A Matrilocal Husband's Counterattack

Chapter 62: One Hundred Million

The turmoil at Five Lakes Restaurant ultimately ended with Daniel kneeling to apologize, and from then on, Savannah dared not provoke Ricky anymore.
Ethan didn't press them too hard; what he wanted was merely to suppress their arrogance. As for making the women regret, that was something Ricky would have to handle in the future.
After dinner, Ethan had Ricky drive him back, and they agreed to meet at 9 a.m. the next day to visit the clinic.
When they arrived back at the Thompson family villa, Ethan realized that Sophia had not yet returned, which was unusual.
In the past, whether it was overtime or socializing, Sophia would always come back home before eleven, but today, she was already half an hour late.
Just as Ethan was about to pick up the phone to call her, he heard the sound of high heels clicking from behind.
Turning around, he saw none other than Sophia.
She was still dressed in her work outfit, but her face was slightly flushed, with a hint of alcohol on her breath.
Moreover, her sleeves were a bit wrinkled, as if she had been in a struggle with someone.
Sophia smiled when she saw Ethan and asked, "How was your meeting with Ricky?"
"It was fine."
Ethan stepped forward to support her. "Why are you only back now? Didn't you say you had to work late? How did you end up socializing?"
Sophia nodded. "Yeah, we resolved the funding issue and the production capacity is back on track, so I met with a few clients and had a few more drinks."
Ethan pressed on, "Was Vincent Bright there too?"
Ethan could smell a different perfume on her, and upon recalling the time when Vincent had tried to woo her in the restaurant, he realized it was the same scent.
Sophia froze slightly. "How did you know?"
"Because I can smell his perfume on you."
Ethan felt a knot in his chest. "Didn't you dislike him? Why would you drink with him tonight?"
"He introduced me to a few clients, and said it was his way of apologizing."
Sophia explained softly, "I didn't want things to get too awkward, and the company needs the clients, so I attended the dinner."
"I don't have anything to do with him."
She wasn't sure why she added that last sentence.
Ethan looked at her, the woman who bewitched everyone: "Nothing between you two, but you still have his perfume on you? That only happens from close contact."
"Enough already!"
Sophia suddenly became impatient. "I told you there's nothing between us, believe it or not! Isn't it tiring to be suspicious all the time?"
"I don't owe you any explanations."
Ethan had been struggling with work and life, and now he had to face her pressuring him even more. Sophia's temper flared.
Seeing that the argument was about to escalate, Ethan suppressed his unhappiness. "Can you just stop seeing him from now on?"
"Stop seeing him? Who's going to bring me clients then?"
Sophia pushed him away. "Besides, since when did my affairs become your business?"
"I haven't even mentioned how close you are with Ms. Scarlet, but here you are making wild guesses about me and Vincent Bright, are you bored or something?"
With that, she kicked off her high heels, her expression filled with frustration, and entered the room, slamming the door behind her.
Ethan stood there, dejected, forgetting to treat the wound on his back...
The next morning, Ethan made breakfast and woke Sophia up, hoping to have a proper talk. However, Sophia left with a cold face.
To make things worse, when Ethan saw the car waiting for her, it wasn't Sofia Lopez but Vincent Bright's Mercedes.
Ethan took out his phone, ready to ask a few questions, but he suddenly felt a sense of emptiness.
It was easier to control a person than to control the heart. Rather than cling to this relationship, it was better to make himself stronger...
At 9 a.m., Ricky's car arrived, and Ethan climbed in, asking him to drive directly to Golden Clinic.
Half an hour later, Ethan arrived at the Golden Clinic's entrance. Before he had a chance to survey the surroundings, a Cadillac pulled up beside him.
Ms. Scarlet, wearing a calm smile, stepped out of the car.
In a white shirt, denim jacket, and jeans, with her ponytail swaying, she exuded both charm and a refreshing aura.
Ethan walked over, smiling. "You must have a lot of things to handle, why did you come here?"
"Things were wrapped up last night," Ms. Scarlet smiled. "Not only did we wipe out the Bear Clan's stronghold, but we also heavily injured Ian Hunter, and eliminated some hidden pests in one go."
She smiled again. "I wouldn't say it's permanent, but things should be calm for the next few months, so I have plenty of time to come here and join the fun."
Ethan smiled. "I'm glad everything's settled."
He didn't want to probe too much into these underworld affairs, for fear of being dragged in deeper.
"Of course, the most important thing is, no matter how big the issue, none of them are more important than you."
Ms. Scarlet moved closer to Ethan and naturally hooked her arm around his. "Compared to the mess at Five Lakes Group, I'm more interested in seeing you get the clinic up and running."
"When it opens, I'll be your first patient."
Ethan was stunned for a moment. "You have a problem?" Then he shook his head. "No, you're very healthy."
Ms. Scarlet blinked. "I have a heart condition, lovesick."
Ethan's scalp tingled.
"Okay, I'm just kidding. Let's not talk about that, let's go inside."
Ms. Scarlet laughed softly, and with her arm linked with Ethan's, they walked into the clinic.
Sitting in the car, Ricky looked conflicted, wondering if he should report back to Sophia.
The clinic was spacious, covering an area of 1,000 square meters. The front had the main hall and pharmacy, in the middle was a courtyard with six patient rooms, and further back were four private rooms.
However, the clinic was very dilapidated, with cracked walls and a floor full of potholes. Some corners even had cobwebs.
If it were used to shoot a ghost movie at night, it wouldn't need much decoration.
Moreover, the clinic was desolate. Aside from a few elderly and sick patients, there were not many people moving around. The pharmacy was also closed due to a lack of staff.
They were all curious about the appearance of young visitors, as it seemed like it had been a while since anyone had come in.
Ms. Scarlet glanced around. "Where's Dr. Adrian Whitehead?"
An elderly woman in a red outfit, holding a thermos and drinking water, kindly called out.
"Dr. Whitehead is outside with his granddaughter, they'll be in soon. Please, sit for a while."
She poured hot water for Ethan and Ms. Scarlet, then went back to drinking from her thermos.
When Ethan touched her hand, he quickly deduced her health condition.
"Thank you."
Ms. Scarlet smiled and thanked her, then spoke to Ethan.
"Golden Clinic has been open for a century, serving four generations. It was once the most popular traditional Chinese medicine clinic in ZH City."
"It used to be bustling. When I was young and fell ill, I didn't go to a big hospital, but came to Golden Clinic."
"But in the past 20 years, with the rise of clinics and hospitals, Dr. Whitehead learned medicine halfway, and with the death of his son in a car accident, he's become disheartened."
"Golden Clinic started to decline after that."
"Many patients left. Now, those who come are mostly old neighbors. The two main reasons are proximity and affordability."
"Three months ago, Dr. Whitehead's only granddaughter, Alice Whitehead, suddenly lost the ability to stand. After an examination, it was found that she had spinal muscular atrophy."
"It's a fatal neuro-muscular disease, and if not treated, she may only live for six more months."
"Unable to treat her himself and hospitals were helpless, Dr. Whitehead gave up hope completely."
"He's now planning to sell the family clinic to take the money and buy medication for his granddaughter overseas."
"To buy a medicine worth 14 million dollars."
While they waited, Ms. Scarlet told Ethan about the current state of the clinic:
"Despite the location and environment being top-notch, it's a good idea to take over."
Ethan looked around, then nodded slightly. "It does look good. What's his asking price?"
"One hundred million."
Just then, a voice, sharp yet somewhat disheveled, came from behind...