Chapter 210
Two hours later, Tuff led Daniel and Amelia to a secluded, high-end sanatorium in the Lunova suburbs.
โIsnโt Jonasโs master a poison expert? Did she retire here or something?โ Daniel asked in surprise.
Tuff replied, โThis is one of the Flying Tiger Gateโs research bases.โ
โImpressive, really impressive!โ Daniel said, clapping with genuine admiration. This place had been featured in the news several times for its excellent environment and high fees, and even he had thought it was just a sanatorium. Turns out, this was full of hidden experts.
โItโs nothing special.โ Tuff waved his hand. โYour Zuckerberg family just stays out of military and political business, thatโs all.โ
Daniel just smiled at that, saying nothing.
The sanatorium was huge. After they entered with facial recognition, they drove for another twenty minutes before they finally saw Jonas. He was kneeling in front of an old lady with white hair, looking as downcast as a lost, abandoned puppy.
โGranny is the poison master of our Flying Tiger Gate. All those toxins in your hidden weapons? Sheโs the one who made them,โ Tuff explained.
Amelia asked, โSo what should I call her?โ
โJust call her Granny, like we do,โ Tuff replied.
โGot it,โ Aaron said.
Amelia nodded, walked up to Granny, and addressed her respectfully, โHello, Granny. Iโm Amelia, Landon Kingsleyโs wife.โ
โOh!โ Granny looked up, sizing Amelia up. She had a stern, imposing face, and Amelia felt a little nervous.
But when Jonas saw Amelia, he looked like he had found a lifeline. โMaster, I risked my life to save herโฆโ
โYou poisoned her half to death, and youโve still got the nerve to say that?โ Granny interrupted him with a scoff, clearly unimpressed.
โIโm sorry, Masterโฆ I shouldnโt have done that,โ Jonas confessed, his expression sheepish.
With the tension finally lifted, Amelia looked at Granny. โCan you cure the poison?โ she asked.
โOf course I can,โ Granny replied, tilting her chin up with pride, obviously unimpressed by her discipleโs abilities.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at her words. Right now, Aiden absolutely wouldnโt die.
โCome here, Landonโs wife. Let me have a good look at you,โ Granny said.
Amelia stepped forward.
The old lady studied her for a long moment, then suddenly asked, โWho are you to Catherine Hughes?โ
Amelia was taken aback. โYou have sharp eyes, Granny. Iโm her daughter.โ
โNo wonderโฆโ Granny seemed to realize something. โYouโve got the same courage and determination as your mother!โ
โThank you for the compliment, Granny.โ Amelia smiled politely, though inside she just felt lost. She wondered if her mom was really that gutsy and bold. No one ever told her that before.
โSince this brat helped you out, Iโll begrudgingly let him back into the Gate,โ Granny said.
Jonas was overjoyed, bowing again and again. โThank you, Master! Thank you!โ
โGet up! Bring me the rest of the poison. Iโll show you how to make the antidote,โ Granny instructed.
โYes, Master.โ Jonas stood up, cupped his hands respectfully to Amelia as a gesture of thanks, then he trotted eagerly after Granny to help make the antidote.
โGranny!โ Amelia suddenly called out.
Granny stopped in her tracks. โWhat is it?โ
โIs it possible to turn this poison into a chronic one, so heโll have to keep coming back to me?โ Amelia asked.
โThatโs actually a pretty clever move,โ Tuff said, arching an eyebrow. 'Landon really knows how to pick โem. His wifeโs not just gorgeous, sheโs sharp too,' he thought. He had been racking his brain for a way to keep Aiden safe without tipping anyone off. Now, that problem was solved.
โTuff?โ Granny turned to Tuff for his thoughts.
Tuff nodded. โThatโs exactly what I was thinking.โ
โAlright,โ she said.
With Grannyโs approval, Amelia couldnโt help but feel both happy and a little envious.
โGranny is really amazingโฆโ she said.
โOf course she is,โ Tuff replied.
