It was time to get off work, but Tracy didn't leave the Feazer Medical Clinic right away. Instead, she waited for John to pick her up.
Whether the Australian man outside truly wanted to learn from her or had some ulterior motive, she wasn't going to take any chances.
Being watched for over half a day was unsettling.
Outside.
On the stone bench, the Australian man sat staring into the clinic.
By now, Tracy had removed her loose white coat. Though she made no effort to show off her figure, her natural curves were impossible to hide.
The Australian man saw everything.
His body flushed with heat, and his throat burned.
Of course, he wasn't as simple as he claimed.
The excuse of "learning" was just a front.
The real reason he was here... was to sleep with Tracy.
If she agreed to take him on as an apprentice, he'd stay at the clinic, playing the long game until he found a chance to seduce America's sweetheart.
That was the ideal situation.
But if she refused?
Then he'd resort to more direct methods.
"Miss Linch is such a stunning woman… That body, those curves… You can't help but drool, right?"
The man was lost in fantasy when a voice suddenly rang out beside him.
"A sweetie like that… yeah, she's perfect…"
The Australian man blurted it out subconsciously, then turned abruptly—only to find himself face to face with a young man. His expression changed instantly.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" he snapped. "I came here simply to learn from Miss Linch. Don't lump me in with your obscene thoughts."
He recognized the person beside him.
It was a staff member at the clinic—the same man his teacher Jeff had given acupuncture to the day before.
John Lopez.
After Tracy called him, John had rushed over. As soon as he arrived, he spotted the Australian man leering at his sister, practically drooling.
Simple?
Stop pretending.
John sneered inwardly, but outwardly he said, "You misunderstood. I wasn't talking about you just now—I was expressing my own thoughts."
He played the part of a man obsessed with Tracy.
The Australian man blinked. "Wait… you too?"
"That's right. I'm just like you. I'm crazy about Miss Linch."
"She's the boss, and I'm just a doctor working for her. On top of that, I'm her driver. I have plenty of chances to be around her… but she doesn't like me."
"How pitiful," the Australian man replied with a strange tone.
He hadn't seen the moment yesterday when John returned the golden needle to Jeff's body. He'd fainted after the eleventh needle.
And Jeff, having lost face, hadn't mentioned what happened afterward.
His disciples also kept quiet.
So the Australian man assumed John was just a small-time trickster working at the clinic.
Then his eyes lit up with a flash of cunning. "You said you're Miss Linch's driver?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Nothing… Just look into my eyes. Do you feel anything strange?"
John turned toward him—and saw a faint green shimmer flash in the man's pupils.
Australian Illusion.
John had fought Australian Ninjas before and knew their illusion techniques were genuinely formidable.
Interesting.
John immediately pretended to fall under the spell. His eyes turned dull and vacant.
"Master, what can I do for you?"
He succeeded?
The Australian man was stunned, then elated.
He was only a dabbler in Ninja techniques. His illusions worked inconsistently at best.
Earlier that day, when he came to the clinic claiming he wanted to learn from Tracy, he had secretly tried casting an illusion on her—but failed.
So he assumed if he could just stay close to her long enough, he'd eventually succeed.
Just one success… and she'd be his.
What he didn't know, however, was that his illusion had actually worked at noon—but Tracy was wearing a Mind Circle.
The Mind Circle couldn't stop a physical attack, but it was effective against mental techniques like illusions, as long as its strength was high enough.
Of course, he had no clue about any of that.
Now, having overheard that John was Tracy's driver and likely close to her, he tried again—and this time, it seemed to work.
"Tell me your name, age, and background," the Australian man said, testing the illusion.
John answered smoothly, "My name is John Lopez. I'm 20 years old. I'm an orphan who grew up in a welfare home."
The man nodded in satisfaction. He pulled out a red pill and handed it to John.
"This is a poison. Without the antidote, you'll rot to death in three days. Swallow it. Now."
John took the pill and swallowed it without hesitation.
The Australian man was ecstatic.
There was no way this guy was pretending—he'd just taken the poison without a second thought.
Next, he pulled out a pouch of white powder.
"This is a drug that causes brief unconsciousness. Find an opportunity to slip it to Miss Linch. Once she faints, contact me immediately. And make sure no one else sees you."
"Yes, Master," John replied, expression blank—like a puppet.
Satisfied, the Australian man scribbled down his number, gave it to John, and left with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.
He had thought it would take a long, difficult effort to get Tracy.
But now?
Her personal driver had willingly become his puppet.
This must be fate.