Chapter 3 : How Can a Vegetative Person Have a Physical Reaction?

Brenda jumped up in fright, staring at him from a distance for a while. Seeing no further movement, she tentatively called out, "Nathan?"

No response.

Was it just her imagination?

She walked over and poked his leg again. Still no reaction. Gaining some courage, she leaned in and pressed her ear to his chest, intending to listen to his heartbeat. But she was so nervous from the earlier scare that she lost her balance and fell onto Nathan.

Scrambling to get up, she felt something hard and warm under her hand. Glancing down, Brenda''s face turned bright red, and she quickly withdrew her hand from Nathan''s lower abdomen.

What the...?

Wasn''t he supposed to be in a vegetative state? How could he have a physical reaction?

A sudden ringing interrupted Brenda''s thoughts. She steadied herself and answered the phone. "Joan, what''s up?"

"Just as you suspected, after you married into The Rockefeller Family, Jeffrey is worried you''ll threaten his position as the head of the family. He''s trying to cozy up to Ryan Astor, likely aiming to secure a partnership with Genesis Corporation to solidify his standing in the family."

Genesis Corporation has a vast array of industries under its umbrella—retail, hotels, jewelry, construction materials, electronics, new energy, pharmaceuticals... Many of its ventures are leaders in their fields. Describing it as a commercial empire is no exaggeration. Even The Rockefeller Group has to bow to it.

Its founder, Ryan, is known for being low-key and mysterious, never appearing in public. Few have seen his true face. Rumor has it he''s a born business genius, revered as a legend in the business world. Ruthless and decisive, he built Genesis Corporation from scratch, and in just five years, it has branches worldwide.

If Jeffrey really manages to connect with this big shot, his status in The Rockefeller Family will be greatly enhanced, making it even harder for her to bring him down. She couldn''t let that happen.

Brenda Harriman pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking for a moment before asking, "Did you find out when and where they''re meeting?"

"Tonight at eight, Beacon Club, private room 608."

"I remember you collected a side profile photo of Ryan before, right?"

"Are you planning to meet him?"

"Yes."

"But tonight is your wedding night. Can you get away?"

Brenda''s gaze fell on Nathan. His face was calm, his skin pale from prolonged illness, showing no signs of waking up. "No problem."

After hanging up the phone, Brenda went to the bathroom. When she came out, she had changed out of her cumbersome wedding dress and into a comfortable casual outfit.

To ensure Nathan could rest well, only a housekeeper and a male nurse were assigned to the villa. Brenda went downstairs to greet them, saying she was going to rest and not to disturb her. Then, when they weren''t looking, she sneaked out.

Beacon Club is an exclusive club that operates on a membership basis. Brenda had to temporarily top up a membership card to get in. She found a discreet corner in the lobby to sit down. It wasn''t long before she saw Jeffrey accompanying a man inside.

She glanced at the side profile photo of Ryan on her phone, then looked up at the man who had just walked in. His features were deep-set, and he had an air of nobility. His black suit was immaculate. It was him, no doubt.

Jeffrey was smiling and talking to Ryan, his behavior showing he didn''t dare to be the slightest bit negligent. In contrast, Ryan''s expression was indifferent, his thin lips slightly pursed. He hadn''t spoken a word, his hands casually in his pockets, his attitude relaxed and nonchalant. It was his assistant who occasionally responded to Jeffrey.

Since Nathan''s car accident, The Rockefeller Group had been temporarily managed by Jeffrey. Now, with his elevated status, most people would bow and scrape in his presence. But Ryan seemed to not even regard him.

Brenda couldn''t help but marvel at how power truly is a wonderful thing. No matter how arrogant you are, in front of someone superior, you still have to lower yourself.

Brenda watched them enter the elevator before getting up and heading towards it herself. On the sixth floor, she waited in the lounge area for nearly half an hour, but they didn''t come out of the private room. She was getting restless.

Talking for so long, could it be that Ryan agreed to cooperate with Jeffrey? No, she had to find a way to get in and see, but she couldn''t let Jeffrey recognize her. What to do?

Just then, a waiter carrying drinks walked by. Brenda had an idea. She stood up and called out to the waiter, "A hundred bucks, let me borrow your clothes for a bit."

The waiter looked at Brenda like she was crazy. Brenda took out her phone, "Show me your payment code."

Seeing she was serious, the waiter quickly pulled out his phone and showed her the code. Soon, a hundred dollars was transferred.

Brenda followed the waiter to the staff lounge to change clothes and even put on some smoky makeup. Looking at the woman in the mirror who no longer resembled her original self, Brenda was satisfied and headed to room 608.

Just as she reached the door and was about to knock, the door opened from the inside. Ryan appeared in her line of sight. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes, but she quickly composed herself. "Hello, is there anything you need?"