Can't Win Me Back



That day, after Cyrus and Alyssa reached an agreement, Cyrus returned home to update Winston and Mandy.

Winston had already assumed that Mandy had misidentified Remy, thinking it was just a result of her longing for Damien. He hadn't held out much hope from the start. Mandy, however, was devastated. Her disappointment ran deep, and her emotions were heavily affected.

Initially, she was doubtful, but she eventually had to accept the truth. She spent three or four days in bed, overwhelmed with despair.

It wasn't until Alyssa returned home that Mandy forced herself to sit up. She pressed on, asking once more," Lyse... are you certain? Are you sure he wasn't Damien?"

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she spoke.

Thanks to her meticulous self-care, Mandy always appeared refined and younger than her years, but she looked noticeably aged after just a few days of sadness.

"Mandy, I understand exactly how you feel," Alyssa said, her voice thick with emotion. She held Mandy's cold hands tightly. "I wish more than anything that Damien was alive too... but that man wasn't him. He just looks a lot like Damien."

Mandy closed her eyes, shaking her head in bitter disappointment.

"Lyse, you might think I'm losing my mind, but ever since Damien's plane crash, I've dreamed about him constantly. I've always felt that he's still alive, somewhere, just unable to find his way home."

"Mandy..." Alyssa nearly burst into tears, but she held them back.

There was something profound and indescribable about the bond between a mother and her child. It defied logic, and Alyssa understood that.

"Forget it. Let's not talk about this." Mandy forced herself to pull herself together. She wiped her tears gently with a handkerchief. Then, she instructed a helper calmly, "Prepare a discreet outfit for me and have the driver get the car ready."

After the helper acknowledged her instructions and left the room, Alyssa asked in a concerned voice, "Where are you going, Mandy?"

With a cold gleam in her eyes, Mandy answered, "I'm making a trip to Belbanks Second Prison."

Alyssa was stunned. "You're... going to see Mr. Joseph?"

"Yeah. Didn't Jasper suffer brain damage because of some strange medication? Joseph is an expert in biopharmaceuticals, so I wanted to ask him if he has any ideas."

Alyssa's heart skipped a beat. She perked up immediately. "Mandy, if you don't mind, I'd like to come with you!"

Over an hour later, Alyssa and Mandy arrived at Belbanks Second Prison.

In the visitation room, they met with Joseph, who was looking haggard. He was in his prison uniform and had handcuffs over his wrists.

"Mandy... Ms. Alyssa." After a long period of reformation, Joseph sat politely before them. The arrogant air he once carried was long gone after his time in prison.

Mandy's cold gaze pierced through him, her silence speaking volumes about her lingering resentment toward him. Alyssa had a specific reason for coming. She wanted to avoid any awkwardness that might further alienate Joseph, so she greeted him cordially, "Uncle Joseph."

Mandy's eyes widened in surprise. After Alyssa's birth mother's passing, she and Mandy had formed a close bond. However, Alyssa had never acknowledged any kinship with the relatives of Winston's other wives. Hearing her call Joseph "Uncle" was a revelation, as if Alyssa was finally recognizing Mandy's place in her life.

Joseph looked flustered, shaking his head. The handcuffs clinked as he waved his hands. 'Ms. Alyssa, that's too much. I'm nothing more than a prisoner. Even before all this, I was just an adopted son of the Lovelaces, not related to Mandy by blood. I don't deserve to be regarded as your uncle."

Mandy, uninterested in the formalities, cut to the chase. "We came to get your thoughts on something."

Joseph's brow furrowed with concern. "Are there problems with Lovelace Group?"

"No, the company is fine. It's Jasper. He's in trouble. Mandy quickly updated Joseph on the recent events.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Alyssa's voice was strained as she asked, "Uncle Joseph, what kind of medication could be so powerful that it would make Jasper lose his ability to process emotions?"

Joseph's face twisted in thought. "In all my years working with pharmaceuticals, I've never heard of a drug that could do that.'

He paused for a moment before continuing, "I've heard of cases where people lose emotional capacity after severe head trauma. Once, I even treated a patient who had a bullet lodged in their brain, which impacted their emotions. But I've never seen anything like that caused by medication."

Mandy and Alyssa exchanged a look, their disappointment palpable.

Suddenly, Joseph's eyes lit up, his expression growing grim. "Wait... There is one other possibility."

Alyssa leaned forward urgently. "What is it?"

Through gritted teeth, Joseph answered, "Drugs!"

Both Alyssa and Mandy inhaled sharply.