Chapter 259
Stella rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small bottle of pills. “These are Jasper’s antidote,” she said.
Jasper snatched the bottle from her with almost desperate speed. Haynes, his gaze as cold and deep as an icy lake, asked, “And what about Rachel’s?”
Stella replied, “Ms. Pearce’s medication will be handed over a month after the settlement you promised me is transferred to my account.” The negotiation between Stella and Haynes was purely transactional; they had finalized their divorce, and once the billion-dollar…
Even though it was understood that Rachel’s illness would require lengthy treatment, to avoid unnecessary complications, Stella assured Haynes that Mr. Burton would prepare all of Rachel’s required medications at once. She promised detailed instructions on dosages and future treatment plans, ensuring everything would be comprehensive. If the supply ran out, Mr. Burton would continue to provide what was necessary.
What if the treatment didn’t work? Deceiving Haynes came with consequences. No one had ever successfully swindled such a fortune from him without repercussions.
Jasper interjected, “Stella, you’re hesitant to give Rachel the medication now because you’re afraid of being exposed later and losing the billion, aren’t you?”
Stella turned to Jasper with a smirk. “Exactly. I’m not only worried about losing the money, but also about the divorce not going through.” Jasper was momentarily speechless.
In fact, he had considered that once he got his hands on Rachel’s medication, he would claim it was ineffective, regardless of its actual impact. He hoped Haynes would then take his anger out on Stella, making her pay dearly.
But he forgot that during the mandatory divorce cooling-off period, if either party had a change of heart, the divorce could be stalled indefinitely. If Stella suddenly refused to go through with it out of respect for Keen, Haynes would find himself at an impasse. Therefore, the priority was ensuring Haynes went through with the divorce first.
Stella looked up at Haynes again. “Mr. Burton needs time to concoct the medication. Do you think life-saving drugs are that easy to produce? If they were so simple, you wouldn’t have been searching high and low for specialists all this time with no success.”
She spoke convincingly, her lies woven seamlessly into the conversation. Moreover, Ms. Pearce needs to stay with Mr. Burton for a few more days. She has already lost several days due to her fainting spells and hospital stays. These days need to be accounted for.
“If I hand over all the medication to you now and she doesn’t show up the next day, Mr. Burton won’t be able to continue her treatment.” Seemingly persuaded by her reasoning, both Jasper and Haynes fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
Inwardly, Stella marveled at the thrill of deception. No wonder Rachel enjoyed tricking people so much. Fooling these gullible individuals was oddly satisfying. After all, there was nothing wrong with Rachel. Stella had free rein to manipulate the situation as she saw fit.
During this time, Stella spent each day grinding pills, which Rachel mistakenly believed to be a task assigned by Mr. Burton. Little did she know Stella was actually crafting her so-called life-saving medication.
Mr. Burton had indeed called Stella to assist him, but he had no intention of wasting time on Rachel’s imaginary illness. Stella, having studied herbal medicine under Mr. Burton, was tasked with overseeing the entire treatment plan, including dosages and administration.
Through the laborious process of making the medicine by hand, Stella finally understood why Mr. Burton despised those who feigned illness. The intricate steps involved in crafting the remedies kept Stella thoroughly occupied.
Stella called Abby Murphy over to lend a hand.