Hiding Behind Her Superficiality by Kyla Olson

Chapter 352

Chapter 352

Chapter 352 I Did It

The crowd swarmed in that direction, and an ominous feeling suddenly crept up to Elspeth, and she followed the crowd only to find Ginna lying on the ground with blood pooling between her legs.

Using her medical experience, Elspeth believed Ginna was likely suffering from a miscarriage. With that, she immediately dialed 911 and then felt her breathing.

It’s clear that she’s suffering from a miscarriage, yet she’s showing signs of poisoning!

“Elspeth…” Ginna called out to her with slightly narrowed eyes while fighting her consciousness.

“What is it?” Elspeth leaned her ear against Ginna’s lips to hear better.

“Please, save my child. Please, I beg you…” Ginna pleaded as she reached for her belly.

“Everything will have to wait until we reach the hospital and hear what the doctor has to say. I can’t do anything right now.”

After hearing Elspeth’s words, Ginna seemed unable to hold on anymore as her eyes gradually lost focus, and she passed out eventually.

The ambulance arrived soon after, and Elspeth and Arthur couldn’t care less about the engagement party anymore. What was important right then was sending Ginna to the hospital.

Just like that, the engagement was postponed.

…

After they arrived at the hospital’s emergency room, Elspeth stood guard anxiously at the door.

Arthur, on the other hand, was rather impassive. “What are you so worried about? It’s not like that’s your child in there,” he said, looking at Elspeth while leaning against the bench.

However, it only annoyed her further when it seemed that he wanted bigger drama.

“If something bad happens to the child, given Ginna’s vengeful personality, she’ll be bound to do something again.”

To that, Arthur crossed his leg and fiddled with his phone while saying, “If she wants to seek revenge, then let her be. You don’t have to worry. If she does anything to you, I won’t let her get away with it. You’re my fiancée now, after all.”

Sure, making sarcastic remarks is going to help with the situation.

Having done talking to him, Elspeth directed her attention back to the lit-up ‘in operation’ sign above her head.

Very quickly, the light switched off, and a doctor walked out. “Is the patient’s family here?” he asked after sweeping his gaze across the space.

At that, Elspeth came forward. “Her family’s not here at the moment. I can represent them for now.”

The doctor sighed and shook his head when he saw how anxious she looked. “I’m sorry. The child’s gone.”

“Is there really no other way?” Elspeth’s heart sank.

“She was poisoned with a deadly substance, and its toxins had already spread to her uterus. If you forcibly keep the baby, he will be born with the toxin, and worst, he might be born deformed.”

Elspeth locked her brows into a tight furrow in response. Seconds later, she said firmly, “Got it. Thank you, Doctor.”

Ginna, on the other hand, had been transferred to the general ward when her condition improved after receiving treatment, and a nurse was feeding her medicine when Elspeth visited her.

As she looked at the poor young woman’s now flat belly, a hint of pity flashed across her eyes, and when she placed the fruits she had brought onto the table, Ginna swept it all away before she even had the chance to set it down properly.

“Get out!” she screamed, startling the nurse, causing the latter to jolt and nearly drop the medicine.

Ginna’s anger was through the roof, and when she saw Elspeth, it was like she had found a target to vent it all out. “I said scram!”

“I know you’re upset because you’ve lost your child,” Elspeth said plainly. “But it has nothing to do with me.”

“You’re still denying it even when it has come to this?! Elspeth Lynwood, do you even have a heart?!” Ginna’s hatred blew up like a balloon as she felt her belly. “You must’ve drugged me to kill my child because you can’t stand seeing me live a good life!”

She couldn’t think of anyone else apart from this woman who’d want to harm her.

“Tell me then. What’s my motive?”

Motive…

“You have so many! You must be livid because I said I want to get back at you guys because of my sister. Besides, you like Gilbert too, do you not?!”

Elspeth was visibly taken aback when Ginna brought Gilbert up, and the latter turned malicious suddenly as though she had gotten leverage on Elspeth. “I knew it! You love Gilbert. That’s why you killed my child!”

For some reason, Elspeth found it amusing. “I’ve long gotten over him. Yes, I used to like him; I admit that. But he’s already history to me.”

However, Ginna had already let hatred consume her a long time ago. There was no way she could listen to Elspeth’s reasons.

“Who knows if you’re lying or not?! So many men circle around you every day. Any man you like suddenly has a baby with another woman, and that’ll deal a blow to your ego. That must be why you retaliated against me.”

At that, Elspeth rolled her eyes. That’s it. She’s a gone case! She’s behaving like someone has slammed her head with a brick.

“I take back what I said about you being smart. Your imagination sure is wild. Are you sure your cranial nerve wasn’t affected by your pregnancy? You should get it checked.”

Ginna was already in a terrible mood when she had just lost her child, and how after hearing Elspeth’s words, she directed her firepower at Elspeth even if it wasn’t the latter’s doing.

“You just have to be insufferably arrogant, don’t you, Lynwood?! Alright, fine, go ahead and kill me if you’re so capable, or I will come at you for the rest of my life!”

Great, she’s gone nuts now!

Elspeth knew the young woman would only loathe her even more if she continued to stay. Hence, she ignored Ginna’s words and turned to leave.

“Hey!” Ginna suddenly called out to her, and Elspeth turned around, asking placidly as she gazed into Ginna’s eyes, “Yes?”

“Don’t tell Gilbert just yet.” Pain flashed across Ginna’s eyes as she felt her belly.

As much as Elspeth felt bad for the young woman, the whole incident had nothing to do with her, and she didn’t need to feel bad for Ginna either.

“This is your issue. I won’t go to him about this.” With that, Elspeth left the ward.

Arthur was waiting at the hospital’s main entrance, and seeing that she didn’t look right when she came out, he asked, “She gave you a hard time again, didn’t she?”

“Why do you care?”

None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for the stupid engagement party. Hence, Elspeth felt vexed even just looking at Arthur’s face.

“You’re my fiancée. Of course, I have to stand up for you if she bullies you.”

It was like he didn’t care about her tantrums as he ruffled her hair as he pleased. Of course, his hand was swatted away with disdain.

“Alright, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

“What secret?” Elspeth glanced side-eyed at him.

“Actually, I was the one who poisoned the baby in her belly,” said the man with a creepy grin.

It was evident that Elspeth had a hard time registering what she had just heard as she only appeared shocked after a long time. “Why would you do that?!”

Arthur and Ginna had no personal grudges. In fact, he even used to like her sister Emma…rment. “Did Gilbert not find you?” “How can he find me when I don’t want him to?” Ginna took advantage of her tipsiness to release her long bottled-up frustration but hurriedly halted when she realized she seemed to have let on a little too much to Elspeth. “Alright, don’t think about fishing for any information for me, and you can also forget about telling him.” “Nah, this has nothing to do with me. This is between you two. Deal with it yourselves,” said Elspeth nonchalantly as she reached for the other glass of liquor and savored it. “Aren’t you two close?” Ginna was surprised. “And as far as I know, he still can’t get over you.” “Whatever relationship it is you think he and I are in, we’re not.” Elspeth frowned, not wanting to talk about it. At that, Ginna ridiculed, “Oh, Elspeth. I never thought a smart woman like you would have a dumb moment!” “So?” Elspeth tucked away her impatience. “What’s your point in saying this now?” Ginna stopped laughing abruptly and put on her resentful look. “You think I really want to talk about this? If it isn’t because I found out your picture is living in his wallet, why do you think I’d run away while pregnant just to find out whether he loves me?” Elspeth was stumped. She didn’t think Ginna had such a lowly side. After coming to herself, she advised, “But you’re carrying his child still. Why don’t you just go back to him.” At that, Ginna chuckled wryly. “Why should I? I want him to love me for me, not to trap him with a baby. If he doesn’t love me, he can forget about ever seeing the baby and me.” Elspeth was somewhat shocked by her words. Comparatively, Emma was really far beneath her little sister. That said, Ginna seemed to be in a terrible mental state, and she might do something extreme that would affect the baby in her belly. After all, the child was Gilbert’s and also related to her to a certain extent. So, she still tried to advise Ginna. “Take good care of your baby. You’ll affect its growth if you get too emotional.” “It’s none of your business!” Ginna took a deep breath. “We still haven’t settled our score yet. You don’t have to pretend to comfort me.” What score? Emma? Elspeth gazed bafflingly at Ginna, and sure enough, hatred flashed across the latter’s eyes. “I will certainly come after you two for what happened to my sister.” The other person she was referring to was naturally Callum. “Why don’t you do some digging about your sister instead? Find out what she’s really like,” suggested Elspeth as she drank the last bit of wine. It seemed that Ginna wouldn’t listen to whatever she had to say anymore. As much as Ginna didn’t like her sister, they were still related by blood, and she would always lean toward

