The Beauty and the Brain

Chapter 48

The Beauty and the Brain By Natalie Jones

Chapter 48 Quits in This Lifetime

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Marie could still hear Jolie’s loud shouts in her ears, but she felt lightheaded and quickly lost

consciousness.

Upon hearing Jolie’s cry, Asher and Edward immediately rushed downstairs, only to find Marie lying

unconscious on the floor.

Outside, Noel was getting ready to take Carly home when they heard voices and decided to join in.

A few people hurried over to help Marie, while Carly stood to the side with her arms crossed, saying,

“What’s she up to now? She was just acting all fierce and menacing, and now she’s suddenly

fainting.”

“Ms. Carly, what have you done to Ms. Marie again? Every time Ms. Marie encounters you, nothing

good happens!” Jolie asked her with red eyes.

“Nonsense! What could I possibly do to her? It’s clearly her who…”

“Shut up!” Noel sternly scolded her.

“Noel! Are you still going to help her?” Carly stomped her foot in frustration.

Edward angrily pounded the floor, “Enough! Carly, get back over there and stay away from the Estate!

And stop bothering Marie!”

“Grandpa!” Carly whined, clearly dissatisfied.

“Edward, take her back over there and tell Mia to keep a closer eye on her daughter!” Asher said

angrily.

Edward walked over to Carly, opened the door, and said, “Ms. Carly, please come in.”

Carly glared at Jolie resentfully and then turned around and left.

Jolie turned to Asher and asked, “What should we do? With such heavy rain, should we take Ms. Marie

to the hospital?”

Asher sent Carly away and took a deep breath before saying, “Noel, take Marie back to her room. I’ll call the doctor to come over. Jolie, find some clean clothes for Marie to change into.”

Noel paused for a moment, then reached out to pick up Marie. The girl had lost so much weight that

she felt almost weightless in his arms.

At this moment, she closed her eyes tightly, no longer displaying her usual sharp gaze, revealing a hint

of softness and vulnerability, as she nestled obediently in his embrace.

Jolie led the way, guiding Noel to Marie’s room. Noel carefully placed Marie on the bed and watched

her for a while before leaving.

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Jolie took out a clean set of pajamas and helped Marie change into them. She then called Noel in to

assist with replacing the damp bedding. Once everything was fresh and dry, they helped Marie lie down

comfortably again.

Jolie held a dry towel for Marie to dry her hair, as she had been drenched in the rain for quite some

time, leaving her hair soaking wet.

“Mr. Spence, if you don’t have anything else to do, you can go back. I’ll take care of Ms. Marie,” Jolie

said, not particularly fond of Mia’s children.

“Wait for the doctor.” Noel sat by the bed without moving, looked at Marie’s frowning little face, and

asked, “What does she do every day when she goes out?”

“Old Mr. Spence said that Ms. Marie can come and go as she pleases here. If Ms. Marie doesn’t want

to talk about it, we won’t ask,” Jolie mumbled, her head lowered as she wiped Marie’s hair.

“Please persuade her not to continue fighting like this; we’re all family,” Noel said.

“Mr. Spence, I’m just a housekeeper and can’t control what Ms. Marie does. If she wanted to kill

someone, I’d even hand her the knife. You should take care of your precious Ms. Carly and stop.

bullying our Ms. Marie,” Jolie said.

Before Noel could speak, there was a knock at the door. Jolie got up to open it and exclaimed in

surprise, “Dr. Hart?”

“Jolie, I’m here to see Ms. Spence for a check–up,” Gavin walked in.

Jolie had accompanied Marie to meet Gavin a few times. Gavin, being a charming and playful guy, was

good at making girls happy. As a result, they gradually became more familiar with each other.

“Dr. Hart, please come in,” Jolie said, immediately making way for him. She glanced at Noel, who stood

up, allowing Gavin to enter.

Asher and Edward came in afterwards, standing by the bedside, watching Gavin treat the patient.

After taking her temperature and measuring her blood pressure, and thoroughly examining her, the

doctor finally let out a sigh of relief. Turning to Asher, he said, “Don’t worry, Ms. Spence’s condition is

due to emotional stress, excessive exercise, and getting caught in the rain today. This

has caused her to have a high fever and faint. She just needs to take some medicine, cover herself

with a blanket, and get a good night’s sleep. She’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Upon hearing that Marie was alright, Asher smiled and said, “That’s good, that’s good.”

