The Substitute Bride

"Now, imagine yourself lying in a field of grass. It's quiet, and you're alone. No one can disturb you..."

Mr. Xu trailed off in a soft voice. Isla couldn't help feeling nervous as she watched Sheryl fall into a deep sleep.

They waited a few more seconds before Mr. Xu asked the first question. The one Isla was dying to know the answer to.

"Sheryl," Mr. Xu began. "Is Charles alright?"

"Yes."

This did not surprise Mr. Xu. Before the session began, Isla had already told him the situation. At times like this, long pauses were bad, so Mr. Xu didn't hesitate to go to the next point. "How do you know?" Mr. Xu asked in a firm but gentle manner.

"David told me," Sheryl answered. "Charles is fine now, but I have to wait one more week before I can see him again." Even in her trance-like state, Sheryl's voice was firm.

Having asked all his questions, Mr. Xu left the room, signaling the end of their session.

Isla followed Mr. Xu out of the room. She couldn't believe what she had heard. Gathering her courage, Isla asked, "Is hypnosis one hundred percent reliable?"

"Of course," Mr. Xu said with a tug on his white coat. "The results of my hypnosis has never been wrong before." It was clear from his expression that he took offense at Isla's question.

Noticing the look of displeasure on Mr. Xu's face, Isla realized how her question must have sounded to the doctor. She quickly shook her head and tried to explain. "Oh, I didn't mean anything by that! It's just that since Sheryl's bent on believing Mr. Lu's alive, maybe what she said was just what she wanted to believe."

Mr. Xu took in her words. "It's possible. Although, it all depends on the person's willpower. However, in Sheryl's case, everything that came out of her mouth was true."

Mr. Xu, for his part, didn't understand why Isla did not trust Sheryl. He sighed. It wasn't his business anyway.

"Isla," Sheryl called. "How did it go?" Sheryl wasn't stupid. She knew Isla had brought her there to be hypnotized; however, she didn't know whether or not Isla was satisfied with the results.

"It was fine," Isla replied. "Let's head back now." Isla's expression then became serious. She exchanged a few words with M

hen her secretary came into view, she let out a sound of irritation. "Didn't I tell you not to disturb me?"

A chill crept up the girl's spine at the sight of Holley's sneering face. Hands still trembling, she tried to force a smile. "I'm sorry, Miss Ye," she said apologetically. "But it's about the Shining Company."

This caught Holley's attention. She had instructed her secretary to inform her immediately if anything happened in the Shining Company.

"What happened?" Holley asked excitedly, motioning for the girl to continue.

"The Shining Company recently placed a bid on a new project. If they get it, they'll make a minimum of two billion in profit."

The secretary relayed what she had learned and anxiously waited for Holley's reply.

Holley fell into deep thought. A project with a profit like that was certainly a big one, that much she knew. And obviously, the bidding price would be high too. Oh, the temptation...She shifted her gaze back to her secretary.

"If we participate in the bidding, how likely are we to win this project?" Holley asked in her no-nonsense voice.

"The probability's quite high, Miss Ye," the girl answered. "Especially if the Shining Company fails." She had calculated everything before reporting to Holley. The Shining Company was their biggest competitor, but as long as their bid was lower than Tarsan Corporation's, they could definitely win the project.

Holley regarded the girl. "Very well. You may go now."