Emma no matter what. Thinking about that, Ginna snorted disdainfully. “I will naturally seek justice from you once I get to the bottom of it.” Then, she placed the wine glass back onto the table and walked away. … Three minutes later, a cry for help came suddenly from another corner not far away. “Help! Someone’s losing a lot of blood!” “Don’t just stand there. Call the ambulance!” For a moment, chaos enveloped the party. Chapter 352 I Did It The crowd swarmed in that direction, and an ominous feeling suddenly crept up to Elspeth, and she followed the crowd only to find Ginna lying on the ground with blood pooling between her legs. Using her medical experience, Elspeth believed Ginna was likely suffering from a miscarriage. With that, she immediately dialed 911 and then felt her breathing. It’s clear that she’s suffering from a miscarriage, yet she’s showing signs of poisoning! “Elspeth…” Ginna called out to her with slightly narrowed eyes while fighting her consciousness. “What is it?” Elspeth leaned her ear against Ginna’s lips to hear better. “Please, save my child. Please, I beg you…” Ginna pleaded as she reached for her belly. “Everything will have to wait until we reach the hospital and hear what the doctor has to say. I can’t do anything right now.” After hearing Elspeth’s words, Ginna seemed unable to hold on anymore as her eyes gradually lost focus, and she passed out eventually. The ambulance arrived soon after, and Elspeth and Arthur couldn’t care less about the engagement party anymore. What was important right then was sending Ginna to the hospital. Just like that, the engagement was postponed. … After they arrived at the hospital’s emergency room, Elspeth stood guard anxiously at the door. Arthur, on the other hand, was rather impassive. “What are you so worried about? It’s not like that’s your child in there,” he said, looking at Elspeth while leaning against the bench. However, it only annoyed her further when it seemed that he wanted bigger drama. “If something bad happens to the child, given Ginna’s vengeful personality, she’ll be bound to do something again.” To that, Arthur crossed his leg and fiddled with his phone while saying, “If she wants to seek revenge, then let her be. You don’t have to worry. If she does anything to you, I won’t let her get away with it. You’re my fiancée now, after all.” Sure, making sarcastic remarks is going to help with the situation. Having done talking to him, Elspeth directed her attention back to the lit-up ‘in operation’ sign above her head. Very quickly, the light switched off, and a doctor walked out. “Is the patient’s family here?” he asked after sweeping his gaze across the space. At that, Elspeth came forward. “Her family’s not here at the moment. I can

represent them for now.” The doctor sighed and shook his head when he saw how anxious she looked. “I’m sorry. The child’s gone.” “Is there really no other way?” Elspeth’s heart sank. “She was poisoned with a deadly substance, and its toxins had already spread to her uterus. If you forcibly keep the baby, he will be born with the toxin, and worst, he might be born deformed.” Elspeth locked her brows into a tight furrow in response. Seconds later, she said firmly, “Got it. Thank you, Doctor.” Ginna, on the other hand, had been transferred to the general ward when her condition improved after receiving treatment, and a nurse was feeding her medicine when Elspeth visited her. As she looked at the poor young woman’s now flat belly, a hint of pity flashed across her eyes, and when she placed the fruits she had brought onto the table, Ginna swept it all away before she even had the chance to set it down properly. “Get out!” she screamed, startling the nurse, causing the latter to jolt and nearly drop the medicine. Ginna’s anger was through the roof, and when she saw Elspeth, it was like she had found a target to vent it all out. “I said scram!” “I know you’re upset because you’ve lost your child,” Elspeth said plainly. “But it has nothing to do with me.” “You’re still denying it even when it has come to this?! Elspeth Lynwood, do you even have a heart?!” Ginna’s hatred blew up like a balloon as she felt her belly. “You must’ve drugged me to kill my child because you can’t stand seeing me live a good life!” She couldn’t think of anyone else apart from this woman who’d want to harm her. “Tell me then. What’s my motive?” Motive… “You have so many! You must be livid because I said I want to get back at you guys because of my sister. Besides, you like Gilbert too, do you not?!” Elspeth was visibly taken aback when Ginna brought Gilbert up, and the latter turned malicious suddenly as though she had gotten leverage on Elspeth. “I knew it! You love Gilbert. That’s why you killed my child!” For some reason, Elspeth found it amusing. “I’ve long gotten over him. Yes, I used to like him; I admit that. But he’s already history to me.” However, Ginna had already let hatred consume her a long time ago. There was no way she could listen to Elspeth’s reasons. “Who knows if you’re lying or not?! So many men circle around you every day. Any man you like suddenly has a baby with another woman, and that’ll deal a blow to your ego. That must be why you retaliated against me.” At that, Elspeth rolled her eyes. That’s it. She’s a gone case! She’s behaving like someone has slammed her head with a brick. “I take back what I said about you being smart. Your imagination sure is wild. Are you sure your cranial nerve wasn’t affected by your

pregnancy? You should get it checked.” Ginna was already in a terrible mood when she had just lost her child, and how after hearing Elspeth’s words, she directed her firepower at Elspeth even if it wasn’t the latter’s doing. “You just have to be insufferably arrogant, don’t you, Lynwood?! Alright, fine, go ahead and kill me if you’re so capable, or I will come at you for the rest of my life!” Great, she’s gone nuts now! Elspeth knew the young woman would only loathe her even more if she continued to stay. Hence, she ignored Ginna’s words and turned to leave. “Hey!” Ginna suddenly called out to her, and Elspeth turned around, asking placidly as she gazed into Ginna’s eyes, “Yes?” “Don’t tell Gilbert just yet.” Pain flashed across Ginna’s eyes as she felt her belly. As much as Elspeth felt bad for the young woman, the whole incident had nothing to do with her, and she didn’t need to feel bad for Ginna either. “This is your issue. I won’t go to him about this.” With that, Elspeth left the ward. Arthur was waiting at the hospital’s main entrance, and seeing that she didn’t look right when she came out, he asked, “She gave you a hard time again, didn’t she?” “Why do you care?” None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for the stupid engagement party. Hence, Elspeth felt vexed even just looking at Arthur’s face. “You’re my fiancée. Of course, I have to stand up for you if she bullies you.” It was like he didn’t care about her tantrums as he ruffled her hair as he pleased. Of course, his hand was swatted away with disdain. “Alright, I’ll let you in on a little secret.” “What secret?” Elspeth glanced side-eyed at him. “Actually, I was the one who poisoned the baby in her belly,” said the man with a creepy grin. It was evident that Elspeth had a hard time registering what she had just heard as she only appeared shocked after a long time. “Why would you do that?!” Arthur and Ginna had no personal grudges. In fact, he even used to like her sister Emma… Chapter 353 What’s Between You and Him “You want to know why?” Arthur pulled an inexplicably baffling and amorous smile at Elspeth, who held her breath and said, “Tell me.” “It’s a secret!” With that, the man walked away resolutely. Then, something seemed to have hit him as he turned back around. “That reminds me. Our engagement party was ruined. We’ll have to redo it in a couple of days. You better get ready for it again.” Elspeth had just lost interest in why he would poison Ginna, and now he threw this bomb at her. “Can’t we just leave it as it is? We’ve already done it once, and everyone already knows.” All things aside, just having to wake up at 5.00AM to get her makeup done was already torturous enough. “That won’t fly. I’m a man of principles;

