Chapter 12

I gazed deeply at my husband, my heart aching for his misfortunes, yet feeling a surge of desperate courage within me. Truth be told, I hadn't actually seen anything. I said what I did because I knew my father-in-law was a shrewd man—he must have already guessed that the mastermind behind this was likely one of his two younger brothers or several nephews. My husband was the primary heir to the Carter family's fortune. Only with him out of the picture could others seize their chance to take control. And my father-in-law clearly didn't want to escalate the situation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have refrained from calling the police immediately after the incident, opting instead to feign anger and intimidate the maid into confessing. My task was to help him preserve the Carter family's dignity while coaxing the truth out of that maid. "Dad, I have a favor to ask." "Go ahead." "If she was truly deceived and acted with good intentions, then ignorance should excuse her. Could we give her a chance? As long as she tells us who tricked her into adding that drug to the soup, maybe we could go easy on her." Before I could finish, my mother-in-law and Lily erupted in fury. "Helen! You shameless wretch! How dare you side with outsiders! She tried to kill your husband! You're no better than a traitor!" My mother-in-law lunged at me, landing a vicious slap across my face with such force that my right ear rang momentarily, deafening me for a brief moment. "You vile creature! I never should have let you marry into the Carter family! Heartless ingrate! You're unworthy of being Ethan's wife!" "Mom!" "Enough!" My father-in-law's roar cut through the chaos. Ethan struggled to rise unsteadily from the sofa, trying to shield me. I gently pressed him back, shaking my head reassuringly. It's alright, my love. For you, I'll bear this slap. "I'll give her a chance." True to form, my father-in-law, unwilling to escalate matters, conceded to my suggestion. "Before dawn tomorrow, whoever's responsible must come to my study and confess everything. I'll give you money to leave, and that will be the end of it. But if anyone still refuses to come forward, prepare to face prison. Now, everyone—back to your rooms! Lights out! No one leaves until morning!" "No way!" the mother-in-law shrieked, her voice piercing through the tense air. "How can we let that damned murderer walk free?" "This household operates under my authority! Meeting adjourned! Steward, have security monitor all surveillance tonight. If anyone dares to make private contact or attempt to sneak away, I'll immediately notify the police and issue an arrest warrant!" The father-in-law's tone brooked no argument, his words final as a judge's gavel. As the gathering dispersed, the mother-in-law and Lily shot me venomous glares, roughly pushing past me when I tried to assist Ethan. My peripheral vision caught subtle reactions—Uncle Number Two and Uncle Number Three's expressions flickered before my gaze settled on Nicholas. He stood there with a lazy smile, but his eyes held a glacial glint that sent shivers down my spine. That predatory look made my skin crawl. Noticing my attention, he arched an eyebrow in silent challenge. "Helen, come with me to the study," the father-in-law commanded. "Yes," I replied. The others filed out with nervous glances, their footsteps echoing the tension in the air. As Nicholas passed me, he leaned in so close his breath tickled my ear, whispering words meant for me alone: "Helen, your cleverness... it makes my fingers itch with anticipation." An involuntary shudder ran through me, forcing me back a step. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Uncle Number Two studying me—his gaze was like a scalpel, precise and penetrating beneath its calm surface. I lowered my head, deliberately avoiding his scrutiny. The familial bonds in this house ran colder than I'd ever imagined. Following the father-in-law into the book-lined study, I watched as he sipped his tea with deliberate calm. His eyes pinned me in place, their intensity unnerving. "Helen," he began, the steam from his cup curling between us, "did you truly witness who administered the poison?"