?


    "Winter... Eh?!"


    Just as Winter was almost done signing her name while Fredo''s grin broadened, the door suddenly swung open.


    "What?!"


    Everyone turned toward the doorway right then to find a girl standing there, staring at Winter in excitement.


    It was none other than Mona Fairfax, Winter''s personal bodyguard whom Winter had sent away to maintain order in the hospital.


    Winter was surprised to see her there too. "Mona?! What are you doing here?! Didn''t I tell you to stop the journalists from entering?!


    "Don''t worry, Winter! Ahem... We''re saved!"


    Mona was coughing even as she answered in delight. "Master Lawrence has just arrived, and he already had an antidote. He''s rushing to the venttion hub right now-the toxic smoke will soon be gone!"


    "What?!"


    Fredo, who had been sitting leisurely on the couch, was more shocked by the news than Winter.


    He was on his feet, ring at Mona as he snapped, "That''s bullshit! Our people have blocked the road here... he''d never make it in time! There''s no way_"


    "Who''s this?"


    Mona blinked, puzzled by Fredo''s disbelief for a moment.


    Still, Winter soon told her everything about why Fredo and his goons were there and about everything they had done.


    "You bastard!"


    Mona''s thrill turned to fury right then, and she lunged toward Fredo without another word.


    "Stop her!"


    Fredo panicked as she approached, and yelled at his bodyguards to block Mona.


    At the same time, he lunged forward and snatched his papers off Winter''s desk, smiling triumphantly. "Doesn''t matter now! I have your signature, I Winter Lawrence-and that''s legally binding! Zamri Hospital has to purchase all medical supplies from Carlo Group now!"


    "Really? Are you sure about that?"


    Winter calmly folded her arms before her chest. "Why don''t you check the signature first?"


    "Eh? What?!"


    Fredo looked down and noticed that the signature was no more than a scrawl.


    And since it was not an actual signature, it was not legally binding-even a tramp would know that.


    Fredo was certainly seething when


    he saw that, and he crumpled


    sheet


    f paper as he bellowed e


    swnt vel


    "J-Just you wait! This isn''t over yet!"ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .


    With that, he turned and fled right then.


    Still, his bodyguards were all formidable Birthright-ranked elites, and by working together, they managed to stop Mona from advancing.


    In the end, she could only watch helplessly as they fled with Fredo down the hallway, disappearing down the staircase.


    "Hmph! You had it easy this time!" Mona snorted, not giving chase for Winter''s safety sake.


    As for Winter, she was irrepressibly


    furious while feeling thankful that


    she did not sign the agreement


    "Carlo Group... How


    they


    UMS