She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 868

But at Vanessa Ellington's birthday gala, he happened to spot a little girl clinging to Melanie with absolute adoration.

In a split second, an idea had blossomed in his dark mind—

Why not use the kid?

If the little brat died, Melanie would be devastated. She would cry.

And he could swoop in, playing the supportive brother, and comfort her.

He would get a front-row seat to every agonizing expression of grief she possessed.

Sure, the Chimera Pathogen from four years ago was fundamentally flawed.

But as Patient Zero, her symptoms would be catastrophic, and her mortality rate practically guaranteed.

Shawn had been dying to see how Melanie would handle the pressure once Elina was infected.

She had vastly exceeded his wildest expectations.

Not only did she ruthlessly contain the outbreak, but she completely engineered an antibody and snatched the kid back from the brink of death.

"Our family needs a mind like that," Shawn murmured, his eyes slipping shut in pure ecstasy.

"I wouldn't mind having an Angel like her to warm my bed, either!"

In Palisadia.

Melanie personally met with Vanessa Ellington.

Under the guise of discussing future business ventures, she smoothly shifted the conversation, subtly requesting the security footage from the Aurelia Grand on the night of the party.

Vanessa politely shut her down.

"It's not that I don't want to help you. I have influence, yes, but the surveillance at the Aurelia Grand isn't something you can just pull on a whim."

"The guest list that night was packed with the global elite. If footage leaked of something that was meant to stay hidden, it would be a disaster. The investors behind the venue are fiercely protective of their privacy. Unless it's a massive criminal investigation involving the authorities, it's impossible."

Vanessa shook her head apologetically.

Melanie nodded in understanding.

She had flown out here fully prepared for a rejection.

Pressuring Vanessa wouldn't work, and there was no point in burning a bridge.

She just wanted to try her luck.

Still, walking away empty-handed left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"What kind of critical emergency requires you to fly halfway across the world?"

"My office computer got the blue screen of death."

"Ah. Truly a crisis of epic proportions."

Melanie played along, deciding not to call him out.

As they fell into step heading toward the parking lot, the air between them felt sweet and comfortable.

Suddenly, Melanie stopped in her tracks and whipped her head around.

"What's wrong?" Preston asked softly.

Melanie stared into a narrow alleyway.

"I could swear someone was just watching me."

It was a gaze that sent ice crawling down her spine.

Just as she was about to turn back, she caught a fleeting reflection in a shop window across the street.

"Elara Bennett?"