Many hands made light work. Blanchett made a move that had almost everyone searching for the necklace, as it would be equivalent to finding her child. She thought that even a single piece of news about her kid would be better than nothing.
Unfortunately, they found the necklace, but it was not the one she had placed on her child. Say if Olivia had been suspicious previously, she could now confirm that she was indeed the daughter of Queen Blanchett after hearing Jewel’s account.
Eugene and Olivia had reached a tacit understanding as they faced each other day and night. He knew that her anxiety and fear stemmed from knowing Albert’s family, which could be hers, but she did not know who these so-called family members were.
“You may try to ask. I’ll accompany you if you need help.”
She looked at Eugene and asked, “What about the company-”
He replied, “You should ask Albert about the situation first. If we can’t afford to delay, I can find a proxy here. I won’t let you go to Eurosia alone.”
She nodded and picked up her phone to call Albert. The call was finally answered after a few rings, but the voice on the other end was unclear. “Hello…
Olivia froze momentarily, regretting her haste in calling without checking the time. What should say now? Nevertheless, she came clean and did not conceal anything. “Uhm… It’s Olivia here. I’m currently in Criecia and forgot about the time. on your end. I’m sorry for waking you up.”
“It’s alright. I only found out that you returned to Criecia today. Are you back for work?” It sounded like Albert had sat up as his voice became more apparent.
She replied, “Yes, I had to return to deal with some work. George called me earlier and mentioned that you were looking for Doctor Bailey. And uhm… I just wanted to let you know that I… have some clues.”
Albert was eager and immediately asked, “Really? Miss Maxwell, can you introduce us?”
“Who’s sick?” Olivia took the initiative again by asking. After that, she added, “I’ll ask her to see. whether she can provide treatment. If not, let’s not waste each other’s time, alright?”
“It’s my godmother,” he responded without caring much because he was accustomed to Olivia’s conversational style.
However, he hesitated briefly since this involved national affairs but quickly said, ‘Miss Maxwell, I consider you a friend, and I won’t hide it from you. She’s been ill for eight months. We’ve secretly consulted many doctors, but the results have been disappointing. Initially, she only experienced muscle weakness and difficulty walking, but recently, it has worsened to difficulties in swallowing and slurred speech. Many doctors have diagnosed her with ALS, and their prognosis is that she will be gone after three years. I don’t want her to die; she’s just fifty.”
His voice had a hint of fragility by the end of his words.
Olivia was surprised. ALS was commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a form of motor neuron disease. She had conducted extensive research on this condition and had achieved good results. Although she could not guarantee a cure, she could help the patient to live for a few more years.
Suddenly, she remembered North was investigating Eurosia’s political situation when she saw the photos of Doreen. With a lightbulb moment, she asked, ‘Is your godmother Doreen?”
Albert was taken aback, even a bit startled, and blurted out. “How did you know?”
They had hidden Doreen’s illness impermeably while many of their country’s legislators were still unaware. Although Eugene and Olivia had kept their own counsel, they did not think they had given any hints away. How could this information be uncovered?
She slowly weighed off her mind and smiled as she explained, “You share Doreen’s photos now and then. The lady doth protest too much.’ I’m sure you’re familiar with Shakespeare, but there’s no fooling anyone because the motives are as clear as day, you know?”
