'What is she going on about?' Patrick turned around to look at Mandy.

He stood face to face with the tiny woman who was seething with anger as she glanced at her mother and then back at him.

He had realized that she was expressing her dissatisfaction with his secretary because of her mother.

'Only a fool will show such courage when they don't even know who their opponent is.' Patrick shook his head.

"Watch your mouth when you talk to me or don't bother showing your face at the party on Sunday." He threatened her with the one thing that she was most anxious about.

Just as he had thought, Mandy's anger faded in an instant and panic appeared in her eyes.

"Daddy, that was not what I meant…" Mandy paused to gather her thoughts.

*Bzzztt...*

'I asked Erica not to forward any calls, then who can this be?'

Patrick's phone had vibrated so he silently brought it out from his pocket and glanced at the caller ID.

*Wally*

The name brought a smile to his face that was evident to everyone in the room.

Mandy was standing closest to him and she obviously saw that sweet smile that appeared on his former fierce face.

'Is that blonde bitch calling him back to the office?' She thought of that being a possibility.

But she could not be bothered about it right now because there was something much more important than that.

"Daddy, don't be so mad. I was just kidding." She answered with a smile on her face.

What Patrick had not realized was that he had already pressed the answer button before Mandy could speak.

He himself was not aware of this move that he had made on a reflex.

His eyes glanced at her clenched fists and her twitching lips.

'Just kidding? Yeah right!' He scoffed in his mind.

He was sure that she was just putting up a front to get what she wanted from him.

"Pat?"

His attention was diverted to the phone call when he heard the voice coming from it.

"Yes?" Patrick answered after he cleared his throat to not let the others notice anything strange about his behavior.

"Lina woke up. Come quick." Ace hung up before he could ask any questions about her situation.

"Butler Ping, just give them a few invites. I need to leave now." He instructed the butler and started walking to the door.

Then, as though he had remembered something, he turned to face the two women who were standing in the same positions as before.

"A car will escort the two of you to the party. Behave yourselves until then if you still want to meet everyone. Or else…" He did not finish his words but was sure that his message had reached their ears, loud and clear.

Not bothering about them any further, he strode out of the house.

The moment he stepped out, he threw all thoughts about them out of his mind and focused on the good news that Wally had given him.

---

Patrick sighed and rubbed his thumbs all over Ace's palm.

"That is why I was in Yang Manor at that time. I wouldn't have gone if she had not threatened me." He brought the palm to his lips and placed a chaste kiss on it.

"Hmm. I understand but that does not mean I approve of your constant interactions with them." Ace pulled his hand away and stared into Pat's eyes.

Patrick nodded his head and turned the car's ignition on.

"Soon we won't even have to see their faces." He glanced at Ace through the corner of his eyes and then drove out of the parking lot.

'Very soon, I will bring Wally and the kids back to my house.' He smiled and zoomed away in Luo Residence's direction.

---

Inside Wade's room in Luo Residence, three people were in a strange dilemma.

Stacy watched as Wade and Wayne paced around the room and almost collided with each other.

"Watch where you step, four-eyes!" Wayne scowled at his brother and pushed him aside.

Wade was thrown on the bed and he sneered after the soft bedding broke his fall.

"Why are you so worried anyway?" Stacy interrupted them to stop the fight that would soon erupt if they were left unchecked.

"What would be so bad about Brother Reuben meeting Nana?" She asked and watched how both of them whiplashed towards her.

"I mean, he did say that 'your sisters are his sisters'. So that makes Nana his sister too. I'm sure he won't hit on her like you are imagining." She shrugged and explained her point of view.

"Now that you have reminded me… That is correct. Reuben did say that." Wade nodded to agree with Stacy.

"And he isn't even going to attend the party, thanks to some official business." He rolled his eyes and then turned to Wayne.

"So why exactly are you so worried? Everything will be alright!" He waved his hand to dismiss Wayne's anxiety.

'Let us just hope that he never meets Nana.' Wayne had his own worries that he couldn't share with the others.

