Chapter 115
Seraphine's POV
The manager was about to speak when the elevator doors opened.
I didn't rush to leave. I couldn't help asking again, "Whose side are you on? Why are you helping me?"
The smile on the manager's face deepened as she shook her head slightly. "Ms. Whitaker, now is not the time for explanations. You just need to remember that someone doesn't want anything to happen to you. Go, quickly!"
She pushed me inside.
As I turned around, the elevator doors slowly closed, and the manager's smiling face disappeared.
My heart raced. I racked my brain but couldn't figure out who was helping me.
The elevator reached the underground parking garage.
I quickly found my car and was about to drive away when I suddenly saw a Maybach leaving ahead of me.
That license plate number...
I widened my eyes and checked three times until the Maybach disappeared around the corner.
No mistake. I hadn't seen wrong.
That license plate was Octavius's.
Octavius had also been eating here.
The restaurant manager had just helped me, saying someone didn't want anything to happen to me. Could it have been Octavius?
I gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind in chaos.
No, how could it be him?
Just yesterday Octavius said he would grind me into the dirt. His being here was just a coincidence.
But if it wasn't him, who else could it be?
There was no one else. No one else had that kind of power and also knew I was going against Amara.
I closed my eyes and calmed down.
Whatever, as long as I escaped safely. I should go back first.
I steadied my emotions and drove back to the Whitaker Mansion.
As soon as I walked into the living room, I heard strange sounds coming from the kitchen.
My heart stirred. I lightened my footsteps and walked over.
The kitchen door was ajar. Through the crack, I saw a servant in gardener's work clothes with their back to the door, sneakily doing something at the counter.
I remembered this servant.
Not long ago, I had specifically sent several of Amara's servants to manage the back garden.
The two relatives Soren introduced to me were the ones responsible for meals in the main house.
What was this person doing in the kitchen at this time?
I held my breath and quietly backed away, hiding at the staircase corner.
Before long, the servant came out of the kitchen, head down, walking quickly toward the back garden.
After they left, I entered the kitchen.
A familiar fragrance still lingered in the air.
It was the nutritional soup Heath drank every evening after dinner. Supposedly, Amara had specially found a nutritionist to formulate it according to his health indicators.
Heath had been drinking this soup for almost two months.
I had suspected before that in my past life, Heath's sudden illness and eventual death were because Amara had poisoned him.
Was it starting now?
I frowned, looking at the already-prepared nutritional soup.
The liquid inside was pale red, the same as before, no difference.
A terrible thought flashed through my mind.
I walked over and gently stirred the bottom of the soup with a spoon, leaning down to smell carefully.
Besides the bitter sweetness of medicinal herbs, there seemed to be a very faint sour smell.
So these people still weren't behaving. Even after I'd transferred them to the back garden, they could still sneak in and tamper with things.
With Amara's personality, she probably wouldn't use any deadly poison directly.
However, since I'd discovered it, it could only be deadly poison!
I took a deep breath and made a bold decision. I turned and went upstairs, returning to my room to get something.
After coming back downstairs, I poured the black powder from the small bottle in my hand into the soup, stirred it, and drank several mouthfuls.
Heath usually got home at six-thirty. It was now six-oh-three.
If the drug took effect, it shouldn't be too fast. This timing was just right.
I returned to my room and waited quietly.
Downstairs, Heath came home.
Amara went up to greet him. "Honey, you're back? You must be tired."
I took a deep breath, suddenly stood up and rushed out of my room, crying out while enduring the abdominal pain. "It hurts so much! Dad, Mom, save me! My stomach hurts so much!"
I stumbled down the stairs. Just as I reached the bottom, I couldn't support myself anymore and fell, curling up and hugging myself.
"Seraphine! What's wrong?" Heath was shocked and rushed over to help me up.
Amara was also startled, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes. "Seraphine, what's happening? Where does it hurt?"
"Dad, Mom, I feel terrible. I'm dizzy, my stomach and lower abdomen hurt so much. I feel like I'm dying." I grabbed Heath's sleeve, tears coming instantly.
Heath frowned and asked, "Why are you suddenly in so much pain? Did you eat something?"
I was sweating profusely from the pain. "I was thirsty just now and saw soup simmering in the kitchen, so I went in and drank a few sips. Who knew that shortly after, my stomach would suddenly hurt."
"Soup? What soup?" Heath's expression changed.
"The nutritional soup you drink every day." I weakly pointed toward the kitchen.
Amara's face turned deathly pale. "How could you drink things randomly! That soup is for your father. The herbs are all matched to his constitution. Of course you'd feel uncomfortable drinking it! We should quickly take you to the hospital to pump your stomach!"
As she spoke, she was about to pull me.
"It's not ordinary discomfort." I struggled and looked up at Heath, pleading with him. "Dad, I feel something's wrong. The soup tastes strange. There's still some in the kitchen—it needs to be tested."
Amara's pupils contracted sharply. "Nonsense! Your father has been drinking that soup for two months. What problem could there be? I think the pain has made you delirious. Hurry to the hospital!"
"Mom!" I stared at her accusingly. "Why are you so afraid of testing it? Is there really something in this soup that can't be exposed? This is the soup your nutritionist customized for Dad."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Amara trembled with anger.
Heath's face was ashen. He looked at me, then at Amara, his eyes gradually darkening.
He helped me up and said in a deep voice, "Whether there's a problem or not, we'll know after testing. Someone, pour the soup into a sealed bag and send it to the hospital for testing. Also have the driver prepare the car immediately to take Seraphine to the hospital!"
"Heath! Do you suspect me too?" Amara said, aggrieved.
Heath didn't look at her, only carefully helped me out.
I looked back and saw Amara repeatedly glancing toward the kitchen. She was anxious but helpless.
The servant responsible for pouring the soup into the sealed bag was one of my people.
Even if Amara wanted to do something, she had no opportunity under everyone's watchful eyes.
I saw her hesitate in place for a moment, then finally stamp her foot and hurry to follow.
Heath helped me into the car.
The driver didn't dare delay and immediately drove us to the hospital.
"Seraphine, hang in there. You'll be fine." Heath looked down at my face, his expression growing worse.
I leaned against Heath, shaking my head weakly.
This stuff was too potent.
I had always kept it hidden, planning to use it as a last resort if there was really no other way to deal with these bad people—to poison everyone and go down together.
It was my last card when pushed to desperation.
Now I'd played it early. You can imagine how powerful the effects were. After just two sips, my abdomen was in agony and I was covered in cold sweat.
Amara sat in the passenger seat, preoccupied.
Through the rearview mirror, I could see her frowning. Though she didn't speak, she was relatively composed.
I closed my eyes, pretending to be unwell, my heart full of mockery.
Soon Amara wouldn't be able to stay composed.