everything needs to be done through and through.” Arthur shook his head with a frown. It seemed that he cared a lot about this matter. In the end, he still left after he said everything he wanted to. Elspeth didn’t have anything important to see to either. Then, it suddenly occurred to her that she hadn’t given Isabel the medicinal herbs she had brought back the other time. Hence, she decided to buy a few other medicinal herbs from the hospital to mix with that batch after reaching home. However, there were too few medicinal herbs in hospitals abroad. Even if the hospital she was in had the city’s largest medicinal herb dispensary, she couldn’t enter as she pleased, let alone obtain those medicinal herbs. Still, she went with a glimmer of hope. Just as she arrived at the entrance, the middle-aged man guarding the medicinal herb dispensary stood up and cautioned gravely, “Persons concerned only, miss. Please leave.” “I’d like to purchase some medicinal herbs. May I please speak to your person-in-charge about it?” Elspeth asked politely. “But…” Seeing that a stunning, polite woman pleaded to him, the middle- aged man started hesitating. At that, Elspeth began imploring and talking her way into it. Coupled with her impeccable smile, the man gave in immediately. “Alright, alright, let me check.” With that, the man left and returned with a Damorian guy, whom Elspeth thought looked familiar but just couldn’t quite figure out where she had seen him. As the latter was also from Damoria, he lowered his guard immediately after seeing Elspeth, and he asked, “May I know what you’ll be doing with these medicinal herbs, miss?” “I have a friend seeking medical treatment,” she answered euphemistically, “and I happened to specialize in traditional medicine, so I’d like to buy some medicinal herbs.” Hearing that she specialized in traditional medicine, the man narrowed his eyes slightly, and he sized her up arbitrarily with his piercing gaze. “You look like you’re just in your early twenties, and you say you specialize in traditional medicine?” Elspeth suspected that the man doubted her because she said she ‘specialized’ in the study, so she backtracked her words at once. “Well, not really. I just know a thing or two.” “Know a thing or two, and you already dare treat someone else so casually. Are you not worried you’ll cause your friend misfortune?” The man was displeased no matter what she said. “Yes, I only know a thing or two, and I’m not skilled enough, but my mentor’s a master in traditional medicine. Nothing will happen to her.” At that, the man became even more skeptical. “You have a mentor? What’s his name?” Anyone with a good temper would’ve long become annoyed after so much questioning, let

alone Elspeth. “This doesn’t have much to do with my wish to purchase medicinal herbs, does it?” Elspeth’s gaze turned cold. “Of course, it does. If something bad happens to your friend after consuming the medicinal herbs you got from us, people will come to us after finding out the source of those herbs. So, to avoid any unnecessary issues, I have to get things straight.” At the end of the day, the man was just doing his job. “I only have some trust in you and asked so many questions because you’re also from Damoria. If it were someone else, I’d have shooed them away immediately.” “I’m really sorry. I can’t tell you my mentor’s name. But I can most certainly treat my friend’s illness.” Elspeth realized her overreaction might have upset him. “In that case, you can forget about purchasing any medicinal herbs from us.” The man’s expectant gaze dimmed at once. After all, how could anyone bet on a person’s life so easily?! “Well, can I please have a private moment with you? I’ll tell only you,” Elspeth negotiated, seeing that the man wanted to leave. He stopped at once, and he looked side-eyed toward the foreign man next to him. The latter understood at once and walked away acquiescently, as unwilling as he was. “Alright, tell me.” Now that it was just the two of them, Elspeth answered frankly. “He’s Sonny Schwartz.” The man’s expression stiffened at once. “Are you sure that’s his name?” “Yeah. Do you happen to know him personally?” Elspeth’s heart skipped a beat, and an inexplicably ominous feeling crept up to her, for his expression wasn’t one of the joys of encountering a friend but the repulsion of meeting a foe. Sure enough, the man turned grim at once. “I can’t sell my herbs to you then.” The next second, he turned and left angrily. With that, Elspeth went up to him and grabbed his wrist in desperation. She had such a firm grip on him that he couldn’t break free at all. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. “What are you doing?” “I really need the herbs. I hope you can overlook the grudges between you two and sell them to me,” Elspeth entreated anxiously, causing a chuckle of anger to escape the man. “You think I have a grudge against him? Do you even know the backstory?” Elspeth was rendered at a loss for words for a moment. “But you turned me down as soon as you heard my mentor’s name. Is there no grudge between you two?” The man hurriedly wrested his wrist free while she was distracted. “Alright, fine. You’ve proven your point. You really have to buy them, don’t you?” “Of course.” Elspeth nodded. “In that case, you have to pass my test.” The man felt his chin before continuing, “As long as you pass this test, I can give it to you for nothing.” Have I just hit the

jackpot? “Alright.” Elspeth nodded. “What’s the test?” “You can use all the herbs in this dispensary. I will specify a sickness, and you have to dispense it. As long as I am pleased with your results, I will give you the herbs for free.” Well, it wasn’t a difficult task, but it wouldn’t be easy either. Back when she was living with Sonny, the old man would force her to dispense medicine every day. With time, she would know what herbs have been dispensed for certain medications without even having to look at the prescription. “But if I’m not happy with the result… You will have to leave immediately.” Chapter 354 Mentee To-Be or Not To-Be The first part of his speech was nothing to take personally, but the latter part was obviously mixed with elements of subjectivity, and Elspeth couldn’t help feeling somewhat frustrated. What if he still kicked her out because he had a problem with her mentor even though she passed the test? The man understood her thoughts at once when he saw her hesitating, and he hit the roof. “Do you think I am that kind of person?!” At that, Elspeth chuckled awkwardly while musing, Haven’t your words just now proven whether you’re that kind of guy? But of course, she dared not say it upfront, seeing how livid the man was. So, she cleared her throat. “Of course not.” Finally, the man hmphed with content, then led Elspeth into the massive dispensary. With that, the young woman swept her gaze across the place, wondering, “This place is massive. They should have what I’m looking for, right?” “Alright, dispense a prescription for typhoid fever.” At that, the man checked his watch, and as the minute hand arrived on the fifteenth minute, he said, “You have half an hour.” “Thirty’s a little long. Let’s do ten minutes.” Elspeth was aware that he wasn’t putting her in a tight spot at all, but she didn’t want to waste too much time doing boring stuff like this, either. As a result, the man widened his eyes with incredulity. “The thirty minutes includes the time for you to find the herbs and distinguish them. But you want to shorten it to ten? Don’t tell me you want to tank now before even starting?” Tank… That’s pretty fresh slang. Elspeth genuinely didn’t think she’d find someone who’d know the term on the other side of the world. “I really don’t need thirty minutes. That’s too long.” “Since you’re so confident, I won’t say no, then.” The man nodded with peace of mind at that. “Very well. Ten minutes it is. I’ll inspect your findings later.” “I want medicine that will give the best result. Don’t go around thinking you can fool me with a common prescription,” he added, worried she’d be somewhat lofty. Common? Sonny would probably flip out if he heard what this guy said. That man constantly rambles about how everything he

