Chapter 67
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Lucy was incredibly famous. When she was making waves in the business world, Zoe was just a kid in elementary school, far removed from that level of influence. If the private detective hadn’t pointed it out, Zoe wouldn’t have noticed anything unusual about the photo.
After recovering from her shock, she immediately went online to investigate Lucy. However, the information on her was sparse. The few remaining articles only discussed how powerful Lucy had once been and how the Graham family, along with the board of the Graham Group, had forced her to step down from management. In the end, she went overseas and never appeared in public again.
Zoe spent more time searching, but all she found were snippets of gossip. Some said that Lucy had died in a car accident, and Matthew had covered it up. Others claimed she had undergone plastic surgery, changed her name, and was secretly married with children, living an ordinary life abroad.
There were even rumors that Matthew had fallen out with her and imprisoned her, isolating her from the outside world. In short, no one had seen Lucy in five years, though Matthew maintained that she was living well abroad and didn’t wish to be disturbed.
The more Zoe read, the more confused she became. ‘How on earth did Athena get involved with Lucy? Could Matthew have introduced Athena to his sister shortly after they met?’ she thought, feeling a pang of jealousy.
That’s Impossible,” Zoc muttered to herself, shaking her head. Matthew is far too picky. His marriage will definitely be decided by his family. Even if he’s taken a liking to Athena, there’s no way he’d introduce her to his family so easily. I need to calm down…
Recalling the other name the private investigator had mentioned, she did another search online and was once again taken
aback
Dr. Annie was hailed as a titan in the medical field, the most brilliant and mysterious surgeon in the world. She had successfully performed surgeries of the highest difficulty and earned the title “Death’s Nemesis.”
However, no one knew what she looked like or where she came from. They only knew she was a young woman, and whenever she appeared, she wore a mask and glasses, deliberately concealing her face.
Her only public contact was an email address. Anyone who wished to reach her had to send an email, but she seldom responded and rarely accepted cases. Despite the desperation of politicians, celebrities, and the wealthy to pay exorbitant fees for her consultations, their emails were often met with silence.
In the medical world, they had a saying: “What’s harder than a head transplant? Getting in touch with Dr. Annie.”
Zoe was in awe, her mind filled with more questions. What is Athena’s relationship with Dr. Annie? And what is Dr. Annie’s connection to Lucy? she wondered.
As she pieced the clues together, a thought crossed her mind. ‘Since Dr. Annie is such a renowned doctor, anyone who reached out to her would likely require medical help. Is Athena suffering from a terminal illness? She almost hoped that was the case-but somehow, it didn’t seem likely.
‘If it wasn’t Athena who’s terminally ill, then, could it be… Lucy? Zoe thought, the possibility slowly dawning on her. ‘Could Matthew be trying to enlist Dr. Annie’s help while also introducing Athena to his sister before it was too late?”
It seemed like a wild theory, but not entirely impossible. Nevertheless, Zoe was at a loss on how to investigate the matter. With her status position, and resources, she had no hope of prying into the lives of such prominent figures as Lucy and Dr.
Annie.
Zoe was so wrapped up in her thoughts that time flew by, and before she knew it, it was already past midnight. Frustrated, she turned off her computer, flopped onto her bed, and closed her eyes, her mind still churning.
At dawn, she opened her eyes groggily and stared at the ceiling for a long time. Slowly, a devious smile crept onto her lips.
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0:40 Sat, Oct 12
Chapter 67
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Why should I care about how they’re connected? I could spin the story however I want, she thought slyly. If the rumors got out, surely someone more powerful would look into it. All I have to do is sit back and watch the drama unfold.
With a plan in mind. Zoe sprang out of bed, grabbed her tablet, and began searching for Matthew and Lucy’s enemies within their family.
When the results appeared, she couldn’t help but gasp. The internal strife in the Graham family is this terrifying?’ Zoe thought, her mouth dropped open in disbelief.
Almost every generation had members who died under mysterious circumstances. Although officially ruled as accidents. rumors suggested otherwise.
Matthew and Lucy’s mother had it the worst. Born into a prestigious family with both beauty and brains, she tragically fell to her death in her early thirties. After her death, her husband remarried and even had mistresses and illegitimate children.
Zoe jotted down the names of Matthew and Lucy’s key rivals and obtained their contact information. She then edited the photo provided by her private investigator, added notes, and attached the contact list before sending everything to a foreign hacker via encrypted email. She instructed the hacker to quickly send the photos to the listed recipients with the highest level of discretion.
Once the task was done, Zoe promptly deleted her encrypted email account. “There’s no way anyone will trace this back to me, she thought with a smirk. Feeling satisfied, she fell back into bed to catch up on her sleep.
Meanwhile, in the sprawling villa of Mid-Level Mountain Garden, Athena yawned as she headed downstairs to grab breakfast in the main house. As she passed the garage, she noticed Arthur squatting beside their father’s car, his head bent in thought, looking rather comical. Curious, she approached quietly, standing behind him.
Arthur, oblivious to her presence, was muttering to himself as he ran his hand over Wesley’s car and traced the ground with his finger. “I need to work two jobs, no, three jobs, so I can earn enough to park my car here too. But what kind of job should I get?
“I make good money running the restaurant with Mom, but working until three in the morning is bad for her health. Maybe I should run a smaller restaurant on my own? But the rent alone would kill me…
Athena pursed her lips and smiled, amused by how endearing her brother was. He was so adorable that she almost wanted to buy him a car.
But knowing him, he would probably refuse, saying. “I can’t spend your money? Or worse, he would get all suspicious and ask, “Where did you get the money for this? Without a solid reason, Arthur would never accept the gift. She figured it was better to help him find a high-paying job instead.
Athena chose not to disturb him and quietly left, heading into the main house. In the dining room, Maria was setting dishes on the table, while Josie sat at the table with her doll, patiently waiting for breakfast to be served.
When Josie saw Athena, she waved at her and said eagerly, “Athena, breakfast is almost ready
Athena sat down next to her and patted her head. “Did you sleep well last night?”
Josie bobbed her head. “I slept great! I was the first one awake. I was so hungry I had to eat a snack.”
Athena chuckled. It seemed like everyone in the family had a restless night from the excitement, which explained why they all slept in. Only Josie, being the carefree child she was, had fallen asleep quickly and woken up on time.
While she waited for the meal to be served, Athena picked up her phone to check the news. As soon as she opened the app, a massive headline grabbed her attention. “Lucy Graham in Critical Condition. Dr. Annie Called in for Treatment, Prognosis Gom
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