Chapter 421: Were You Just Using the Handsome Man Stratagem? (Part 1)

Chapter 421: Chapter 394: Were You Just Using the Handsome Man Stratagem? (Part 1)

“No one sets out to be a bad person. Circumstances make people who they are.”

He admitted his background wasn’t exactly conventional, but he was trying to steer his company in the right direction.

Nancy asked curiously, “So, do you actually do bad things? Like, murder… or stuff like that…”

She had only been throwing out a random example, but Dylan Heston tapped her on the head. “What, you think I’m a murderer? What kind of crazy ideas are you getting!”

She stuck her tongue out. “Isn’t that what being in the underworld is all about?”

“It’s not.”

“Oh, okay then!”

She looked down, still deeply curious about what he actually did.

After a long while, she heard Dylan explain, “It’s nothing that mysterious. I’m in the arms business.”

The arms trade was a nation’s greatest taboo.

Nancy was a smart woman. With just that one hint, she put the pieces together.

Whether it was underworld figures or government agents, anyone who needed weapons could buy from him.

Therefore, figures from both sides of the law had to show Dylan Heston a great deal of respect.

‘No wonder people said Dylan Heston played both sides. So that’s how it is.’

“Isn’t that very dangerous, then?” Nancy asked.

“It’s manageable.”

“You know, you could get into another line of work, like opening a restaurant or starting a company like Elliot Sheridan. You could be a legitimate businessman and not have to live this life of constant fear.”

Dylan fell silent. Some things weren’t as simple as Nancy imagined.

His line of work was dangerous. It wasn’t something you could just walk away from whenever you wanted.

His life was not his own. That described him perfectly.

“You must be tired. Get some rest.” Dylan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest.

Nancy drifted off in Dylan’s embrace, and they stayed like that until dawn broke.

Zoey Zane’s condition grew progressively worse. After being woken up in the morning, she fell asleep again just a few minutes after finishing breakfast.

This worried Nancy, who stayed by her side, not daring to leave.

Dylan said, “I’ve contacted a doctor. We should transfer her to the hospital in the city.”

“But my mom’s too frail for the journey.”

“It’s still better than staying here. The medical equipment here is terrible. At the hospital in the city, there might still be some hope.”

“…Okay.” She chose to trust Dylan.

They transferred her immediately, taking the sleeping Zoey Zane to the same hospital as before.

On the way, Zoey Zane woke up for a moment. She exchanged a few words with Nancy before falling asleep again.

Dylan had already taken care of all the arrangements for the transfer to the major hospital the previous night.

The doctors put Zoey Zane through another series of detailed examinations. Nancy stood in the doorway, nervously tugging on Dylan’s sleeve.

He murmured reassuringly, “Don’t worry. They’re just running some routine tests.”

After the examination, the doctor said the patient’s condition was stable for now.

“My mom has been sleeping more and more. Is she going to…?”

“That’s because the patient is extremely weak. It’s best to just let her get more sleep.”

Once Zoey Zane was settled in, Nancy was finally able to relax a little.

She made a call home. “Hello, who is this?”

“It’s me,” Nancy said, walking over to the window. “Lana, I’m calling to let you guys know I moved my mom to the hospital in the city—the same one she was admitted to last time.”

“So she’s been transferred. What’s the point of telling me? It’s not like I have any money to give you,” Lana huffed. “I can’t talk. I have things to do.”

Before Nancy could say another word, the line went dead.

Nancy handed the phone back to Dylan and walked angrily to the side of the hospital bed.

“Mom, I made the call. They know!”

Zoey Zane’s face was pale. As Nancy helped her sit up, she looked at the standing Dylan and said gratefully, “Heston, we’ve really put you through a lot of trouble!”

“Please, don’t say that, ma’am.” Dylan wasn’t one for polite pleasantries.

That afternoon, Lana Caldwell told Julian Caldwell about Zoey Zane’s hospital transfer.

Julian immediately told her to call Nancy. Lana dialed the number from the recent call log, and Dylan was the one who answered.

“Hello? Who is this?”

Lana froze for a moment when she heard the deep, magnetic voice on the other end. ‘That voice sounds so familiar,’ she thought, ‘as if I’ve heard it somewhere before.’

She softened her tone. “Oh, excuse me, is this not Nancy’s phone?”

The person on the other end paused for a few seconds. “Looking for Nancy? One moment.”

Lana heard Dylan say a couple of words to Nancy on the other end, and then Nancy’s voice came on the line. “What do you need?”

Lana’s mind was racing with questions. She glanced up at Julian and said into the phone, “What room is Mom in? Dad and I want to come visit tomorrow.”

‘I really don’t want to tell her,’ Nancy thought. But for various reasons, she gave it to her. “Building C, room 407.”

“They’ll probably be here tomorrow,” Nancy said, slumping over the table.

The next day, Lana Caldwell and Julian Caldwell arrived at the hospital bright and early.

Nancy was in the room talking with Zoey Zane when she saw the father and daughter at the door. She stood up. “Mr. Caldwell.”