produces is the best of the best. But if this guy doesn’t make much of Sonny’s prescription, I’ll sever our mentor-mentee relationship with him. That said, that would be a story for another day. … The countdown began, and the man sat down on the chair aside. As he sipped on the tea that had been pre-prepared, he sized up the young woman busying away with his peripheral vision. Meanwhile, Elspeth’s eyes lit up after her gaze swept across the dispensary storing thousands of medicinal herbs. She had thought she’d have a hard time finding the herbs with how they were organized, but it turned out that the arrangements were nearly identical to Sonny’s. Can it be… A bold notion came to her, but she quickly suppressed it. The most important thing right then was dispensing the medicine. As she searched through the dispensary, she inadvertently grabbed a few herbs, and every time she did, the man would quirk his brows. All else aside, this girl really knows what to pick out. All of them are rarities that I’m reluctant to use. At that, his gaze finally turned from skeptical to admiration. However, Elspeth didn’t notice it. She was picking out the herbs while recalling what Sonny had taught her, which honestly had long been seared into her mind. When the time came to eight and a half minutes, Elspeth placed a box of medicinal herbs on the table beside the man. “I’m done.” The man hadn’t even finished his tea when he saw her standing confidently aside, waiting for him to inspect her prescription. At that, he quirked his lips. This girl managed to get the prescription ready in less than ten minutes?! Even his mentee spent an entire two weeks just memorizing his dispensary, but this girl picked out the herbs like this was her dispensary! That said, he still couldn’t trust her judgment so simply just yet. At that, he checked the herbs she picked out thoroughly, and by the end of it, he turned grim. Everything was fine until he saw the last two herbs, which evidently conflicted with the other herbs earlier. The patient will probably get seriously sick from this prescription. “Are you sure you haven’t mixed up your dispenses?” “Impossible.” Elspeth looked innocently at him. “This is exactly it. Do you not know the prescription?” “I think I still know a cure for an illness as basic as typhoid when I’ve been in this field for forty years.” The man turned grim at once, surprised that she would question his ability. At that, Elspeth burst into a chuckle. “Then it must be that you haven’t updated your knowledge for a while. You probably haven’t come up with new innovations for a while either, have you?” Great, she’s challenging my authority now! The man turned grimmer by the second. “Impossible. I’ve also added these herbs in the past, but none

of them are usable!” “Then, the problem probably lies in the way you make them.” Elspeth spread her hands out, not looking nervous at all. The man narrowed his eyes and stared bewilderedly at her at that. “You’re saying you’ve achieved success using this prescription?” Oh, how Elspeth had a say in this topic. “My mentor would always use this prescription to treat me whenever I was down with a cold back then. I had so much of it that I can even point out what herbs have been used as soon as I taste it now.” That is so outrageous… yet common. The man couldn’t help but sigh as he looked at how confident the young woman was. “You really can’t overlook the young ones.” How can such a wonderful young lady be Schwartz’s mentee?! The thought of Sonny had him gritting his teeth in anger and his expression turning from admiration to deploring. “So… Have I passed the test?” Elspeth wasn’t sure what he was thinking when she saw how quickly his countenances shifted. At that, the man cleared his throat. “I… If you want to pass the test, I have one more condition.” “What is it?” Elspeth grew bewildered as she looked at his awkward expression. “You… I’ll give the medicinal herbs to you for free if you agree to sever your mentor-mentee relationship with Schwartz.” Elspeth was stunned. It would be even better if I could just become his mentee! That way, I’d inherit the entire dispensary. That mentee of his he mentioned sounded incompetent anyway… “You won’t get a second chance at this. Once you pass up this offer, this is it!” said the man with beaming eyes while devising his plan. Elspeth, on the other hand, couldn’t make out what the man had in mind. Sure, Sonny was quite annoying, but she still wasn’t very willing to sever her mentorship with the old man. “This demand’s a little imposing, don’t you think? I refuse.” With that, the man snorted and said, “Alright, so be it then. Please leave.” How exasperating. The mentee-to-be right in front of him, gone, just like that. However, Elspeth suddenly smirked icily. “But… since you’re not going to play nice, we’ll do it the hard way then.” Chapter 355 Owe a Favor The man was stumped, and his heart skipped a beat when the benign young woman’s gaze at him turned hostile the next second. “What do you want?” “Nothing, of course.” Sure, that was what she said, but Elspeth still rotated her wrist while approaching the man. “I’m warning you, you better not touch me. I’m—” the man cautioned in panic and nearly revealed his identity, but he quickly shut up, his face dark. “You’re what?” Elspeth was rendered stupefied, and during the moment she zoned out, the man’s countenance shifted multitudes. “No, nothing. I’m no one. Alright, what do

you propose?” Lo and behold, Elspeth clasped his wrist the next second, and it was only now that he realized her grip on him half an hour ago was already considered loose. Now, not only could he feel a sense of restraint but even intimidation. At that, he gulped, suddenly realizing this young lady wasn’t someone he could mess with. “Do as I say. Be a good doctor and hand me the herbs I want.” “Ptui! Dream on!” the man cussed. “Right now, you’re in my hands, and there are only the two of us here.” Elspeth shrugged. It seemed that she wasn’t afraid at all. “What makes you think I will listen to you?” The man sneered in response. “I’m warning you—there’s a trap in here…” At that, Elspeth moved to his back and yanked the button out when she felt it by his feet. Then, she dangled it in front of him and asked him with feigned innocence and shock. “What trap? You don’t mean this thing, do you?” The man’s smile disappeared instantly, replaced with disbelief. “How did you know that was it?!” He had never told anyone—even his mentee—about the trap in here. So how was it possible for a young woman, who had just entered his dispensary in less than half an hour, to know about the trap he had set up?! His bafflement grew by the second, but Elspeth made nothing of his paranoia and only asked with discontent. “You were… going to call for help?” It was only now that the man realized the young woman standing in front of him wasn’t only artful but also devious. She’s too devious! Just like Schwartz, that old fart! The man was thin-skinned, yet he couldn’t force himself to say no, so he ended up grumbling, “Can you let go of me first? I’ll try and find you whatever it is you want.” But Elspeth couldn’t care less about how he was feeling. She pulled a rope out and tied him securely to the chair before turning to the dispensary. “Thank you, but no trouble. I’ll do this myself. I’m quite familiar with it, you see.” Elspeth smiled at him with a tilted head before disappearing into the dispensary in two shakes. Then, about then minutes later, she came back out with a bag—from who knew where she got —full of stuff. When Elspeth brought the medicinal herbs to the man, she failed to hold back and guffawed when she saw his grim look. “Sorry.” On the other hand, the man’s heart twinged painfully as though someone had lacerated it when he looked at all the herbs she had bagged up. Then again, he had lost to her, so he couldn’t flip out. But of course, his countenance had shifted multitudes in the last couple of seconds. “Alright, you already got what you came for. Can you release me now?” To that, Elspeth shook her head. “I’m afraid you’ll have to stay tied up for a while longer.” She was no fool. He

would certainly catch her if she released him now. He should wait until his subordinate came and saved him. At that, Elspeth pulled an enigmatic smile at him, then waltzed out of the medicinal herb dispensary, leaving the man shouting for help to no avail. Oh, how he rued the day! Then again, the young woman stuck to her words, for the foreign man came in a couple of minutes later, only to be freaked out by what he saw. “What happened to you, Doctor?” the foreign man asked. To that, the man gestured with his eyes for the foreign man to untie him while gnashing his teeth in anger. Finally realizing what he should’ve been doing, the foreign man hurriedly released the man. “Why are you tied up, Doctor? I thought you were looking for me? The lady said you wanted to see me here.” The man glared disappointingly at the foreign man before saying, “We’ve both been duped!” “What?” “She’s not whom she appears to be. She’s a skilled fighter and is even well-versed in traditional medicine. Too bad…” Too bad she was Schwartz’s apprentice. He still felt unfortunate even at this point. Meanwhile, the foreign man burst into anger after hearing the man’s words. “What do you say, then, Doctor? Should I gather a few guys to teach her a lesson?” The man shook his head. “First, you’re no match for her. Second, I will beat you into a pulp if you dare ruin such a rare talent.” Sure, he was upset about being tied up, but he still knew what was more important. As assertive as Elspeth was, she was genuinely a rare talent for traditional medicine’s future development. Hence, it was why he let her take whatever she wanted instead of activating the second defense system. As if there could only be one trap in this massive medicinal herb dispensary! He merely let her go intentionally. Wonder if the girl will understand that she now owes me a favor. The man sighed as he stroked his beard. The foreign man, on the other hand, was baffled. Why do I end up being scolded and threatened when the woman was the one who stole our medicinal herbs?! … Meanwhile, Elspeth returned to Winthrop Residence with the bag of medicinal herbs, and she found Arthur cooking as soon as she entered. She came to realize the man loved cooking. Though he looked enigmatic, who’d have thought he was actually a foodie deep down, especially after he returned home. The animosity that shrouded him would disperse completely. Right then, he was wearing an apron, cooking up a vegetable stir-fry in the kitchen, and oddly enough, Elspeth couldn’t hate him at all. She stretched, and as soon as she yawned, the man in the kitchen turned around, saying, “Go and wash up. Dinner’s almost ready.” For some reason, another

