Chapter 403: A New Mission Has Arrived

Chapter 403: Chapter 403: A New Mission Has Arrived

Julian Morgan’s voice was filled with doubt. ’How have I never heard of this?’

Besides, if it were real, why hadn’t his mom heard a single peep about it in all those patient support groups she’d joined?

The whole thing sounded bizarre no matter how you looked at it.

’Could it be that my dear aunt had some kind of lucky break and is using this as a cover story?’

At this thought, Julian sat up a little straighter, his gaze toward Elara Morgan filled with a probing curiosity.

Elara Morgan and Sean Hughes had anticipated this question from Julian. As soon as Elara finished speaking, Sean, who was beside her, picked up the conversation. "This program is primarily funded by a victim we rescued a while ago.

When it starts and ends, how many people are accepted, and who gets selected—it’s all up to the donor. It just operates under an official name."

As he spoke, Sean presented his credentials and a photo of a letter of guarantee—which he’d asked Wendy Dawson to quickly draft—to the Morgan mother and son. At the same time, he pulled up a temporary website he’d created, allowing Julian to search and verify it himself.

They were leaving nothing to chance. Having anticipated every possibility, Sean Hughes and Evan Keller hadn’t missed a single detail.

Even if Julian investigated now, he would only find that the program had already concluded.

The contact information on the published lists all belonged to their colleagues on the force.

If anyone tried to attack the program for a lack of transparency, they had a solid excuse.

It was a private initiative that was simply using an official title to build a good reputation.

Julian went over everything from start to finish but found no flaws.

Still, he felt that something was off. Unwilling to spend any more money, he decided to test the waters again. "If that’s the case, then that’s wonderful.

But, Auntie, Rina’s future medical bills and recovery will cost a lot. We also have to pay back the debt we took on for Grandpa’s treatment. We’re willing to help, but we just can’t afford it. How about..."

Elara’s hands clenched into tight fists, as if she had made up her mind. "I’ll pay for it!

If I’m frugal with my current salary, it’ll be enough for Rina’s and my living expenses, plus the initial medical costs. For the rest, I’ll deliver food or find a part-time job. I’ll manage somehow.

Rina is still young, so there’s hope for a cure. If we keep putting it off until she’s older, there might not be a chance to cure her at all. And now that we have this rare opportunity, I don’t want to give up."

"That wouldn’t be right. Rina is my sister, after all. Her illness should be my responsibility." Having gotten the answer he wanted, Julian couldn’t suppress a smile, but he continued to feign reluctance. "You’re not getting any younger either, Auntie. You need to find a boyfriend and have a relationship. You can’t let family matters hold you back forever."

Elara felt a wave of nausea, but for the sake of her future and getting Rina out of this household, she pressed on. "It’s fine. I have no plans to date in the next few years anyway, so it’s too early to talk about that.

If you’re worried, how about I take over the debt, and my sister-in-law can take Rina for her treatment?"

Compared to the future costs of Rina Morgan’s treatment, the debt seemed insignificant.

So, the moment Elara’s words left her mouth, Julian shot to his feet and raised his voice. "No!"

Noticing all eyes in the room were on him, Julian slowly sat back down. After a moment of careful consideration, he said, "It’s our duty as the younger generation to pay for Grandpa’s treatment, so naturally, we’ll be the ones to pay off the debt.

As for Rina’s situation, since you’ve put it that way, Auntie, we’ll leave it to you. But if you can’t handle it later on, remember to tell us right away.

That way, we can plan accordingly and keep the money for Rina’s treatment separate from the money for raising our own children later."

’According to Elara’s personality,’ Julian calculated, ’after hearing that we’re planning to have kids, she definitely won’t ask for money for Rina Morgan’s medical expenses again.’

And just like that, they would have successfully passed the buck.

If any problems arose with the treatment later, he could even use it as an excuse to squeeze some money out of Elara.

Since Julian had agreed, Mrs. Morgan, who had long wanted to be rid of the burden that was Rina Morgan, agreed without a second thought.

She even hurried into the room to pack Rina’s things, muttering about how she would convert it into a nursery. The implication was clear: Rina would not be welcome to live here again.

Throughout the entire exchange, Rina Morgan remained silent, her head bowed as she endured the decisions made by her mother and brother.

Her fingers unconsciously picked at the weave of the sofa fabric, her expression sullen.

"Don’t worry, Auntie will make sure you get better!" Elara noticed Rina Morgan’s mood, pulled her into her arms, and soothed her in a soft voice.

With the hardest part over and the guardian’s consent secured, the next steps went much more smoothly.

Elara successfully brought Rina Morgan back to her rented apartment. The very next day, she took Rina to the best local hospital for a full check-up.

She and the doctor decided on a follow-up treatment plan and scheduled a surgery date.

Meanwhile, at the Morgan family home, after Elara’s group of three had left, Julian said to his mother, "Mom, I want you to secretly follow them and keep an eye on that girl, Elara. I have a feeling she’s hiding something.

I’m going to check the bank cards in her name for any large deposits. You tail her and see if she does anything else suspicious."

Although Mrs. Morgan felt it was unnecessary—that girl Elara had never kept secrets from her—she saw the serious expression on her son’s face and ultimately agreed.

However, this was all within Evan Keller and Sean Hughes’s predictions.

Under their guidance, Elara had deposited the lottery winnings into a newly opened bank account. It was with a bank her family had never used, so Julian and his mother would naturally never think to check it.

Furthermore, in the time that followed, Elara acted as if she had never won the prize, continuing to live just as she had before.

She continued to work diligently, didn’t quit her job, and didn’t go on any major shopping sprees to buy new things.

Aside from Rina now being in her rented apartment, nothing else changed.

After more than a month of this, having found nothing, Julian finally called his mother back.

He was finally convinced that Elara had just gotten incredibly lucky and scored a spot in the program.

But this was a good thing. At the very least, he had truly gotten rid of that dead weight, Rina Morgan!

As for Sean Hughes and Evan Keller, after escorting Elara and Rina Morgan back to the apartment, they successfully completed their mission and returned to the police station.

They reported the entire sequence of events to Zoe Sawyer.

Because Elara hadn’t revealed her lottery win, Julian never developed the idea of using someone else to get to her. The young woman had managed to protect her own life while also securing a chance for treatment—the best of both worlds.

Just then, the Chief knocked on the office door.

"Case closed? You’ve got a new assignment."