Chapter 4 Exposing the Two-Faced B*tch

• "Ah!"
• Lanie jumped in shock, throwing off the blanket and leaping out of bed with nimble movements. She started slapping herself, shouting, "You stupid mouse! Get out! Stay away from me!"
• Despite her agitation, her energy seemed high, and her complexion remained rosy as she continued to jump, showing no signs of discomfort.
• Mike's expression turned cold as he stood with his arms crossed, watching Lanie with a chilling stare, curious to see how long she would keep jumping.
• Lanie kept jumping for almost ten minutes straight, not even breaking a sweat. Despite her flushed face, she continued to scream at the top of her lungs and even ran circles around Mike.
• Too caught up in her fear, she did not notice Mike's growing hostility. In her panic, she completely forgot to keep up her act of being a weak patient.
• "So, you're not feeling well, huh?" Mike's tone was chilly, his eyes lacking any warmth as he watched her.
• Lanie stopped in her tracks and turned to face Mike.
• Meeting his cold gaze, her heart raced. She quickly explained, "Mike, it's not what it looks like. I was just freaked out. You know how scared I am of mice. I can't help but freak out when I see one."
• Observing Lanie's sudden vulnerability, Mike furrowed his brow. "Is that the truth?"
• He could not shake off memories of Charlotte's silent suffering after each drug trial. Unlike Lanie, who appeared to have bounced back, Charlotte endured the pain in silence, often returning home alone, exhausted and in agony. Despite this, Lanie continued to pretend to be weak, leaning on Charlotte for assistance with the drug trials.
• Lanie contemplated pretending to faint but hesitated.
• After what happened, faking unconsciousness would only give away her deception to Mike.
• "Mike, it's true. When people get super scared, they can summon some surprising strength," Lanie shared earnestly.
• Mike scrutinized her for a moment before exiting the ward.
• Lanie rushed after him, but Mike signaled for the bodyguard to halt her.
• He proceeded directly to the doctor's office.
• "I need to know Lanie Smith's true condition," Mike demanded, his gaze piercing.
• "I just saw her jumping around. You know what will happen if you lie to me."
• The doctor quivered, turning pale. He dared not conceal anything from Mike. "Ms. Smith never required assistance for the drug trials.
• "She only suffered internal injuries from the accident, and she'll bounce back with some rest.
• "Mr. Warner, I swear I didn't do this on my own. Ms. Smith pressured me, insisting it was your desire to make Mrs. Warner suffer.
• "Since you're always around, we assumed it was your call and followed Ms. Smith's orders."
• Mike's expression grew darker as he listened. His leniency toward Lanie, influenced by his consideration for Eric, had given her the confidence to manipulate the situation.
• Regret washed over him as he realised he should have been more vigilant earlier to prevent Charlotte's suffering.
• Mike tried to reach out to Charlotte for a serious talk, but got the dreaded red exclamation mark—she had blocked him.
• "Nice move, Charlotte. Divorced for a hot minute and you've already hit the block button," he muttered.
• He was impressed with her.
• Turning to his assistant Sean Tanner, Mike tasked him with finding Charlotte.
• Despite the surveillance outside the Civil Affairs Bureau and Sean's best efforts, Charlotte remained elusive.
• All they knew was she left in a taxi, but there was a gap in the footage, leaving them clueless about her final destination. The taxi driver could only remember dropping her off at some food street.
• Sean could not dig up any leads on Charlotte. It was like she had vanished into thin air.
• Mike frowned, puzzled about Charlotte's whereabouts.
• During their divorce, she had made a clean break, not asking for any financial support or help. So where could she have gone with no money in her pocket?