Chapter 81: Poisoned Again

Ethan sneered, clasping his hands behind his back as he surveyed the group. "Who belongs to the Smith family and who doesn't depends entirely on your attitude toward Sienna! Those Sienna approves of remain part of the Smith family, while those she dislikes will be expelled. Since you all depend on our family for your livelihoods, you should remember who provides your wealth and status. If you take our money yet look down on Sienna, then get out!"

Known for his ruthless methods and already planning to restructure the family's inner circle, Ethan's thunderous rage meant financial ruin for many.

Sienna remained detached from Smith family affairs; her accounts were managed by Henry anyway, and he had full discretion over them.

Before the gathering concluded, the butler rushed in breathlessly. "Mr. Smith, someone has been poisoned in the courtyard. An intruder entered Smith Villa and collapsed from some kind of toxin."

Ethan furrowed his brow, then pointed to Alexander who was descending the stairs. "That's his department!"

The butler hesitated momentarily before relaying the information to Alexander, who merely smiled, immediately understanding what had happened.

"Round them up and bring them in. We'll give them the antidote later," he said, then headed upstairs to find William.

Upon hearing about the poisoning incident, William instantly abandoned any thought of sleep.

"Take me to see them, Daddy! Take me to see!" he exclaimed with childlike enthusiasm.

The butler instructed staff to don gloves before bringing in the incapacitated intruders.

William circled them with undisguised delight. "Fascinating... their reactions to the poison are quite interesting..."

Following behind William, the butler seemed to have entered an entirely new realm of understanding. These poisons manifested in such peculiar ways—weren't poisons supposed to be colorless, odorless, and kill silently?

"Mr. Blake, can these people be saved? You do have an antidote, don't you?" the butler asked nervously.

William shook his head. "I don't have any. I just mix poisons randomly for fun without creating antidotes."

The butler nearly fainted. What now? Would over a dozen people die?

As he reached for his phone, William added casually, "Because no antidote is necessary. These poisons are just for entertainment—they won't kill anyone. They simply cause full-body paralysis for twenty-four hours, after which they'll regain sensation!"

The butler sighed with relief. So that explained why William had been wandering around the estate those days—he'd been setting poison traps. Terrifying child.

"William, you're absolutely certain they won't die?" Alexander asked.

William nodded vigorously, running over to hug Alexander's leg. "Yes, Daddy! I promise! I created these poisons just for fun—I never intended to harm anyone!"

Sienna, having settled the children, came downstairs and heard about the incident. After examining the situation, she gave William a stern but resigned look. "They indeed don't need antidotes, but William, no more pranks like this in the future!"

William pouted, clearly disagreeing, but Alexander lifted his son into his arms. "I actually think we shouldn't stifle William's natural talents. Besides, he's done nothing wrong. If anything, this proves Smith Villa's security is utterly useless—less effective than a four-year-old's homemade poisons!"

William beamed at this defense and planted a kiss on Alexander's cheek, making his father even prouder. "Thank you, Daddy! You're my favorite!"

The Smith family staff quickly developed a new perspective on William—none dared to mistreat him now that they knew he was proficient with poisons.

The evening banquet ultimately became an intimate affair with just one table of guests—only relatives who maintained good relationships with the Smith family.

"Sienna, this is my welcome gift for you," Verity Smith said, presenting a carefully prepared package. Sienna opened it to find a gold bracelet encrusted with gemstones—clearly expensive.

"Verity, this is far too valuable," Sienna protested, but Verity simply pushed it back into her hands.

"Nonsense, Sienna. The Smith family owns gemstone and gold mines—these things are practically worthless to us!" she insisted.

More relatives followed suit with gifts until presents piled up before Sienna like a small mountain.

William and Henry entered holding their sister's hands, and the three children settled into booster seats. The elders immediately flocked to them, each presenting cards.

William's eyes lit up. "Henry, I've got more allowance money!" he exclaimed.

Henry unceremoniously collected the cards and handed them all to Sienna. "Mom, please save these for Olivia."

The Smith family elders were delighted by the children's behavior.

"Gage is truly blessed, having such a beautiful daughter and wonderful grandchildren. I'm envious!" one remarked.

The Smith family was prosperous with many descendants, but mostly boys—daughters were treasured like precious jewels.

Everyone gazed enviously at Sienna and her three grandchildren. Amara was too busy caring for Olivia to join the conversation, treating the little girl like her most cherished treasure.

James smiled to himself—this feeling was absolutely wonderful.

That night, William was rewarded for his "great service" with a box of gold bars from Ethan. William loved money more than anything, and gold bars were preferable to any other gift.

Yet he immediately handed them over to Henry.

"Henry, wasn't I amazing?" William asked proudly.

Henry rolled his eyes. "This barely offsets the punishment for setting poison traps everywhere. Your allowance this month is just one thousand dollars."

William's face crumpled instantly. "A thousand dollars won't even buy my equipment, Henry..."

Henry laughed despite his irritation. "Your gaming equipment costs millions every month. Do you think money grows on trees?"

William looked ready to cry from frustration. Alexander raised an eyebrow. "What equipment?"

William huffed, embarrassed to explain, but Sienna interjected with a smile. "It's for an online game. William's been playing since he was two. He loves it but isn't very skilled, so he's obsessed with buying equipment."

He always relied on Henry's help; otherwise, he couldn't advance through the levels.

Alexander looked at William with amusement and pulled out his phone to display a game interface. "This one?"

William nodded excitedly. "Yes, that's it! That's it!"

Alexander shook his head indulgently and called his assistant. "Transfer gaming company authorization to William. From now on, give him whatever equipment he wants. If he likes it so much, the gaming company can be transferred to William's name."

The assistant was bewildered. "Mr. Knight, that's one of the group's most profitable ventures..."

Alexander smiled. "Can't be helped—William loves it. Set up a meeting with William tomorrow morning. Also, limit his gameplay to two hours daily—have the backend implement that restriction."