"Go on."
"If Shirley Wentworth was the one who poisoned him, and she’d made sure it wasn’t life-threatening, then it doesn’t make sense for her to produce the antidote so quickly," Vivian Quinn reasoned. "Since she wanted to fra , the longer Elle remained in a coma, the more guilty I would look, right?"
Jett Sterling suggested, "Maybe she was afraid you’d figure out the antidote and save Elle yourself?"
"That’s a possibility, but sothing still feels off." Vivian Quinn still couldn’t put her finger on it. "But the most important thing is that Elle is suffering less."
"Mm."
Vivian Quinn asked again, "Jett, do you think Vincent Wentworth had anything to do with Elle’s poisoning? He was the one who brought the cookies, after all."
Jett Sterling gave a faint, cryptic smile. "Vivian, you don’t need to concern yourself with this."
"Oh..."
...
That evening, Shirley Wentworth had Lawrence stay at the hospital to watch over Elle while she went ho to take a much-needed shower.
As soon as she walked into her room, she saw Vincent Wentworth sitting on the sofa, holding a cat.
"Brother, you scared ." Shirley Wentworth tried to muster so energy as she approached him. "What are you doing in my room?"
"I asked the chauffeur. He said you had co ho, so I waited for you here."
"Did you need sothing from ?"
"How is Elle?"
"He’s fine now. He’ll be able to leave the hospital after a few days of rest."
Vincent Wentworth looked up at her, a chill in his fathomless eyes. "You’ll really stop at nothing to get what you want. You even used !"
Shirley Wentworth froze. "Brother, what are you talking about?"
"Still playing dumb with ?" Vincent Wentworth gently stroked the cat nestled on his lap. "Did you really think that just because Elle ate all the cookies, no one would trace the poison back to you?"
"Brother, what nonsense are you spouting?" Shirley Wentworth denied vehently. "How could I possibly poison my own son!"
The chill in Vincent Wentworth’s eyes intensified. "Elle may have finished the cookies, but you didn’t count on him feeding a piece to Pickled Fish. The cat was poisoned too!"
Shirley Wentworth’s eyes flew wide, and she instinctively glanced at the cat in his arms.
"It didn’t eat enough for it to be fatal. I secretly took its test results to the hospital for comparison. It’s the exact sa poison that Elle was given. What do you have to say for yourself!"
"Brother, let explain..." Tears instantly stread down Shirley Wentworth’s face. "I didn’t an to..."
"You didn’t an to?" Vincent Wentworth sneered. "You had bring those cookies to Elle every single ti. You didn’t do anything the first few tis because you were waiting for everyone to let down their guard!"
"Brother, listen to !" Shirley Wentworth dropped to her knees with a THUD. "I didn’t want it to be this way, I truly had no other choice! I can’t be without Elle! I just want him back!"
"You want him back, so you poison him?" Vincent Wentworth roared. "Shirley, he’s only three years old! What if he hadn’t been able to withstand the poison!"
"I checked over and over again! I only did it after I was certain nothing would happen!" Shirley Wentworth sobbed. "Brother, I’m Elle’s mother! I’m the person who loves him more than anyone in the world! How could I ever truly hurt him?"
’Before, she would never have been able to bring herself to do it. But now that she knew Elle wasn’t her biological son, her love had twisted into hate. There was nothing she wouldn’t do. That’s why she had concocted such an elaborate sche, even using Vincent.’
’On her path to marrying Jett Sterling, she’d cut down gods and slay demons. No one was going to stand in her way!’
"Shirley, you talk about love, but the person who has hurt Elle the most has always been you! I thought hitting him was the worst you could do. I never imagined you’d stoop to sothing even more despicable!"
"Brother, I know I was wrong. I just want Elle back by my side. I promise, I’ll love him twice as much from now on!" Shirley Wentworth pleaded through her tears. "I’m begging you, Brother, please don’t tell anyone about this. If you do, I’ll never get Elle back!"
"What you’ve done has brought utter sha to the Wentworth family!" Vincent Wentworth said coldly. "The Wentworths may be ruthless, but we never harm our own flesh and blood, much less a three-year-old child! What gives you the right to ask to keep this a secret!"
"Brother, I was so wrong! Please, forgive !" Shirley Wentworth began slapping her own face, one strike after another. "I’m begging you, help just this once! As long as Elle cos back to , I swear I’ll never do it again!"
"Do you want Elle back because you love him? No. If you loved him, you wouldn’t hit him, you wouldn’t hurt him. You just want to keep Jett Sterling’s child by your side so you can find a chance to destroy his marriage and marry him yourself!" Vincent Wentworth laid her motives bare. "As his uncle, I have to think about what’s best for Elle. And what’s best for him is to stay at Sycamore Bay, not to be with a ruthless mother like you."
"Brother, no!" Shirley Wentworth scrambled over and clung to Vincent Wentworth’s leg, pleading desperately. "I truly had no other choice but to resort to this! For my sake, as your own sister, help this once. Just this once! Brother, I’m begging you, I’m begg—"
Before Shirley Wentworth could finish, she suddenly passed out.
"Shirley? Shirley!" Vincent Wentworth cried out in alarm. "Soone, get in here!"
The family doctor arrived quickly. After examining Shirley Wentworth, he reported, "Young Master, Miss Wentworth fainted from extre emotional distress. It’s nothing serious, but her emotional state has seed a little unstable lately."
Vincent Wentworth frowned. "Explain."
The doctor looked troubled. "She secretly ca to a few days ago to prescribe sleeping pills. She also said she needed sedatives..."
"You gave them to her?"
"They were Miss Wentworth’s orders. I didn’t dare refuse, so I gave them to her."
"I see." Vincent Wentworth considered for a mont. "Don’t let a word of this get out. Also, find a reliable psychiatrist. This must be kept strictly confidential."
The doctor nodded. "I understand. Rest assured, Young Master."
"I’m going to the hospital to check on Elle. You keep an eye on things here."
"Yes."
...
With Elle gone, Vivian Quinn felt like a piece of her was missing. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
"What’s wrong?" A man’s deep, pleasant voice echoed softly in the darkness. "Can’t sleep?"
"Yeah." Vivian Quinn sighed. "I wonder if Elle is asleep. The poison isn’t fatal, but he must still be very uncomfortable. I really should have insisted on staying at the hospital to look after him."
"Vivian, you’re overly anxious about the boy." Jett Sterling held her closer. "Even if it’s just because you love , you don’t have to go this far."
"I wouldn’t say it’s just because of you," Vivian Quinn mused. "I feel a real connection with Elle. It’s like so invisible force is drawing us together... The feeling is so strange, I can’t really describe it. Anyway, I just adore him!"
"Alright." The man let out a low chuckle. "If Mrs. Sterling can’t sleep, we could do sothing... more aningful..."
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