Big Novel

Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

"Lyse is like Dr. House. She gets excited at the sight of corpses," Axel couldn't help but tease his sister.
"Did that guy drop dead just like that? By hitting his head against the divider?" Xavier grappled with the lingering fear when he recalled the horrifying expression on that man.
Alyssa, having spent a mere few minutes with the corpse, suspected there was more to the man's death. She analyzed, "That might not be the case. Before he fainted, he exhibited symptoms of a seizure.
"Besides, the muscles across his body contracted rhythmically while he lost consciousness. Epilepsy is a plausible cause of death, but we'll need to wait for the post-mortem report."
"Epilepsy? People might think he overdosed." Axel pushed his tongue against his cheek, still indulging in the scene out of a horror movie just now. "I had experience dealing with some drug addicts when I was abroad. They looked exactly like the man just now when they were high or experienced withdrawal symptoms-zombie-like."
Alyssa panted gently in Jasper's embrace. Jasper lowered his gaze and wiped off the sweat on the tip of her nose. He remarked, "Lyse, the man was from The Ivory Gang."
"The Ivory Gang?" Astonished, she gasped, "How did you know about it?" The Ivory Gang was run by Colene's family.
"I noticed the gang logo of The Ivory Gang on his shirt just now," Jasper revealed.
Axel snorted. "Oh, so he was one of the gang members, eh? An overdose sounds possible. Serves him right."
"That's impossible. Colene told me that doing drugs is banned in the gang. If any of their members are found to be on drugs, they will be punished hard-handedly," Alyssa refuted Axel's speculation firmly.
"But that was the past. Marc Waters is now a dying man; he can no longer keep everyone in check. I bet he can't do much if one of his members wanted to break the rules behind his back." Squinting, Axel let out a contemptuous chuckle.
"Axel, stop it. You're talking about Colene's dad. Show him some respect even if you disagree with his actions."
"Not only is Marc Waters a gang leader, but his daughter willingly became the youngest wife of a tycoon. Sorry, I might be too conservative, but I can't show them any respect at all." Axel glanced out of the window, his tight jaw reflected on the glass.
It was evident to Jasper that Axel struggled to get over Winston's subsequent marriages. Every time the topic was breached, Axel would react with mockery and sarcasm.
"Colene is nice to Winston and me," Alyssa lowered her gaze and said in a feeble, glum voice, "She's had her uterus removed anyway, so she can't have a child with Winston."
The mind-shattering revelation made Jasper's eyes pop out. Even Xavier, shocked by the grave family secret, stole occasional glances through the rearview mirror.
"Hah. I guess my little sister is Mother Teresa, but unlike you, I lack empathy. I'm heartless. I can never approve of a woman who competes against my mom over a man.
"To me, she's no different than Mandy Lovelace and Lyla Nelson." With that, Axel folded his arms on his chest and shut his eyes, a sign to end the conversation.
Alyssa and Jasper exchanged glances before letting out helpless and bitter sighs.
Upon arriving at a private hospital with top-notch facilities, Alyssa went through the health checkups in no time, as no queuing was needed. After the blood test, she rested in a room while hooked to an IV drip.
After Alyssa drifted to sleep, Jasper sneaked out of the room, dodging Axel and Xavier's notice. He quietly arrived at the first floor and booked a consultation with a men's health specialist.

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