"Mm!"
Julia quickly covered her mouth and nose with both hands, waving frantically at the air in front of her as if trying to shoo something away. Her expression was one of pure disgust.
Jodie's face didn't look too good either. In TV dramas, wasn't taking a pill like this supposed to trigger a glowing aura and a full-body tremor?
So why did it feel like Joseph had just released a cloud of lethal gas?
"Young Master Veil, what exactly is going on here?" Sierra asked awkwardly, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Veil shrugged. "It's a Body-Cleansing Pill. Like the name suggests, it purges the impurities inside the body. Honestly, I thought it wouldn't do much for your father, figured there wasn't much left to cleanse.
But now... it seems your father was carrying way more junk inside than I expected. And even just removing a portion of it is enough to trap him in the bathroom for quite a while."
Upon hearing that, Sierra's mood lightened. So the pill was working!
She began imagining her father finally expelling years of accumulated toxins, his body slowly shifting toward that of a normal, healthy person.
Her gaze toward Veil softened, filled with newfound gratitude.
"Ding! Son of Fortune, Caden Voss, has lost 500 Luck Points. Congratulations, Host! You've gained +10,000 Villain Points!"
After what felt like an eternity, the bathroom door finally creaked open.
Joseph stood there, facing the group, moving forward in a somewhat awkward posture. He forced a wry smile and said, "Young Master Veil, this pill is nothing short of miraculous. I feel so much lighter now. That unbearable pain has completely disappeared."
Veil gave a faint nod. No kidding. Joseph had just let out who knew how many toxic farts and purged an entire landfill's worth of waste. He looked like he'd dropped at least a full kilogram.
Veil didn't bother explaining any further and went straight to the point. "This is just the result of the first round. I hope both of you can keep the existence of this Body-Cleansing Pill a secret. That includes Caden Voss—no one else can know.
You both understand how miraculous this pill is. If word got out, I'd never have peace again. I'd be hounded day and night by people begging for medicine."
Joseph nodded hurriedly. "Of course, Young Master Veil. Don't worry—we won't breathe a word of this to anyone. As for the matter of equity dilution, I'll coordinate with Jodie later. We won't impose any further today. Sierra and I will head back now."
He could barely stand straight anymore.
After all—here's a bit of life advice: Never trust a fart when you have diarrhea.
Joseph was living proof of that hard-learned lesson.
He couldn't wait to leave. Once Veil gave him the nod, he quickly made his exit in that same awkward shuffle, practically fleeing the villa.
Jodie let out a somewhat helpless smile. "Honestly, we could've settled the details today. There was no need for him to leave so abruptly."
Veil chuckled. "Depends on whether Joseph's got the composure to hold it in. I'd wager something... slipped. That's why he bolted like that."
No matter how composed and polite Joseph tried to appear, the way he walked gave everything away.
"You!" Jodie rolled her eyes. "You could've given him a heads-up in advance. Now he's completely humiliated himself! Still… I have to admit, what you did today will benefit the company a lot. The Davenport Group is well known in Veyport City—and the entire region, really. This crisis was just part of the larger trend. If they can pull through smoothly, their future looks very promising. Holding shares in the company means we'll be able to rake in steady profits in the long run."
Profits?
Oh, no. Veil wasn't satisfied with just some passive income.
He planned to devour the entire Davenport Group—bones, skin, and all.
As for Joseph's fate? That would depend entirely on Sierra's performance moving forward.
"Big Brother… is that pill really that amazing?" Julia had quietly moved beside Veil, looking up at him with wide eyes full of curiosity.
She was always fascinated by new and mysterious things.
Veil didn't hide anything. He nodded and explained, "It's a very expensive pill. Not only does it cleanse years of accumulated toxins like in Joseph's case, but it also strengthens the body.
Even for someone perfectly healthy, the body still carries a certain amount of impurities. This pill removes them. The result? Stronger constitution, better vitality—and for women, clearer, smoother, fairer skin."
Jodie's interest was clearly piqued. "Wow, that sounds even better than those beauty enhancement pills!"
No girl could resist the temptation of a product that promised beauty. Jodie was no exception.
