After hanging up the phone, Ann Vaughn called two other suppliers, only to hear the same response.
Ann Vaughn rubbed her cheek in frustration. If she agreed to the price hike this time, it could very well happen again and again.
She couldn’t trust such people for continued cooperation. She had to find another solution, though fortunately, she wasn’t short of some necessary herbs for now.
She needed to find a reliable herbal medicine supplier for long-term cooperation as soon as possible... ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
The alarm suddenly went off, snapping Ann Vaughn back to reality. She got up, went into the small room, and took out the cooled medicine, carefully storing it before heading to the hospital.
As soon as she reached the ward door, Ann Vaughn heard a familiar clear voice coming from the crack.
"If Grandpa finds out that Second Uncle hired people to sabotage the medical project to tarnish the group’s image, his health might not withstand it. Let’s pretend this never happened and not let Grandpa know."
"How could your Second Uncle be so foolish? Blood runs thicker than water, yet he harms his own family!" Laura Quinn’s voice was low, filled with anger and dissatisfaction.
The ward’s soundproofing was excellent, so Ann Vaughn couldn’t hear clearly, but she could tell that the medical incident had been resolved, and she sighed in relief.
"Fortunately, this time we owe a huge favor to Cynthia. Aunt has only just realized your medical skills are so good. You truly deserve the title of a talented woman cultivated by a family renowned in medicine. Aunt sincerely thanks you."
Ann Vaughn had just opened the ward door to enter, but paused upon hearing this.
"Aunt, you’re being too formal. I didn’t really help much, just did what I could." Cynthia Vaughn lowered her head shyly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"How can you say that’s a small matter? You identified the problem with the patient and found a solution, helping us resolve such a big issue. What reward would you like? Cian, what do you think?"
"I have invested one billion in the Vaughn Group’s recently launched pharmaceutical research under Cynthia’s name," Cyrus Hawthorne said casually, his long, dark eyes filled with gentleness.
Laura Quinn looked surprised, while Cynthia Vaughn’s smile grew even broader, her excitement evident.
Turns out, it was Cynthia Vaughn who came up with the solution, and her information wasn’t utilized.
Ann Vaughn felt a bit disappointed inside, but it was good that the problem was resolved; the rest didn’t matter much.
Moreover, she hadn’t expected that the medical incident was masterminded by Second Uncle Hawthorne, solely for the project’s lucrative rewards, to the extent of harming his own family.
Ann Vaughn glanced around and her eyes fell accurately on Cyrus Hawthorne, sitting on a single-seater sofa, his long legs elegantly crossed, appearing relaxed yet aloof.
Quickly, she withdrew her gaze, not lingering on him.
Recalling his insulting words from that day, Ann Vaughn’s face paled slightly, and she quietly closed the door again.
She didn’t linger, turning to leave for the elevator, thinking her visit had been pointless.
With everyone there, she couldn’t possibly administer the medicine to Grandpa Hawthorne stealthily; Laura Quinn was likely to misunderstand it as poisoning.
She would have to return again at night.
This time, Ann Vaughn smartened up, staking out in a store across from the hospital, waiting for Cyrus Hawthorne and the others to leave.
After waiting for over three hours, Ann Vaughn finally saw the Hawthorne family’s car leaving the hospital and hurried inside.
Luckily, the caregiver was absent, so Ann Vaughn pushed open the door, checked Old Master Hawthorne’s pulse to confirm there were no issues, and got ready to administer the medicine.
"What are you doing?"