Edward instructed Jolie, “Jolie, please pour a cup of hot water so Ms. Spence can take her medicine.

Today, you need to take good care of Ms. Spence and make sure she doesn’t catch a cold again.”

Jolie and Edward busily took care of Marie, while Asher led Noel and Gavin downstairs to chat in the

living room.

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“Gavin, I really appreciate it, going out in such heavy rain,” Asher said.

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Gavin laughed, “Old Mr. Spence, what are you talking about? I’m a doctor, so it’s only natural for

me to come and treat patients. Besides, it’s Ms. Spence who’s sick.”

Upon hearing the hidden meaning in Gavin’s words, Asher laughed and said, “Marie is truly fortunate to

have a friend like you!”

“Old Mr. Spence is too kind. If Dennis found out that I didn’t come to treat Ms. Spence, my hospital

would be finished.”

Upon hearing this, Asher realized that Dennis really cared about Marie, didn’t he?

After a long silence, Noel finally spoke upon hearing this, “Mr. Whitney is very busy; there’s no need for

him to waste time on a young girl like Marie.”

“Mr. Spence, that’s not quite right. In Dennis’s eyes, Ms. Spence is not just any young girl,” Gavin

said.

Asher laughed, “Yeah, Marie is already an adult, and after the university entrance exam, she’ll be even

more grown–up. We can’t always treat her like a young girl.”

“Old Mr. Spence is right,” Gavin said, cheering up Asher.

After chatting for a bit, Gavin stood up to take his leave. Asher went upstairs to check on Marie, leaving

Noel to see the guest out.

Noel led Gavin out the door and asked, “What does Mr. Whitney mean to Marie?”

Gavin laughed, “Dennis is quite deep in his thoughts, why don’t you go ask him what he means? To

me, it seems like the meaning is quite clear on the surface. Can’t Mr. Spence see it?”

Noel frowned, “Marie is still young, and Mr. Whitney is much older than her.”

Gavin adjusted the gold–rimmed glasses on his face and said, “Dennis is only twenty–three years old,

just five years older than Marie. Is that really a big difference?”

“In short, they’re not right for each other,” Noel thought, recalling the day Dennis took Marie away from

him, filling his heart with discomfort.

Gavin put away his mocking smile, “Mr. Spence, whether it’s appropriate or not, that’s their business,

it’s Old Mr. Spence’s business. As a half–brother, don’t you think you’re meddling a bit

too much?”

Before Noel could speak, Gavin opened the car door and got in. As the window rolled down, Gavin

seemed to remember something and laughed, “Besides, if Dennis thinks it’s suitable, then no one can

stop him.”

The car vanished into the distance, leaving Noel standing outside the door, lost in thought for a

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long time before finally returning to the mansion.

The next day…

Marie woke up groggily, feeling weak all over. She moved her arm slightly and propped herself up to

see Jolie lying by the side of the bed..

Jolie was woken up by the noise, rubbing her eyes, she saw Marie awake and smiled happily, “Ms.

Spence, you’re finally awake!”

“Jolie, why don’t you go back to your room and sleep?” Marie rubbed her temples with her eyes

closed.

“Ms. Spence has a fever, and Dr. Hart said she shouldn’t catch a cold while sweating at night. So, I’m

staying here to cover Ms. Spence with a blanket,” Jolie explained.

“Has Gavin been here yet?” Marie asked.

wwwww

“Yeah, Dr. Hart will be coming soon to check on Ms. Spence. Ms. Spence, are you hungry? Should I

bring some food up for you?” Jolie asked.

Upon hearing Jolie’s words, Marie realized that she was hungry and nodded in agreement.

Jolie helped Marie to the bathroom to freshen up, then went downstairs to bring up some oatmeal and

a few side dishes. She placed them on the tea table and said, “Ms. Spence just woke up, so let’s have

something light. Old Mr. Spence has been keeping the oatmeal warm in the kitchen, waiting for Ms.

Spence to wake up and eat.”

Marie walked over and sat down in front of the couch. After taking a few bites, she couldn’t eat

anymore and waved her hand, “I can’t eat anymore, I’m too full.”

Jolie could only help her lie back down on the bed, “Ms. Spence, please rest for a while. Dr. Hart will

be here soon.”

Marie felt weak all over and lay back down on the bed. In no time, she fell asleep again.

Drowsily, Jolie heard the sound of someone entering and called out to her softly, which finally woke

her up.

