Chapter 338

Chapter 338

Orion's lips had turned a deep purple-blue, and his breathing was getting faster and faster.

The car filled with the sound of his gasping.

"How is this happening?" I was completely lost, my legs going weak.

Leopold wiped the black blood from the corner of Orion's mouth, his brow furrowed tight.

"He's been poisoned."

I fell silent in shock. It took me a while to find my voice again. "Orion's poison was cured, wasn't it?"

"Orion looks exactly like he did when the poison attacked before. That means what he took wasn't an antidote—it was just something to suppress the toxin temporarily."

My chest tightened with panic. I couldn't help clenching my fists.

"Ethan! It has to be him! He lied to me!"

No wonder Ethan had let Orion return to us so easily.

He wasn't afraid of Orion betraying him because he held Orion's life in his hands.

Orion coughed twice more. Black blood dripped down his chin.

He struggled to open his eyes and reached out with his small, blood-stained hand toward me. "Mommy..."

Leopold shifted to give me room. I lunged forward, choking back a sob. "Mommy's here!"

Orion touched my tear-streaked face and tried weakly to comfort me. "Mommy... don't cry..."

I bit down hard on my lip, forcing the tears back, and gripped his small hand. "Mommy won't cry. Mommy's taking you to the doctor. We're going to the hospital right now. You're going to be fine."

Orion shook his head. His brow creased tightly, as if he were enduring tremendous pain, but he forced out a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Orion knows... Mr. Guise secretly put poison in my medicine..."

Both Leopold and I froze.

I was on the verge of breaking down. "You knew? Why didn't you tell us?"

Leopold couldn't accept it either. "Did Ethan threaten you?"

Orion shook his head. "Mr. Guise said he wouldn't hurt me... He just wanted Daddy and Mommy to beg him... and then he'd give me the antidote..."

The tears I'd just held back spilled over again.

Such a small child—he should be acting spoiled in his parents' arms, not forced to understand the dirtiest schemes.

"But Orion didn't want Daddy and Mommy to beg anyone." Orion's big, innocent eyes brimmed with tears, and his voice grew softer and softer. "Orion didn't want to be a burden to Daddy and Mommy. Orion's not afraid of the pain... I just can't bear to..."

"But if Orion... isn't here anymore, Daddy and Mommy shouldn't be sad. You can have another baby brother or sister..."

My heart felt like it was being crushed. Even my breathing trembled.

"Don't talk nonsense! Mommy won't let you die!"

I clutched Leopold's arm in desperation. "Leopold, save our child, please! He's so young! I can't lose him!"

Leopold's eyes reddened too. The muscles in his arm tensed like stone. "I won't let anything happen to him. We're going to the hospital right now!"

By the time we reached the hospital, Orion had lost consciousness.

After a preliminary examination, the doctor looked troubled. "The toxin in the child's body is attacking his immune system. We need to find the antidote or the original formula as soon as possible. Otherwise, the child won't make it through the night."

I knew I had to find Ethan. Without hesitation, I headed for the door.

"Cindy, where are you going?" Leopold rushed after me.

"I'm going to find Ethan."

Leopold disagreed. "No! You're exactly what he wants. If you go, you're walking into a trap."

"But if I don't go, he definitely won't give you the antidote." I controlled my emotions and kept trying to persuade him. "Orion is in danger right now. He can't wait."

That last sentence silenced Leopold.

He clenched his fingers. His knuckles cracked.

"Fine. I'll take you."

"No. You stay here with Orion." I looked at him steadily. "He can't be left alone."

Leopold's Adam's apple bobbed. He raised his hand and gripped my shoulder tightly. "Then promise me you won't do anything foolish."

I smiled faintly and wrapped both my hands around his left hand. "Okay."

I understood. Leopold was afraid I'd agree to any demand Ethan made just to get the antidote.

I'd done that before, but Ethan had broken his word.

I wouldn't make the same mistake again.

---

The sky darkened. The castle's spire melted into the twilight.

The security system still had my fingerprint registered. It unlocked with a beep.

The garden gazebo's lights were on. Ethan sat in a wicker chair, a pot of coffee steaming on the small table beside him.

When he saw me, he wasn't surprised at all—as if he'd known all along I would come.

"Cindy, you're here." He looked up and smiled at me, his tone as gentle as always. "Come, sit."

I took two steps forward but didn't sit down.

I got straight to the point.

"Ethan, give me the real antidote for Orion."

Ethan picked up his coffee and took a light sip. "No rush. Try this coffee. It's imported. Very aromatic."

I reminded him, "Ethan, Orion is in the hospital waiting for the antidote to save his life."

"I know." Ethan set down his cup. The porcelain clinked lightly against the wooden table. "The last antidote only lasts five days. If you count the days, today is when it takes effect."

He'd calculated the timing down to the day. My nails dug into my palms as I barely controlled my anger.

"I can overlook what happened before. As long as you give me the real antidote."

Ethan chuckled softly. There was no mockery in his laugh, but it made my nerves tighten.

He pulled open the drawer beneath the small table and took out a white porcelain bottle. "This is the real antidote."

I instinctively reached for it.

But just before my fingertips touched the bottle, his hand closed around it.

I frowned. Was he refusing?

"Cindy, I never make a losing deal." He looked up. The lamplight fell into his eyes like shattered stars. "You know that."

My fingers were still frozen in midair. At his words, I slowly curled them back. "What do you want?"

"You."

The air suddenly grew heavy.

Ethan stood and walked toward me.

The lamplight stretched his shadow long, pressing down over me.

"As long as you stay by my side." Ethan's voice was soft, as if coaxing me. "Forget the antidote—everything I have is yours."

I stared at the porcelain bottle in his palm. "You lied to me before. This time, I need to confirm what's in the bottle is really the antidote before I'll consider your terms."

"Cindy." He sighed softly—not in exasperation, but in gentle correction.

His tone was light, yet it carried weight. "Right now, you're asking me for help. You need to have the attitude of someone asking for a favor. You can't bargain with me."

I realized instantly that Ethan was no longer the easy-going person he used to be.

My palms had been clenched too long. Cold sweat soaked into the creases.

I quietly loosened my grip, thinking through my options.

"Ethan, I've always remembered that whenever I was hurt or upset, you were always there for me. Even when the teachers condemned me, you never gave up on me."

"You could say that without you, I wouldn't be who I am today."

Ethan nodded slightly. A smile crept back onto his lips. "So you're agreeing?"

"No. I refuse."