Elena looked at them with her patience wearing thin. "Enough! What are you doing here? Stop making so much nonsense."
Vivian, warned by the head nurse, replied, "Father is here. He had a stroke a while ago, so we came to the hospital."
Upon hearing this, Elena almost burst into laughter.
So, Uncle already knew that the treasure in his safe was gone.
She wanted to check on her uncle to see his pathetic state, but her husband was almost done with his tests.
Feigning ignorance, Elena asked, "What happened?"
"Someone robbed our house and took all our antiques and jades," Vivian said, her voice laced with frustration.
"What? How could that be? Maybe you just misplaced them and put them in a different place. Or..." She paused, building momentum.
"Or?" Vivian leaned in, listening carefully.
"Maybe Uncle took them and sold them to someone else. I'm not saying Uncle doesn't have money, but he has been gambling and spending like water. You should really take good care of your inheritance. You're old enough to know better. I'm just saying."
Vivian was stunned; Elena had a point. Her father had just released a whopping 50 billion to Elena, and now he had little left.
Maybe he's acting to get my inheritance, too, she thought, her mind racing.
Vivian hurriedly left, eager to check if her father was just putting on a show. Marcus looked at Elena with interest, about to ask for her number, when she shot him a cold stare.
"Get lost! Don't ruin my eyes. Seeing you makes me want to poke them out."
As they left, Elena couldn't help but smile.
This is just the beginning. Make sure you are prepared for my retaliation.
She wanted to sow doubt in their minds, just as they had manipulated her in the past.
****
Returning to the ward, Elena spotted Ethan on the phone. Her interest was piqued when she realized he was speaking to his grandfather.
"You just returned from a mission, and now you're injured. What will Elena say? You left her alone in the reception and came back hurt? She will definitely be angry with you," Grandpa Caldwell reprimanded him.
Ethan replied, "Don't worry, grandpa. I'll already coax my wife. And I plan to submit my resignation letter this week at the police station."
"What did you say? You leaving the military was already my consensus, and now you want to leave the police, too? What are you planning to do?" his grandfather asked, concern evident in his voice.
"I'll explain next week when I visit with my wife. This isn't the place to talk about it," Ethan said, trying to reassure him.
Grandpa Caldwell knew Ethan must have a good reason, so he held his temper. "You better give me a reasonable explanation."
"By the way, Grandpa, can you send me all your money along with the antiques and jades next week? Just send the money first."
Before he could finish his demand, he heard his grandfather's angry voice on the other end. "What is happening to you? Do you have debts? Are you involved in illegal activities? I will come to City A right now. I need an explanation as soon as possible."
"It's not what you think. I'll explain next week. Oh, my wife is here now."
Ethan smiled as he saw Elena and handed her the phone, wanting her to talk to his grandfather.
Elena was taken aback. "Why are you giving me the phone?" she whispered.
On the other end, Grandpa Caldwell was pleased to hear that Elena was taking care of his grandson in the hospital. "Give the phone to Elena. I want to talk to my granddaughter."
Elena, already holding the phone, greeted him. "Grandpa, it's me, Elena. How are you?"
"Good! Good! I'm doing fine, still strong, and playing with your cousin, little Mia. How about you?"
"I'm also good. Don't worry about us; Ethan and I will visit you next week, okay?"
"I'll wait for you next week then. Granddaughter, if my grandson bullies you, you must tell me, okay?" Grandpa said, reassuring her of his support.
Elena glanced at Ethan with a smug smile. "Okay, Grandpa. The doctor is here now. I'll talk to them about the results. I'll hand the phone back to Ethan."
"Okay, let me know the results."
Then, she returned the phone to Ethan and walked to the doctor to inquire about the results.
"Grandpa, don't forget the money. Give me all you have in your account right now," Ethan said seriously.
"I don't know what you're up to, grandson. But fine. Take good care of your wife. I'll wait for your visit next week."
"Hmm, goodbye, Grandpa."
Afterward, Ethan called his aunt Liza while watching his wife talk seriously to the doctor. The phone rang for a moment before someone answered.
"Hello? Ethan, is this you?" his aunt's voice came through.
"Aunt, it's me. I'm back."
"Good to hear from you! What can I do for you?"
"Aunt, you're not busy, right?"
"Not at all; we're preparing for a long journey next month."
"Aunt, can you buy me an equipment for the hospital ? Double each item. Along with research equipment—the more comprehensive, the better. Money is not a problem."
"What's going on? Are you planning to open a hospital?"
You could say so since we are building it inside Elena's space.
"Yes, Aunt. I'll discuss it with you next week. Please order the equipment within a month. Give more commission to make this a priority. I want it done as soon as possible."
"You!!! Fine, as long as you know what you're doing."
After ending the call, Ethan dialed his secretary, who handled all his important business affairs.
"Ramon, sell everything I have, including stocks, companies, and houses in my name. Then buy me construction materials, gasoline, and solar panels—the more, the better. Also, contact a company that specializes in farming and animal production and buy as much equipment as they have."
Even though his wife had already purchased some of it, he wanted to be more comprehensive. If the apocalypse descended, this equipment would be damaged, and no company production would be operational anymore.
Ramon was stunned, his voice cracking as he tried to gauge his boss's seriousness. "Boss, this!! Are you sure about it?"
"Yes, I want the results as soon as possible. Make it within a month. Money is not a problem."
"Noted, sir. Is there anything else?"
"Your wife was an agent for selling RVs, right?"
"Yes, boss. Do you also want to buy?" Ramon asked, skeptical about the absurdity of his boss's orders.
"I want to buy an RV and modify it to be sturdy enough to withstand a bomb."
Now Ramon was shocked. "Boss, I..."
"Can you fulfill this request? Buy 50 of them."
"Yes, boss."
Ethan also wanted to purchase an industrial crop processor. Since he didn't have enough time to create a newly made building for an industrial processor, he would buy a company that was selling one.
After the call, Ethan's mind turned to where he could acquire massive weapons, particularly a stockpile of guns and explosives. His wife had mentioned that the world would soon be in chaos, and without laws, they would need strong protection.
He glanced at Elena, who had just finished listening to the doctor's report and was about to call her when his phone rang again.
"Chief, bad news: Team B, who were supposed to look for you along the other path of the river, has returned, but most of them are injured—seriously injured. Can you request a helicopter to transfer them back? According to the doctor here, they need immediate attention," Xander reported urgently.
"Go ahead and prepare them at the helicopter's designated landing area. I will request one for them," Ethan instructed.
"Okay, boss."
"Let the military handle this case. All the police stationed there should report back to the city. Our job is done there. I have something I want you to do here."
Lieutenant Xander was curious but still agreed, "Okay, chief."
Upon seeing Ethan's serious expression, Elena immediately asked, "What happened?"
"My team got attacked by the mutated beast. I think there are more beasts that have been infected by aliens."
"There are probably more just hiding. I believe each country has its own mutated beasts, and they are currently keeping the news under wraps to avoid causing panic," Elena speculated.
"Hmm," Ethan agreed, his brow furrowing in thought. "What we can do now is prepare for ourselves."
"I agree. By the way, let's find a veterinarian for Poochi. We should invite the veterinarian to our house. Since the doctor said you just need rest, going home would be the best option." Elena said.
"Okay."
Afterward, Elena checked Ethan out of the hospital, and they headed home together and called a specialized veterinarian near their house.