Chapter 161

Chapter 161

Jean walked out of the hospital and sat in her car, the chill in her heart lingering for a long time.

For the first time, she truly saw how terrifying Grace was. Before, she'd only thought Grace was eager to seize power—scheming but not malicious. But bribing medical staff to secretly poison someone completely upended her understanding.

Grace dared to casually calculate with human lives. What wouldn't she dare do?

The more Jean thought about it, the more frightened she became. If she really facilitated a marriage between Grace and Nev, given Grace's sinister nature, if she ever grew suspicious in the future, she would inevitably harm Nev. Not only would the Cooper Group's assets be implicated, but Nev's personal safety would be in jeopardy.

Jean was completely shaken. She began carefully reconsidering the pros and cons of this marriage alliance.

Just as her thoughts were in turmoil, her phone suddenly rang. "Grace" flashed on the screen.

A flash of disgust crossed Jean's eyes. She forced herself to answer.

Grace's consistently gentle, obedient voice came through the speaker, intimate and familiar. "Aunt Jean, I've reserved lunch. I'd love to have a good chat with you. Do you have time to come over?"

Jean suppressed her emotions, her tone flat and distant. "I can. I'll be there shortly."

"Great! I'll send you the address!"

After hanging up hastily, Jean finally calmed down.

In just a few minutes, she'd completely overturned her previous thinking. Grace was not a good match. Once tied to the Cooper family, there would be endless trouble.

Jean's eyes darkened.

This marriage couldn't happen!

On the other side, at the Lane Group, Grace hung up the call. The gentle smile on her face instantly vanished, leaving only coldness and hostility. She gathered her things, drove to the agreed restaurant, and entered the private room early to order. Just as she was about to contact Jean again to confirm, an unfamiliar call suddenly came through.

"Who is it?" Grace asked irritably.

On the other end, a doctor's voice was panicked and trembling, full of fear. "Ms. Lane, the plan failed! I was ready, but Jasmine suddenly said her body had improved and firmly refused the IV. I didn't have a chance to act. I couldn't get the medication into her system."

"Useless!" Grace exploded instantly, lowering her voice to a harsh hiss, her tone sharp and biting. "You couldn't handle such a simple task? I told you repeatedly to be careful, and you still screwed it up! Did you let Jasmine notice something?"

"No! I was flawless throughout! Not a single flaw!" The doctor defended himself frantically. "It's just that Jasmine suddenly refused treatment. There was truly nothing I could do!"

Grace didn't listen to the excuses. Her hostility surged. Every word carried a deadly threat. "Listen carefully. You are not to breathe a single word about changing or drugging the medication today. If this gets out, I'll not only make you lose your job, but I'll make sure you're completely blacklisted in the medical field. You'll be utterly disgraced. You'd better think carefully about the consequences!"

The harsh threat frightened the other party into silence. He could only respond fearfully.

Grace angrily hung up the phone, murderous intent churning in her eyes.

That Jasmine—why does she always have such good luck! She dodges it every single time!

"Grace, who were you just talking to on the phone?" Jean's indifferent voice came from the doorway.

Grace's heart tightened. She instantly suppressed all her hostility and swiftly switched to a gentle, harmless, obedient appearance as she turned around.

Jean stood quietly at the private room entrance, her face cold, her eyes indifferent. She'd clearly been standing there for some time.

It looked like she'd heard every word of Grace's angry scolding and threats.

Grace panicked, but after brief guilt, she immediately forced herself to appear calm. She quickly stepped forward to intimately take Jean's arm, deliberately softening her tone to ingratiate herself. "Aunt Jean, you're finally here! Please sit. I especially ordered all your favorite dishes in advance."

This clumsy disguise was completely meaningless now.

Jean forcefully shook off her hand, the motion clean and decisive, leaving no face. Her eyes were as cold as frost, cutting straight to the point without any beating around the bush. "Stop acting."

She looked directly at Grace, her tone firm and sharp. "Someone at the hospital secretly changed Jasmine's medication. You arranged that, didn't you?"

The smile on Grace's face instantly froze. Panic flashed in her eyes, but she immediately forced herself to stay calm and feigned innocence in her defense. "Why would you think that? I've been at the company handling business all day. I never went to the hospital. How could I do such a thing? Please don't misunderstand me."

"Misheard?" Jean scoffed coldly. She pulled out her phone and played a recording. Grace's harsh voice, berating the "useless" doctor and threatening him to keep quiet, clearly echoed in the private room.

The evidence was irrefutable. There was no denying it.

Grace's face went deathly pale. All her pretense completely collapsed. She could no longer maintain her obedient, gentle facade.

She stared at that phone, her eyes full of panic, completely speechless.

Jean pressed forward step by step, her tone growing sharper and more aggressive. "I'm asking you—what exactly was in the medication you had injected? Would it endanger Jasmine's life?"

Seeing that Jean knew everything and the matter was exposed, there was no point in covering it up anymore.

The last trace of pretense in Grace's eyes was completely shattered, replaced by obsessive, sinister hostility.

She simply gave up and faced Jean directly, a cold, eerie smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

"Her life?" She laughed coldly, her tone icy and cutting. "I'm not that stupid. I wouldn't let her die on the spot and end up with a murder charge and prison time."

Jean's pupils constricted sharply. She demanded harshly, "Then what exactly were you trying to do?"

Grace made no attempt to hide it. She bluntly revealed the most vicious calculation in her heart. "That drug wouldn't kill her, but it would completely damage her brain nerves. Once it took effect, she'd lose all consciousness and become a living corpse with no thoughts or awareness—a vegetable lying in bed for the rest of her life."

"That way, she could never cling to Neville again. She could never block my path." Grace looked at Jean, her smile eerily twisted.

Two light sentences concealed the most warped, malicious intentions, enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.

Jean felt cold all over. The last shred of desire to facilitate this marriage alliance completely dissipated.

"Grace." Jean looked at her, struggling to maintain her final composure. "You're a smart person, but you and Nev aren't suitable for each other. I came today to tell you that Donald and I have decided to cancel the marriage alliance with the Lane Group."

Jean removed the diamond necklace from around her neck and placed it in front of Grace. "This is too valuable. I can't accept it. You should keep it yourself."

Grace looked at the returned diamond necklace, then at Jean struggling to stay calm, and suddenly laughed.

She'd anticipated Jean would say this. She looked at Jean with a knowing smile. "Aunt Jean, why are you in such a rush to distance yourself?"

She walked up to Jean, looked directly into her eyes at close range, and said word by word, "We're in the same boat!"