Chapter 220


    Tiana slipped out of her scrubs, put on her shades, and dashed down the corridor, only to bump into Dr.


    Horatio.


    He and another doctor were hurrying from the Nephrology Department to the Oncology Department,


    saying, “I just made a promise to ine, and now this girl wants even more!”


    Tiana froze.


    What promise? Squinting behind her sunsses, she trailed them discreetly.


    The stomach cancer ward in the Oncology Department was on the most harshly conditioned fifth floor.


    As Dr. Horatio and the doctor entered, a gaunt figure lunged at them, only to be stopped by a


    bodyguard. The girl begged desperately, “Dr. Horatio, yes, we agreed on 300 thousand dors, but now


    my dad’s cancer needs proton therapy, and the hospital says it’s another hundred grand. You promised


    me that as long as I made the donation, you’d help treat my dad as much as possible. I had no choice.


    Please, can you give me another hundred grand? I have nothing left to sell.”


    “Shut up!” Dr. Horatio’s face turned stormy as he had the bodyguard silence the girl and drag her into


    an emergency stairwell.


    Other visitors in the hallway nced over, assuming it was just a hospital disturbance, and soon lost


    interest.


    Tiana had thought the same, but then she remembered hearing the word ‘donation’. Thus, she pressed


    her mask tighter to her face, inching closer to the stairwell.


    To her surprise, Dr. Horatio and the other doctor came out.


    Tiana quickly ducked into a patient’s room.


    Once they were gone, she frowned and stepped into the stairwell.


    In the dim light, the skeletal girl was sobbing. Beaten and bruised, her fists pounded the floor in


    helpless anger. “What am I supposed to do? I have nothing left to sell. Why are these doctors so


    heartless, leaving Dad to die…”


    Tiana watched her for a moment; then it clicked: Why could she not find any leads on those four


    transnt patients in Nephrology? Why was there nothing odd about the kidney data? Maybe ine


    had not struck there at all!


    She fixed her gaze on the girl and, following a hunch, asked, “What did you sell that got you 300


    thousand dors from Dr. Horatio?”


    The girl looked up in shock. She scrambled to her feet warily.


    Tiana tried to approach her, but the girl distanced herself and fled, clutching her abdomen.


    Tiana watched her clutch at her belly, her heart racing.


    shes of the conversation she overheard in the director’s office came back to her.


    Dr. Horatio mentioned how shallow ine’s surgical scars were.


    Lyra corrected him, saying how could a kidney donation scar be shallow…


    She thought it through and smirked coldly but lost sight of the girl.


    Which patient room was her father in? Damn it, stumbling upon all this was a lucky break, but where


    could she find this girl now?


    Tiana was almost certain that if she could investigate this girl, she would uncover the truth Whitney


    needed.


    Whitney had concocted an antidote pill but could not deliver it to Everwood Vi Estate, so she had to


    secretly contact Taryn and arrange a meeting.


    They decided to meet near Whitney’s apartment.


    Taryn arrived with a heavy sigh and tears welling up in her eyes.


    “Madam, what on earth is going on? We’re out of the loop in the mansion, only hearing from ine’s


    confidante maid that you’ve signed divorce papers with Mr. Lippert.


    That morning, Mr. Lippert even took you to visit his mother. Xandra and I thought you had reconciled.


    After you left that day, the maid said Mr. Lippert threw a huge tantrum in the living room, smashing


    almost everything in sight!”


    Whitney gave a numb, bitter smile, unsure how to begin exining.


    Taryn was visibly upset. “How did things between you and him escte to divorce? Now, the child


    inside you is left uncertain while ine’s openly shopping for furniture and decorating the vi, and in


    two days, she’s getting engaged to Mr. Lippert. He’s rushing into this!


    Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    ine, relying on his empathy, has us treating her like thedy of the house, or else we’re out on our


    ears… s…”


    Listening, Whitney felt sad and powerless.


    Sad at how he doted on ine, powerless at the thought of the old servants like Taryn and Xandra in


    such a tough spot.


    Extracting arge packet of pills, she handed them to Taryn. “Listen carefully, Taryn, I can’t go back


    now, but there are toxins in Mom’s body! I’m worried about her, so I’ve made this antidote. You need to


    secretly give her one pill daily. Here’s a six-month supply; I’ll find a way to contact you after that. If


    there’s an emergency and we can’t get in touch, take this to the address, and they’ll know how to


    produce this pill.


    This medicine will gradually cleanse the toxins without altering her organ’s appearance so she can


    avoid ine’s inspections. Remember, whatever ine feeds her after visiting, you need to remove it


    with a stomach pump.


    If, in three years, Mom doesn’t pass as the doctors predict, it means she’s recovering. Then, I’ll switch


    to a stronger medication, and maybe she’ll wake up. So for the next three years, it’s crucial you protect


    her.”


    She exined hurriedly, showing Taryn the blood test report.


    Though Taryn was not a pharmacist, she could read.


    Shaken, she paled and said, “Madam, are you saying that ine poisoned Mr. Lippert’s mother?”


    Whitney’s voice dripped with scorn. “Who else could it be? Mom didn’t have to be a vegetable.


    ine’s using the poison to keep her unconscious, slowly eroding her organs, hastening her death, all


    within three years.”


    “Is that true? But Mr. Lippert checks on his mother every day. How could ine dare to be so cruel?”


    “The doctors can’t detect it,” Whitney said with a mocking shake of her head, “Besides, he trusts her


    you must feed the medicine secretly. Without solid evidence against ine, if you alert her, she might


    harm Mom more directly.”


    Understanding Whitney’s pain and care, Taryn nodded solemnly,menting, “Mr. Lippert has been


    deceived. It’s horrifying that ine coulde up with such a wicket scheme, poisoning Mr. Lippert’s


    mother and then donating a kidney. It chills me to the bones…


    It’s you, Madam, who’s getting the raw deal, misunderstood by Mr. Lippert, divorced, and yet you’re still


    so concerned for his mother. You’re the one who truly cares for her.


    Isn’t there any way to expose ine for who she really is?”


    Her indignation was palpable.


    Whitney gently pressed her hand against her chest. “I’ve got a buddy of mine digging into this. To keep


    her from making another move on Mom, I’ve got toy out the truth in front of Ludwik. It’ll be his call


    then, but at least Mom’s life will be safe.”


    As she spoke, her phone buzzed with a call from Tiana.


    “Whitney, I’ve got a lead. I’m certain ine is up to no good. She’s crafty. She didn’t go through the


    nephrology department for a kidney source. I found a girl who might’ve sold her kidney to save her dad,


    but I lost her, darn it!


    Now, if we can just find this girl, we’ll have a way forward. Hang tight. I’m staking out the oncology


    department every day until I catch her…”


    Whitney clenched her phone, her breathing quickened.


    After Tiana hung up, Whitney looked up at Taryn with a faint smile. “The truth won’t take long now,


    Taryn. Before Ludwik finds out, you guys have to keep Mom safe; thanks for all you do.”


    Taryn perked up a bit. “No problem at all. Once Mr. Lippert sees the truth that you’re innocent, maybe


    you two can patch things up!”


    “Me and him…” Whitney’s voice trailed off into a bittersweet silence, and she could only shake her


    head sadly.