Julian acknowledged her with a nod and walked over to Zoey Zane’s side.

“Why’d you move your mom to a major hospital without even telling us!” Julian pulled Nancy aside. “The bills here have got to be way more expensive than at the town hospital!”

Dylan had handled the transfer; she hadn’t asked about the particulars.

But based on her past experience, she knew it must be expensive.

“Mr. Caldwell, there is nothing in this world more important than my mother’s life.”

“That’s not what I meant. I just think the hospital in town was fine, too. It’s closer to home, so we could come by often and help take care of your mom,” Julian quickly backpedaled.

Nancy took a deep breath. “Mr. Caldwell, don’t worry. I still have some money. I won’t be asking you for any.”

Zoey Zane was her mother; from the very start, she’d never had any intention of taking a single cent from the Caldwell Family.

‘Besides, even if I asked, Julian would never be willing to part with the money.’

Julian laughed awkwardly. Now that he had her assurance, he changed the subject. “So, how’s your mom doing? Any improvement?”

“She just got out of surgery. How could she possibly be better already?!” Nancy couldn’t help but blame Julian. ‘If it weren’t for them and their greed, Mom wouldn’t be this sick.’

Back in the hospital room, Lana was sitting to the side, talking to Dylan.

Lana hadn’t expected to run into Dylan here again. ‘This must be fate,’ she thought.

She was fawning all over him, but he acted like she wasn’t even there, his expression remaining cold from start to finish.

The more a man ignored her, the more mysterious he seemed, and the more it fueled her determination to win him over.

However, when Nancy returned from her talk with Julian, Dylan put down what he was holding and strode over to her.

“Where did you go?” His voice was filled with concern. Nancy looked up at him. “Nowhere special. Did you get the congee?”

Julian hadn’t met Dylan before, and seeing his familiar way of speaking with Nancy, he asked, “Nancy, and this gentleman is…?”

Dylan sized him up, correctly guessing his identity. He offered a formal greeting, “Hello, sir. I’m Dylan Heston, Nancy’s boyfriend.”

“Hello!” Julian quickly reached out to shake Dylan’s hand.

Julian was a shrewd man himself; he could tell from Dylan’s presence alone that he was no ordinary man.

‘He had just been talking to Nancy about Zoey Zane’s hospital fees. This man must be the one footing the bill.’

“I apologize for not bringing a gift for our first meeting,” Dylan added.

“Not at all, not at all! Just having you here is enough. We’re so grateful for you taking care of Nancy’s mother!”

“It’s my pleasure. Taking care of her is my responsibility too.”

The two men went back and forth with pleasantries.

Listening to their exchange, Nancy felt that something wasn’t quite right. Before she could pinpoint it, Lana pulled her aside.

“What’s the meaning of this?!”

“What?” Nancy was completely confused by the question.

“Didn’t you tell me he was already interested in someone else? So how did he suddenly become *your* boyfriend? Oh, I get it. You were jealous! You were afraid I’d snatch him away, so you lied to me, right!” Lana was seeing red after hearing Dylan introduce himself as Nancy’s boyfriend.

“And here I thought we were sisters all these years! Turns out you were just guarding against me the whole time!”

Nancy was at a loss for words. “It’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it? Explain!”

“…”

“See? You can’t even deny it! You’re speechless!”

‘It really wasn’t like Lana imagined. Back then, I truly hadn’t had any romantic feelings for Dylan at all.’

‘I’d genuinely thought Dylan and Hannah Gunn were a couple. Who could have predicted all these twists and turns?’

‘Then, out of nowhere, Dylan confessed he liked me.’

‘If I were to tell Lana that Dylan pursued me first, she’d never believe it.’

‘Yeah, if the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t believe me either.’

She pressed her forehead in exasperation. ‘If I’d known this would happen, I never would have stopped Lana from going after Dylan in the first place.’

“Nancy, I never knew you were such a calculating, scheming woman.” ‘I was the one who liked him first!’

Nancy had no desire to explain herself. Lana wouldn’t listen anyway.

She turned to leave, but Lana grabbed her wrist. Nancy’s voice was ice. “Lana Caldwell, my patience with you ran out a long time ago. Don’t push me right now!”

Everything with Zoey Zane was already draining her completely; she didn’t have the energy to worry about something so petty.

Perhaps from spending so much time with Dylan, her fierce expression now resembled his, and it was enough to stun Lana into silence.

She had never seen Nancy look truly angry before. For a moment, she panicked and her grip went slack.

Nancy shook her off and walked to Dylan’s side.

“By the way,” she asked, “don’t you need to get back to work in the Portmire District?”

“I don’t. I can stay here with you for as long as you need.”

Now, she found herself truly fond of Dylan Heston. Because he was so, so good to her.

When she was at her lowest, he would be there to comfort her, promising, “I will always cherish you.” When she was at her most vulnerable, he would suddenly appear by her side, wrapping her in a warm embrace.