Chapter 156
Elena's POV
Back home, I found the children playing in the yard. I approached Lily, keeping my voice gentle despite my internal panic.
"Lily, sweetheart, can we talk about when you visited Grandpa Gerald's house?"
Her little face scrunched in thought. "Which time, Mommy?"
"The last time, when you started feeling sick."
"I wasn't sick," she protested automatically.
"Lily," I said firmly, "this is important. Did you touch anything strange, or eat something unusual at Grandpa's house?"
She shook her head emphatically.
Kathy, who had been silently listening, suddenly spoke up. "Mom, she did it for me."
I turned to her, confused. "What do you mean?"
Kathy's eyes met mine. "I told Lily that when I was little and visited Uncle Howard's house, I would get sick too."
"So Lily decided to test it. She drank some water at Uncle Howard's house on purpose, even though I told her not to."
"Is that true?" I asked Lily, who nodded reluctantly.
"I wanted to see if Kathy was right," she admitted. "And then my tummy hurt, and I got all hot and sleepy."
Both times Lily got sick were after eating something at Howard's house. This couldn't be dismissed as coincidence anymore.
Kathy's body had always been so weak, which made me wonder if it was also related to them?
A terrible suspicion formed in my mind. My hands were shaking with a mixture of fear and rage.
I made a decision in that moment. "Come on, Lily, Kathy. We're going to Blackwood Manor right now. I need to find out exactly what's going on."
The girls exchanged worried glances.
"Are we in trouble?" Lily asked in a small voice.
"No, sweetheart," I assured her, though my voice was tight with determination. "But someone might be."
The Blackwood Manor loomed over us, its grandeur doing nothing to ease the tension in my shoulders. I held Lily and Kathy's hands as we walked through the corridors.
"Remember what we talked about," I whispered to Lily, giving her small hand a gentle squeeze. "Be careful, sweetie."
Howard's invitation for the girls to try his "special nutrition soup" couldn't have been more perfect for our purpose. I positioned myself around the corner from the kitchen, close enough to hear but out of sight.
"This will help you recover more quickly," Howard's voice carried from the kitchen.
"Thank you, Uncle Howard," Lily replied sweetly.
I peered around the corner, watching as Howard turned to retrieve something from a cabinet. In that split second, Lily quickly poured some of the soup into the tiny vial we'd prepared, tucking it into her pocket instead of drinking the soup.
When Howard turned back, he frowned. "You didn't drink it? Don't you like it?"
"Lily's tummy still hurts a little," Kathy intervened, covering for her sister.
Howard's eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. "Well, take it with you then. You can have it later when you feel better."
Minutes later, I saw Lily slip away from the kitchen, her face a mask of concentration. As she rounded the corner, I crouched down, and she immediately pulled out the vial.
"Good job, sweetheart," I whispered, quickly transferring the liquid to a more secure container in my pocket.
Just as I straightened up, a foot kicked towards my abdomen, and a wave of sharp pain surged through me. Then Howard lifted me and shoved me against the wall. His face leaned in close, his eyes filled with suspicion.
"What do you think you're doing?" he growled.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I managed, keeping my voice steady despite the fear racing through my veins.
Howard's eyes darted to Lily, who had backed away, eyes wide with fear. "The soup—where is it?"
"Don't hurt my mommy!" Lily cried, her little hands balled into fists.
I forced a confused smile. "Howard, what's wrong? Lily just wanted to show me the pretty vase in the hallway."
His grip tightened. "Don't play games with me. I saw you take something."
I reached into my pocket with my free hand and pulled out the empty vial, making sure to leave the one with the sample hidden. "This? It's just an empty bottle. Lily collects them—she thinks they're pretty."
Howard snatched it from my hand, examining it closely. I held my breath, praying he wouldn't notice the faint residue inside.
"Why would she need this?" His voice dropped dangerously low.
"For her collection," I improvised. "She's been gathering small bottles since she was four. Our bathroom cabinet is full of them."
He stared at me for a long moment, then glanced at the vial again. Doubt flickered across his face. Finally, his grip loosened.
"My apologies," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "Security concerns have everyone on edge lately."
"Of course," I replied smoothly, taking Lily's hand. "We should get going anyway. It's getting late."
---
In the car, safely away from the manor, Kathy's confusion bubbled over. "Mommy, why did you give it back?" she asked. "We could have shown everyone what he's doing!"
I checked the rearview mirror, making sure we weren't followed before responding. "That wouldn't have been enough evidence, sweetheart. And if Howard knew we suspected him, we'd all be in danger."
"But now we have nothing," Kathy persisted, her brow furrowed.
I smiled, patting my pocket where the real sample was hidden. "Actually, we have exactly what we need. I only gave him the empty vial."
Kathy's eyes widened. "You tricked him!"
"In this situation, we need to be smarter than our opponents," I explained. "I'm taking this to Emma for analysis. Then we'll know exactly what he's been giving you both."
"But we could have just kept it and told everyone!" Kathy argued, still not understanding.
"Sweetheart, when you're dealing with someone dangerous, you have to be careful. If Howard knew we had evidence against him, what do you think he would do?"
Kathy fell silent, considering this.
"He'd try to take it back," I continued gently. "And he might hurt us to get it. This way, he thinks he's safe, which gives us time to find out the truth."
"Like spies," Lily whispered excitedly.
"Exactly like spies," I agreed, managing a smile despite the knot of anxiety in my stomach.
---
Richard's POV
The financial forecast blurred before my eyes as Ethan's words registered.
"Alpha, security at Blackwood Manor reported that Ms. Winter and the children visited this afternoon."
My pupils contracted instantly, a growl building in my throat. "Is that old man harassing her again?"
"I don't believe so," Ethan replied carefully. "The children likely wanted to see their grandfather."
I shoved the documents away, the papers scattering across my desk. "She has no business there without informing me first."
Ethan remained silent, knowing better than to argue when my temper flared.
I stood up and strode toward the door, leaving the remaining matters for Ethan to handle.
---
Highland Estate was quiet when I arrived.
"Where is she?" I demanded as soon as Anna appeared in the foyer.
"Ms. Winter took the children to see Dr. Wells," Anna replied.
"What is she doing at Emma's? And I heard she went to Blackwood Manor this afternoon? What was she doing there?" I frowned.
"I don't know," Anna looked at me innocently.
I paced the entrance hall, my knuckles white as I clenched my fists.
First the manor, then immediately to Emma's? What was Elena up to?