Jolie helped her sit up and said, “Ms. Spence, Dr. Hart is here.”

Marie pulled up the corners of her mouth and smiled, “Gavin, thank you for your help.”

Gavin laughed, “It’s rare to see Ms. Spence so vulnerable. How does it feel?”

Marie: “It’s just a fever, nothing serious.”

Gavin handed her the thermometer and said, “You’ve got a severe cold. You need to take your

medicine properly to recover quickly.”

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Marie nodded, took her temperature, and handed it to Gavin, “There’s something I’d like to ask for your

help with.”

“What’s the matter?” Gavin glanced at the thermometer, “The fever has subsided.”

“Can you detect any viruses if I give you a few more blood samples?” Marie asked.

Gavin glanced at her and said, “We can find out.”

“Could you please help me look it up? I need it as soon as possible,” Marie said.

“Ms. Spence, if I may say so, that girl should be admitted to the hospital as soon as possible,” Gavin

said, thinking that Amy was still at the mansion.

Marie glanced out the window and said, “Hmm, she has gone abroad and is now staying in a hospital

in France.”

Gavin nodded, “That’s good. Alright, there’s nothing else to worry about. Just remember to take

your

medicine on time and try not to catch a cold these next few days.”

Marie nodded, “Thanks.”

Gavin reached the door, suddenly remembered something, turned around and asked, “You’re so

sick, does Dennis know about it?”

Marie paused for a moment, “I don’t know, I haven’t talked to him about it.”

“Let him know, or else I’ll have to go to New York to apologize to him,” Gavin laughed.

Marie was taken aback, “New York?”

Has Dennis already returned to New York?

Suddenly, she recalled the day when they had returned from dinner, Dennis had told her that they

would be flying back to New York in two days.

However, that afternoon, Amy passed away. She suddenly fell ill and completely forgot about this

matter.

Did Dennis want her to see him off at that time?

He didn’t say that, did he? And he didn’t promise to take him there either.

There shouldn’t be any problem, right? It’s just that we haven’t been in touch for two days.

But why… do I feel so guilty?

Marie sat on her bed, lost in thought. Las Vegas and New York were 625 miles apart, so why could she

vaguely sense that Dennis was angry?

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When Jolie came back in, she saw Marie sitting on the bed, looking unhappy. She asked, “Ms. Spence,

what’s wrong?”

“Jolie, what does it mean if someone tells you their flight time and location?” Marie asked.

“That must be to ask the other person to pick up or see off someone at the airport, right?” Jolie said

while tidying up the room.

“Why don’t you just say you want someone to give you a ride?” Marie said, exasperated.

How could Mr. Whitney, being so aloof, say it directly? Jolie remarked.

Marie playfully tossed a soft pillow at Jolie. “Stinky Jolie, who mentioned Dennis?”

Jolie picked up the pillow and stuffed it back into Marie’s arms, saying helplessly, “Ms. Spence, who

else would tell you the flight time besides Mr. Whitney?”

Marie let out a long sigh, grabbed the blanket, covered her head, and lay on the bed pretending to be

dead.

Jolie pulled back the covers and placed her phone next to her pillow, saying, “Ms. Spence, Mr.

Whitney is a grown man, and there are some things he won’t say directly. If you miss him, just give

him a call, and don’t let your imagination run wild.”

Jolie gathered her clothes and bedsheets, then went downstairs. Marie held her phone, feeling at a

loss.

Does she think about Dennis?

Impossible! I don’t want to! Absolutely not!

Should we make a phone call?

Just ask him if he’s angry, okay?

No way! It’s just a phone call!

After much hesitation, Marie mustered up the courage and dialed that number.

She held her breath on this side, as the phone beeped and rang.

Dennis was in a meeting when his phone rang. He gestured to the supervisor who was giving the

report to pause for a moment.

Then, everyone in the conference room stared at the constantly vibrating phone in front of Dennis.

Cullen sat there, feeling somewhat helpless. He knew that anyone who could get through to Dennis’s

private cell phone must be Ms. Spence.

Dennis is such a tsundere. If this keeps dragging on, the call will be disconnected soon.

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After waiting for quite a while, just as Marie was about to hang up, the call was finally answered.

Although it had only been two days without contact, Marie, having fallen seriously ill, felt as if it had

been an eternity.

Dennis‘ long–lost voice rang out,

Marie: “Dennis, I’m Marie.”

“Hello?”