person came to mind when she saw him smiling at him with a spatula in his hand. Wonder what Callum is doing now… Would he have already left the city and gone back to Damoria in devastation after knowing how heartless I was? What if he encounters a gentle young woman, falls in love with her, and the two end up marrying? Ah! Touch wood! What are you thinking, Lynwood?! Elspeth shook her head to get rid of the ridiculous thoughts. At this point, what happened to Callum was no longer her business. After all, with her health, it was likely impossible for her to live forever with him. So why not find the best of both worlds… Chapter 356 Their Engagement Is Trending Online While Elspeth was deep in her thoughts, Isabel, who happened to be passing by, suddenly patted her shoulder and asked, “What’s on your mind, Elspeth?” Meeting Isabel’s pure and innocent smile, Elspeth suddenly felt much better. “Oh, nothing. I was just wondering why today’s cooking smells so terrible.” The next second, a chili hit her head, and Elspeth looked in the direction the chili came from to find Arthur wearing a half-smile, looking grimly at her not far away. “What was that, Elspeth?” The young woman immediately realized she had spoken too loudly just now, and she hurriedly shut up. At that, she took a gander at Isabel, and the two smiled at each other. “Actually, I think the cooking today’s not too bad…” Isabel sniffed the air in bafflement, leading Elspeth to ruffle her hair with a smile. “Alright, I was just joking. Wash your hands and get ready for dinner. I’m heading to my room. I still have something to attend to.” “Is it the medicine? Have you made progress with it?” As brilliant as Isabel was, she guessed it immediately when she saw the glow on Elspeth’s face. “Shh. Don’t say it even if you’ve figured it out, or it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore.” Her words upset Elspeth, and the latter ruffled the young girl’s hair with a moue. “Thank you, Elspeth!” said Isabel, so overwhelmed with joy that her voice was shaky as she felt her somewhat mottled face. “Aww, this is nothing.” Elspeth felt somewhat sentimental. “This is all for you. You wouldn’t have suffered this injury if you hadn’t saved me.” Isabel nodded and scratched her head bashfully. “Well, I’ll wait for your good news.” “Sure.” With that, Elspeth returned to her room in a brilliant mood. Her phone rang just as she entered her room. At that, she pulled her phone out and immediately saw the caller ID. Gilbert? Though doubtful, she still answered it. “Elspeth, where are you right now?” It sounded more like an order rather than a question. “Well, excuse your temper. I don’t recall owing you anything,” the young woman retorted with feigned anger. “Don’t go around doing stuff

behind my back. Where are you?” Gilbert was beyond exasperated. He was worrying here, yet the person on the other line was behaving nonchalantly and even fooling around. “I’m in Eden. Treating my Mom’s illness.” Well, she wasn’t exactly lying. Gilbert narrowed his eyes in response. “I already found out Arthur has taken your mom away for medical treatment and coupled with what you said just now… Does this mean you’re with Arthur right now?” Just as Elspeth wanted to explain, her phone was taken away. At that, she looked up reflexively and found the man in question answering Gilbert with a smile. “Yeah, I’m right next to her as we’re speaking.” Instantly, Gilbert’s worry instantly vanished. “Arthur, I’m warning you, drop whatever you want to do to Elspeth. You’re not worthy of her!” Alas, the threat did nothing to affect Arthur. Instead, the latter countered with a fatal question. “What about you? Do you think you’re some kind of saint?” This time, not only was Gilbert stumped but even Elspeth was alarmed. “What do you mean?” asked the man on the other end of the line. A thought suddenly came to Elspeth, and she frantically hinted with her gaze at Arthur not to say anything. However, the man made nothing of it and blurted out, “You say I’m not worthy of Elspeth, so are you, someone who shirked their responsibility after impregnating another woman.” Great, he said it. Operation prevention failed. “What does this have to do with you?” Gilbert felt somewhat humiliated, and his heart twinged painfully. After all, it was said in front of Elspeth. “And what does whether Elspeth and I are together have to do with you? Straighten your own problems first. To think a father like you is still hiding in Chars when your child is already gone.” Arthur’s words couldn’t get any harsher, and Elspeth was certain Gilbert had never suffered such humiliation in the past twenty-plus years of his life. But for some reason, the man fell silent, deadly silent. A long while later, when Elspeth thought Gilbert was surrounded by the pain of losing his child, he suddenly spoke up. “Where is she?” To her surprise, there was a sliver of relief in his voice. “Oh, so it has finally occurred to you that you should look for her? You really are a wuss, Payne. As if you can’t even find a pregnant woman with your large connection.” Arthur didn’t answer his question and hung up the call immediately, causing Elspeth to glare daggers at him. “How dare you hang up my call!” While protesting, she even whacked him a few times. However, the man had no intention of fighting back. In fact, he didn’t even appear angry. “You should reflect on why you’d fall for such a man who can’t even take up the slightest responsibility,” he

said while chucking the phone onto the bed. Elspeth could relate to Gilbert. He didn’t have feelings for Ginna, yet he was drugged into having sex with the young woman and even ended up impregnating her, much to his dismay. So, could anyone blame the man for wanting to escape the messed-up reality? That said, Arthur was right as well. Gilbert really was a wuss. Unable to defend him anymore, Elspeth cleared her throat and said, “Alright, let’s put this aside for now. This is their problem, not mine.” “How is it not?” Arthur pinched and swung her cheek. “He’s already reaching his hands toward my fiancée. Don’t tell me you can’t tell he has feelings for you.” Meanwhile, Elspeth swatted his hand away and rubbed her reddened cheek while backing up, only to stub her feet on the leg of her bed, causing her to cry in pain. “Ow… You stay away from me. Nothing good happens to me when you’re around.” At that, a hint of grimness flashed across Arthur’s eyes, but a sliver of a smile quickly replaced it. “Forget it. Since you can’t accept anything I say, I will keep quiet. The new engagement party’s tomorrow. If it’s not too late, you might even be able to invite Payne over.” “How do you know he’ll be here?” Elspeth asked with a quirked brow. Arthur spread his arms and remarked, “If he can’t even come for this, then he really has no right to love you. Weak, irresponsible, and won’t even accept reality.” What does this have to do with me again?! Elspeth quirked her lips and shoved him out of her room out of frustration. “Get out. Next time, don’t come in without my permission!” Her shoving stumped him. “The door was open.” “Still, knock!” With that, the door closed with a wham. Having been snubbed, Arthur stood at the door with amusement and frustration. Meanwhile, inside the room, Elspeth could finally dispense Isabel’s medication with peace of mind. When she picked up her phone to check for information, she accidentally opened the trending news and froze over when she saw the number one trending headline—’CEO of Damoria’s Winthrop Group will be holding an engagement party with McGrath Family’s Jasmine McGrath in three days.’ CEO of Damoria’s Winthrop Group… Callum? Chapter 357 Arthur’s Story As much as Elspeth’s heart ached, she did personally push him away after all, so she was in no position to criticize his relationships. At that, she yanked herself back to reality, worked on Isabel’s medication speedily, then brought it down with her during dinner time. Nonetheless, it became apparent Elspeth didn’t have much of an appetite. She would even space out now and then. Unable to take it anymore, Arthur knocked on the table, forcing the young woman to

