“John, don’t be such a drama queen. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve gone out, yet I still got into trouble. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I can’t keep hiding forever or be a burden to our family. I’m sure they’ve excluded kidnapping from their future agenda after my last incident. I need to do my part too. I can’t just stay at home alone and come up with imaginary scenarios in my head.”
I knew I came across as harsh, but I wasn’t mad at them. I only wanted to motivate myself.
“I’ve given it some thought. Since Tinsel Group is so chummy with the Zieglers and the Trivetts, I have to keep my job there.” I used my most serious tone as I conveyed my intentions.
Dragging me into their dirty deals might not be as easy as Tinsel Group thought. I was determined to make them feel like they had lured a wolf into a rabbit’s den at the end of it.
“I’m glad that you want to help us. At the same time, I don’t want you to enter the lion’s den,” John cautioned.
“John’s right. Since they know who you are, they’ll have their guards up. Besides, you’re unhappy there, so why don’t you transfer to another law firm? You can still become an impressive lawyer then,” Louis added.
I opened my mouth in retort, but before I could say anything, I let out a few deep, hacking coughs. My throat and eyes itched painfully.
What started as a mild cough soon became uncontrollable. When John realized that something was wrong, a salty, metallic taste had made its way up my throat. I spat out some blood on the ground before me and the last thing I heard was John calling out to me.
“Letty!”
“You b*stard! Didn’t you say it wasn’t fatal? Why did you lie to us? I’m going to kill you!”
“John, calm down! We’re at the Stovall residence. If you really harm him, you’re going to drag Uncle Louis with you into the mess.”
As I came to, I heard John and Emma arguing loudly. I slowly opened my eyes to Ashton’s face. He was peering at me, concern evident in his eyes.
“What happened?” I croaked.
“Letty?” John pushed aside the elderly doctor he had been threatening in his haste to reach my side. I was greeted by the sight of his bloodshot eyes. “You’re awake. Thank god, you’re awake.”
“Why is it so noisy?” I began to regain some of my strength. Ashton helped me sit up against the bed.
After I regained my composure, I took in the scene before me. The doctor who had treated me in M Country was here.
He avoided my gaze. They seemed to agree on keeping me in the dark regarding the severity of my situation. I didn’t have to be an idiot to tell that something was very wrong. After all, John’s expression gave everything away. The last time he looked like this was when he was breaking up with Hannah.
“Can you all leave the room first? I’d like to spend some time with Ashton alone.”
A patient’s word was always the sacred decree. As such, John shooed everyone out of the room in a second. Now, Ashton and I were alone.
Ashton poured a glass of warm water for me, gently coaxing me to take small sips. He sat down later and started peeling an apple wordlessly. I watched the long string of peel, mesmerized at its perfection.
He always does things perfectly, even when it comes to small things.
“Ashton,” I called out to him.
“Yes?” Ashton was laser-focused on the task at hand.
“We promised we wouldn’t lie to each other. I need to know the truth. I don’t want to find out from anyone else.”
He paused in the middle of peeling. A moment later, he continued moving the knife as he removed the peel completely. Only then did he lift his head to look at me. Passing the apple to me, he said, “When we’re in M Country, those men knew they couldn’t afford to offend John, so they lied about the toxin’s lethality. They pretended that it could be cured with medication so that it would give them time to escape. In truth, the medication can only temporarily inhibit the toxin’s effects on your body. It can’t get rid of it.”
The apple in my hand suddenly weighed a ton. I felt at a loss of what to do.
Though I was still in a haze before I opened my eyes earlier, I could clearly hear the word “fatal” from John’s mouth.