“Is there something you need?” Dennis’s voice was cold, and his matter–of–fact tone made her feel

like a stranger.

“It’s nothing… just that…”

“Alright, I’m hanging up now, I’m really busy.” Before Marie could finish speaking, the phone was

abruptly disconnected.

She stared blankly at her phone for two seconds, then tossed it onto the couch in the corner. Pulling

the blanket over her head, she angrily kicked her legs a couple of times.

Isn’t it just that you didn’t give it to him? Is it really worth getting so angry about?

Marie was very upset after the phone call was hung up on her. She felt a tightness in her chest, making

her extremely uncomfortable. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

Dennis hung up the phone and placed it on the table, continuing with the meeting. Until the meeting

ended, the phone didn’t ring again.

For the entire day, the phone remained silent. Dennis had a gloomy expression all day long, leaving

Cullen feeling helpless. After all, it was Dennis who had hung up on the other person, yet he still

expected them to call back.

How long will this stalemate continue?

Marie had a hectic day today. Having just recovered from a serious illness, she drove to the West

Suburbs Mansion. Two days ago, she had arranged for Amy’s funeral, and she, along with Emory

and a few others, went to the cemetery.

The weather was still somewhat gloomy. Marie tightened her coat around herself and led Emory

and the others inside.

Looking at the blank tombstone, a wave of pain washed over Marie’s heart.

Amy is an assassin without an identity, so she has no photo, no name, and no epitaph.

Setting down the bouquet in her hands, Marie closed her eyes. One day, she vowed, she would make

Wren kneel here and apologize.

After leaving the cemetery, the group returned to the mansion.

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The three of them handed the blood sample to Marie. Marie carefully took it and said, “I’ll have the

doctor run some tests on it. We should have the results by tomorrow. What are your plans for the time

being?”

The group exchanged glances, and Emory spoke up, “Ms. Spence, we took the liberty of looking into

your background. You are the least favored member of the Spence family. May I ask what your original

plan was for accommodating us?”

Marie laughed, “As you can see, I’m just a high school student. I don’t have money or power. If you

want to stay, you’ll have to live incognito.”

“What does Ms. Spence mean?” Kate raised her eyebrows as she looked at her, her expression full of

American charm.

“After the university entrance exams are over, I’ll quickly set up my own company. I’ll need a lot of

manpower, so if you’re willing, you can stay on. However, the salary will be at á normal level, and it

won’t be as high as what you’d earn at Rodger Group.”

Marie spoke euphemistically, but everyone knew that at Rodger Group, they were involved in shady

business dealings.

Murder, smuggling, stealing secrets, hacker.

Each mission comes with life–threatening risks, but also offers substantial rewards.

Emory paused for a moment and said, “We’ve discussed this, money is not an issue. We all have our

own savings, but Wren killed Rose and caused the deaths of so many others. We can’t just let her get

away with it!”

Marie laughed, and that smile, surprisingly, carried a hint of bloodthirsty killing intent. The

nd the others feel a bit dazed.

familiar expression made Emor

pay for this!”

She said, “Of course, I’ll make Wren pay

“Alright, since Ms. Spence has this idea and she’s Rose’s sister, we’re willing to follow you. If “Alright,

since Ms. Spence has this idea and

there’s anything you need, just give us a shout and we’ll do it.”

Marie nodded, “You guys can settle down here first, don’t overthink it. If you get bored, feel free to

explore the surroundings, just be mindful of your safety.”

Upon learning that Emory and the others would be staying here, Marie felt overjoyed, like a wandering

traveler who had finally caught sight of their hometown.

Cullen looked at Dennis’s gloomy face all day and couldn’t help but feel anxious. He sent a message

to Gavin, saying that Marie and Dennis were having a disagreement.

Dennis was in the middle of taking a breath when Gavin called. He answered the phone irritably,

“What?”

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“Dennis, Marie has just recovered from a serious illness. Why are you getting angry instead of

comforting her?” Gavin got straight to the point..

“Fully recovered from a serious illness? Who was sick?” Dennis asked.

Gavin laughed, “You don’t know? Oh dear, Ms. Spence got caught in the rain, and who knows how that

unreasonable Ms. Carly from the Spence family bullied her. I heard she fainted as soon as she entered

the house, scaring Old Mr. Spence so much that he called me over to treat her. She only woke up this

morning, her little face pale as a ghost, breaking Old Mr. Spence’s heart.”

