Addicted To The Genius Lady With A Thousand Faces

"Ow, that hurts..."

As she felt something hard pierce her body, Marissa Nash momentarily felt dizzy from the agony.

Then, noticing blood seeping from between her legs, she gasped in shock and exclaimed, "Oh no!"

She had forgotten about the bunch of Dreamweed on the seat and had accidentally sat on it. Its long, sharp thorns had dug deep into her flesh.

Dreamweed was known for its strong anesthetic properties, meaning she would likely be numb for the next six hours. Realizing this, she decided to close the shop and rest.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she removed the thorns and wanted to go put up the "Closed for Today" sign.

But before she could stand, a tall, well-dressed man in a sharp suit entered the flower shop through the glass door. His imposing presence quickly dominated the space.

His face was handsome and stern, his eyes a mix of disdain, hatred, and something fiercely destructive.

Marissa slightly frowned; she did not recognize him and knew nothing of his intentions.

But it was evident he wasn't here on a friendly visit!

She had many enemies. Though she often used aliases and disguises on her missions, there was always the risk of being unmasked. There was also the possibility that a traitor emerged within the organization she belonged to. It wasn't uncommon for enemies to seek her out for revenge or abduct her.

Feeling her strength fading away, she dared not act hastily. All she could do was try to remain calm on the surface.

"Are you here to buy flowers, sir?"

"Heh!" The man scoffed.

Without a word, he scooped her up and carried her outside.

Marissa instinctively tried to punch him, but her feeble punches felt more like gentle taps against his solid body.

What awaited her outside left her stunned.

Down the narrow, run-down Vintage Street, over a dozen luxurious black Rolls Royces were lined up impressively.

Over a hundred stern-faced bodyguards in black surrounded her modest flower shop, making it seem like a fortress.

Passersby had already scurried into nearby stores, driven by fear.

It was as if a scene from a mafia movie had come to life, with the mafia boss making a dramatic public appearance.

Despite Marissa's extensive experiences, she couldn't determine which powerful person in Blebert was targeting her.

To cause such a spectacle in broad daylight was incredibly bold and insane!

The man roughly shoved her into a car and then climbed in beside her, settling next to her.

Once the door was shut, the car's interior was engulfed by his intense, chilling presence, making it hard to breathe.

Marissa tried to remain composed and discreetly reached into her pocket for her phone to send out a distress signal.

But just as her fingers grazed the device, the man beside her snatched it away.

She glanced at his harsh, tense face. "Sir, could you at least tell me your name and why you're abducting me... Ugh!"

Her plea was abruptly cut short as his hand clamped tightly around her throat.

It was evident that any resistance might lead him to end her life.

"I'm not interested in your antics! Say another word, and I'll end you right here!"

To save her life, Marissa quickly shut her mouth.

Powerless to fight back, she could only sit and wonder what would come next.

However, what happened next left her completely astounded.

The man brought her to the City Hall.

Before she knew it, her name was listed next to his on the marriage certificate.

Thrown back into the car, Marissa was in shock.

She stared vacantly at the marriage certificate in her hand, finally seeing the man's name, Connor Daniels.

In Blebert, only one Connor Daniels fit the profile of possessing such immense wealth and influence-the current head of the top family, also known as the wealthiest man in Blebert!

The situation was both horrifying and bewildering.

She had never encountered such an extremely prestigious and fearsome person.

While she might have unwittingly offended him, an assassination attempt or revenge on her would make sense, but a forced marriage...?

"Um, Mr. Daniels..."

"Shut up!"

Marissa attempted to find out what was going on, but Connor cut her off before she could begin to ask questions.

Then, he grabbed her left hand and slid a priceless diamond ring onto her finger.

"Make my grandma happy as you did before. Don't provoke me again!" he ordered.

Marissa was left speechless.

She had never even met his grandmother, so how was she supposed to make her happy?

"Mr. Daniels, there's clearly been a misunderstanding... Hmm..."

She found herself once again gripped tightly by the throat.

His demeanor was tense and grim. Each word he said seemed to echo from a place of deep darkness.

"You went to great lengths to trick my grandma into forcing this marriage upon me. Yet, after I had agreed and our wedding invitations had been sent out, you vanished on the day we were to legalize our marriage? I'm not interested in why you chased me and then ran away, nor do I mind the embarrassment and complications it caused. But my grandma was rushed to the hospital because of this, and we need to resolve it! With her health in a critical condition, you will return and act the part of the dutiful granddaughter-in-law. If you try any tricks, I'll make sure the entire Nash family pays dearly!"

Marissa started to piece things together.

He had abducted the wrong person!

She resembled his actual runaway fiancee closely, leading to this mistake.

