A nurse, unable to contain her curiosity, approached Laura. “Excuse me, Miss. Is she really your mother?"

Laura frowned, puzzled by the inquiry. "Yes, she is. Why ask such a question?"

"Just observing. You seem very weak after the abortion, and typically, a mother would stay to care for her daughter in such a state."

Laura defended her mother's absence. "She's kind to me, but she's busy with company matters. And I'm managing fine," she insisted.

"Please, don't judge my mother."

The nurse acquiesced, silently noting Laura's loyalty, despite her mother's apparent indifference.

Elsewhere, Lilah and Gerard were on their way home and discussed Laura's situation. “Laura saved your life, Gerard. How do you plan to deal with this going forward?"

Gerard was pragmatic. "She helped me, I helped her. That's it, unless it's a matter of life and death."

Curious, Lilah pressed for details. "What happened exactly back then?"

Gerard recounted the incident. "We were mountain climbing with friends. During the trek, someone came out of nowhere and attacked me with a dagger. I was ready to defend myself, but Laura intervened unexpectedly. The assailant pushed her, and she hit her head on a rock. That's what caused her seven-year coma."

Lilah listened, her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.

She couldn't help but find an ironic humor in the situation. "If Laura hadn't intervened, you could have handled it yourself."

"Exactly," Gerard confirmed, while Lilah simply shook her head at the twist of fate.

The incident's resolution brought an unexpected turn. Online, many apologized to Gerard, boosting the Harris Group's stock price. In just two days, it rebounded spectacularly.

John, closely following the developments, was a mix of anger and fear.

Angry at Laura's deception, he was more concerned about his financial ties to the Harris Group.

His Livelihood hinged on the dividends, which he anticipated would be substantial this year.

With the Harris Group flourishing, John estimated the dividends could soar to around 10@ million dollars this year.

His anxiety was palpable, akin to a cat on a hot tin roof. Since the Harris family didn't reach out to him, he decided to visit Richard.

During a chess game with Richard, John casually broached the topic of his past investment withdrawal decision. “My withdrawal was a strategic move, aimed at getting Gerard to focus more on the company.

Thankfully, it seems Gerard was on top of things all along. That's quite a relief." His tone was carefully nonchalant, masking the urgency of his concerns.

"You've never placed your trust in Gerard. Has he let you down through the years?" Richard, rubbing his chin, proclaimed, "Checkmate!

Victory is mine."

“Richard, your prowess in chess is truly commendable," John praised.