Chapter 679
“Caitlin, wait!”
Nicoletta stopped her and demanded, “What did you mean by what you just said?”
“Nothing at all. What do you think I meant?”
56 vouchard
Her reply left Nicoletta speechless. She had to admit, Caitlin’s tongue was sharp. With just a few casual words, she could strike the deadliest blow, leaving no room for rebuttal.
“Forget it. You’re the younger one. I won’t argue with you.”
Nicoletta put on the air of an elder and warned, “I just want to tell you, don’t meddle. Especially in my daughter Liliana’s relationship with His Highness. I will not allow you to ruin her future.”
“What future? The only future is the one you made up in your own head. You want to marry your daughter into the royal family of A Country, but have you figured out whether His Highness even likes her?”
Nicoletta’s ambition had been laid bare. Her face darkened as she snapped, “That’s none of your business. Mind your own.”
“Exactly the words I wanted to say to you.”
Caitlin gave a faint smile and strolled away, leaving Nicoletta standing alone, seething.
The more she looked at Caitlin, the more she despised her. One way or another, she’d drive her out of the Jonathan estate.
Nicoletta went to her daughter’s quarters. Seeing her mother’s unsettled face, Liliana asked worriedly, “Mom, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I just ran into Caitlin and exchanged a few words. That woman is no easy one to deal with.”
Nicoletta sat down, her mind already spinning.
Liliana suddenly remembered something, her voice uneasy. “Mom, earlier when I ran into her, she said I used to treat her well and now my attitude has completely changed. Do you think she’s suspicious? Could she have noticed something?”
Nicoletta’s brows drew tight. “She said you used to treat her well? When?”
“She mentioned the perfume competition in Paris.”
Nicoletta nodded slowly and instructed, “If she’s already picked up on something, then from now on you’d best avoid too much direct contact with her. Say less, or you might give yourself away.”
“I understand, Mom.”
But Liliana couldn’t help fretting. “Still, I can’t even see His Highness. What should I do?”
“Wait a little longer. I’ll go speak with the First Lady, see what arrangements they can make. I’ll let you know after.”
“Alright.”
The Jonathan family members busied themselves with their own affairs. Hector, claiming illness, refused to meet Caitlin in private.
With nothing urgent on her hands, Caitlin wandered through the estate gardens. Passing a courtyard called Evergreen Pavilion, she paused. The scenery there was particularly beautiful. She also noticed Fallon, Hector’s third daughter, walking inside.
From what Caitlin knew, the estate was divided into several courtyards. The storage wing housed the servants, but the rest belonged to the different branches of the family. From the staff, she had learned Evergreen Pavilion was the residence of Delilah, Hector’s first wife. Seeing Fallon enter, Caitlin guessed she was visiting her mother.
Caitlin told Zinnia and Tyler to wait at the gate and stepped inside.
The pavilion’s design was elegant, every detail carefully crafted. The gardens were meticulously pruned, flowers and shrubs perfectly ordered.
She approached the porch, stepping onto the wooden floorboards that creaked softly beneath her.
“Who’s there?” came a woman’s voice from inside.
“I’ll check.”
Fallon appeared in the doorway and spotted Caitlin admiring the garden. “Oh, Caitlin. What are you doing here?”
“I passed by and saw how beautiful it was, so I thought I’d take a look. What is this place?” Caitlin asked casually, feigning ignorance.
“It’s my mother’s residence. Would you like to come in?”
“Of course.”
Caitlin followed Fallon into the inner room. On the bed, propped against pillows, lay an elderly woman.
“Mom, this is Caitlin, the relative I told you about.”
“Oh? So she’s Caitlin?”
Delilah studied the young woman and nodded. “Such presence.”
“Madam, how do you do?”
Caitlin stepped forward, greeting her warmly and taking her hand.
“Good, good. I’m glad to see you. I only wish I could keep you company, but my body won’t allow it.”
Delilah had long been bedridden by illness. At times she could move about in a wheelchair, but mostly she remained in bed.
“It doesn’t matter. Your health comes first. And isn’t Nicoletta helping with the family affairs?”
Delilah sighed. “Yes. With Nicoletta managing things, I can rest easy.”
Caitlin sat by the bed and asked Fallon, “What illness does she have? Has she not received hospital treatment?”
Fallon explained, “She was fine twenty years ago. Then suddenly she developed a form of cartilage degeneration. Slowly she lost the ability to move. Now she relies on medication and supplements to maintain her body.”
Caitlin’s eyes drifted to the bedside table where a cup held a brown liquid. “Is this what she drinks every day?”
“Yes. The servants just brought it after mixing it. She hasn’t drunk it yet.”
“May I smell it?”
“Of course. It’s very bitter. My mom hates it. And honestly, after all this time, it hasn’t improved her condition.”
Caitlin lifted the cup and inhaled gently. “What exactly is in this? Do you have the prescription?”
“Why? Is there a problem?” Fallon asked.
Caitlin explained simply, “I’ve studied some pharmacology and nutrition. I want to see if this formula suits your mother’s condition. If she keeps drinking it without relief, perhaps it’s the wrong treatment.”
Fallon trusted her. She quickly fetched the doctor’s prescription. Caitlin read through it carefully, her brows knitting.
“Well? Is this formula unsuitable for my mother?” Fallon asked anxiously.
Caitlin looked up and spoke honestly. “The ingredients listed are fine. But when I smelled the supplement just now, I noticed not only the scent of nutrients but also the odor of medicine. Yet the prescription contains no such medicine. Doesn’t that strike you as strange?”
Fallon’s eyes widened. She glanced at her mother. Delilah looked baffled. “What do you mean?”
“I mean this formula may have been tampered with.”
Her words startled both mother and daughter.
“How could that be? Who would dare tamper with my mother’s medicine?”