She had planned to go back to her hometown Adagend tomorrow to marry her fiance, Derek Tucker. What was she supposed to do now?

Marissa was seething with anger for being mistaken for someone else.

Her carefully laid plans had been completely ruined by Connor, and even if she were to regain her freedom in the future, she would be a divorced woman.

This blind and rude bastard!

She was consumed by the desire to tear Connor apart.

Yet, at this moment, she was powerless to defend herself. His overbearing and aggressive presence forced her into submission once again.

As the sun set, casting its last golden light, their car pulled into the opulent grounds of Daniels Manor.

No sooner had Connor pulled her from the car than a distressed butler hurried over with urgent news.

"Mr. Daniels, you must come quickly. Your grandma has collapsed again and they're trying to revive her. This is the third time she's fainted. The doctors say her heart is failing, and her condition is... very critical..."

Connor's expression twisted into one of anger.

Marissa instinctively recoiled, sensing the murderous intent emanating from him.

Before she could react, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the car door.

His grip was that of a madman, his hand tightening around her neck to the point where she nearly passed out.

"You better hope my grandmother gets through this! If she doesn't, I'll make sure you're buried alongside her!"

With one last menacing squeeze, Connor let her go and stormed off towards the mansion.

Gasping for air, Marissa clutched her bruised throat and coughed painfully.

"Ugh... Ahem..."

The sensation of being so close to death left her both terrified and seething with anger.

This man was completely insane!

He still hadn't realized that he had married the wrong woman.

Given his current unstable and aggressive demeanor, if his grandmother passed away, she was certain she'd be buried alive alongside her!

To ensure her survival until the truth came out, she knew she must try to save his grandmother.

With that resolve, she gathered her strength and followed Connor into the mansion.

Inside the bedroom, Arabella Daniels, an elderly lady with silver hair, was lying motionless on the bed.

Medical personnel were desperately attempting to save her, but the monitors tracking her vitals indicated her blood pressure and heart rate were critically low. She was indeed on the brink of death.

Connor stopped at the doorway, his face strained. Marissa, trailing behind him, held her breath.

Suddenly, the heart monitor's rhythmic beeping stopped, replaced by a continuous flat tone.

The medical team paused briefly before resuming their intense efforts to resuscitate Arabella.

However, Arabella's heart remained unresponsive.

The lead doctor finally said somberly, "Mrs. Daniels has passed away. Please accept our condolences."

Connor was in denial. His eyes, already reddened, became wild with grief.

"I don't accept this! Keep trying! Use whatever means necessary, regardless of the cost!"

The doctor sighed and said, "Mr. Daniels, your grandma's heart has stopped. Further attempts are futile."

Connor was on the verge of a breakdown.

He had lost his parents at a young age, and it was his grandmother who had raised him. She was the closest family he had.

"No, Grandma can't just go like this! She wanted to see me married and meet her great-grandchildren. She said only that would bring her peace!"

The room fell eerily quiet, everyone too apprehensive to speak. Finally, Neil Daniels, Connor's brother, broke the silence with a scornful remark. "Enough, Connor. What's the point of saying all this now?"

He was Connor's eldest brother, twenty-three years older than him.

His words were sharply cutting.

"Grandma died stressed out because of your runaway fiancee. Her death is your fault. You can't even handle a woman. How are we supposed to trust you with running the whole family? If you feel any remorse for Grandma, hand over the family leadership and shares, and step down from managing the family business!"

Connor's lips tightened as he tried to contain his emotions.

Neil had always been bitter that their grandmother had entrusted Connor with the shares and family leadership instead of him, her eldest grandchild. He never missed a chance to pin a blame on Connor.

Usually, Connor didn't let Neil's accusations slide and always had a retort ready to keep his conniving brother in check.

But today, Connor had no desire to argue. He was too overwhelmed by grief and wanted his grandmother to rest in peace.

But Glenn Daniels, Connor's third elder brother, who used a wheelchair, couldn't stand it any longer.

"Neil, Grandma chose Connor to be in charge. It's unseemly for you to try to take the family leadership and shares now!"

"Glenn, since when do you have a say in this family?" Neil's wife, Lorna Daniels, jumped in sharply before Neil could respond, her voice laden with sarcasm. Despite her carefully applied makeup, her malicious nature was evident.

"Connor doesn't have the integrity required for his position. It's only right that he hands over the family leadership and shares! And you, contributing nothing from that wheelchair, think you deserve a share too?" Lorna was known for her harsh words, and she hit exactly where it hurt.

As expected, Glenn grimaced, gripping his knee, rendered speechless by the distress.

Marissa observed the family drama silently from the sidelines, uninterested in their squabbles.

While the others argued, she had been closely observing Arabella's condition.

As the argument intensified, Marissa said calmly, "Mrs. Daniels can still be saved..."

