Twins in Her Womb: Sir President, Please be Gentle



Chapter 3461 If I Dare to Accept, I'll Probably Lose My Life

Gerald walked over. "Ms. Sanchez, what's wrong?"noveldrama

He was eager to get back upstairs and stash his cigarettes before someone noticed and took them.

Hera yanked open his bag, glanced at the cigarette brand, and scoffed. "I thought it was some expensive brand. But it's just this? And you're acting all deferential to her over this?" Gerald was rendered speechless. "I knew Ms. Craw was going out, so I asked her to bring these back for me. This is the brand I'm used to. Maybe it's not expensive to you, but for me, it's what I can afford."

Realizing she had misspoken, Hera felt a bit awkward.

She quickly changed the topic. "Still, is a pack of cigarettes really worth you being so grateful to Luca? How much could it have cost?"

"It's not about the money,” replied Gerald. "It's just a nice surprise. I never expected to get anything out of helping Ms. Craw, and this kind of unexpected gift has nothing to do with the price. Besides, I'm not being overly grateful. I'm just happy."

He was baffled. All he had done was say a simple thank you, hoping that Luca might help him again in the future. Why did Hera exaggerate it so much?

Hera shifted in her seat and frowned. "Fine, I just made a comment. Do you really need to argue with me over every little thing?

"Besides, I already said I wanted to give you something to thank you for taking care of me these past few days, but you refused. It makes me feel like you're looking down on me."

Gerald frowned and explained, "Believe me or not, it's not about looking down on you. It's just that luxury goods don't mean anything to me. I don't care about luxury brands, only cigarettes. And you're using the boss' money to buy me gifts. What do you think he'd say if he found out?"

Hera was stunned for a moment.

He continued, "So, Ms. Sanchez, I appreciate the thought, but I don't want to cause trouble. Thanks, but no thanks."

Then, he grabbed his cigarettes and headed upstairs.

Gerald could not quite figure out Hera's logic.

A pack of cigarettes was a small change. He could accept that without feeling guilty, but a luxury item worth tens of thousands of dollars?

Sure, he needed money, but he understood that making money was only useful if you could actually spend it. If getting rich meant putting his life on the line, he would rather not earn that kind of money.

Hera scowled as she watched him leave, then stomped her foot in frustration.

After Gerald got upstairs, he noticed Luca standing by the second-floor staircase.

Surprised, he asked, "Ms. Craw, weren't you looking for Mr. Shanks?"

"He's on a call." Luca glanced toward the balcony. The glass door was shut, so she could not

hear what Shanks was saying, but she could see him holding a phone in his hand.

Hence, she stood there waiting.

"Oh, got it." Gerald followed her gaze and saw Shanks standing on the balcony, talking on the phone.

Luca glanced at the cigarettes in his hand and asked, "Ms. Sanchez wanted to give you a gift?"

"A luxury item worth tens of thousands of dollars! Who would dare accept that? If I did, I'd probably lose my life soon after." Gerald shuddered.

Luca smiled, considering a certain possibility, and nodded. "Yeah, some things just aren't meant to be taken."

"Right? That's what I think too... If I accept it now, I might not even live long enough to enjoy it," said Gerald. Then, he added, "Ms. Craw, please wait here. I'm going to put these away."

"Alright." Luca nodded.

Gerald headed back to his room.

Luca waited at the staircase for about ten minutes before Shanks finished his call and walked inside. His expression was indifferent as he looked at her. "Is it handled?"

"Mr. Shanks, I have something I'd like to ask you about," Luca said directly, skipping any pleasantries.

"Come to the lab." Shanks glanced at Hera, who was walking up the stairs, then turned away without saying anything more.

"Okay." Luca noticed Hera too but did not acknowledge her. Instead, she followed Shanks into the lab.

Hera felt a pang of resentment.

Shanks was so approachable when talking to Luca, but when it came to her, he was cold and indifferent, barely speaking a word. She was annoyed and frustrated, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Inside the lab, after Luca closed the door, Shanks asked, "How's that friend of yours doing?" "It's bad, Mr. Shanks. Here's her medical report, and these are some photos I took. I suspect she's been poisoned with a slow-acting toxin for years. Her skin has always been dark since childhood, but after moving to A City, the change in environment and lack of exposure to the toxin allowed her body to slowly detoxify, and her skin started becoming fairer.

"But this summer, when she went back home, within just a few days, her skin deteriorated again. I suspect the person behind this realized that being away from that environment was improving her condition, so they increased the dosage. Now, her skin has gotten worse. She has developed sores all over her face, and they look like toxic abscesses."

After she finished speaking, Luca patiently waited for Shanks to review the medical report. He flipped through a few pages, then he handed the phone back to her before finishing. "They didn't do a toxicology test?" asked Shanks.

"No, the dermatologists didn't even consider that possibility." Luca shook her head. "Idiots." Shanks criticized the so-called dermatology experts. "Get her to a proper hospital for blood work and a toxicology test. If you suspect those sores are toxic abscesses, there's a high chance you're right. The only thing missing now is a toxicology report to confirm it. "Also, warn her not to pick at those abscesses. If they're not toxic abscesses, that's one thing, but if they are, she could end up permanently disfigured."

"Alright." Luca tensed up at his words.

"Don't worry. These abscesses won't burst on their own. They're just a physical manifestation of toxins accumulating in her body. The toxins are deeply embedded, so unlike acne, these sores won't rupture easily. As long as she doesn't pick at them, they'll

remain stable."

"Thank you, Mr. Shanks. I'll call them right away." Luca then left the lab.

This time, she called Ray directly.

With Shanks' confirmation, she did not hold back and told Ray everything they suspected.

"She was really poisoned?" Ray's voice turned gloomy.

"That's our suspicion, but the priority isn't figuring out who did this to Vivian. It's getting her to a hospital for a toxicology test. If you're not familiar with the process here, you can ask Gale or Dr. Park to help schedule an appointment.

"Make sure it's with someone trustworthy and get the report as soon as possible. Also, remind Vivian not to pick at those abscesses. It could be dangerous."