Chapter 219

Chapter 219

Rachel took a few instinctive steps back and shielded Nolan behind her. She sounded shocked as she spoke, "Is that you? Emily? What are you doing here?"

Emily knew she had startled her and quickly put on her mask, covering her disfigured face. "It's me, Rachel."

She looked around warily, holding on tightly to the railing. It remained a mystery how she faked killing herself to escape from the hospital.

"Rachel, I'm here to help you," Emily said.

Rachel looked completely unconvinced, so Emily added, "Of course, I have my own reasons too."

Her gaze fell on Nolan, her eyes full of satisfaction—this child was looking more and more like the Carter family, more and more like Ethan.

She wanted her own child to inherit the entire Carter family someday. She would never allow a child from another woman to compete with Nolan for Ethan.

"What do you mean?" Rachel took a few steps back, asking warily.

She didn't want to get close to Emily—partly out of disgust, partly out of fear of catching some disease.

Emily suppressed the disappointment in her heart and said slowly,"I know Christina returned with a son. I also know that she's the reason Ethan is so determined to send you to Aetheria's newly launched branch. This isn't about him wanting you to gain experience, it's more like he's exiling you somewhere you'll never threaten Christina."

"Rachel, you've been loved by your family your whole life and never faced any setbacks. But now, Ethan is willing to send you so far away just for Christina. Are you really okay with that? What makes Christina so special?"

Emily understood Rachel too well and knew exactly how to manipulate her feelings. The look in Rachel's eyes was proof that she'd been listening.

"I can help you," Emily said. "Not only can I help you get revenge, but I can also make sure Ethan neither sends you to prison nor forces you to go all the way to Aetheria."

"You want to help me?" Rachel looked incredulous.

"It may help you too, but I'm really helping myself." Emily's gaze fell tenderly on Nolan. "Thank you for taking care of Nolan all this time."

"Rachel, I hate Christina just as you do. If it weren't for her, why would Ethan abandon me and try to destroy me completely?"

"If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have ended up abroad, looking like this disgusting mess, and I wouldn't be separated from my son."

"And now, even her son wants to compete with my son for his father!"

The more Emily spoke, the colder her eyes became. She stared at Rachel. "We share a similar goal, which is to get Christina away from Ethan and make sure she never becomes a member of the Carter family."

Rachel looked at the viciousness in Emily's eyes and hesitated. Emily continued after seeing this, "Rachel, are you really willing to be bullied by her from now on? The Carters will love her while you'll be hidden away from sight."

"I'm not willing!" Rachel blurted out.

Emily's lips curved slightly upward as she beckoned Rachel with her finger. "Rachel, I have a plan that works for both of us..."

Rachel eventually walked over.

After Emily laid out the plan, Rachel quickly shook her head, "There's no way I'm doing this. Ethan will kill me if he finds out! I dislike Christina, but I never thought about killing anyone."

"It's not killing, just scaring her a little, teaching her a lesson, making her back off," Emily explained.

"Really?"

"Really. And even if something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with you. You just need to 'take care' of Nolan."

Rachel still hesitated.

Just then, a black Bentley slowly drove through the gate in the distance. Rachel stole a glance at the vehicle and when she looked back, Emily was gone.

She ran to the railing and searched everywhere, but there wasn't a trace of her.

Ethan had brought Henry back. He lifted Henry out of the car and led the child by the hand into the villa.

Rachel stood by the wall for a long time. It was until Nolan ran back while calling out, "Uncle Ethan," that she followed behind.

The incident at the birthday banquet a few days ago, when Rachel pushed Christina down, had made Elizabeth so angry she took to her bed. The family doctor had been by her side ever since.

"Ethan is here," Elizabeth said from her sickbed. She sounded so weak, no longer energetic as before.

Ethan led Henry in, and Henry politely greeted everyone. He called a servant to take Henry out to play and said to him, "Just stay in the yard, don't go far. We'll go pick up Mom from the hospital in a bit."

"Okay, Mr. Carter," Henry answered sweetly.

Ethan sat down in the armchair by Elizabeth's bed. "Are you feeling better today?"

"I'm only getting old and these are just old ailments. But what about Christina?" Elizabeth asked.

"She had a mild concussion, but she's much better today. Henry and I will pick her up from the hospital shortly."

Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief and said with lingering fear, "That's good. Otherwise, I'd really feel terrible."

She felt that all the trouble that occurred during her birthday banquet could have been avoided if she'd only properly educated her granddaughter. She'd heard from the butler that if Christina's head had hit just a little differently, she could have gone blind or even been disabled.

"Why did you suddenly come back?"

"I came back to get a document."

Elizabeth paused and said, "Why does Henry still call you Mr. Carter? Since you and Christina are back together, shouldn't he start calling you Dad?"

Several people had already asked him this question.

"There's no rush," Ethan said. "Henry knows about my relationship with Christina and knows I'm his father. I don't want to force him to change how he addresses me. Let it happen naturally."

Elizabeth nodded, then asked, "What about marriage? When are you planning to remarry? Shouldn't you have a proper wedding this time?"

"No way!" A voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Elizabeth and Ethan both turned their heads to see Rachel glance at them before quickly walking in.

Ethan's brow furrowed instantly, while Elizabeth looked puzzled.

Rachel walked to Elizabeth's bedside, knelt down holding her hand. "Grandma, did you just say you want to prepare a wedding for Ethan and Christina?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"You can't! Christina can't marry Ethan!"

Elizabeth looked at the confused Ethan, then turned her gaze to Rachel. "Why not?"

"Grandma, if you really care about Ethan, don't let him marry Christina." Rachel paused, glanced at Ethan, and continued reluctantly, "That Christina—she has cancer!"

Elizabeth was clearly stunned.

"Rachel!" Ethan immediately scolded her and got up to pull her out.

"Let her speak!" Elizabeth stopped him.

She knew nothing about this.

With Elizabeth's support, Rachel began saying everything she knew, "She has cancer. How can she marry Ethan? If her condition is incurable, won't Ethan end up a widower?"

"Even if she's cured, who can guarantee it won't come back? And I heard her sister died from this same disease!"

"Enough, Rachel!" Ethan tried to stop her multiple times, but Elizabeth insisted on hearing it, "Let her finish!"

"That day you all said I pushed her down, but she was already sick, sick enough to need a transplant. I only pulled her lightly—she fell on her own!"

Ethan was so angry his whole body tensed up. Elizabeth was also shocked and agitated and her face grew even colder.

"Grandma, if she marries Ethan, it'll end up destroying the entire Carter family!" Rachel added with emphasis.

Elizabeth leaned weakly against the headboard. Rachel wanted to continue, however Elizabeth waved her hand and instructed the butler, "Take her out first."

Rachel was unwilling, but the butler forcibly led her out of the room.

Ethan felt completely heartbroken and helpless as he saw how badly Elizabeth was trembling.

"Grandma, let me explain."