Charlie nodded in acknowledgment. “Got it.”

The elderly man let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his face as he muttered, “If I had known you possessed such talent, I wouldn’t have rushed over! Now I’m not only exhausted, but I’ve also been slapped multiple times! What bad luck!”

He then asked, “Is my face still red?”

“Just a little,” Charlie replied.

The old man grumbled again, “If your mother asks, tell her I ran into a pole.”

Once they got home, Charlie quickly headed to the supermarket to pick up groceries and prepare dinner for the family.

He called his wife, Claire, to check if she had any dinner cravings. However, she mentioned that she needed to work on a project with Doris Young that night, and as a result, Doris had invited her to dinner at Emgrand Group.

Upon hearing this, Doris added, “Sir, the project is in progress, so your wife might be quite busy for a while. I hope that doesn’t trouble you.”

Being understanding, Charlie responded, “I hope the company serves her good food and treats her well.”

Doris quickly assured him, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure she has the best dinner the company has to offer.”

“Sounds good,” Charlie texted back. With Claire out for dinner, he didn’t feel the need to plan an elaborate menu, so he casually picked some ingredients and whipped up a simple meal for his in-laws.

After dinner, the elderly couple went out for square dancing, while Charlie stayed home and immersed himself in a captivating book.

Suddenly, his phone rang—it was Douglas Adams.

Charlie hesitated to answer. Douglas could be quite stubborn. After a previous attempt to offer him advice, he had responded by yelling, which had been incredibly frustrating.

However, realizing Douglas was likely in a tough spot, Charlie decided to pick up the call. “What’s going on?” he asked.

On the other end, Douglas was sobbing. “Charlie, my dear brother! I’m so sorry—I’ve wronged you!”

Hearing his distress, Charlie’s demeanor softened. “Did you discover the truth?”

Douglas cried, “After our fight, I felt increasingly uneasy. I tracked her iPhone and ended up at a villa in the suburbs. When I knocked to confront the cheater, the man’s chauffeur and butlers beat me up, and I ended up in the hospital…”

Douglas broke down again, “Charlie, I was so blind! Please don’t be mad at me. You’re my best friend, my only friend! If you cut ties with me too, I’ll have no one left in Aurous…”

Charlie sighed and replied, “I don’t hold it against you. Which hospital are you at?”

“I’m at Silverwing Hospital,” Douglas sobbed. “He broke my legs with a baseball bat. The doctor said I won’t be able to walk for a few days. Can you help me sell the drawing you gave me? I took it with me to catch that cheater. I spent all my money at the restaurant, and now I’m completely broke, so I can’t pay for the hospital bills…”

Charlie’s heart sank. “They didn’t cover your medical expenses?”

“No…” Douglas replied, his voice trailing off.

“Did you call the police?”

“I did, but they said I broke into their house, and the others were just protecting themselves…”

“How dare they!” Charlie was furious. “Wait for me; I’ll be there in just a few minutes!”