Sierra bit her lip and gave Veil a deep, conflicted look, but in the end, she said nothing more.
For one, she wasn't particularly close to Veil—asking for help would be crossing a line.
For another, Veil clearly already knew about the Davenport Group's current situation. That likely meant he had no intention of getting involved in such a mess.
Joseph, too, let out a long, weary sigh.
He had been hoping to secure a round of funding to hedge against the crisis. But seeing the current state of things, and with Jodie clearly refusing to return home, even that slim hope he'd clung to suddenly shattered.
Hiss…
Joseph gasped sharply, clutching at his chest. Pain twisted his features into a grimace, his muscles contorting in agony.
"Uncle Joseph, what's wrong?" Jodie jumped in fright, hurrying over to check on him.
What was going on?
Could it be… he was so angry at her refusal to go back that it triggered some kind of health issue?
"I'm fine! I'm fine!" Joseph gritted his teeth and shook his head through the pain, his hand clenching over his chest like the flesh there didn't even belong to him anymore.
Standing behind him, Sierra gently patted his back and looked at Jodie with a pained expression. "Jodie, my dad's condition has always been like this. It's not your fault. Please don't blame yourself."
"Should we call an ambulance? Uncle Joseph doesn't look good," Jodie asked softly, her voice filled with worry.
Joseph waved her off. "No need. Even if I went to the hospital, they'd just give me painkillers. The more I take those, the weaker my body gets. Might as well grit my teeth and ride it out."
Jodie was at a loss. Watching Joseph writhe in pain like this made her feel deeply uncomfortable, especially as someone younger who respected him.
Sierra gave a bitter smile. "There was a doctor who could help my dad with acupuncture. It used to relieve the pain quite a bit. But that guy hit someone and got detained. He hasn't been released since. If he were here, my dad wouldn't be suffering like this right now."
The doctor she referred to was, of course, Caden Voss. He was still in lockup, and who knew when he'd get out—if at all. That would depend on his behavior.
Tears welled up in Sierra's eyes as she spoke, her voice shaking with emotion. "I just don't understand why this strange illness had to happen to my father. If I could, I'd take the pain in his place without a second thought."
Jodie's heart softened a little. After all, Sierra hadn't done anything wrong.
Julia, on the other hand, was visibly unsettled, shrinking back behind Veil and clutching his arm tightly. She didn't even dare look over.
Joseph's transformation was just too frightening. One moment, he was the kind, affable uncle everyone knew. The next, his face contorted like a vengeful demon. For someone like Julia, who was used to beautiful, peaceful things, it was a devastating shock.
"Uncle Joseph," Veil spoke up gently, "Sierra said there was a doctor who could ease your pain. But is there no way to cure it entirely?"
He completely ignored Sierra's earlier complaints.
Who was she going to blame?
She was a Child of Fate—blessed with perfect health, untouched by any affliction. If her father were also hale and hearty, with nothing wrong in his life, how would the so-called Chosen One ever have an excuse to get close to her?
All of it—it was just some trash author paving the way for Caden Voss.
Unfortunately for them, Caden was now stuck in a detention center, and even if he had stumbled upon a fated opportunity, he was in no shape to enjoy it.
Joseph's expression eased slightly, though the occasional twitch still flared across his face. "Caden said the root of my condition comes from hidden injuries I sustained in my youth. They've all resurfaced now that I'm older. Normal treatments can't fix this—they can only numb the pain."
It wasn't surprising. Back in his military days, Joseph had been reckless, fearless. He was always the first to charge into danger during missions, and his body paid the price.
The fact that he'd made it this far was a miracle—thanks only to his immense wealth and access to top-tier healthcare.
If he were an ordinary man, he wouldn't just be suffering—he'd probably be paralyzed, or worse.
Taking a slow, painful breath, Joseph forced a bitter smile. "But even Caden couldn't fully cure me. He said the only hope lies in a pill called the Bone-Cleansing Elixir. It supposedly flushes out impurities from the body."
"Dad, enough with that stupid elixir talk!" Sierra snapped, her frustration bubbling over.
She didn't care much for Caden Voss. The only reason she ever treated him politely was because he could help ease her father's pain.
But the moment he mentioned that elusive Bone-Cleansing Elixir, her temper flared.
