Chapter 193: Who to Save First, Mom or Girlfriend

Third-person Perspective

"…Yes, yes! There's an indoor pool on the first floor, and there's a pond in the garden—that's all."

Erwin sent someone to the pool while he rushed toward the pond.

If his mother had managed to call for help, she might have already made it outside, which aligned with Mrs. Ashby's claim that the woman had left.

On the way, a subordinate reported that the jammer had been destroyed. Erwin called Cole.

Cole had been on the phone with Grant when his boss's name appeared on the screen.

He didn't wait for Grant to finish telling him their hiding spot. "Let me take my boss's call. I'll be right there."

He switched the call and spoke rapidly. "Natalie and the others got out. They're somewhere safe. I'm heading to get them now."

"Go to the pond in the East Garden first. Hurry! My mother fell in the water!"

"Got it."

Cole hung up and bolted toward the east like lightning. At dusk, while driving in, he'd caught a glimpse of that pond.

After he hung up, Grant never got a callback from Cole.

When Erwin reached the water's edge, Cole was pulling Eleanor onto the shore, both of them covered in mud.

Eleanor had somehow ended up here and slipped into the pond.

Eleanor could actually swim, but the long dress had soaked up water and weighed her down. She'd struggled for a long time before finally losing consciousness.

Erwin saw how terrifyingly pale his mother's face was. He took her from Cole and rushed her to the hospital.

On the way, he called his father first, then his siblings.

When Harrison got the call, his heart nearly stopped. He raced to the hospital and told Erwin to take good care of his mother.

The Davis siblings weren't in the city—when they heard their mother was hurt, they all wished they could teleport home.

After making the calls, Erwin looked at Cole driving ahead. "When we get to the hospital, you don't need to come in. Go straight back to the manor and bring Natalie and the others home."

"Don't worry, boss. I'll get them safely to the front door, no problem. You stay with Mrs. Davis." Cole spoke while driving.

Cole said they were safe, but Erwin still felt uneasy.

He wanted to pick her up himself. However, his mother was unconscious, her face still marked with terror—he couldn't bring himself to leave.

"No matter what, you 'must' get them home safely." He emphasized it again.

"Boss, you can be completely at ease."

On the other side of the manor, Natalie, Grant, and Eva crouched behind the flower beds.

The cold ground made her knees ache faintly. Grant had said Cole would come back, so they kept waiting.

Then they heard the sound of tires crunching over gravel. A black sedan screeched to a stop at the garden gate.

The door flew open, and Cole stumbled out, his shirt and pants covered in mud.

"Natalie! Grant! Where are you?"

"We're here!" Grant shot to her feet, waving her arms.

Natalie slowly straightened up, brushing the dust off her dress. Her gaze fell on the passenger seat.

Empty.

Cole opened the car door, talking as they all climbed in.

"Sorry it took so long. Mrs. Davis was at the party too—she fell into the pond outside and looked like she was dying. The boss and I had to take her to the hospital first, but he told me to come back for you the second we got there."

"That's good. He should be there."

Every word Natalie said was sincere. Erwin's mother had nearly drowned—of course he'd stay. Nothing to question. Nothing to resent.

Still, her stomach churned.

She pressed her temple against the window. The glass was cold, and the streetlights blurred at the edge of her vision.

She told herself Erwin was different. But something still felt off inside her.

At the manor's back gate, Mrs. Ashby personally saw Madame Tarot and her assistant off.

"Madame, I failed this time. I'm so ashamed. It's all my fault—I didn't plan thoroughly enough."

"It's nothing," Madame Tarot said. "There will be other chances."

"I've offended the Davis family. My reputation in this city is ruined! What am I supposed to do?"

"I've already arranged a place for you to stay. Keep a low profile for now. As for Eleanor, she's my target—I have a hundred ways to deal with her. Failure only makes the next plan more perfect, so don't be afraid of it."

Mrs. Ashby couldn't help complaining. "It's all that woman in the green dress's fault! If she hadn't interfered, tonight's plan would've worked! She's so difficult to deal with."

"Her mouth is sharp, but that's the most useless trick there is," Madame Tarot said. "Besides a verbal victory, what good does it do?"

"Hmm… true."

The car door closed, and the vehicle quietly pulled away from the manor.

The black mask was removed, revealing Celeste's face.

Tonight she'd wanted to kill three birds with one stone: first control Margaret, then drug Eleanor so she'd make a mistake and create an opening.

Finally, she'd wanted to teach Natalie a painful lesson and humiliate her in front of every woman in the city.

This failure taught her one thing—she'd underestimated Natalie.

The assistant beside her asked, "Madame, where do you want to send Mrs. Ashby?"

"Of course—to 'heaven.'"

The next day.

The flight was originally scheduled for nine a.m. Natalie figured the business trip would probably be canceled.

At seven o'clock, she called Fletcher. He said they were on their way back from the hospital and the plan was still on.

At the hospital, Erwin felt deeply guilty.

Because yesterday he hadn't been able to rescue Natalie. But fortunately, she'd been safe all along, and Cole had gotten everyone home safely.

"Erwin, Erwin…"

Eleanor called to him weakly from the hospital bed.