Tuff, ever the social one, started setting up the coffee set. Since Amelia was pregnant, he poured her a glass of water. โSo, why do you still want Aiden alive?โ
โIf he dies, that means weโve completely fallen out with the Kington Gang. Itโs better to keep him alive and always under our thumb,โ Amelia said, flashing a cunning smile. She also had a little extra thought in the back of her mind: if Landonโs mission this time had anything to do with the Kyle family, keeping Aiden alive would give her an extra ace up her sleeve.
โWow, you really are clever and wise. Iโll toast you with coffee instead of wine now.โ Tuff chuckled.
โIโll return the toastโฆ with water!โ Amelia replied, raising her glass.
The three of them clinked their glasses and shared a toast, each lost in their own thoughts.
Granny worked fast. In just two hours, she whipped up the antidote; forty pills in total.
โThat many?โ Daniel stared at the pills like they were miracle medicine.
โTake one every three months, four a year. These forty will last you ten years. If heโs still your enemy after ten years, justโฆ.โ
Amelia couldnโt help but be stunned. 'Granny really doesnโt mess around, what a savage poison master!'
โIf Flying Tiger Gate canโt wipe out an enemy in ten years, thatโs just plain embarrassing,โ Granny added, shooting a pointed look at Tuff.
Tuff looked embarrassed, his hand automatically going to his head.
Aiden was locked up in a rundown guesthouse by Daniel, guarded by bodyguards. He had been in a poisoned stupor for days, completely oblivious to his surroundings.
When Aiden finally woke up and realized he was stuck in a run-down guesthouse, he instantly blew his top. โWho the hell brought me here?โ
โMe,โ Daniel replied, rapping his knuckles on the table.
โSeriously? Youโre making me stay in a dump like this? Donโt tell me the mighty Zuckerberg family canโt even spring for a real hotel!โ Aiden couldnโt stop scratching himself, his whole body itching like crazy. He had never stayed in a place this miserable before.
Daniel could barely hold back a laugh. โYou kept my sister locked up for a whole month, and now youโre whining about a few days in a guesthouse?โ
โDonโt you know Iโm a total clean freak?โ Aiden yelled, scratching at his face like crazy.
โNo.โ Daniel just stared blankly.
Aiden rolled his eyes. 'Please. You expect me to believe that?' Then, he took a deep breath and asked, โWhereโs Amelia?โ
โShe went home,โ Daniel replied. โFrom now on, if youโve got a problem, take it up with me.โ
โTake it up with you? Do you really have the power to decide whether Landon lives or dies?โ Aiden sneered. They had the nerve to set him up, and he was going to make them regret it.
โI canโt. But I can decide whether you live or die,โ Daniel said with a relaxed grin. โBet you didnโt even realize youโve been poisoned, huh, Aiden?โ
Aidenโs expression shifted in an instant. His memories stopped at that birthday party. What shouldโve been a happy celebration, but thanks to a poisoned apple from Amelia, he went down hard. Luckily, she only poisoned him; she didnโt actually take his life.
โDamn it! Dad was right, chasing after women really is asking for trouble. Ameliaโs soft touch almost got me killed!โ Aiden thought. But even so, he just couldnโt bring himself to hate her, not even a little.
All he could think was how clever, how patient, and how truly wise Amelia was. She actually managed to poison him right in his own house, with all those servants watching, pulling it off without anyone noticing. Now that was impressive.
โThe poison in your system is something totally new; nobody else out there can cure it,โ Daniel said, shaking a bottle of pills in front of him. โIf you want to get rid of it for good, youโll have to take every last one of these.โ
Aidenโs face turned dark as he made a grab for Daniel. โHand them over!โ
The bodyguards jumped in right away, blocking his way.
Aiden was left gasping for air, clearly too weak to fight back.
โOne pill every three months, for ten years straight. From now on, Iโll make sure you get your antidote on schedule, as long as you behave and stay out of trouble,โ Daniel said.