"He claims it can cure you, but we don't even know if it exists. He only heard of it somewhere, and he can't make it himself. He said he needed to find his master to get it—now look at him, locked up! How's he supposed to find anything from a jail cell?"
Caden had given them hope, only for that hope to be cruelly ripped away when she saw her father suffer again.
"Sierra… don't blame Caden," Joseph said with a pained smile. "My illness has nothing to do with him. The fact that he could relieve my pain at all was already a huge help."
"From what he described, that Bone-Cleansing Elixir is incredibly rare. If one ever showed up in the world, people would pay tens of millions to get their hands on it. And even then, there's no guarantee it would be for sale."
"I'm not blaming him anymore," Sierra muttered, her voice low and exhausted. "I just feel… helpless."
Veil, meanwhile, was secretly thrilled.
Holy hell.
He already knew the Bone-Cleansing Elixir in his system's inventory could help Joseph's condition—he'd asked about it on purpose, to steer the conversation in the right direction and build up the pill's value.
He'd intended to drop hints slowly, maybe even spin a tale to raise the stakes. But to his surprise, Caden had already done all the setup for him.
How absurd was that?
The so-called protagonist doing the groundwork… for him, the villain?
Veil stifled a laugh, placing a fist to his lips and coughing lightly. "The Bone-Cleansing Elixir… I think I might have one."
"What?!" Sierra snapped her head toward him, eyes wide with hope. "You have it? Can you sell it to me? Name your price—I'll pay anything!"
"Hmm…" Veil hesitated, drawing the moment out.
Joseph's eyes flickered with a sharp gleam, even through the pain. Then he cried out, "Sierra! How could you speak to Young Master Veil like that? The Bone-Cleansing Elixir is unbelievably rare. Even if he has it, it's likely something his family obtained just for him. Asking for it so directly might only burden him!"
"I…" Sierra's flawless face twisted in anguish. She knew she was being unreasonable, but what child could calmly watch their father suffer like this?
Thud.
She dropped to her knees before Veil, her dignity as a noble young lady crumbling to dust.
"Veil, I'm begging you—please. I know you're not short on money, and I know your status is far above mine. But my father truly needs that elixir. Please, help me. I'll do anything you ask—anything at all!"
"The Marrow Cleansing Pill is incomparably precious. Even if I want to get my hands on one, the cost would be astronomical."
Veil put on a pained expression, then lifted his gaze to glance at Jodie.
She was puzzled by his look—why was he staring at her?
She had never even heard of a Marrow Cleansing Pill. What did it have to do with her?
What she didn't know was that the pill had been obtained through Veil's villain points lottery. And every time she suffered—whether through pain or effort—Veil would earn a thousand destiny villain points.
If she found out, she might just drag Sierra up herself.
Too expensive!
And the results were random—who knew how many villain points it would take? Who knew how many more times she'd have to suffer before drawing even one?
They couldn't afford to keep gambling on the Marrow Cleansing Pill!
Her body couldn't take it!
"Please! I beg you, if you have any way of helping us, we're willing to pay any price. Even if it's just a lead to a source—we'll cover the costs!"
Sierra was on her knees, shuffling toward Veil and clutching his leg. Tears the size of pearls rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"Well…" Veil hesitated. "It's not that I don't want to help, but the pill is incredibly rare. Even that lord can't refine them easily. The few that he has made have already been distributed, and they've likely been consumed. Even if you wanted to buy one, it's probably no longer available."
That lord?
Who was that supposed to be?
Veil didn't know either—he was just improvising.
Caden Voss had emphasized the rarity of the pill, so Veil simply went along with the act, pushing the hype to the extreme.
Truth be told, he had more than one Marrow Cleansing Pill in his possession. But that didn't change the fact that they were ridiculously hard to come by.
He wasn't some luck-blessed emperor, after all.
It took countless rounds of grinding—and untold suffering from Jodie and Saoirse—to draw even one.
A pill like this? It was worth billions. You didn't just hand it out like candy.
What followed was a desperate, tearful plea. Sierra, the proud heiress, had shattered all her pride and dignity at Veil's feet.
She could stand tall before others. She could look down on the world. But before Veil, she was utterly humbled, crushed into the dust.
