Free Web NovelChapter 349: Chapter 347: Yates Donovan Offers a Fortune for a Son
"Ah..."
Mia Grant looked bewildered.
Dr. Quinlan said, "Subconsciously, you believe this, but your rational mind tells you that you shouldn’t trust them. That’s why you’re unwilling to admit or accept this perspective."
"This leads to internal conflict and self-contradiction. For a long time recently, you’ve been caught in this tangled emotional state."
"Humans are good at avoidance, but some problems can’t be solved by running away. In the end, it’s just self-deception."
"You’re aware of this, too, which is why you’ve been dreaming more and more frequently."
"But that’s probably not the root cause affecting your emotions." Dr. Quinlan keenly observed her trembling hand. "Based on what you’ve said, the people in your dreams play the role of the ’good guys’ from your past."
"Even though you’re conflicted, you don’t intend to dwell on it forever. As we just discussed, you’ve set these feelings aside. You prioritize, so you planned to avoid it, give it the cold shoulder, and sort it all out later when you have time."
"You just didn’t expect that such a ’good dream’ would take an unexpected turn."
"So, what did you dream about?"
Mia Grant tilted her head, a smile of what could be interpreted as admiration on her face.
"Is this all just guesswork? Or is there some kind of deductive logic behind it?"
Mia Grant really liked people like them.
She deeply admired those who shone brightly in their areas of expertise.
She naturally saw such people through a positive lens.
Like Silas Grant when he was working, for example.
What Silas Grant himself didn’t know was that Mia Grant used to frequently search for news about him online.
Among them, Silas Grant was the one who appeared in the media most often.
A dapper, high-spirited Silas Grant, dressed in a sharp suit.
She loved looking for these interviews or random photos.
She admired people with this kind of professional charisma.
And now, for example, Dr. Quinlan.
Dr. Quinlan stroked his chin. "To put it grandly, this is what you call professionalism."
"And to put it realistically?"
"A lucky guess."
"..." Clearly, Mia Grant still wasn’t used to his sense of humor. "Well, why don’t you keep guessing? Guess what I dreamed about."
Dr. Quinlan twirled the pen in his hand and genuinely began to guess. "You must have dreamed of something you’re unwilling to admit, but are also quite certain will happen."
"Did you dream you won a 200-million-dollar lottery ticket, but then lost it and couldn’t cash it in?"
"Or did you dream that after achieving great success and fame in the future, you were exposed for wrongdoing and your reputation was ruined?"
"..."
Dr. Quinlan met her gaze, then lowered his voice. "Or... that you discovered a traitor within a ’love’ you thought was indestructible."
Mia Grant’s index finger twitched unconsciously.
At this point, she could say with absolute certainty that this humorous psychologist was no mere charlatan.
He had mentioned three possibilities.
The first two sounded like jokes, but upon reflection, he had precisely grasped the naked desires in her heart.
Mia Grant liked money and status. She detested commotion but craved fame and fortune.
In their conversation so far, they had barely touched upon these topics.
Moreover, for most of the dialogue, it was Mia Grant who had been asking him questions.
It was as if he were the one with the problem.
And yet.
Of the three possibilities, the first two had struck at Mia Grant’s desires, while the last one plunged straight into the abyss of truth.
This Dr. Quinlan was far more formidable than she had imagined.
Perhaps it was due to his profession, but he came across as smooth and very approachable.
But beneath this surface, there was a hint of familiarity.
A lot like... Yates Donovan.
Mia Grant then realized they were also high school classmates.
What a ridiculous coincidence.
"What are you thinking about now? Care to tell me?"
"I was wondering if you and Yates Donovan are twins."
Dr. Quinlan froze for a moment, then laughed so hard his shoulders shook. "Actually, you’re not the first person to say that."
Mia Grant looked at him.
"I forgot to mention, I have two older sisters. The one I mentioned earlier, who brought me to Jynsia for high school, is my eldest sister."
"The mother of that little niece of mine, who’s in the same grade as you, is my second-eldest sister."
"There’s a big age gap between my sisters and me. Some people even suspected I was my eldest sister’s illegitimate son."
"My father and mother had me late in life."
"Yes, I am the fabled ’son who brings honor to his ancestors’."
"..."
Mia Grant watched him skeptically, trying to find some key information in his introduction, but to no avail.
Not until Dr. Quinlan adjusted his glasses and said, "That Donovan fellow outside and I were roommates, but I’m two years older than him."
"Strictly speaking, he has to call me—"
"Uncle."
"!" Mia Grant’s pupils dilated. "Huh???"
Dr. Quinlan had anticipated her reaction. After enjoying it for a few seconds, he continued, "But we haven’t been in contact for a long time."
"To be precise, it wasn’t my eldest sister who brought me to Jynsia to study. It was Old Mr. Donovan. He was also the one who sent me abroad to get a fancy degree."
"My eldest sister and my brother-in-law passed away a long time ago. I assume you’ve probably heard about it."
"On top of that, my parents were quite old, and they passed away while I was in high school."
"So I was left all alone in Adjacen with no one to rely on, and both my sisters had married into families in Jynsia. So later, after discussing it with my second-eldest sister, Old Mr. Donovan brought me to Jynsia to continue high school."
"Maybe I’m just fated to clash with the Donovans. For various reasons, Yates Donovan and I didn’t get along. After I went abroad, we basically lost all contact."
"Guess when we got back in touch?"
Mia Grant thought for a moment. "When he made this appointment for me."
The man smiled and nodded.
Mia Grant understood. That explained why, when they ran into each other outside the door just now, Yates Donovan and this doctor hadn’t seemed familiar with each other at all.
"To be honest, when he called, I thought that after taking over the Donovan Family’s business, he’d finally come into money and was willing to pay a king’s ransom to get that twisted heart of his fixed."
"You’ve thought he had issues for a long time?"
"Actually, when I first got his call, I didn’t plan on taking his case. My suggestion to him was that he should go to the city hospital and get his brain checked first."
"I’m pretty familiar with Mr. Marshall over there; I just went to the one-month celebration for his second son last week. Considering the fat red envelope I gave him, Mr. Marshall would probably do me a favor and let that Donovan fellow cut the line to schedule surgery early."
"A broken brain is a bit more serious than a twisted psyche, after all."
"Don’t you think?"
"..."
’They really are family. Each one is more foul-mouthed than the last.’
As if she were listening to some kind of dark humor, Mia Grant’s mouth twitched. "Compared to many people with potential mental illnesses, he’s much more normal."
Dr. Quinlan mimicked her, raising an eyebrow.
In that gesture, Mia Grant thought she saw Yates Donovan.
She couldn’t tell if it was genetics or some psychological effect, but the more she looked at them now, the more alike they seemed.
Mia Grant watched him sketch something on a piece of paper. Leaning in for a closer look, she saw it was a chessboard.
On the board was a single piece, the one with a cross on its head—the King.
It is the most important piece in chess, the one that must be protected throughout the entire game.
