he? Who gives gifts forcibly and insists the recipient must like them?
...
When reporters from various media outlets in Eland were preparing to interview Ann Vaughn, she had already boarded a plane, heading back to The Imperial Capital.
The media couldn’t have expected Ann Vaughn to be so willful, leaving like that without even leaving a message, resulting in their pages empty without being able to catch her for an interview.
While these people were troubled over the news space being left empty, the domestic scene was a different kind of lively.
The reason was simple: Cynthia Sheridan was pressing hard, if Vaughn Family relatives didn’t hand over the ancient book formula to her, falling out was just a matter of time.
This led to them pouring nearly all money they got into buying internet trolls to put public pressure on Ann Vaughn.
And since they had been on the justified side themselves, Ann Vaughn, as an adopted daughter hogging Old Master Vaughn’s inheritance and refusing to return it, in many people’s eyes, was her shamelessly refusing to back down.
Even though people kept speaking for Ann Vaughn and Vaughn Clinic, they were quickly silenced by the trolls, the wind was overwhelmingly one-sided.
Thus, when Ann Vaughn groggily got off the plane, she saw these "good deeds" done by the family relatives on real-time trending searches, her mind instantly cleared, her face turning pale.
These issues had been suppressed before she went abroad, but since she’d been abroad recently and Sherry hadn’t mentioned them, she didn’t know it had escalated to this level online...
"President Hawthorne, news from the hospital, madam’s condition has improved, she has regained consciousness now," Mark Joyce suddenly reported from the front seat.
"Hmm." Cyrus Hawthorne responded faintly, his brows showing a little fatigue.
"It’s just... Madam has requested to see you and Miss Vaughn."
At these words, Ann Vaughn’s attention was drawn over, somewhat puzzled, "Why does she want to see me?"
Since the last time at home, Laura Quinn had stayed quiet for quite a while and hadn’t caused any drama before her.
Now suddenly wanting to see her... Ann Vaughn had a nagging sense of unease.
Cyrus Hawthorne did not reply to Mark Joyce but looked sideways at Ann Vaughn, asking in a deep voice, "Want to see?"
"Let’s see," after hesitating for a moment, Ann Vaughn nodded, then added, "First, let’s agree, if she gets riled by me and something bad happens, it’s not my fault."
She was destined not to act like before, bowing and scraping for compromise in front of Laura Quinn. If Laura Quinn wants to play any tricks with her, she wouldn’t take it lying down.
Furthermore, she was still Cyrus Hawthorne’s mother, Ann Vaughn wasn’t so disrespectful to not even give face.
"Hmm." A trace of a smile flickered in Cyrus Hawthorne’s deep eyes as he lightly rubbed her temple twice, then ordered Mark Joyce, "Drive."
"Yes, President Hawthorne."
Half an hour later at Imperial Capital First Hospital.
In a VIP single patient room, bright and clean, air circulated, all kinds of furniture were perfectly equipped.
Ann Vaughn and Cyrus Hawthorne walked side by side into the room, Laura Quinn was still lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV drip, looking pale and weak, seemingly having gone through a severe illness.
As soon as they approached, Laura Quinn’s gaze fixed directly on Ann Vaughn, without the usual disdainful sneering, instead offering a faint smile.
Ann Vaughn frowned slightly, what’s she up to?
"Why did you call me here?"
Laura Quinn coughed a couple of times before managing to speak, "Since that incident last time, I’ve thought about it for a long time and regretted it for a long time. I called you here to apologize."
For a moment, Ann Vaughn almost thought she heard wrong, her red lips moved slightly, unable to speak.
Laura Quinn, who was always too proud to put anyone beneath her in her eyes, wanted to apologize to her?
Was she hallucinating??
Laura Quinn didn’t notice Ann Vaughn’s frozen expression and spoke guiltily, "Annie, I’m really sorry for everything I did to you, whether in the past or now. Because of my own selfishness, I hated seeing my son taken by a woman like you and did a lot of wrong things. But my pride wouldn’t let me bow to you, so I kept making mistakes..."
"I hope you can forgive me, but even if you can’t, please accept my attempt to make amends for my past mistakes..."
As the word "make up" finished, Laura Quinn’s face was already wet with tears, she now lacked any of her usual arrogance and grace, only filled with regret and remorse, appearing quite pitiful.
Ann Vaughn’s heart skipped a beat, she felt lost and looked helplessly at Cyrus Hawthorne beside her, her eyes pleading for help.
Cyrus Hawthorne slightly shook his head, his cold face showing the usual indifference, "Forgiving or not is your right."
Though it didn’t directly resolve the dilemma she was facing, it calmed Ann Vaughn down.
She didn’t know why Laura Quinn suddenly seemed to have reformed, but forgiving or not, was her decision.
From an emotional standpoint, Ann Vaughn didn’t want Cyrus Hawthorne to be caught between her and Laura Quinn, she wanted to forgive her, but thinking of those things Laura Quinn had done to her in the past, forgiving wasn’t so easy.
Logically speaking, she feared Laura Quinn’s tears were crocodile tears.