Chapter 249 Angrily Rebuking Helen
Chapter 249 Angrily Rebuking Helen
Ethan gave her no room to breathe, continuing coldly, "Grandma's condition deteriorated because the nursing home doctors misdiagnosed an adenovirus infection and overused corticosteroids, causing her immune system to collapse and triggering acute pericardial effusion. Audrey just fought Death himself to save her, and you, not only did you obstruct the resuscitation with your hysterics, but now you dare turn around and slander her?"
He turned to Julian, his tone severe. "Dad, this is the daughter you raised. In this family, if anyone dares to slander Audrey again, I won't let them off, and she'll be first."
Julian's expression turned extremely ugly. He looked at Helen's face, twisted with jealousy, his eyes full of disappointment.
Lucienne was shaking with rage. She had almost, for just a moment, believed Helen's lies.
"Helen, you disappoint me beyond words." Lucienne coldly withdrew her gaze, refusing to look at her again.
Helen collapsed to the floor, clutching her swollen face, trembling all over.
She had lost. Lost completely.
Not only had she failed to pin the blame on Audrey, she'd exhausted whatever patience Ethan and her parents had left for her.
But she refused to accept it! Why should Audrey, some wild girl raised in the slums, so easily steal everything that belonged to her! Helen bit down hard on her lower lip, tasting the metallic sweetness of blood.
In her lowered eyes, even more venomous and crazed darkness churned.
She stared at the gradually stabilizing green waves on the monitor, then at Ethan and her parents fussing over Audrey, the resentment in her eyes nearly spilling out like poison.
She absolutely refused to believe Audrey possessed such miraculous healing abilities!
"Mom! Ethan! Don't let her fool you!" Helen suddenly scrambled up from the floor, pointing at Amanda in the bed, her voice shrill and piercing. "This is all an illusion! Even the top specialists at the nursing home were helpless, and she sticks in one needle and everything's fine? This has to be a temporary rally bought by burning through Grandma's remaining life force!"
Ethan's eyes flashed dangerously. Just as he was about to explode, Audrey raised her hand to stop him.
Audrey walked to the nearby sink, squeezed out hand sanitizer, and methodically scrubbed her hands.
"One month."
That brief statement left everyone in the room stunned.
Audrey pulled a paper towel and dried her hands, then turned around, her cool gaze meeting Lucienne and Julian directly. "Stop those excessive antibiotics and steroids from the nursing home and use my targeted medication protocol instead. Within one month, I guarantee Grandma will be completely recovered and walk out of this nursing home on her own."
"One month? Audrey, have you lost your mind!" Helen acted as if she'd heard the joke of the century, immediately raising her voice in mockery. "Grandma can barely breathe on her own right now, and you dare say you'll cure her in a month? Do you think you're God! With this mutated virus, not even the top medical experts in North America would dare make such a promise!"
"Shut up." Lucienne shot Helen a cold glance, her eyes filled with extreme disgust.
She ignored Helen's outburst and instead walked to the sofa, pulled a pure black American Express Centurion Card from her purse, and strode directly to Audrey.
"Audrey, I believe you." Lucienne took Audrey's hand and solemnly pressed the black card into her palm. "This card has no limit, but I've specifically transferred fifteen billion dollars into it. The PIN is your birthday. Consider this money your advance payment. Treat her however you see fit. Whatever rare medications or top-tier equipment you need, just swipe it. If it's not enough, I'll add more."
Audrey looked at the black card in her hand, her brow furrowing slightly.
She didn't lack money. The SY brand's annual net profit in Europe was an astronomical figure.
Besides, treating her own grandmother, why would she need payment?
"Mom, I'm part of the Collins family. Treating her is my duty. I don't need this." Audrey pushed the card back, her tone gentle but firm.
"Take it!" Lucienne's attitude was unusually forceful. She stuffed the black card directly into Audrey's trench coat pocket, pressing down hard on the back of her hand, her eyes slightly red. "The Collins family doesn't lack this money. My daughter suffered so much out there and developed these life-saving skills, she's worth every penny! If you don't accept it, you're treating me like a stranger, and that hurts me!"
Ethan added in a low voice from the side, "Audrey, take it. It's Mom and Dad's way of showing they care. You'll need funds for preparing medications anyway. Having it will be convenient."
Audrey saw the insistence in Lucienne's eyes and knew that further refusal would only hurt her feelings.
She sighed helplessly and nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll take it."
Helen, standing in the corner, stared fixedly at Audrey's trench coat pocket, her eyes bleeding with jealousy.
Fifteen billion dollars!
Lucienne hadn't even blinked before stuffing fifteen billion dollars into Audrey's hands! She'd spent twenty years trying to please this family, and even buying jewelry worth a few million required gauging Lucienne's mood.
Why should Audrey, just by making empty promises and saying one sentence, so easily obtain wealth she herself could never hope to reach in a lifetime!
Dissatisfaction and resentment grew like weeds in Helen's heart.
She felt Lucienne's favoritism had reached an extreme, that she was completely blind to be played for a fool by this con artist Audrey.
That night, deep into the evening, at the Collins Mansion in McLean, Washington.
After returning from the nursing home, Audrey didn't go to her room to rest. Instead, she headed directly to the temperature-controlled laboratory in the villa's basement.
Although Amanda's condition had stabilized, the pericardial effusion was only a symptom. The truly lethal adenovirus still required a specially formulated targeted drug solution to eliminate. She had to prepare the medication overnight.
Just as she reached the hallway corner on the first floor leading to the basement, a white figure blocked her path.
Helen stood there in her nightgown, the swelling on her face still visible, but her eyes like poisoned blades, locked onto Audrey.
"Audrey, stop right there." Helen lowered her voice, her tone full of warning and hostility.
Audrey stopped, her cool gaze sweeping over Helen as if looking at a clown. "Move."
"Don't act so arrogant!" Helen, stung by her contemptuous attitude, gritted her teeth and stepped closer. "I'm warning you, stop putting on this show in front of Mom, Dad, and Ethan. Grandma loves me most, and I absolutely won't allow you to use her as a guinea pig! If you hurt Grandma by using drugs recklessly just to show off, I will never forgive you!"
She spoke as if she were righteous, as though she truly were a devoted granddaughter worried sick about her grandmother's wellbeing.
Audrey looked at her and suddenly laughed softly.
Audrey leaned in slightly, her gaze bearing down with overwhelming pressure directly into Helen's eyes, each word cutting to the bone. "Helen, there's no one else here. Drop that hypocritical act. You're blocking me, are you really afraid I'll hurt Grandma, or are you afraid I'll actually cure her?"