Chapter 78 Turn The Tables
Rachel watched Steven, steady as always. The pressure in her chest wouldn't let up, no matter how she tried. It was hard to breathe. It hurt.
She lowered her gaze, took a light breath, and tried to sound indifferent. "Maybe. Dreams are just the opposite of reality anyway, no need to bother with them."
Steven glanced at her usual expression and chuckled softly. "You should focus more on eating well. Mom mentioned yesterday that you've lost weight."
"What? Are you blaming me for getting you scolded?" She shot him a sidelong glance.
"No way, no way. I deserved it," Steven quickly conceded. "This oatmeal is freshly made by me this morning. How is it?"
"Not bad," Rachel mumbled, eating as she spoke. "But why aren't you at the office yet?"
"I handled most of the work last night. I can go in a bit later this morning."
Rachel couldn't help but recall the intense and passionate scene from last night.
Her breath hitched.
She tried to suppress the bitterness in her throat with the sweet oatmeal.
Steven placed a fried egg on her plate. "Eat slowly, no rush. I'll take you to Stargaze Gallery later."
She paused, slightly furrowing her brows.
She had planned to visit Azure Sky Law Firm in the morning to inquire about the fake accounts from yesterday.
But it was already close to 10:30 a.m., and time was running out.
After some thought, she nodded. "Okay."
After finishing breakfast in silence, Rachel went upstairs to change clothes, skipped makeup, grabbed her bag, and headed out.
When she arrived at Stargaze Gallery, she took the elevator straight to the third floor. Passing by the curatorial team's office area, she noticed a group gathered near Team A, seemingly discussing some drinks.
Nancy was the first to notice her and waved. "Rachel, you're here."
Unlike the previous days, Nancy looked radiant and energetic, her gentle and pure eyes shining brightly.
When she smiled, charming dimples appeared on her cheeks.
It seemed like she and Steven had a pretty good night together.
Rachel's heart sank slightly, but she kept her expression neutral, nodding briefly before heading straight to her office.
Her desk was already piled with four or five folders that needed signatures or stamps, all marked with sticky notes by Carol.
She had just processed two when a knock came on the door.
"Come in."
Hestia poked her head in, asking softly, "Rachel, are you busy?"
Rachel looked up, surprised. "What's up? Need something?"
Hestia smiled and stepped in, placing a phone in front of her. "This is Nancy's phone. She said her boyfriend is treating us to coffee. We've all placed our orders. Rachel, what would you like?"
Rachel pursed her lips, glancing at the ordering app on the phone.
The drinks from this place averaged $5 a cup, and there were already 27 cups in the cart.
Almost thirty cups, that's about $150.
She smirked disdainfully. "Her boyfriend is quite generous."Hestia nodded, not catching Rachel's tone. "Yeah, I've heard from others that Nancy's boyfriend often treats them to coffee and snacks."
"Rachel, have you met her boyfriend?"
Rachel paused.
How many times in the past month had Nancy used her boyfriend's name to treat everyone at Stargaze Gallery to afternoon tea and snacks?
She couldn't remember.
She looked at the excitement in Hestia's eyes, suppressing her discomfort, and spoke hesitantly.
"Technically, no, but in a way, yes."
Hestia was puzzled. "Rachel, what do you mean?"
Rachel smiled but didn't explain, only advising, "Don't get too close to her. It's fine to interact at work, but don't get too involved outside. Your aunt wouldn't want you to pick up bad habits."
With that, she randomly selected a juice on the phone.
Hestia stood there, stunned.
She remembered Rachel had subtly hinted once before to keep her distance from Nancy.
But back then, she didn't catch the implication.
This time, it was much clearer.
Bad habits?
Her eyes flickered, and she hugged Rachel's arm, frowning. "Rachel, I don't understand. Isn't Nancy your best friend?"
"She was, but now I feel like I don't know her anymore." Rachel's voice lost its warmth, replaced by a hint of sadness. "Just remember what I said."
Hestia felt a tremor in her heart.
She had heard about some past conflicts between Nancy and Rachel.
But since joining Stargaze Gallery, she thought they got along okay. Yet, in some details, she could see Rachel's distance from Nancy.
Rachel telling her to stay away from Nancy, could there be more to it?
A seed of doubt quietly sprouted.
Between Rachel and Nancy, she trusted Rachel more.
She smiled. "Rachel, I'll remember what you said. Don't worry. I'll head out now. Don't forget to eat."
"Okay."
Rachel responded, watching Hestia leave, her eyes darkening.
Hestia wasn't stupid. She would definitely connect the dots from Rachel's words. Once she started investigating, Rachel would be ready to leak some information about Nancy being a homewreck in her marriage with Steven.
Such a big issue, Hestia would surely tell Heather.
And Rachel only needed to feign ignorance.
She'd learned the hard way what it felt like to be Nancy's pawn. But this time, she intended to turn the tables.
After the door closed softly, Rachel's gaze lingered for a long time. Just as she was about to return to her work, her phone buzzed.
[After last night, Steven transferred $52,000 to Nancy. Nancy plans to put a special radioactive substance in your juice, a white powder with no taste. Long-term, small doses can cause fetal abnormalities and damage your organs.]
Rachel's spine stiffened, as if she had been plunged into icy water.
She shivered.
Steven transferring money to Nancy was trivial.
She stared at the words "radioactive substance," unblinking.
Radioactive substances are typically used in medical treatments for diseases and recovery. Simply put, they are cancer drugs.
