Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting.
Eventually, we learn that life is about learning to dance in the rain. We learn to wait for rescue and await fulfillment, and sometimes we just find ourselves sitting down, waiting for the storm to pass. The bittersweet fragrance of roasting coffee beans wafted forth from the counter, adding to the peaceful ambiance of the elegant but quaint café. Two figures sat on the soft reading chairs by the window, deep in discussion. The serious vibe from the two was a strange juxtaposition against the otherwise serene surroundings. The elegantly dressed man who sat on the plush reading chairs steepled his fingers under his chin, a malicious grin on his face. "This has finally come to an end. I have exhausted all my efforts to point all the evidences against you, and in the end I was right!" he exclaimed, and smirked in evil triumph. Across the table, Becky sat deep in thought. Her brows knitted in worry as she came to a terrible realization. "If Eric and Brian have known what our master has done, considering our loss at the Parliament - the Yan family will certainly face something worse than death..." the man added.
Becky internally fumed at his words. She scowled at the man, refusing to believe what she just heard. The situation was getting worse by the minute and at any rate, the deep creases on her forehead caused by stress would just crinkle further. "Why did you frame me?" she said in an icy tone.
After a small pause, the man's satisfied voice cut into the silence between them. "Because..." in a sickeningly slow voice and an eerie smile formed on the man's lips, he calmly said, "you haven't given up Brian, and the Yan Family refuses to be manipulated by the Long Family any longer." His polished dress shoes made a light tip-tap sound on the floor, seemingly sharing the joy of their owner at the current situation. He spoke again, "Becky, Dragon Island is a good place, where the Yan Family has gone through so much just to build a solid foundation. Would you really like to be expelled from the Island by Eric?"
Truthfully, his words made Becky think twice about everything that was happening. What Eric had said kept resounding in her ears, and Brian's cold expression before he left her house remained etched on her mind. She bit her lips in unease, her hands absentmindedly clutching the edge of her seat.
"I will never admit that!" Becky said hotly, balling her hands tightly into fists, color rising in her face. "I will coordinate with you in everything except that one!" She stood firm in her decision because she clearly knew that if Brian believed these false accusations against her, their relationship would be absolutely beyond redemption. There was no way that was happening, and she would make sure of it - it was too high a price to pay by herself, she thought. At that moment, she truly felt what it was like to have the world be so unfair.
The man picked up the piping hot cup of coffee on the table, and took a tentative sip. He relaxed a bit at the strong but zesty flavor. He couldn't even be bothered to hide his glee as he slowly said, "Let's just wait and see if Brian will believe you or not in the end." The man drank a little more of the coffee and put his cup down. He leisurely took out his wallet with a satisfied little smile on his face, plucked a big bill from it, and slid it across the table. "Becky, our master has made the arrangement for more than a dozen years. How could you ruin all this?" He said in a chastising tone as he stood up to fix his coat and leave. The corners of his mouth then pulled into a grim smile, his eyes sneering at her in mock pity. He then headed for the café's doors and left.
Becky sat there stiffly, looking at the forgotten cup of coffee but her mind was blank. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug crescent-shaped imprints on her palm, the skin getting raw and pink but she didn't seem to care. It wasn't until now that she realized she had been no more than a pawn, soon to be discarded after used. She bowed her head to hide her shame-filled eyes and sighed quietly in distress.
The steady hum of the air-conditioning unit was the only sound that filled the pristine white walls of the hospital suite. Two men quietly waited for the woman lying on the hospital bed to awake. "Mr. Brian Long," Tony said lightly after glancing at Molly who was still unconscious, "the poisoner has been determined."
"Who?" Brian turned to Tony and asked in a low, emotionless voice.
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