Chapter 619

618
618
Irene spat out the words . In her eyes , a cold , vengeful hatred burned .
Liora sensed no danger , never imagining Irene would resort to murder . She picked up the wine glass , tilted her head back , and was just about to drink it
all down .
In an instant , the private room door burst open . Irene and Liora snapped their heads in perfect unison . Yorick burst into the doorway , panting heavily , his chest heaving .
Liora’s gaze softened with affection . “ Yorick , ” she asked softly , “ how did you find me here ? ”
Yorick completely ignored Liora , strode straight to Irene , yanked her wrist , and commanded , “ Come back with me now . ”
“ You’re the one who should leave . Get the hell away from me ! ” Irene impatiently flung his hand away , her eyes blazing with furious crimson . “ Don’t you dare interrupt Ms. Thomas and me while we’re drinking . ”
As she spoke , Irene’s gaze locked onto Liora with an intense glare . “ Ms. Thomas , this drink must be had tonight . If you refuse , you’re not just disrespecting me . As love rivals , how else are we supposed to truly bury the hatchet ? ”
“ Alright , ” Liora murmured , her eyes heavy with reluctant longing . “ Yorick , I won’t cling to you anymore . Consider this drink my apology to Irene . I wish you both happiness . ”
Once again , Liora raised the wine glass to her lips . Suddenly , Yorick snatched the glass of wine from Liora’s hand . He tilted his head back and downed it in one swift gulp .
“ No ! ” Irene screamed , her voice breaking with desperation . Irene’s warning came too late . Yorick had already downed the poisoned wine . Moments later , Yorick collapsed to the ground , clutching his stomach as he vomited a mouthful of blood .
Irene dropped to her knees , her trembling hands clutching Yorick as he weakly grasped her wrist . With labored breath , he managed to ask , “ Now … do you believe me ? ”
Tears streamed down Irene’s face as she cried out , “ Why would you do this ? ”
“ You fool , if I hadn’t done this , what would have become of you ? ”
Liora , who had just called the ambulance , suddenly realized the truth . She stared at Irene in utter disbelief , a bone – chilling dread creeping through her entire body . “ Irene , did you poison the wine ? You actually tried to kill me ! Are you out of your mind ? ”
“ Ms. Thomas … ” Yorick looked at Liora with great difficulty , his voice barely above a whisper .
“ If I die today … I’m begging you … Please don’t tell anyone about this … and don’t hold Irene accountable … She wasn’t herself today … This is all my fault … please , let her go … ” Before he could finish speaking , Yorick was out cold .
The ambulance arrived just in time , and both Irene and Liora were rushed inside . Thanks to her considerable wealth , Liora immediately summoned top medical specialists to save Yorick .
Yorick’s stomach was pumped just in time , saving his life . But the poison , with properties similar to agricultural pesticides , inevitably caused some internal damage . At Yorick’s bedside , Irene kept a constant vigil , never leaving his side for even a moment .
Standing at a distance , it finally dawned on Liora how far she had overstepped . Her desperate attempts to possess Yorick had caused immeasurable harm , not just to his family but to Yorick himself./
Liora wished with all her heart that she had been the one to drink the poison . Watching Irene clutch Yorick’s hand tightly , Liora thought , ‘ She must be hoping he’ll pull through , just like I am .’
After much deep reflection , Liora was overcome with genuine remorse . At last , she saw the truth . She had been wrong all along .
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Thu , 24 Jur
618
Liora said to Irene , “ Once Yorick wakes up , I’ll leave immediately . I’ll never bother him again . As long as he’s alive and well , nothing else matters ”
Irene remained silent .
When Yorick finally regained consciousness, his eyes immediately locked onto Irene .
Seeing Yorick’s eyes filled with Irene , watching Irene sob in his arms as he comforted her tenderly , Liora knew with painful clarity that she had lost . Or rather , she had no right to talk about that because Yorick had never taken an interest in her .
Liora understood that Yorick drank the poison not to protect her , but to keep Irene from facing the consequences . True to her word , Liora left Nareigh for good and never held Irene accountable for what had happened .
“ Thank you ,” Yorick said .
Irene snapped back to reality . Her memories ended there . “ That’s what your dad’s final words to Liora were . As for where Liora went after that , or why she ended up having a child with Werner , I really don’t know .
“ After your father woke up , he told me he knew I was going to kill Liora . He said Werner had called him , saying I’d bought poison through his friends . I lied to Werner , telling him it was just for getting rid of rats at home .
“ That excuse might have fooled Werner , but not your father . Otherwise , he wouldn’t have found me . ”
Jonathan listened in silence , his brow furrowed . “ And then ? Did it just end like that ? ”
“ Even though he had his stomach pumped that time … ” Irene choked out , her voice trembling .
“ The poison still affected him . Tests showed liver dysfunction . He had to give up his previous job and could only manage clerical work after that . I felt so guilty . I cooked him all sorts of delicious meals , but his health was never the same . ”
As she said this , tears streamed down Irene’s face . “ And then , your father was diagnosed with liver cancer . My world just collapsed in that moment .
“ I always felt it was my fault . He went out of his way to consult so many doctors , just to reassure me , explaining that there was no direct link between his cancer and the poison . I know he just didn’t want me to blame myself . ”
Irene’s gaze drifted to the items on the table as she spoke .
“ He prepared those recordings and the handwritten letters stating he wouldn’t hold me accountable because he was terrified I might face legal consequences if Liora went back on her words .
“ It was only later that I realized just how much Yorick was suffering from liver ascites at that time . But he never wanted me to worry . Every time we spoke , he’d force himself to endure the agony and put on a brave face .
“ When you were in kindergarten , your father passed away . He held my hand and urged me to remarry , to find someone who could take care of us . But ! refused . There will never be another man as wonderful as him . ”
Irene buried her face in trembling hands , sobs wracking her body as she gazed at Jonathan through tear – blurred eyes .
“ You’re my only son . For all these years , you’ve been my entire hope . I’ve poured everything into raising and nurturing you , only for you to suddenly rush into marriage with some spoiled , pampered rich girl who can’t even cook a decent meal .
“ I just couldn’t bear the thought of your wife turning out like Liora . That’s exactly why I was so against you marrying Teresa. ”
Jonathan’s brow furrowed slightly . He spoke , each word weighted with conviction , “ She’s nothing like Liora .”
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