Chapter 371
June was surprised to see Tiffany arrive so late and quickly went out to meet her. “Miss, what happened?”
Tiffany’s expression was troubled. “I’m here to get some medicine,” she said. Thalia’s behavior was so strange and sudden that Tiffany couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. After some thought, she shared the situation with June.
“That’s odd,” June said, baffled. “If it really is dissociative identity disorder, as the doctor suggested, even the Miracle Healer’s elixirs would be useless.”
This was the difficult part. Without understanding the condition, there was no cure. And with something like mental health, not even the Miracle Healer could do much.
“Never mind. I’ll try it anyway.” Tiffany made her way to the underground lab, where she picked up several small glass bottles. She had come in a hurry and left just as quickly. June watched her leave, worry evident in her eyes.
June said, “What kind of mother doesn’t recognize her own children and only revolves around one person? Even if she were traumatized and developed dissociative identity disorder, it wouldn’t manifest like this. Unless…”
June’s thoughts halted as a sudden realization hit her. She thought, ‘Unless someone has used poison magic on her.’
She rushed to her room, rummaging through drawers until she found an old book. Flipping through the pages, she ran her finger down each line, finally stopping on a particular entry. The book described an ancient clan of poison masters who had long since vanished. They used blood to cultivate poison, and the poison would, in turn, sustain them. Skilled practitioners could achieve remarkable, supernatural feats. But this mysterious clan had been wiped out years ago for committing too many despicable acts. Surely, none of them could still exist.
June continued reading. The book noted only two ways to remove bloodbite: either to force it out through bloodletting or for the host to die. June snapped a picture of the page and sent it to Tiffany’s phone. If Thalia was indeed under the influence of bloodbite, the only choice would be to attempt the first, risky method.
Sitting in her car, Tiffany studied the picture June sent her carefully. She felt a bit more at ease. At least there was a way to deal with it.
Chapter 371
When she returned home, the lights were off. Tiffany tiptoed to her room, closed the door behind her, and turned around, only to find herself wrapped in a familiar, cool embrace.
Richard’s voice was laced with a touch of drowsiness. “Where did you go so late?”
“Just came back from Luna Villa; I went to get some medicine,” Tiffany said. She answered him honestly, then looked up, asking, “But you still haven’t told me where you went on your last business trip.”
“I went to Felix’s territory.” He didn’t elaborate, but Tiffany understood immediately.
Tiffany said, “You… what did you do to him?”
“Are you worried about him?” Richard’s expression darkened. Before he could even finish feeling jealous, Tiffany’s eyes lit up. “You didn’t… you wiped out Felix’s entire group, didn’t you? That’s fantastic!”
Relieved, Richard smiled a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with her reaction. In his arms, Tiffany playfully nudged him. “Come on, tell me what happened. And did you see Sandra? Last time, she ran so fast at Melvor Mountain.”
“The Quaid family will release the news in a couple of days,” Richard said. It was indeed a complete wipeout. As for Sandra, he couldn’t even remember what she looked like. Richard thought back. At the castle in Isolated Riverdale, aside from a few useless henchmen, there were only some lifeless, puppet-like maids. Sandra hadn’t been among them. Felix, in his dying moments, had tried to delay his fate by offering a secret about Tiffany as a bargaining chip. But Richard didn’t have the patience to listen. Whatever the secret was, if it concerned Tiffany, he’d find it out himself. And no matter what it was, he’d stand by her side. Felix had been a fool thinking he could use Tiffany’s secret to manipulate him.
It wasn’t until Richard was on his way back to Lovell City that he heard about the Kelley family’s recognition banquet. Rushing there, Richard had saved her from the river. Even now, the memory sent a chill through him. If he had been even a moment later… Richard didn’t want to imagine the consequences.
Richard’s expression turned serious. “After our engagement, move to Royal Bay.”
Chapter 371
He wouldn’t feel at ease unless she was within reach.
Tiffany was momentarily taken aback, then laughed. “Isn’t that a bit bold? Aren’t you worried about what people might say?”
“Who would dare?” Richard said. Most people scrambled to gain his favor. No one would dare risk crossing him.
Still, Tiffany shook her head. “Let’s talk about it later. Right now, I’m more concerned about my mom. She’s been acting so strangely today. The doctor says it’s dissociative identity disorder, but… I’m afraid she may be under poison magic,” Tiffany said.
Just as she finished speaking, a soft noise came from outside the door. “Who’s there?”
She opened the door to find Melody standing at the top of the stairs, smiling sweetly. “Just getting some water. Did I disturb you?” She might have said she was getting water, but she wasn’t even holding a glass. Clearly, she’d been eavesdropping and got caught, making up a flimsy excuse.
With a smile, Tiffany sprinkled a bit of poison powder at the door and said, “Feel free to eavesdrop. Get too close, and your face will rot.” With that, Tiffany slammed the door shut.
Inside the room, Richard lounged on her bed, his tone calm but his question pointed. “Need me to deal with her? Kick her out?” He meant permanently.
“No.” Tiffany shook her head. With Thalia’s condition so unstable, if they forced Melody out, she’d follow right behind. And that wouldn’t give Tiffany any peace of mind. For now, she needed to confirm if Thalia’s condition was truly dissociative identity disorder or if it was indeed a case of poison magic. If it was the latter, she’d perform bloodletting to force out the bloodbite. Then, she’d return the favor.
Richard raised an eyebrow. Though he found it all rather complicated, he nodded and said, “Go ahead. I’ll handle whatever comes.”
With her spirits lifted, Tiffany snuggled into his neck. “Don’t worry. I was careless this time to be pushed into the river, but I’ll be more careful from now on. You don’t need to worry.”
Richard’s eyes darkened. With her nestled against him, her soft warmth was breaking down his self-control. This was too much. He swallowed, then leaned over, pinning her beneath him.
Chapter 371
Tiffany blinked in surprise as they switched positions. “Wh… what…” She looked confused. “I didn’t do anything to you, so… why are you so lacking in self-control?” The moment she said it, she regretted it.
Richard chuckled darkly. “Oh, you little troublemaker…”