Part of the Plan

A spacious mansion on the outskirts of the capital.

A sleek black Mercedes came to a sharp stop before the grand gate.

Raina sat quietly in the car. She didn’t need to look up to see the grand iron gate ahead—ornate and old, with an engraved bronze plaque that read in graceful script: Hale Manor.

She stayed in the car a moment longer before stepping out and knocking on the door.

Creak—

The door swung open, revealing an elderly man in a suit. He seemed to have expected her and showed no surprise.

He stepped aside. “You have arrived, Miss Carrington. The Master is waiting inside. Please, come in.”

Raina nodded and bowed politely. “Thank you, Uncle Decker.”

The old man hesitated briefly, then shook his head and led her into the back garden.

The estate was vast, filled with pavilions and terraces — a scene of carefully crafted beauty at every turn. Yet Raina had no heart to appreciate it.

After six or seven minutes, they pulled up in front of an ornate garden gate, overflowing with blooming flowers.

Uncle Decker said, “The Master is inside. Miss Carrington, please.”

She thanked him and entered.

Inside the courtyard, rows of immaculate white peonies stretched in every direction, blooming in perfect harmony. Their sweet, heady scent hung in the warm air — a testament to the gardener’s meticulous care.

At the heart of this floral haven stood a wrought-iron gazebo wrapped in climbing roses. Beneath its shade, an elderly man sat at a small bistro table, calmly preparing tea from a polished porcelain set.

Raina stepped forward and took a seat across from him.

The old man looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly as recognition dawned.

“You’re… Raina, aren’t you? The little girl from the Carrington family?” His voice was soft, but unmistakably steady. “Come, sit with me.”

Raina nodded and sat down.

He gently poured tea into a delicate cup and handed it to her. “Jasmine,” he said with a faint smile. “It was your mother’s favorite.”

Raina blinked, a little caught off guard, then almost without thinking lifted the cup. A thin mist curled up, and she caught a strong but not overwhelming scent of jasmine tea.

She stared at the cup, silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but take a sip.

The tea was fragrant and smooth, leaving a delicate flavor on her lips.

She wasn’t much of a tea drinker, but after tasting it, she kind of understood why her mom used to like it so much.

Setting the cup down, Raina leaned back lazily in her chair and looked at the old man. “Mr. Hale, you didn’t call me over just to share some tea, right?”

The old man was none other than Lucas Hale, the head of the Hale family—and grandpa to Jasper.

He took a slow sip of his own tea, then finally put the cup down and smiled. “This marriage between the Hale and Carrington families—it’s got to end one way or another. Your mother arranged it back then, but times have changed. Since you don’t like Jasper, I don’t want to force it either…”

He paused and sighed. “But honestly, this is still something the Hale family owes you.”

Raina traced the rim of her cup, casually asking, “So? The Hale family wants to make it up to me?”

Lucas fixed her with a look and said, “You could say that. If you’re willing to sign over the transfer agreement for your mother’s company, I’ll pay market value—plus 20% on top. How’s that sound?”

So, in the end, it was still about her mother’s company.

She remembered her mom once said the company had been losing money and was close to bankruptcy. But if it was just a sinking ship, why would they be so desperate to get their hands on it? Especially with Lucas himself stepping out of his quiet life to make the deal.

This wasn’t simple.

“No thanks,” Raina smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “That company was my mom’s legacy. You’ve already developed VIREXIN—once those hit the market, Hale Group will climb even higher. So why hang on to a sinking company?”

Lucas said, “It’s exactly because VIREXINs are about to launch that I want to buy Vireon Labs. Besides Hale Group, no one else would pay market price for a failing company. You really should think about it.”

At that, a sly smile crept across his wrinkled face as he leaned forward and looked at Raina. “Besides, I heard your mother didn’t care much for you when she was alive, barely paid you any mind. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to hold onto something that only brings me pain, would I?”

That hit hard.

Everyone knew her mother had ignored her own daughter and even ruined her appearance.

Lucas brought it up deliberately to get under Raina’s skin and make her give up Vireon Labs.

VIREXIN was worth a fortune. Otherwise, Lucas wouldn’t have obsessed over it for years—going so far as to use Jasper’s marriage as leverage just to get the formula.

Now that VIREXIN was complete, if Hale family could snatch Vireon Labs before the pills launched, the drug would be theirs alone—and with that, joining the top five families wouldn’t be out of reach.

If the Carrington family’s weaklings couldn’t handle Raina, why would Lucas step in personally?

But seeing her now, she was nothing like the cowardly loser people said she was. Gossip was never reliable.

“So what?” Raina’s lips curled in a cold, empty smile. “Even if all that’s true, Vireon Labs is still under my name. Without my signature, no one’s getting it. The profits from VIREXIN still belong to Vireon Labs. After all your scheming, you’re just making a wedding dress for someone else.”

Lucas’s face tightened, anger flashing briefly before he composed himself. Still, he was impressed by her response.

After a moment, he leaned back, tired-looking, and said, “What would it take for you to give up Vireon Labs?”

Raina smiled. “I want to ask you the same—what’s so important that you can’t let go?”

Lucas frowned, his eyes fixed on her.

She went on, “Since Mireille already developed VIREXIN, once it’s on the market, no one will know if it came from Vireon Labs or not. Even if you announce it’s exclusive to Hale Group, no one will question it. So why does it have to be Vireon Labs?”

Mireille wasn’t tough to deal with, and if she wanted to marry into the Hale family, one word from Lucas would have her handing over VIREXIN on a silver platter.

Such a simple truth—Lucas had to know.

So his goal wasn’t just VIREXIN. The company itself was part of the plan.

***