return to reality. “I know you can’t take the news, but you don’t have to react so dramatically to it, do you?” Wow, heartless much? Sure, no, go ahead, give my bloody heart another stab! Elspeth snorted disdainfully in response. Instead of entertaining his mockery, she grabbed a bread roll and shoved it into his mouth. “Eat your food. No talking at the dinner table.” Meanwhile, Isabel poked at her food worryingly but dared not say a word when she saw Elspeth had flipped out just like that. Realizing she was behaving rather hostile, Elspeth toned it down a little, then turned to Isabel and handed her the medication. “Here, Isabel. Eat this starting tonight. Coupled with the beauty cream I gave you the other time, the scar on your face should be gone in less than two weeks.” At that, Isabel put her cutleries down and thanked Elspeth joyously while taking the medication from the latter, “Thanks, Elspeth. Got it. I’ll certainly take them on time.” “Alright, we’re all family here. There’s no need for thanks.” While speaking, Elspeth glanced at Arthur from the corner of her eyes. Seeing that the man had his head buried in his food like he saw nothing else, she hit the roof again. At that, she stomped his feet. Arthur, on the other hand, only as much as quirked a brow when he felt the force coming from his feet. “What’s wrong? Is the dinner not to your liking?” To that, Elspeth asked with a half-smile, “Arthur Winthrop, when are you going to start treating my mother?” She had come to realize that the man wouldn’t say a word about it no matter how she asked him privately. Thus, she decided to just lay it on the table. The question didn’t freak Arthur out at all, for he had long seen it coming. He glanced at Helena and pulled a subtle smile. “I’ve already started long ago. On the first day we arrived, in fact.” Helena, too, nodded in agreement, then looked bewilderedly at Elspeth. “Did you not know, Elsie?” The young woman pulled an awkward smile in response, never expecting to fall into another one of his tricks. “I was so busy before that I forgot to ask about this.” She made a random excuse, and as Helena returned to her food, she stomped Arthur’s feet again. The force this time was evidently much harder than the last. It was as though she was questioning why he had lied to her. But, the man paid no attention to her at all. Just like that, the not-so-pleasant dinner came to an end, and the joyful Isabel volunteered to do the dishes. While Helena watched the TV, Elspeth went out for a stroll, and when Helena saw her daughter stepping out of the door, she hinted at Arthur with her gaze. “Dr. Winthrop, Elspeth seems to be in a bad mood. Why don’t you talk to her for me? There are many things I can’t get an answer out of as a

mother, you see…” What was more, the two were getting engaged soon, and she was more than happy to see it happen. And it would be even better if they became closer because of this. “Alright, Miss Joneson. I’ll talk to her.” With that, Arthur grabbed a jacket from the couch and headed outside. The night winds in this season were strong, and the temperature tended to be a little low. When Arthur found Elspeth, she was squatting down by the steps in the garden. She looked so tiny that it was as though she would fall if the wind blew any harder. She sure is skinny. Yet, she wears so little. At that, Arthur draped the jacket on her shoulders. However, Elspeth didn’t plan to look up, even though she felt a weight. “Go ahead, cry if you want to. I know you must feel terrible after finding that out.” “I’m not sad at all,” Elspeth answered clumsily. She didn’t cry; it just sounded somewhat plain. “Are you sure?” “I said, I’m not sad.” “Okay, if you insist.” Elspeth stood up and threw the jacket back at him, questioning, “How can you be so impersonal?” Catching the jacket, Arthur looked at her and smiled while holding his forehead. “Life would be boring if everyone was warm.” “Bullsh*t.” Elspeth didn’t want his company at all, for she could always sense a subtle frostiness even just standing next to him. Arthur, on the other hand, wasn’t bothered at all as he sat on the steps next to her. “Let me ask you this. What is your impression of me?” To that, Elspeth pondered with a tilted head for a moment before sitting a little further away from him. “Cold-hearted, I guess you could say. Though you’re always smiling, the smile is very cold. All in all, a double-crossing wolf in sheep’s clothing. And you’re a bit of a lunatic sometimes.” While answering, a term came to her mind—sick. Arthur, on the other hand, remained impassive the whole time. Even his tone was unhurried. “That’s it?” “That’s it.” As obtuse as Elspeth would get, she knew she should stop at that. She didn’t want to have a bitter fallout just yet. Meanwhile, Arthur fiddled with his phone, and the screen refracted the moonlight, illuminating his clean, crisp side profile. “Do you know why I’d become the man I am today?” “Why else?” Elspeth quirked her lips disdainfully. “Because you’re more ambitious.” Arthur chuckled in response. “Who told you that? Callum?” Elspeth froze over. Sure, it seemed that Callum had instilled some thoughts in her, but was he wrong? It seemed that Arthur had a lot to say about that memory. “Well, he’s not wrong. I did tend to compete with him growing up. I was a chubby kid back then, so I didn’t look as good as he did. Then, with time, the differences in our IQ became apparent as well. I started panicking, but he was just too

perfect.” The memory, to him, was honestly not so pretty. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you recall.” Elspeth felt that she had hit a raw nerve. All else aside, Arthur was genuinely an aspirant guy. However, the methods he used were rather deranged. “Don’t whitewash me so eagerly. It’s true that I’m not a good man.” Arthur turned to her, and Elspeth was met with a pair of malicious, fathomless eyes. “I’ve framed him many times growing up.” Elspeth’s heart skipped a beat in response, and she actually felt a chilly breeze for some reason. Chapter 358 Can’t Claim the Moral High Ground “Both exam papers were the same. His score was only higher than mine by one mark, but when I went home, I was punished and wasn’t allowed to eat anything in the evening because I wasn’t number one.” Arthur took a deep breath. His emotions were undulated in his heart. Elspeth found it hard to breathe, for she didn’t expect the Winthrop Family’s education to be so cruel. “So, I stole his exam paper that time and burned it.” There wasn’t a hint of hesitation on Arthur’s face when he brought it up, nor did he appear guilty, as though he was only talking about something insignificant. “What are you ready to do, then? Are you going to frame him again just like what you had done in the past?” Suddenly, an inscrutable smile appeared on Arthur’s face. “Why do you think I was framing him?” That’s what you said. Elspeth found the person before her eyes eccentric. It seemed that he was slightly disturbed. Arthur’s gaze darkened as though he had seen through her mind. “I was just defending my dignity.” He’s gone mad. Elspeth could feel him being resigned and his desire to achieve greater heights. However, she couldn’t dissuade him from doing anything at this moment. That was because she knew that she hadn’t experienced what he had been through, so she couldn’t claim the moral high ground and tell him to be upstanding. Despite that, she still wasn’t willing to see Arthur falling from grace. After all, excluding the terrible things he had done before, he had been treating Elspeth and her family members well. “Arthur,” Elspeth called out to him all of a sudden. Arthur looked attentively at her. There was a hint of expectancy and inquisition behind his gaze. “I think the dishes you prepare are delicious.” What she said was simple to understand, but it didn’t seem to have anything to do with what was going on. She had gone off-topic. However, Arthur understood her instantly. Is she trying to tell me to be kind? “I’ll frequently prepare dishes for you.” A playful smile appeared on his lips. “Why don’t you just marry me?” The hint between the two adults was conspicuous but also veiled at the same time. Elspeth shook her

