The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 135
Callahan made arrangements for Arnold to stay at the best private hospital in Xanadu to stabilize his condition first. He checked into the hospital alongside Arnold. Once the weather cleared, they would fly back to the country.
Inside a VIP ward, Callahan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, clutching a newly delivered investigative report. His gaze was dark and brooding.
The report in Callahan’s hand detailed Leilani’s life history-something he had instructed his assistant to look into after the incident.
Callahan flipped through the file while his assistant stood respectfully to the side, reporting
in a low voice.
“Mr. Langley, everything is clear. Leilani was switched with Tamara by Tamara’s biological father so his own child could become a wealthy heiress. Tamara became the young miss of the Sloan family, while Leilani was discarded by Tamara’s father. Eventually, she was adopted by a kind farming couple and wasn’t recognized by her biological family until she was
seventeen.”
Callahan nodded as he listened; Leilani had mentioned this to him before. He signaled the assistant to focus on what happened after she turned eighteen.
The assistant understood and continued. “Shortly after her eighteenth birthday, the Sloan family had her sent to prison. During her four years incarcerated, she became very close to Paulina. Paulina was from a renowned line of traditional healers but was serving time for medical malpractice. She took Leilani under her wing and mentored her in medicine while they were inside.”
Hearing this, Callahan understood everything. His fingers tightened slightly, the paper making a faint crinkling sound.
It all made sense. Leilani, the supposed granddaughter of Paulina, and the mysterious Dr. L…
They were the exact same person.
He closed his eyes, piecing together the fragmented clues in his mind.
Leilani’s exquisite medical skills after leaving prison…
His grandfather’s fondness for Dr. Cheney…
Dr. L’s cold temperament, identical to Leilani’s, and their shared habits…
Remembering that Dante had Ms. Cheney’s WhatsApp, Callahan called him immediately. He told Dante to send over her contact card, claiming he had something to discuss with her.
Dante was surprised. Before, he had eagerly tried to share the contact, and Callahan had
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adamantly refused. Had hell frozen over? Callahan was actually asking for it now.
Despite his grumbling, Dante moved fast. The moment they hung up, Ms. Cheney’s contact card popped up on Callahan’s phone.
Callahan opened the message and looked at the profile. The picture was a simple image of an herbal plant, and the username was a single letter: [S].
The username and profile picture were identical to Leilani’s. When he clicked to open the chat, he realized they were already connected contacts.
Callahan stared at the avatar for a long time. Leilani’s profile sat quietly in his chat history, though they had never exchanged a single message on the app. The chat log was empty save for the initial system notification indicating they were contacts.
Callahan’s eyes grew darker. He tapped his finger against the tabletop, the rhythmic sound betraying his suppressed agitation.
He thought back to how disheveled Leilani had looked when she came to find him at the restaurant before he left the country. Callahan realized then she must have known he was her blind date that day.
So why hadn’t she told him? Why did she join forces with his grandfather to deceive him? The assistant watched his expression warily. As Callahan’s trusted aide, he knew exactly what his boss was fuming about.
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Olivia Harris
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.