Chapter 3

My footsteps halted as I looked at Teddy in disbelief.

Teddy gripped Elise’s hand, his face full of defiance.

Catching my silhouette, Elise got down to Teddy’s eye level and murmured, “Sweetheart, I only work for Mr. Reed. She’s your mother.”

“She’s not!” Teddy yelled, “My teacher told me that a mommy is someone who loves Daddy and makes him happy. Elise, Daddy smiles more when he’s with you. I want you to become my mommy!”

Color drained from my face. Was this the son I once agonized over whether I should leave behind?

Every time I had imagined what Teddy’s life would look like after the divorce, I would break down in tears, terrified that he’d suffer at the hands of others.

However, my worries were all in my head.

Accepting my reality, I approached Teddy and said curtly, “Fine. Since you want her to be your mommy, you’re no son of mine.”

The crowd stared at me in disbelief, murmuring how cruel I was.

However, no one saw me sobbing violently on the drive home.

That same day, I was involved in a car accident.

From the ambulance, a paramedic gave Logan a call. “Coral Reed has been in a car wreck. You need to get to the hospital now.”

Logan said irritably, “Cut the prank. She spends her days tending to her garden. How could she be in an accident?”

On the other end of the line, Elise’s sweet voice echoed in the background. “Logan, stop talking on the phone. It’s time to cut the birthday cake.”

Teddy urged, “Hurry up, Daddy!”

Logan barked into the phone, “I don’t have time for you. You can call me to claim the body if she actually crashed and flatlined.”

He hung up.

I barely made it out of the hospital alive that day. It took everything for the medical team to snatch me back from the Grim Reaper.

By then, I had lost all hope in Logan. That was when the call from the Thornton household came in.

“Miss, you need to get here right now. Mr. Thornton isn’t going to make it.”

I yanked the IV lines out and made a mad dash to the Thornton residence.

The door swung open to reveal Charles, covered in blood. He lay there, his lips blue.

“We couldn’t get in touch with the doctors sent by Mr. Reed, so we had to bring in the nearest local doctor.

“According to the bloodwork, the doctor said that Mr. Thornton was poisoned, and the poison has spread to his entire system.

“It’s not a common toxin. Without the right cure, Mr. Thornton won’t hold on much longer.”

Poison? It didn’t make sense. Since nothing like this had ever happened before, I checked the surveillance footage.

The cameras caught one of the medical staff making a phone call in the garden.

“Ms. Harper, the deed has been done according to your request.”

As she spoke, the medical officer walked back to the room, fished out a vial from her pocket, and emptied the liquid into his drip.

Blinded by rage, I stormed straight to Elise’s home. When the door swung open, I grabbed her hair and hit her.

“How dare you hurt my father, snake!”

It wasn’t her retaliation that came. Instead, Logan pushed me out the door.

With nothing but a towel around his waist and love bites visible on his neck, Logan carefully lifted Elise to her feet.

“Are you alright?” His voice was tender. However, his gaze was cutting when he turned to me. “What has gotten into you, Coral?”

“She tried to kill my father!” I shouted and showed the surveillance footage.

Logan smirked. “Coral, look at the timestamp.

“Elise was still my secretary at the time. I put her in charge of coordinating with the medical team for the Thorntons. Is there something wrong with her carrying out my instructions?”

Propping herself against the wall, Elise got on her feet. “Mrs. Reed is just looking for an excuse to take her anger out on me, sir. You didn’t have to call her out.”

“This won’t fly with me!” Logan jumped in curtly. “If I let this slide now, there’s going to be a next time. Since you’re highly suspicious of the medical experts I have sent, you can start making your own arrangements for Charles.”

With that, Logan was ready to close the door, his eyes reflecting his disappointment in me.

“Wait!” I jammed my hand in the door gap and grabbed Elise, my eyes red-rimmed. “Give me the antidote! Give it to me!”

“Coral, have you had enough!”

Logan pulled Elise behind him and hissed at me through clenched teeth, “What antidote are you talking about? Elise didn't poison anyone.”

Elise sighed. “Exactly, ma’am. Your tears are very convincing, but I can’t keep acting out these wild fantasies with you.”

Consumed by rage, Logan swept his arm and gave his secretary a call.

“Barricade the Thornton estate. No doctors are to get anywhere near the place without my permission.”