From Ashes of Scandals to His Embrace novel Chapter 363

"Jack, I ran into Wan'an in Cabinda."

"Wan'an? What's she doing in Cabinda?" Jack almost shouted her name before catching himself. He realized he sounded way too emotional, so he tried again. "Why is she there?"

Laurinda hesitated. "She's... working as a bar girl..."

She didn't even get to finish before Jack ended the call.

Laurinda wiped her hands and couldn't help but laugh a little at Jack's reaction. He was always so ready to get involved with her and Kenny’s business, but honestly, he should probably focus on his own mess before worrying about anyone else.

She grabbed her phone and headed into her walk-in closet. After picking out some comfy loungewear, she went to the bathroom, ready to soak in a long, relaxing bath.

By the time she finished her hot bath, all the tension and restlessness had melted away. She sat down at her desk, pulled up her delivery app, and ordered a card reader. She was finally ready to take a look at the memory card Wan'an had handed her.

***

On the plane, Goodwin kept staring at Adolphus, who was busy with his work. After a while, just as Adolphus looked up, ready to ask what was going on, Goodwin finally spoke.

"Can I trust you?"

Adolphus set his tablet aside and sat up, looking at Goodwin with a serious, almost respectful expression. "I know you only left because you were worried Laurinda might be in danger. But now that you’re here with me, you don’t really have a choice. You have to trust me, right?"

Goodwin shook his head, a strange smile on his face. Adolphus frowned, sensing that Goodwin was hiding something.

But Penn’s last words had cleared his head. If he was still alive, he owed it to everyone who believed in him to see the project through.

"You want to restart that experiment?"

Goodwin nodded. "Yes. I was too much of a coward before, always trying to escape. Now I finally get it. I still remember how excited Laurinda was when she handed me the project. He’s gone now, but I want the project he cared about to have a real result."

"Don’t worry, I’m not asking for a free ride," Goodwin added, his voice steadier. "Before Laurinda left, she gave me a mine. I can use that to pay for the lab and the team."

Adolphus saw the determination in Goodwin’s eyes and didn’t hesitate. "Alright. I can make that happen. Setting up a lab will take a little time, though. Until it’s ready, your job is to go to a wellness center and focus on getting your health back. Don’t let Laurinda worry. I want you to live a long and healthy life."

Goodwin looked genuinely surprised. He’d expected Adolphus to jump at the chance to set up the lab right away. So many people wanted his project, he couldn’t quite believe Adolphus was really just doing this for Laurinda.