Chapter 157

Chapter 157

Elena's POV

I paced back and forth in Emma's lab, my hands trembling with a mixture of rage and anxiety. Every second felt like an eternity as I waited for the results that could confirm my worst fears.

"Emma, please tell me. Did you find anything?" I couldn't keep the desperation from my voice.

Emma looked up from her microscope, her face grim. "It's exactly what I was afraid of. The food sample contains traces of a rare toxic fungus – identical to what we found in Lily's bloodwork."

My heart dropped. "So I was right."

"Elena, this fungus is extremely rare. It causes gradual organ damage when consumed regularly." She pulled up images on her computer screen. "The symptoms match perfectly with what you described in both children. Where did you get this sample?"

I barely heard her question. My mind was racing, connecting all the dots. Kathy's persistent weakness, her frequent illnesses after visiting Howard, Lily's sudden sickness... that monster had been slowly poisoning them. My children. He was poisoning my children.

"He's been doing this to Kathy for years," I whispered, my voice shaking with fury. "That's why she's always been so fragile. Howard – her own great-uncle."

I felt something primal stirring inside me, something dangerous and wild. My fingers curled into fists so tight my nails dug into my palms.

Emma grabbed my shoulders. "Elena, calm down."

I took several deep breaths, composing my emotions. "I have to go. Richard needs to know about this."

Emma caught my arm. "Wait. Are you sure your injuries are alright?"

I pulled away without answering. "It's fine, thank you for your help, Emma."

When I arrived home and saw the black Bentley in the garage, my heart leaped. Richard was back. He needed to see this evidence immediately.

"Anna!" I called out as we entered the house. "Is Richard back?"

Anna nodded, surprise evident on her face. "Yes, he's upstairs. He was asking about you. He wanted to know—"

I didn't wait to hear the rest, already taking the stairs two at a time, the test report clutched in my hand.

"Mommy!" Lily called after me, but I barely registered her voice.

I reached Richard's bedroom door and knocked firmly. "Richard? Are you in there? I have something important to tell you."

Silence greeted me. Strange – Anna said he was upstairs. His car was in the garage. Where could he be?

I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The timing couldn't have been worse. Richard emerged from the bathroom at that exact moment, water droplets glistening on his muscular chest, a white towel slung low around his hips.

"Ah!" I instinctively covered my eyes and turned away. "Why are you showering in the middle of the day? And coming out without clothes?"

Richard's voice was calm, almost amused. "Is there any part of me you haven't seen before?"

My cheeks burned. I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs. "I—I'll come back later."

As I turned to flee, his hand shot out, catching my wrist and spinning me back to face him. "Tell me what's so important that you're barging into my room."

I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, acutely aware of his nearness, of the water still dripping from his hair onto his sculpted shoulders.

"I know why Lily got sick," I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. "It's Howard. He's been poisoning the children."

I finally gathered the courage to look up, meeting Richard's eyes. His expression shifted from confusion to shock, then to a terrible anger I had never seen before. "This is the food test report," I said, handing him the paper, my fingers trembling slightly with anger. "Howard has been adding a toxic fungus to the food he gives the children. That's why Lily got sick after visiting him. And Kathy also admitted she gets sick every time she visits Howard."

Richard took the report, and I watched as he scanned through it, his muscles tensing with every line he read. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, as if filled with the anger he was releasing. Even from a distance, I could sense something dangerous awakening inside him.

"How did you get this sample?" His voice had dropped to a dangerous growl, making me shiver involuntarily.

"When I went to the manor today," I explained urgently, "Howard was about to give Lily some nutrition soup. I managed to get a sample." My words rushed out like a flood.

I watched as the paper crumpled in his fist, his expression turning ice-cold.

"Stay here. Don't leave the house. That's an order." His voice carried an authority that couldn't be questioned.

He didn't wait for my response, already moving to dress. I stood there, watching him quickly put on his shirt and pants, never looking at me again. I knew what he was going to do, feeling both satisfaction that justice would be served and a touch of fear for what was about to happen.

As he brushed past me, he emanated a dangerous aura.

---

Two hours passed. I tried using my healing abilities on Lily, but quickly discovered I could only temporarily relieve her symptoms. The poison had already done damage that would take time to reverse.

Anna knocked on the door. "Elena, you still haven't eaten dinner."

"I know, Anna," I replied absently.

After putting the children to bed, I returned to my room and studied the report again, hoping to find a way to solve Lily's condition.

It was well past midnight when I heard the front door open. A familiar scent filled the house – Richard's, but mingled with something metallic. Blood.

I waited, my breath caught in my throat, listening to his footsteps downstairs. I knew he had noticed my light was still on.

When he appeared at my door, his expression was surprisingly calm for someone who had just returned covered in blood.

"Richard," I asked with concern. "Is it... over?"

"He confessed," Richard said simply. "He admitted to poisoning our children. I've dealt with him. Permanently."

I stared at him, a chill running down my spine. It wasn't that Howard didn't deserve punishment – he absolutely did. But the casual way Richard spoke of executing his own family member, as if he'd merely completed a routine task, left me speechless.

Richard noticed my expression. "What? Are you unhappy with the outcome?"

"No, it's not that," I stammered. "I just... what will your father say?"

A cold smile touched his lips. "Someone was trying to kill his granddaughter. What could he say?"

"Since you have nothing else, I'll be going now," Richard said evenly, as if we'd been discussing tomorrow's weather forecast rather than a murder.

I nodded, at least relieved that Howard could never harm my children again. I bent down to pick up the fallen report, when a sudden, searing pain shot through my abdomen. "Ngh—" I couldn't suppress the low whimper that escaped my lips as the wound felt like it was tearing open.

Richard, already at the doorway, spun around instantly, his keen eyes locking onto me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. You should go handle your company business," I said, trying to sound casual while straightening up, ignoring the burning sensation in my abdomen.

Richard stood rooted at the doorway, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Really? Nothing?"

"Huh?" I froze, realizing I'd slipped up. His tone already carried obvious skepticism, which meant he'd noticed something was off.

"No...I mean, my body hasn't fully recovered yet. It still needs some time," I quickly amended. If I said I was fine, he might send me away.

He stared at me coldly, his voice filled with distrust.

Thinking fast, I lifted the edge of my shirt to reveal the wound on my abdomen. "I do need to stay. Look, I still have injuries that need treatment."

While this exposed my wound, it at least gave me a reason to continue staying with the children. Richard's gaze fell on my injury, and I watched his expression transform instantly from suspicion to fury.