Chapter 3

Evelyn's POV

Inside the car, the man's voice shook with excitement.

"Ms. Mercer, I'm the Hawthorne family's butler. Two years ago, you found Mr. Hawthorne Senior and saved his life.

"We offered you a position with the family afterward, but you turned us down because you needed to take care of your own family."

His eyes filled with tears. "We've been keeping an eye on you ever since. When Mr. Hawthorne Senior's eldest grandson heard you'd left the Mercers today, he sent me to pick you up right away.

"He wanted you to know that if you accept his offer, the Hawthorne family will always have your back."

I watched the Mercer residence disappear into the distance. "Alright. Take me to Mr. Hawthorne Senior."

…

Back at the Mercer residence, the living room fell silent for several seconds.

Giselle was the first to speak, scoffing dismissively. "Oh, please. She probably hired that car just to show off! Everyone knows she's broke. She can't even afford a decent handbag. There's no way she knows someone who owns a car like that!"

Vera nodded in agreement. "Exactly! Even your father couldn't get access to a car with a license plate that exclusive. How would a nobody like her ever meet someone that important?"

Determined to prove she was better than me, Giselle headed straight for the kitchen.

A little while later, she returned with a large platter of bluefin tuna carpaccio and a serving of shrimp ceviche.

"Grandpa, the top nutritionist overseas said all those herbal medicines Evelyn gave you were full of toxins! That's why you've been so sick!

"What you need is plenty of high-quality protein from deep-sea seafood. It'll kill off all the bad cells in your body and get you healthy again!"

Kurt didn't hesitate. He picked up a piece of tuna and popped it into his mouth. "That's my granddaughter. At least you know how to take care of me."

But that night, all hell broke loose at the Mercer residence. Kurt had two severe nosebleeds, leaving nearly half his pillow soaked in blood.

Caspian panicked and immediately tried to call an ambulance. Giselle stopped him and pulled up an article on her phone. "Dad, relax! The nutritionist said the protein is rebuilding Grandpa's cells! The nosebleeds just mean his body's getting rid of toxins! That's a good thing! All the poison from Evelyn's herbal medicine is finally being flushed out!"

Sure enough, by the next morning, Kurt's nosebleeds had stopped. He even got out of bed for the first time in ages.

In reality, the seafood had caused the poison in his body to spread rapidly. His cheeks were unusually flushed, and he seemed to have regained his strength. He no longer needed his cane and could even walk around the living room on his own.

The Mercers were thrilled. They now believed every word Giselle had said about his body detoxing.

"Giselle, you're a blessing to this family!" Vera exclaimed, taking her daughter's hand.

Caspian was so pleased that he announced on the spot. "We're throwing Giselle the biggest party this city has ever seen to officially welcome her back into the family! I want everyone to know how amazing my daughter is!"

Giselle couldn't have been more pleased with herself. She immediately filmed Kurt walking around without his cane and posted the video on social media.

The caption read, "Proper nutrition cured Grandpa's illness in just one day! Unlike certain scammers who use moldy roots to trick people out of their money."

…

Meanwhile, I was in a guest room at the Hawthorne residence, reviewing Larry Hawthorne's latest medical reports.

My phone buzzed. I glanced at Giselle's post. Kurt was smiling broadly in the video, his face flushed with color.

But something about his neck caught my eye. A faint black vine had appeared at the base of his throat.

The seafood had made the poison spread so rapidly that it had already reached his heart. He had less than three days left, and not even the best doctors in the world could save him now.

I put down my phone and pressed the call button.

The Hawthorne family's butler, Gaston Cruise, appeared almost immediately. "Ms. Mercer, is there anything you need?"

"Order a funeral wreath for me. Have it delivered to the Mercers' welcome-home party in three days."