head. “What I mean is there are some areas where you shine.” Arthur stared fixedly at her. There seemed to be complex and abstruse emotions undulating behind his cold gaze. Elspeth realized that she could never figure out what was on his mind. Although Arthur was slightly moved, he soon pulled himself together. “Ignore me, then.” He got to his feet and patted his clothes, though there wasn’t any dust at all. “Miss Joneson told me to come over and cheer you up, but it seems that I’ve disappointed her.” Arthur shrugged and put on his typical polite smile. “The weather is chilly, so you’d better keep your coat.” He passed the coat back to her and returned to the villa. As Elspeth watched him leave, she couldn’t identify what she was feeling. After giving it some thought, she got over it. She hadn’t even settled her own issues, so why was she even trying to help someone else untie the knots in his heart? Following a sigh, she fished out her phone and found Callum’s name on Facebook. At that instant, she realized that Callum, who had always used an ocean photo as his profile picture, had changed it to a photo of him and his current partner. It was as though he wanted Elspeth to see it. She had been trying to suppress her emotions the entire time, but it all came crashing down at that moment. Before she knew it, her tears started sliding down her cheeks. She secretly told herself that she mustn’t cry. Even if she couldn’t help it, she could only shed one drop of tear. Nonetheless, she couldn’t stop her tears from streaming down her face. She blamed it on the chilly weather for making her eyes dry. A moment later, she tapped on Callum’s profile picture and unfriended him. She also unfollowed him on various social media platforms. In the end, she turned on a game and saw a familiar avatar. Much to her surprise, the man was online. Her chest tightening, she quickly turned on the invisible mode. Callum rarely had time to play games, for he was usually swamped with work. As such, they had only played this game on several occasions. At that time, many people wanted to befriend her because she was ‘Elsie’. Callum was a possessive person, so he directly married her in the game and spent lots of money to increase their intimacy level. Subconsciously, she took a look at his achievements and scrolled through the pages. She realized that he had been teaming up with a woman, who seemed to be helpful to him. Both of them earned many points together, which showed that they could work well as a team. She couldn’t tell what kind of feeling it was, but she still deleted him from her friend list with trembling hands. When she was done with all that, she felt melancholic deep within. It was as though waves of darkness

swept over her and drowned her. … Several days later, the engagement party of Elspeth and Arthur was held. The scar on Isabel’s face had mostly healed. She kept saying that if the two of them got married, she had to be the most beautiful bridesmaid. Elspeth had been struck with a severe illness, but she was unable to get any treatment for now. As such, she didn’t want to hold Callum up, and she certainly didn’t want to do that to Arthur either. Hence, she didn’t directly respond to Isabel’s words. Arthur seemed to be getting busier recently as he rarely came home. When he returned home early one day, Elspeth suddenly had the urge to find out what he had been doing, and she asked him about it. “I’ve been trying to settle some issues that my company is facing.” Arthur rubbed the center of his brows, apparently exhausted. “Also, Miss Joneson’s illness has reached a critical period, so I can’t be negligent.” Elspeth nodded and asked, “Is there anything I can help you with?” “Do you want to spend some time with me alone?” Elspeth didn’t understand him when she heard that. Then, she realized that if she were to become his assistant, they would have to spend quite some time alone in the same room. He’s teasing me again! Elspeth glowered at him and turned around to leave. When she passed by Arthur’s room, she stopped in her tracks. In the past, he never allowed her to enter his room. Whenever he headed out, he would lock the door. However, he stopped locking his room recently. Does that mean that Arthur trusts me wholeheartedly now? Elspeth’s curiosity intensified. Since he wasn’t around, she decided to sneak into his room. Just like what she had expected, his room was spacious and clean, but the colors were dull and there didn’t seem to be any human touch. Elspeth shuffled toward the desk and saw a disorderly file. It seemed to be her mother’s medical report. Since she was well-versed in medicine, she went through the report and realized that her mother was indeed on the mend. At the end of the file, she noticed there was another report. There was no name on the report, but as she pored over it, she found the details familiar. When she reached the last page, she could finally confirm that it was her medical report. All her symptoms and the severity of those symptoms were clearly recorded. Elspeth’s mind turned blank in an instant. Before she could figure out what was going on, a cold voice was heard questioning from behind. “What are you doing in my room?” Chapter 359 Leaving the Villa Elspeth knew that she wasn’t supposed to enter someone else’s room, but when she saw her medical report on Arthur’s table, she was mad at him for invading her privacy.

“Why do you have my medical report?” Arthur calmed himself down and curled up his lips. “What’s wrong? I’m just concerned about you.” “I don’t need your concern. You’re invading my privacy like a pervert.” Arthur frowned. Although he had been patient with her, he couldn’t accept what she had just said. “So? What are you trying to say?” “What I’m saying is I don’t want you to be concerned with my health conditions anymore.” Upon finishing her words, she picked up the medical report and tore it apart. Arthur didn’t utter a word while watching her action. A moment later, he asked impassively, “Are you able to treat your illness, then?” Elspeth flared up. “It has nothing to do with you.” “What are you talking about? You’re my fiancée. If anything happens to you, who is going to marry me?” Elspeth glowered at him. “I only agreed to get engaged to you, but I didn’t say I was going to marry you.” That’s some clever sophistry… A helpless Arthur pressed his hand against his forehead and chuckled. “Alright. Why don’t we have a deal? If I’m able to cure your illness, you’ll marry me.” It was already against Elspeth’s will to get engaged with him. If she was forced to marry him, she would spend the rest of her life in misery. “There’s no way I’ll marry you.” “Nothing is impossible. You were forced to be with me because of your mother’s illness.” Arthur slightly bent his back and smiled playfully. “Why aren’t you willing to do the same now? Are you playing hard to get?” Elspeth felt humiliated by his words. “Just remember that you must not go back on your word.” She didn’t want to argue with him, so she shot him a glare and turned around to leave. The instant she left the room, she saw Isabel standing outside with a tray in her hands. Something seemed off about Isabel’s expression, as though she was nervous and uneasy. Although Elspeth was in a terrible mood, she still asked caringly, “What happened to you, Isabel?” “I’m fine. I accidentally scalded my hand when I was preparing medicine earlier.” Isabel came up with an excuse immediately. Elspeth took a look at her right hand and realized that the woman was indeed injured. “Be careful next time. I’ll get you some ointment later. Just apply it on your wound several times a day.” Isabel put on a sweet smile. “Thanks, Elspeth.” While Elspeth returned to her room, Isabel could never set her mind at ease. What did I just hear? Elspeth was forced to get together with Dr. Winthrop! She has been suppressing her emotions for such a long time so that Miss Joneson would get her treatment. Furthermore, she has to stay with someone she doesn’t love. At the thought of this, Isabel could no longer hold her sorrow in. She had no idea who she could talk to. If Miss Joneson

finds out about it, she’ll be devastated. A moment later, she shuffled toward Helena’s room with the medicine. When she knocked on the door and entered the room, she saw Helena smiling while reading a magazine. It seemed that Helena was in a good mood. “Miss Joneson, I’ve brought you the medicine you have to take in the evening.” Isabel put down the tray on the table with an anxious expression. When Helena registered her uneasiness, she asked, “What’s wrong? Did anything happen?” Faced with the question, Isabel stuttered, “N-No. I just…” “You don’t know how to lie. I know that whenever you lie, you’ll start stammering. Now, tell me what happened.” Helena had a premonition all of a sudden. When Isabel realized that she could no longer hide it from Helena, she decided to tell her everything. “When I was passing by Dr. Winthrop’s room earlier, I overheard his conversation with Elspeth.” Isabel clenched her fists with anxiety. “What did they say?” “Elspeth was saying that she was forced to get together with Dr. Winthrop because she wanted to get your illness treated…” The smile on Helena’s face disappeared the moment she heard that. “Did you just say that Elspeth was forced to stay with Arthur because of my illness?” Helena couldn’t accept this truth. If what Isabel said was true, Elspeth had been hiding this secret very well. Everyone thought that they were just a couple who loved bickering with each other. Truth was, Helena didn’t realize that her daughter didn’t willingly get together with Arthur the entire time. Elspeth was separated from her mother at a young age. As such, she had never enjoyed any motherly love over the years. However, she was still willing to do so much for Helena without telling her anything. Helena’s eyes welled up with tears as she felt extremely guilty. “Isabel, do you think I’m a terrible person?” Isabel shook her head, struggling to hold her tears back. “It’s not your fault. You knew nothing. If you had known it, you wouldn’t have…” Her words made Helena realize what she was supposed to do as her eyes brightened. “Thanks, Isabel. I know what to do now.” Isabel looked at her face and asked doubtfully, “What are you going to do?” “I’m going to leave this place with you, but you mustn’t tell anyone about it. Can you do it?” Isabel immediately turned her down. “Miss Joneson, you’re at the most critical period of your treatment. If you leave Dr. Winthrop now, no one will be able to save you. You’ll probably…” Although she didn’t finish her words, Helena understood her. “That doesn’t matter. As long as both of us won’t hold Elspeth back any longer, that’s enough.” Helena put on a smile. She was unwilling to leave her daughter either. “Isabel, I know