The moment Marissa spoke, all attention shifted to her.

Connor, deep in grief, seemed to only remember her presence now, turning his head sharply toward her, his eyes filled with a fierce anger.

Marissa instinctively took a step back, feeling as if she was walking dangerously on the edge of a knife.

"Isn't that the runaway bride who's from the Nash family?"

"How dare she show her face here?"

The crowd looked at her with evident disdain.

Marissa felt like prey surrounded by a pack of wolves. Cautiously, she asked Connor, "May I see Mrs. Daniels? Perhaps I could be of some help."

What?! Everyone was shocked.

Lorna let out a sharp, mocking laugh and said, "Miss Nash, are you out of your mind? Everyone knows you never finished high school. When did you become a medical expert?"

Marissa ignored the cutting remark.

Her focus was solely on trying to save a life, and she pleaded with Connor, "Since the doctors have given up, what harm is there in letting me try? Things can't get much worse."

The medical team was outraged.

How could they let a notorious rich girl, declared a failure by her own family, overturn their death declaration?

The Daniels family members were also seething with anger.

This woman, who had disgraced them by fleeing the wedding, now had the audacity to step in upon Arabella's death.

Everyone expected Connor to demand this lunatic be thrown out.

Unexpectedly, the fierce anger in Connor's eyes faded.

He continued to stare at Marissa's face, leaving the room in suspense about his thoughts.

Neil, unable to contain his anger, slammed the table and said, "How can we let this ignorant girl meddle? Throw her out now!"

The bodyguards, anticipating this command, started to approach Marissa to escort her away.

"Who dares lay a finger on my woman?!" Suddenly, Connor's voice rang out, stopping everyone in their tracks.

Everyone was stunned.

Connor's commanding presence filled the room, leaving no room for defiance.

Even the troublemakers, Neil and Lorna, were forced to remain silent.

With a single command, Connor had taken control of the situation.

He then took Marissa by the hand and led her to the bedside, simply saying, "Please."

No one dared to question the decision of the head of the family.

Marissa started to examine Arabella's body.

Given that she had not fully regained her strength and had been roughly choked by Connor thrice, her hands shook noticeably, making her examination seem clumsy.

This clumsiness was misinterpreted negatively by the onlookers.

They assumed she knew nothing about medicine; she was merely seeking attention and was visibly nervous.

There had always been many women trying to garner Connor's attention with dramatic gestures.

But for Marissa to use Arabella as a part of her scheme was unprecedented.

She had previously convinced Arabella to agree to her and Connor's marriage, showing some cunning. But now, with Arabella gone, did she really think she could revive the dead?

Such a thought was pure insanity!

Everyone watched Marissa intently.

They were eager to see her make a fool of herself, expecting Connor to throw her out and the downfall of the Nash family alongside her.

Marissa paid them no mind. After finishing her examination, she paused in thought for a moment before pulling out her acupuncture kit.

Upon seeing the kit, the doctors scoffed, and the observers mocked her even more.

They had anticipated some sophisticated medical intervention, but she resorted to acupuncture, which many regarded as mere folklore.

Arabella's heart had stopped to function; not even surgery could save her, and Marissa thought a few needles would revive her?

Connor must be out of his mind to allow her to treat Arabella.

Arabella was so revered. How could Marissa be permitted to mess with her body? It was a disrespect to her!

Yet, Connor did not intervene, so no one dared openly criticize her actions.

Marissa sterilized the silver needles and started positioning them at strategic points on Arabella's body.

Her increasing weakness caused her hands to tremble more visibly, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

The spectators, noticing her shaky hands, were both anxious and terrified witnessing the positioning of her every needle.

When the first needle was inserted, there was no change.

The second needle followed, and still, no response.

By the ninth needle, there was still no sign of any miracle.

At that point, the onlookers could no longer restrain themselves.

"Stop!" Neil shouted furiously.

"You have some nerve, trying to deceive us! Do you think we're fools?"

"Using Arabella's body for your scheme-you must be tired of living!"

Everyone glared at Marissa, furious and ready to tear apart this woman who they believed disrespected Arabella.

Even the usually gentle Glenn appeared unusually grim. "Connor, are you really going to let this woman continue with her antics?"

But Connor did not stop Marissa. Instead, he yelled, "Everyone, be quiet!"

Marissa breathed a sigh of relief. She had only one needle left.

If Connor had succumbed to the crowd's influence and halted her, all her efforts would have been for nothing.

Connor's authoritative presence shut down the opposing voices once more, but the room felt heavier with all that pent-up anger lurking beneath the surface.

With the room's full attention on her, Marissa positioned the final, tenth needle.

As she did, Arabella abruptly inhaled a breath of air.

She was alive!