Chapter 12 I'll Come to See You Tonight

• "You—how could you even say such a thing?"
• Marie's eyes flared with anger, nearly bursting into flames.
• Whitney shrugged it off casually and said, "I'm just telling the truth."
• Marie was struck speechless, her gaze filled with disbelief, as though she were staring at a monster.
• This was Whitney. Whitney, once so meek and obedient, never dared to respond, regardless of the severity of the criticism.
• How did she become so sharp-tongued today?
• Shaun wasn't expecting such a response either. His face turned grim, his deep eyes flashing dangerously. He looked like he wanted to tear her apart.
• This woman had changed a lot over the years. And her words—so blunt, so direct.
• What was that? Experienced it already? And it was just that?
• Grinding his teeth, Shaun glared at Whitney. His gaze so incredibly dangerous.
• Whitney felt the prickling sensation of being watched and a sudden unease creeping over her.
• Not interested in arguing any further, she called Skylar and Andy to her side and walked upstairs without another glance.
• Shaun remained stationary, his expression stern, clearly not intending to follow.
• However, Bianca tugged at his hand, drawing his attention.
• He looked down and saw his daughter staring up at him, pointing toward Whitney as she disappeared around the corner.
• Her gaze was silently urging him to go after her.
• Shaun frowned but stayed put.
• Bianca grew a little anxious when he gave no response.
• The pretty lady and the boys were leaving and she hadn't even had the chance to speak to them.
• When her father didn't move, Bianca puffed up her cheeks. She let go of his hand and hurried off to chase them herself.
• "Bianca, where are you going?" Marie immediately called after her.
• Bianca paid her no mind, her short legs running as fast as they could up the stairs.
• Shaun frowned deeper. With no choice, he strode after her.
• Marie was furious when she saw both of them leave.
• "I knew it! That woman returning is nothing but trouble! Those two already divorced—why does she keep haunting us?!"
• Jack sighed and patted her back gently, trying to calm her down. He said, "Alright, calm down. The most important thing now is to focus on Dad's health."
• Marie ground her teeth and twisted her face with resentment.
• "I don't believe Whitney has the skills for this. Once I expose her true colors, I'll send her packing back to where she came from!"
• ...
• Shaun quickly caught up to Whitney upstairs, easily overtaking her with his long strides.
• "Stop. You haven't told me about Grandfather's condition yet."
• Whitney ignored his command, not even sparing him a glance. She continued walking out of the main house, heading towards Southward House.
• Little Bianca trailed closely behind, determined not to fall behind.
• She watched the three of them with a yearning gaze.
• Skylar and Andy noticed her, feeling a bit sorry, and turned back to glance at her a few times. But every time they made eye contact, they quickly looked away again.
• Bianca felt a little lost but kept following.
• The sight only angered Shaun further.
• His expression grew darker by the second. With a few quick steps, he grabbed Whitney's wrist.
• "Stop!" He commanded harshly.
• His grip was firm, and Whitney stumbled slightly.
• She was caught off guard and nearly bumped into his chest. Her chin even collided with his collarbone.
• "Ouch! It's hurt!"
• She winced in pain. Whitney rubbed her chin and asked, "What are you doing?!"
• Shaun glared back at her from his towering height, his voice cold.
• "I should be asking you that."
• His gaze briefly flickered to his daughter, and anger simmered within him. Grinding his teeth, he used this as an excuse.
• "You saw the patient and didn't say a word. Is that your idea of professionalism as a doctor?"
• Whitney frowned, trying to free her wrist, but he wouldn't let go.
• She demanded, "Let go of me!"
• Shaun's grip remained firm, and coldness radiated from him.
• "What now? Sneaking away without a word again? Whitney, is this the only thing you're good at after all these years?"
• His words carried a double meaning.
• Was he referring to how she had disappeared after their night together years ago?
• Whitney found the accusation inexplicable. She replied coldly, "I thought leaving was exactly what you wanted."
• A vein throbbed at Shaun's temple as he struggled to keep his temper in check. He said, "You're grandpa's doctor now. It's your duty to report his condition. Don't you even have that much professionalism?"
• Whitney pursed her lips.
• Naturally, she had intended to report
• She just didn't feel like it after being snapped at by Marie.
• Truthfully, she hadn't given a full diagnosis just yet for a different reason.
• Whitney decided to get straight to the point. She said, "I wasn't really Caden just now. I only went through the motions."
• Shaun froze in shock and asked, "Why?"
• "Because Caden has been poisoned."
• For a moment, it was as if the sun had been swallowed by clouds and cast a shadow over the entire estate.
• Shaun stood rooted to the spot. He was stunned.
• "Poisoned? How is that possible?"
• "It's true. Why wouldn't it be? The car accident from a few years ago didn't cause permanent damage, but the long-term deterioration of his nerve system led to his partial paralysis. That's because of the poisoning."
• Whitney's tone was serious, each word sharp and clear.
• "What puzzles me is that there's no mention of this in his medical report."
• Shaun's eyes narrowed, and he asked, "What are you implying?"
• "You're a smart man, Mr. Marshall. Surely you can figure it out."
• Whitney didn't spell it out, but her meaning was obvious.
• Shaun fixed his eyes on her. His gaze was sharp, as if trying to see through her completely.
• At the same time, her words replayed in his mind.
• No mention of poisoning in the report? What did that mean?
• Was it that the medical team missed it, or was someone deliberately hiding the truth?
• Shaun's expression changed, and his voice was low and dangerous.
• "Do you have any idea what you're accusing here? I hired that medical team at great expense. Their reputation, their expertise, their standing in the field—it's all beyond question!"
• Whitney cut him off.
• "Skill and integrity don't always go hand in hand. Sometimes, all it takes is a little bribe to compromise someone's morals, wouldn't you agree?"
• A heavy silence fell between them before Shaun asked again, "Are you certain?"
• Whitney was about to respond when she realized their position was rather awkward.
• Shaun still had her wrist in his grip, and she was almost leaning into his chest.
• Their faces were unnervingly close as they spoke, with their heads tilted.
• From a distance, the scene looked almost intimate.
• Startled by the realization, Whitney quickly yanked her hand back and stepped away from him.
• Then, she opened the medical kit she had been carrying and pulled out the silver needle she had just used.
• "See? Isn't this proof enough?"
• The blackened tips of the needle were undeniable. Shaun stared at them, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
• "I didn't say anything earlier because Dr. Hampton was there. I didn't want to raise an alarm and let the culprit slip away."
• As the skies grew darker, so did Shaun's expression.
• Although his grandfather no longer managed the family's affairs, his influence was still significant.
• That someone would try to kill him—and in such a slow, insidious way—was unforgivable.
• Despite his anger, Shaun remained calm enough to think clearly.
• Suppressing his fury, he spoke in a low, controlled voice. "I'll need to investigate this further. If what you say is true, how can you treat him?"
• Whitney nodded. "I'm confident. My initial diagnosis suggests it's a slow-acting poison. If it were anything worse, Caden wouldn't have lived long enough to call me. Fortunately, detoxification is my specialty."
• It appeared that whoever had poisoned Caden made a grave mistake by crossing paths with Whitney.
• Confident, Whitney seemed to glow as she spoke, her radiance almost overwhelming.
• For a brief moment, Shaun was dazed by her presence. Finally, he said, "Go back and wait for me. I'll come see you tonight."