She said everything that could be said, short of offering herself outright.
Jodie, watching from the side, felt her heart ache. She wanted to help Sierra up, but the woman refused to budge, remaining on her knees before Veil without the slightest intention of standing.
"Brother… Can you help Sister Sierra? Please?" Julia tugged at Veil's arm and mumbled softly.
She understood just how rare and valuable the Marrow Cleansing Pill was.
That was why she hadn't spoken up at first. But as time passed and Sierra didn't rise, growing more despondent by the second, Julia couldn't bear it anymore and decided to plead on her behalf.
Still, in her little infatuated heart, her brother always came first. She leaned in close and whispered into his ear, "But if you need to keep it for something important… then pretend I didn't say anything."
"You little sweetheart," Veil chuckled fondly, rubbing her head with affection. Then he looked back at Sierra.
"Originally, your family's business was none of my concern. I had no intention of getting involved. But now that even Julia has spoken up, how could I, as her brother, just stand by and do nothing?
I can give you the Marrow Cleansing Pill—but there's one condition."
Sierra's heart skipped a beat, both nervous and hopeful. "What condition?"
Veil narrowed his eyes and slowly swept his gaze over her figure. A silent implication hung in the air—one that needed no words.
Just as Sierra lowered her head in shy realization, Veil suddenly spoke.
"I don't intend to offer financial assistance to the Davenport Group's crisis for free. But if Mr. Joseph can't secure a bailout soon, he'll likely be forced to dilute his shares to raise capital, won't he?
I'm very interested in acquiring part of Mr. Joseph's stake in the company."
Take advantage of Sierra?
Absolutely not.
He had no intention of playing those games now—not with the Murphy sisters watching from beside him.
All he needed was to give a knowing look. Sierra would understand.
Her pride, her dignity—they had already crumbled in his presence.
With the connection through Xander and now this move to acquire shares in the Davenport Group, the next time Sierra found herself at the end of her rope, Veil would have every reason to step in.
And when that time came, she wouldn't need any coaxing.
She would walk straight into his arms, willingly.
He wanted her to come to him—not out of coercion, but surrender.
Jodie followed Veil's gaze to Joseph.
She had considered acquiring shares in the Davenport Group herself, but Joseph was an elder, and she hadn't found a good excuse to bring it up.
Now here was Veil, shameless as ever, saying exactly what was on her mind.
Joseph, clearly troubled, clutched at his chest now and then as pain flickered across his expression. He finally nodded.
"There's no other way. To weather this crisis, I have no choice but to dilute my holdings. If Young Master Veil is willing, then I'll prioritize you first."
"Good."
Veil didn't hesitate. He reached into his coat and pulled out a specially prepared Marrow Cleansing Pill, handing it to Sierra.
"This pill is extremely rare. I carry it on me for emergencies. But I must remind you—the pill is valuable and its effects are remarkable. It should help your father's condition, yes…
But one pill may not be enough. However, it should prevent the disease from flaring up again too soon. Even if it does, it likely won't be as serious as today."
Just a little disclaimer, of course.
What if Joseph tried to go back on his word?
You always keep a card up your sleeve.
This particular pill Veil had given out? It wasn't the real deal—at least not entirely. Less than a third of it was genuine Marrow Cleansing Pill. The rest? Sugar coating and filler.
It wasn't fake, per se, but definitely watered down.
Veil was born to be a businessman. In his past life, he had built an empire from scratch—becoming a billionaire.
A natural-born shark.
"Thank you! Thank you, Young Master Veil!" Sierra said gratefully, then rushed over to her father and fed him the diluted pill without delay.
Everyone in the dining room fell silent, all eyes on Joseph.
One minute passed.
Two minutes.
…
Just as everyone held their breath, waiting for a miraculous reaction—
Pfft!
Joseph's face flushed red, and before he could stop himself, he let out a fart.
"I… I'll just go to the restroom!" he blurted out and fled the room in a panic.
Everyone watched his retreating figure in silence. Though they couldn't see him anymore, they could certainly hear him.
Pfft! Pfffft! Pffffft!
The moment he disappeared into the bathroom, a barrage of farts erupted in rapid succession—one after another, louder and louder, like a competition to see which one could be the most impressive!