Chapter 991
I lowered myself in front of her, enclosed her hands between mine, and met her gaze. My voice dropped into a serious murmur. “Lianne, I can’t keep waiting. Every hospital visit, every spell of dizziness, every bout of exhaustion, every warning the doctors give me about your condition makes it harder to pretend we have time. I’m going to gamble everything. I need to force Melisa to give me the complete antidote before those toxins do any more damage to you.”
I had expected fear. Maybe she would tell me to be patient or insist that we wait until the odds were better.
Instead, she remained remarkably composed. Her fingers curled around mine.
“Then do it,” she said quietly, determination steady beneath her words. “I know you’d put your life on the line for me. So I’m not afraid. I believe in you.”
Something tightened inside my chest. I squeezed her hand.
This situation had started because of me. If I’d been more careful that day and hadn’t allowed her to drink the contaminated water, none of this would have happened. She had paid the price for my mistake, and that debt weighed heavily on me.
Perhaps she saw the guilt written across my face, because she spoke again.
“Ethan, I’ve never held it against you.”
Her compassion only strengthened my determination. Whatever I had to sacrifice, I would obtain that antidote.
Several minutes later, Jeremy emerged from the examination room with Tracy. Her complexion remained slightly washed out, but the panic had disappeared from her expression. The doctor had assured them that she would recover as long as she rested properly.
I watched Lianne leave alongside them. I didn’t move until they disappeared from sight at the far end of the corridor. Only then did I turn toward the elevator.
The restaurant was softly lit, with muted golden lamps and quiet music playing in the background. I took a seat near the window and left the glass of water in front of me untouched.
Melisa soon arrived. She had clearly dressed with care. A deep wine-colored dress hugged her figure, her makeup was flawless, and her hair fell in carefully arranged waves around her shoulders. She carried herself with deliberate elegance, as though every detail had been chosen to attract my attention.
It did nothing for me. I understood exactly what she was attempting. She wanted to earn my affection, make me lower my guard, and eventually take Lianne’s place in my heart.
Unfortunately for her, the only thought occupying my mind was the antidote.
Melisa settled into the chair opposite mine, and a waiter placed menus before us. She didn’t open hers. Instead, she looked at me hesitantly. “Ethan, would it bother you if I called you honey when we’re alone?”
I rejected her outright, my tone cold. “Yes. That makes my skin crawl.”
The smile on her lips faltered, but she quickly concealed her disappointment. “Fine. Forget it. Please don’t be upset.”
I had no interest in wasting time with small talk. I set my glass down and fixed my attention on her. “Melisa, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”
She looked up. “What is it?”
“When I collapsed, the doctors discovered traces of an unidentified toxin in my body.” I watched her carefully, studying every twitch and change in her expression. “Tell me the truth. Did you poison me as well?”