Gavin kept going on and on, emphasizing just how pitiful Marie was, even more than she had

described herself.

Dennis remained silent, while Gavin grew more and more enthusiastic, continuing to fan the

flames.

“No wonder people don’t pay attention to you. An eighteen or nineteen–year–old girl just woke up and

called you, but you just hung up on her. I think Noel is right, there’s a generation gap when you’re

older, and it’s really not suitable.” Gavin sighed.

“Whether it’s appropriate or not, it’s not up to him to decide,” said Dennis.

“Well, he is Ms. Spence’s brother after all, so how can he not count? Dennis, come on…”

Before Gavin could finish speaking, the phone clicked and hung up.

Gavin choked, “Dennis, you deserve to be single!”

Marie returned to the Estate from the mansion and joined Asher for dinner. During the meal, Asher kept

adding more food to her plate, saying that she had lost weight after being sick.

Marie sighed, “Grandpa, I’m trying to

ose weight. I’ll look better when I’m thinner.”

Asher disagreed, “Lose weight? Why? Aren’t you just fine the way you are now? What’s so great about

being as skinny as a bamboo pole? Just eat well and enjoy your meals!”

Marie felt helpless as Asher continued to ser

she had ever had since her rebirth.

her more dishes. In the end, she ate the largest meal

Feeling a bit full, Marie went for a walk in the backyard. Jolie approached her and asked, “Ms. Spence,

have you called Mr. Whitney yet?”

Whenever this matter was brought up, Marie would get angry: “No! No hitting! Never again!”

Jolie was left with a snubbed nose and didn’t dare to speak.

Marie took a breath and changed the subject, “How is your mom’s illness?”

Jolie, with her head down, said, “It’s the same as always. The doctor said there’s nothing they can

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Marie patted her shoulder and said, “If there’s anything you need help with, just let me know.”

Jolie nodded, not saying a word.

Marie sat in the pavilion, holding a freshly plucked weed in her hand. After a long silence, she asked,

“Jolie, have you ever been in love with someone?”

“When I was little, I used to have a crush on the

up,” Jolie said with a giggly smile.

cute guy next door, but we lost touch as we grew

“Have you ever thought about what kind of person you’d like to marry?” Marie asked again.

“No, I have to take care of my mom, so I don’t have time to think about that,” Jolie said with a

laugh.

“Jolie, would you like to read a book? I can take you to read one,” Marie said.

“Ms. Spence, there’s no point in me studying. I’m content being with the Spence family and following

Ms. Spence,” Jolie declined.

Marie laughed, “Do you even know who I am? And yet, you’re so devoted to following me?”

“No matter who Ms. Spence is, even if she were to commit murder, I would still hand her the knife,”

Jolie said with “Pure:

Marie looked at her and laughed as well.

Today, after Dennis hung up the phone on her, Marie couldn’t shake the discomfort she felt from

hearing “I’m very busy,” even though they were more than a thousand kilometers apart.

But looking at Jolie, she suddenly doesn’t feel bad anymore.

She had so many things to do, and Emory and the others were following her wholeheartedly, waiting

for her to take revenge.

As for Dennis, he had never made his feelings clear. With his ambiguous words and obscure

expressions, she couldn’t see through him, nor did she want to.

In her prévious life, she had wholeheartedly loved someone, risking her life for that lofty man, only

wishing that one day she could stand proudly by his side.

However, the day after she tragically died in Brussels, he got engaged to someone else.

Let’s just forget about it in this lifetime.

Having figured all this out, Marie was in a good mood and went back to her room early to rest.

Whitney Group…

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In front of the enormous floor–to–ceiling window, a distinguished man stood, gazing down at the

brightly lit streets below, bustling with traffic and activity.

On this somewhat lonely evening, Dennis once again couldn’t help but think of that vibrant girl.

Gavin said, “She’s sick, got caught in heavy rain, and was bullied.”

She’s so foolish, even though there are a hundred ways to attack the enemy, she insists on charging

in herself.

Clumsy yet full of courage.

Cullen walked in and saw Dennis standing alone by the window. He said, “Mr. Whitney, there’s a flight

at 6 a.m. tomorrow to Boston to inspect the subsidiary.”

“Rebook,” Dennis said.

“What?” Cullen thought he must have misheard.

“Rebook a trip to Las Vegas, then head to Boston,” Dennis said without looking back, his voice

somewhat cold and firm.

“Alright!” Cullen excitedly ran out to immediately rebook the flight.

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