Nancy wasn't just trying to make her miscarry; she wanted her dead.
Did Nancy hate her that much?
So much that she wanted her and her unborn child dead?
Rachel's knuckles whitened around the pen. The pain of the betrayal was a white-hot shock, reverberating deep into her bones.
She sat there, hollow-eyed and dazed, for a long time until Carol knocked and came in to ask what she wanted for lunch, snapping her out of it slightly.
But whether it was because she had eaten breakfast late or because Nancy's maliciousness had shocked her, she had no appetite.
She shook her head lightly. "No need."
Carol noticed something was off. "Ms. Davis, are you okay? You look really pale. Do you need to go to the hospital?"
"No," Rachel interrupted her. "Order me some spaghetti bolognese."
Carol still looked worried, but she nodded. "Alright. If you need anything, just call me."
"Okay."
Before the lunch delivery arrived, the coffee Nancy had ordered came first.
Hestia brought in her drink, as usual.
Watermelon juice, with some pulp.
The cup had no seal, just a green lid that was easy to open and close.
Rachel suddenly asked, "Did anyone else touch my drink besides you?"
Hestia was taken aback. "When the delivery arrived, a lot of us went to get our drinks, but Nancy asked me to bring yours."
"Rachel, is there a problem?"
With so many people around, how did Nancy manage to spike her drink?
Rachel pursed her lips, shaking her head. "No, just asking. Have you had lunch?"
"Not yet. I was about to order takeout. Rachel, do you want anything? I can order for you."
"No need. Carol already ordered for me. Go ahead."
"Okay."
Once Hestia left, Rachel opened the juice, bringing it to her nose for a sniff. There was no strange smell, just a strong fruit aroma.
She stirred it with a straw but saw nothing unusual.
Her expression remained indifferent as she thought for a moment, then closed the juice and put it back in the bag.
Around 2 PM, she grabbed her bag and the juice, left her office, and tapped lightly on Carol's desk. "Can I borrow your car keys?"
Carol was momentarily surprised but didn't ask where she was going. She handed over the keys from her bag. "Ms. Davis, drive safely."
Rachel smiled and nodded. "Sure. I'll try to have it back before the end of the day."
"No worries. We have to work late tonight, so take your time."
Stargaze Gallery had been busy with the joint exhibition, often requiring an extra two or three hours of work each day.
Rachel had some free time thanks to Wayne and Carol sharing the workload.
She thanked Carol and headed towards the curatorial team's office area.
Hearing someone call "Ms. Davis," Nancy instinctively looked up from her desk and saw the juice in Rachel's hand.
Her gaze froze.
The bag and juice container were transparent.
Clearly, the juice was still full.
Rachel hadn't touched it?
Nancy felt a surge of nervousness, licking her lips and quickly getting up. "Rachel."
Rachel turned at the sound, looking at her coolly. "What's up?"
"I was just about to come to your office. I wanted to discuss an idea for the 'Nostalgic Reflections' theme with you," Nancy smiled. "Are you heading out?"
It was the theme for the joint exhibition by Autumn and Leo.
"Yes, let's talk when I get back," Rachel said.
"Okay, when will you be back?"
"Not sure. Probably before the end of the day."
"Alright, I'll wait for you."
Nancy's eyes flicked to the juice. "Why haven't you drunk the juice? Is it not good? Or is it because you're pregnant and shouldn't drink juice? Should I order you something else?"
"No need. You go ahead."
Rachel waved the juice dismissively.
With that, she walked straight to the elevator.
Nancy's unease grew stronger.
Where was Rachel going with that juice?
Why hadn't she taken a sip?
Nancy replayed the moment she had spiked the juice, ensuring she had done it out of the camera's view. The small amount she had used wouldn't be noticeable.
No, Rachel couldn't have figured it out.
Even if something went wrong later, it wouldn't be traced back to her since Hestia had delivered it.
With these thoughts, her anxiety dissipated.
She returned to her desk with a composed and calm demeanor.Rachel drove Carol's red Volvo S60 to Azure Sky Law Firm.
When she arrived, the receptionist was just assisting a client. Recognizing Rachel, she greeted her with a smile. "Ms. Davis, welcome."
Rachel nodded. "Is Mr. Wright in?"
"He's in his office. You can go right up."
Rachel thanked her and took the elevator to the fifth floor.
Just as she reached Benjamin's office, Nathaniel stepped out. He looked surprised to see her. "Ms. Davis."
Rachel smiled. "Nathaniel. Is Mr. Wright available?"
Nathaniel looked regretful. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wright is currently with a client."
Rachel nodded, not in a hurry. "That's fine, I'll wait."
"The lady just arrived, so it might take a bit. Please, have a seat, and I'll get you some coffee."
Rachel sat on the sofa in the open lounge area. "No need to trouble yourself."
Despite her words, Nathaniel still brought her a latte and a small plate of cookies.
She didn't waste his effort and sipped the coffee.
After about half an hour, the office door opened, and a middle-aged woman's voice came through. "Thank you for your advice, Mr. Wright. I feel much better now. No need to see me out."
A deep, calm voice responded, "Take care."
Rachel looked up and saw a woman in a fur coat leaving, her eyes focusing on the tall, well-dressed man across from her.
Their eyes met.
Rachel smiled faintly and reached for her bag, ready to stand.
But then the woman turned, revealing a familiar and unexpected face.
The woman recognized her too. "Heather's daughter-in-law? Rachel?"
Rachel's smile froze, her heart sinking.
It was Qiana.