He then nodded and decided to let go of this matter.

'Yes, he takes his projects too seriously. If he has some work on that day then he surely won't have time to attend Lina's debut.' He calmed his troubled heart and smiled with the others.

---

The next morning when the Sun's first rays hit Lina's face, she groaned and covered her eyes.

'Why is my room so bright? Did I forget to close the blinds?' She grumbled and struggled to move away from it.

The hospital ward's blinds were wide open allowing the bright light to shine on her bed.

She finally managed to turn around and now her back was facing the window.

*Bzzztttt…*

A few minutes after she had fallen asleep once again, the vibrating phone by her bed was making things difficult for her to continue sleeping.

"Coming! Dammit!" She cursed and stretched her hand to the bedside table on which the vibrations were emanating from.

"Who is so hell-bent on destroying my sleep?" She struggled to adjust to the bright light and peeked at the name being displayed.

*Ruby*

The name of her new friend was blinking on the screen.

When she felt the ache in her body, Lina took a moment to realize where she was right now.

'Oh right, I am still in the hospital.' She shook her head when her brain started functioning once again.

Feeling the phone's continuous vibrations, Lina was brought back from her daze and she swiped to answer it.

"Do you even treat me as your friend?" She moved the phone away when she heard the loud voice that came from the phone.

Lina chuckled but ended up coughing because her throat was dry and sore.

"Are you okay?" The man on the other side had stopped his rant when he heard her cough.

Lina took a sip of water and then cleared her throat before speaking.

"Hey, Ruby! What can I do for you this early in the morning?" She tried to speak in her usual cheerful tone.

Reuben froze and then glanced at his watch.

"Lina, it's 9 AM right now." He deadpanned.

'Woah! Time does fly when you are asleep.'

Only a few minutes back she had thought that the sun had risen and now it was already so late.

Reuben felt something was amiss but he couldn't figure it out. So he paused for a while before answering her earlier question.

"I've tried calling you for the past few days but either it could not connect or it was being cut off. Why are you avoiding me?" He asked with a suspicious tone.

Lina checked her call logs and noticed that he wasn't lying.

There were multiple calls some from him, Leon, her best friend Gwen and her brother Wind.

'I'm glad no one answered Ruby's call or else they would figure out that 'Ruby' was a man!' She sighed and put the phone back to her ear.

"I was a little preoccupied for the past few days. Did you need something?" She asked the reason why he had tried so hard to contact her.

"Lina, I need a favor." Reuben felt awkward to ask for a favor the moment they regained contact but he really needed her help.

"Sure. If it's within my reach then I will help you out." She agreed and waited for him to speak.

"Actually… The gaming arena starts construction soon and I want you to come along to check the site out." He explained in a soft voice.

"Oh… That's great! I would love to accompany you. When is it?" She excitedly asked and sat up straight.

'I would be happy to leave this boring place and never come back!' She glanced at the plain white walls and narrowed her eyes.

"This Sunday afternoon. It's the weekend and I am sure you will be free." He confidently smiled but Lina couldn't see it over the phone.

'But that's the day we have Stacy's farewell party. I need to help them out with the preparations, I can't leave midway.' She froze when she heard the day that he had mentioned.

"Um, Ruby… That might not be possible. I have a party to attend on that day and there's no way that I can miss it." She then apologized and waited for his reply.

Reuben was disappointed at first but he did not blame her for it.

"I get it. Would you like to visit it some other day then?" He asked once again.

"Absolutely. Just not this week." She accepted his suggestion readily.

They spoke for a few more minutes before Lina heard Mathew's voice calling him for a meeting.

'A President's life sure is hard.' She pitied the busy man and then said goodbye before hanging up.

Putting the phone aside, Lina stretched her hands and feet on the bed and tried to get into a comfortable position.

"I refused his offer to accompany him so confidently but will I be discharged before the party?" She muttered to herself.

She thought of all the fun she would miss if that happened and clenched her fists.

"I am getting out of this hospital by hook or by crook!" She firmly resolved to be out of here by the end of the day.