Chapter 281
Catherine glanced sideways at the security guards standing outside the hospital room door and waved dismissively at Isabella. “Isabella, what on earth are you talking about? I don’t understand a word. You must be exhausted from taking care of Henry! Come, let me treat you to some coffee.”
Isabella’s eyes darted to the security personnel, suddenly realizing how dangerous her impulsiveness had been. Aware of her mistake, she fell silent and followed Catherine to a nearby coffee shop without another word.
Once inside, Catherine carefully scanned the surroundings, confirming there were no security cameras. She reached into her handbag, pulled out a small bottle, and quickly slipped it into Isabella’s palm.
Immediately afterward, she pretended nothing had happened, lowering her voice to a near–whisper. “The dosage is potent -three sprays should do it. Don’t you dare use more than that. This medication is extremely powerful and could damage his heart. Henry’s system won’t be able to handle more.”
Henry had a heart condition that Sophia had been helping him manage for years. If not for Sophia’s care, his health wouldn’t be nearly as good as it was now.
Knowing the drug’s severe side effects, Catherine was afraid Isabella might accidentally kill Henry. She emphasized again:
“Remember, absolutely no more than three sprays, understand?”
Isabella clutched the tiny bottle tightly in her hand like a drowning woman grasping at the last floating piece of debris.
“Don’t worry, Isabella replied with newfound confidence. “I want him alive more than anyone. I hardly want to become a
widow before I’ve even married into the Harding family.”
The moment she received the bottle, her eyes lit up with a renewed spark of life.
Catherine noticed Isabella’s transformation–how she seemed to come alive again—and felt genuinely happy for her.
“Keep Henry stable while I work on my end. I’ve discovered Sophia had a previous lover. Apparently, they were quite serious. As for why they separated… well, that’s something we can investigate further.”
The David family–all three of them–had been taken into custody.
Scarlett and Daniel had committed less serious offenses, so they were only temporarily detained without a sped
release date.
Scarlett, desperate to avoid prison, had reached out to Isabella through an intermediary, hoping she could pull some strings to secure her release.
But it was Catherine who came to visit her.
Catherine had offered only one cold statement: “If you want my help getting out, you need to give me something valuable in return. If your bargaining chip isn’t worth enough, I won’t lift a finger.”
After considerable thought, Scarlett had mentioned Sophia’s first love.
But she’d never met Sam and didn’t know if he was even still alive.
Isabella’s eyes gleamed brighter as Catherine shared this information.
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Chapter 281
Now that you mention it, I remember there was an elderly woman named Davis at Manhattan General Hospital. You should look into her. Sophia was especially attentive to her, even paying her substantial medical bills.
Those bills hadn’t been cheap–rumored to be in the hundreds of thousands. Anyone for whom Sophia would spend that kind of money had to be extraordinarily important to her.
Catherine quickly noted these details in her phone before leaving the coffee shop.
Isabella remained seated, clutching the bottle of medication, hope flickering in her eyes as she held it tightly in her palm.
With the holidays approaching and festive atmosphere thickening, William had grown tired of his hospital confinement. Against medical advice, he insisted on being discharged and had his doctor prepare the release paperwork.
Mark, seeing William’s determination, couldn’t dissuade him and reluctantly began packing his belongings. “Sir, should we inform Sophia?” he asked cautiously. “I’ve heard that Sophia and Henry have been having serious problems lately.
William set down his newspaper and removed his reading glasses to look directly at Mark. “Inform her about what? With Sophia’s temperament, she’d never allow me to leave the hospital. Holidays are meant to be celebrated at home with family, not in a sterile hospital room. What kind of tradition would that be?”
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