Chapter 251 Beware of Helen
Chapter 251 Beware of Helen
"She can't tolerate you?" Ethan let out a cold laugh, his gaze sharp as a blade, as if he could see right through her. "If she really couldn't tolerate you, she should've broken your legs yesterday when you poured that oil in the hallway. If she couldn't tolerate you, last night at the nursing home when you accused her of murder, she should've had security throw you straight into the Potomac River!"
Ethan took a step closer, his oppressive stare bearing down on Helen like a weight pressing on her skull. Each word came out slow and deliberate, cutting to the bone. "Helen, wake the hell up and recognize your place."
Those words hit like a sledgehammer straight to Helen's chest.
"You're just an adopted daughter of the Collins family. Everything you wear, everything you hold, every bit of pride and status you enjoy in Washington's social circles. It all should have been Audrey's." Ethan's voice remained flat, yet carried the cruelest kind of rationality. "You've lived in her wealth for twenty years, enjoyed the affection that should have been hers. If Audrey weren't so magnanimous, if she couldn't be bothered to deal with someone like you, do you really think you'd still be living comfortably in that McLean mansion, eating imported wagyu?"
Helen's entire body began to tremble violently, her face turning deathly pale.
Every single word from Ethan felt like a vicious slap across her face, shredding what little self-respect she had left into tatters.
"This is my final warning." Ethan stubbed out the half-finished cigarette in the ashtray, his tone glacial. "Stay in your lane as the Collins family's Second Miss. Don't provoke Audrey again. Otherwise, I'll personally send you back to where you belong."
"Get out."
Ethan turned away, refusing to spare her another glance.
Helen didn't know how she made it out of the study.
Her legs felt like they'd been filled with lead, and a burning mixture of humiliation and jealousy blazed through her chest like wildfire, nearly incinerating what remained of her sanity.
She stumbled back to her bedroom and slammed the door shut with a loud 'bang,' locking it behind her.
"Bitch! Audrey, you bitch!"
Helen's eyes turned bloodshot. Like a woman possessed, she grabbed the bottles and jars from her vanity and hurled them violently at the floor.
Custom perfume bottles worth hundreds of thousands shattered, their heavy fragrances flooding the room.
She rushed to her walk-in closet next, tearing expensive bags and clothes from their places and throwing them to the ground, stomping on them with savage fury.
Why? She'd spent twenty years being the perfect, pleasing daughter in this house. Why did Ethan discard her like trash the moment Audrey returned? What did he mean, she'd 'occupied twenty years of wealth'? She'd earned it!
Helen collapsed amid the wreckage, her nails digging deep into her palms until thin trails of blood seeped out.
Behind her lowered lids, something vicious and chilling churned.
She would never admit defeat. Never.
Night deepened.
The clock's hands slipped quietly past one in the morning.
A faint sound came from the front door of the Collins Mansion.
Audrey pushed it open and stepped inside, bringing with her the chill of an early autumn night. She wore a black trench coat and carried a silver portable thermal case, her refined features etched with unmistakable exhaustion.
Upstairs, around the corner of the second-floor hallway, Helen stood shrouded in heavy shadow. Wrapped in a robe like a viper lurking in the dark, she stared fixedly at Audrey's figure below.
Her gaze locked onto that silver thermal case, eyes flickering with indecipherable intent.
Downstairs in the living room, the wall sconces were still lit.
Lucienne sat on the sofa wrapped in a cashmere shawl, waiting by the door. The moment she heard movement, she stood and hurried over.
"Audrey, what took you so long?" Lucienne's voice trembled with concern as she noticed the dark circles under Audrey's eyes.
She quickly took Audrey's coat and handed it to a nearby servant.
"I went to New York to pick up some medication. It took longer than expected." Audrey's tone remained calm as she set the thermal case on the coffee table. "The medicine is ready."
She opened the case. Inside, several vials filled with pale blue liquid were neatly arranged, glowing with an eerie cold light in the dim illumination.
"Mom, have this sent to the nursing home first thing tomorrow morning." Audrey closed the case and gave detailed instructions, her voice cool and professional. "Administer one vial intravenously every eight hours. It must be used alongside the nursing home's nutritional IV. Monitor Grandma's heart rate during administration, slight fluctuations are normal rejection responses. Don't panic."
Lucienne nodded repeatedly, committing every word to memory.
Watching Audrey work herself to exhaustion for her grandmother's sake, even driving all the way to New York in the middle of the night, brought tears to Lucienne's eyes again.
Her daughter had suffered so much, yet she valued family and loyalty more than anyone.
"Audrey, you've worked too hard." Lucienne pulled Audrey's cool hand into hers and retrieved a pure black bank card from her pocket, pressing it firmly into Audrey's palm without allowing refusal.
It was an anonymous black card from a Swiss bank.
"I know you're not short on money, but this is my way of showing I care. Think of it as nutrition money to take care of yourself." Lucienne gripped her hand tightly, her tone filled with both affection and insistence. "The password is your birthday. Take it and buy whatever you want. Don't be polite with Mom."
Audrey couldn't help but smile softly and accepted the card.
The next morning.
Mist still hung over the Potomac River, and the air in McLean felt crisp and damp.
Audrey changed into comfortable loungewear and descended the stairs. In the living room, Ethan was already dressed and ready to leave.
He wore a sharp black custom-tailored suit, his assistant standing beside him holding a briefcase, with a Rimowa carry-on at his feet.
Hearing footsteps, Ethan turned. His hard features softened instantly.
"Ethan, are you going on a business trip?" Audrey approached.
"Yeah, there's been a snag with a cross-border acquisition in London. I need to go oversee it personally for a few days." Ethan glanced at his Patek Philippe. "I was going to let you sleep in, but since you're awake, I can say goodbye properly."
He stepped forward and ruffled Audrey's hair gently, his tone growing serious and solemn. "While I'm gone, keep your guard up. Helen is dangerously jealous and underhanded. I warned her last night, but I'm afraid she'll scheme something behind the scenes."
Ethan's eyes held unabashed protectiveness. "If she dares provoke you, don't worry about Mom and Dad's feelings. Handle it however you need to. Whatever happens, I'll back you up. Remember, the Collins family will always be your shield."
Warmth spread through Audrey's chest. This feeling of being unconditionally loved and protected by family, something that had once been an impossible dream, had somehow become her everyday reality.
"I understand, Ethan." Audrey's lips curved slightly, a trace of warmth flickering in her cool eyes. "Focus on your work. I'll handle things here. London's been getting colder, be careful on your trip."