you’re worried about my health conditions, but try to look at this matter from my perspective. My daughter has been threatened by someone else, but she still has to pretend everything is fine. As her mother, I’m heartbroken.” Isabel knew how devastated the older woman must be. Left with no choice, she could only respect her decision. She owed Elspeth a favor, so she didn’t want to keep troubling her either. “When are we leaving, then?” Helena pressed her lips together. “Tonight. We should leave as quickly as possible.” Isabel asked, “Before we leave, should we take one last look at Elspeth?” Helena initially wanted to do it, but she decided to give up on that idea. Elspeth was an intelligent person, so she might see through Helena’s mind. Rather than troubling her any further, Helena decided to leave as soon as possible. “No, we’re not going to see her.” She was proud of her daughter, and she believed that the latter would understand her decision. As darkness descended, the entire place fell silent. Although Elspeth was exhausted, she was unable to fall asleep. Something seemed to be lacking in her heart that could never be filled up. She thought that she was only too concerned about Callum, which was why she was fidgety. As such, she decided to take a sleeping pill. As sleepiness swept over her, she finally dozed off, unaware that two people had furtively left the villa. Chapter 360 Return to Damoria Due to the sleeping pill’s strong effects, it wasn’t until late morning the next day that Elspeth awakened. The moment she got out of bed, she recalled that Isabel didn’t ask her for the ointment. As such, she took it out from a drawer and headed to Isabel’s room. After knocking on the door for a while, she realized no one respond to her. Isabel isn’t in her room, and there is no noise from downstairs. After giving it some thought, she decided to go to Helena’s room. However, she received no response from Helena either as she knocked on the door. Realizing that something was off, she opened the door and saw that the room was empty, as though no one had ever stayed there before. In an instant, she panicked. Then, she dashed toward Isabel’s room and forcefully opened the door, only to see another empty room. Did they disappear overnight? Arthur had left for work pretty early on. He hadn’t been concerned with what was going on at home recently. When he received Elspeth’s call, he was in the midst of a meeting. “Where are my mom and Isabel?” Elspeth directly cut to the chase. “I’m in the middle of a meeting, so don’t bother me for now. Where else could they go? They’re probably in a mall or something.” Arthur felt that Elspeth was being dramatic. Someone urged him to explain the proposal

just then, so he directly hung up the call. However, Elspeth felt that things were more complicated than they seemed. After the call ended, she could only wait at home patiently. Perhaps Arthur is right. They’re just walking around in a mall or something. I should wait for their return. However, they were still nowhere in sight in the afternoon. Only then did Elspeth realize the severity of the matter. She quickly asked someone to look for them. Nonetheless, since she was in a foreign country, it was difficult for her to do so. A long time later, she still hadn’t found them. She tried to recall what had happened in the past few days, but she still couldn’t think of any reasons that prompted them to leave. Nevertheless, as she thought about what happened the day before, an idea formed in her mind. Arthur has probably taken them away to force me to marry him. At the thought of this, she hailed a cab and headed to his company. Arthur was dealing with some documents when she arrived. Seeing how she was furiously questioning him, he was startled. He had seen Elspeth getting mad, but it was his first time seeing the woman losing control. “What happened?” “Where are you hiding my mom and Isabel?” Arthur laughed in exasperation. “Why would I hide them?” “Stop pretending. Apart from you, who else would take them away?” Elspeth sneered. “You’re doing this to force me to marry you.” “Am I such a despicable person in your eyes?” The smile on Arthur’s face disappeared as he put on a gloomy expression. His gaze was dark and inscrutable. His figure seemed to be giving off a cold vibe. Elspeth was stunned. Although Arthur had a reason to do such a thing, it was unnecessary for him to do so. If he wanted to force Elspeth to do anything, he just had to threaten her by not treating her mother. Suddenly, Elspeth thought of something else. The image of Isabel looking uneasy when Elspeth bumped into her the day before sprang into her mind. I was arguing with Arthur last night. Perhaps Isabel passed by and overheard our conversation, so she told my mom about it. When she realized what might have happened, her heart sank as she felt even more sorrowful. In that case, she’ll do everything in her power to make sure I won’t find her. Elspeth had almost forgotten that Helena was a young lady from the Joneson Family. She had many ways to make sure Elspeth wouldn’t find her. After all, she had managed to remain hidden from Elspeth for the past 20 years. “The most important thing now is that they’ve gone missing, right?” Elspeth nodded, trying to calm herself down. “I’ll get some people to look for them immediately.” Arthur was in a terrible mood as well. If those two people were

gone, he was no longer able to threaten Elspeth. It felt awful to lose control of the situation. “There’s no need for that. I’ll look for them myself.” Elspeth drew a deep breath. She understood Helena well, so she knew that the latter must have gone back to Damoria. Helena was determined to die, so she wouldn’t let her corpse stay in a foreign country. “How are you going to look for them?” Arthur sneered. “You don’t know this country as well as I do.” Elspeth shot him an impassive glance. “What said I’m staying here?” A premonition formed in Arthur’s mind. “Are you saying that you’re returning to Damoria?” Elspeth snorted and looked condescendingly at him. “You have no way to threaten me now. Wherever I want to go, it has nothing to do with you.” Arthur had already expected this outcome. He wasn’t flustered, nor was he displeased. Instead, he only gaped at her with a smile. “Sure. I’ll go back with you.” Elspeth felt that the man before her eyes was mad. Although he hadn’t done anything crazy yet, his bloodthirsty gaze terrified her. As such, she turned around and left. She had to stay away from this man, for it was difficult to deal with him. “Elspeth,” Arthur called out lightly from behind. “See you in Damoria.” … Elspeth arrived at the airport in Damoria the next day. Her winter clothes were out of place compared to others at the airport since it was summer in Damoria. Clad in a face mask and sunglasses, she looked vigilantly at the people around her. Although she had been in a foreign country for a long time, she had never forgotten that she was regarded as a dead person in Damoria. If anyone saw her alive, they would be frightened. She looked around for the familiar car plate. When she registered the black Maybach’s presence in the distance, she strode forward. After opening the door, she entered the car and took off her down jacket. “I’m melting. I didn’t know it was summer in Damoria.” When Elspeth saw the clothes fit for summer in the vehicle, she thought that Harper was such a considerate guy. Seeing that, Harper lowered the windows and left the car. Elspeth quickly got changed and told Harper to get in. She hadn’t seen Harper for two months, so she was surprised to see him looking more sedate than he used to. Perhaps many things had happened recently. “How have you been?” Harper forced a smile. “I’m fine.” In the past, he would’ve started teasing Elspeth in such a situation. She instantly realized the severity of the matter. “Has anything happened to the company?” Before she left, she had entrusted Harper to deal with the company’s affairs. Has something serious

happened? Faced with the question, Harper could no longer conceal his uneasiness. “Miss Lynwood…” Harper hung his head low and sounded guilty. “The company is facing a huge problem