But she also knew how rare and valuable the Body-Cleansing Pill was. Even someone as wealthy and influential as Joseph hadn't been able to acquire one elsewhere and had to come begging to Veil for it. How could it be so easily obtained?
"Here."
Veil reached into his coat and pulled out six diluted versions of the pill. "Joseph only took a third of a full treatment. You two each take three pills—a full course. It'll cleanse your bodies and enhance your health."
Generous, wasn't he?
Veil had planned this from the start.
So why didn't he give them a single, pure pill instead of these diluted ones?
Because he wasn't stupid.
The diluted version looked identical, and the effects were the same. But psychologically? Oh, it made all the difference.
Think about it.
Sierra had to kneel and beg just to get a single pill—and Veil acted reluctant the whole time.
But for the Murphy sisters? They barely said a word, and he offered them three each—an entire treatment—without hesitation.
That was what you call a statement.
It sent a clear message: Sierra may be a campus beauty, sure—but in Veil's eyes, she was nowhere near as important as the Murphy sisters.
That's how you assert control.
And when it came to playing the sisters against others?
Veil had them in the palm of his hand.
"No… these pills are too valuable. Just one is worth tens of millions. All six of these together—are you crazy? We can't accept them," Jodie said quickly, shaking her head.
She had gleaned from Joseph's reaction just how rare and precious these pills truly were.
Even getting one was nearly impossible. And now Veil was handing them six?
Veil's face darkened. Without a word, he clenched his fist and made a motion to throw the pills away.
Julia panicked and grabbed his arm. "Big Brother, what are you doing?!"
Veil's voice was low and heavy. "These pills—I went through so much just to get them for the two of you. I spent favors, called in debts, and paid a huge price.
But so what?
If it means keeping you both healthy and safe, then no price is too high.
But now, if you won't accept them… then what's the point in keeping them? Give them to Joseph? I'm not that generous! Might as well throw them away!"
"Quit the act already. We'll take them, okay? Seriously, you're an adult—why are you still acting like a child?" Jodie could see right through Veil's performance.
It was painfully fake.
Not just to her—Veil himself knew how fake it was.
But so what? He was deliberately putting on such a blatant show, just so Jodie would understand: he genuinely wanted to give them the cleansing pills.
The theatrics didn't matter.
What mattered was the sentiment behind it.
And that, he delivered perfectly.
Jodie accepted the three cleansing pills, her beautiful eyes swirling with light as she examined them closely. Every now and then, she snuck a glance at Veil from the corner of her eye.
But he wasn't even paying her any attention—he was busy playing with Julia, teasing his little sister.
For some reason, an odd feeling welled up inside her.
Why did it feel… like she and Veil were already family?
There were no walls between them. He handed over something so precious without hesitation, just like that.
Even if he could be utterly wicked at times, when it came to her, he was almost always gentle—warm, even.
If only Veil were just a normal guy…
The thought rose unbidden in her heart, a possessive little whisper that made her blush before she could even process it. She quickly scolded herself and shook her head hard, flinging the thought away.
Turning her attention back, she looked at her younger sister, who was curled up beside Veil. Her cheeks grew even redder—she really couldn't tell if Julia was acting innocently or doing this on purpose.
"Brother, then I'm going to eat it, okay?"
Julia reached forward, her eyes fixed on the cleansing pill Veil held between two fingers. She leaned in close—and gave his fingers a soft, quick lick with her tongue.
Hiss—
Veil sucked in a sharp breath, staring at Julia in disbelief. Her face was all innocence, but her move? Masterful.
She even knew how to swirl her tongue.
Where the hell had she learned that?!
"So sweet!" Julia chirped, inching in even closer. She cuddled into Veil's chest, hugging his arm tight, and began licking the pill again, this time more fervently—like she was savoring candy.
Slurp, slurp—yet still, she didn't swallow it.
"Uh…"
Veil was starting to feel dazed, watching Julia cling to him like she'd discovered her new favorite toy.
And all he could think was…
What if that cleansing pill were a banana instead? One of the ones I use every day…
Wouldn't that be… way too much?
He might just ascend from pure bliss.