Chapter 18 Return to the Mansion
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“If I heal your injuries but don’t cure the poison, it’ll all be for nothing–you’ll still feel weak and powerless. So, who on earth could be so vicious as to poison you like this?”
Stellan closed his eyes as he listened. His chest rose and fell, weighed down with memories that seemed to press painfully on his heart.
After a while, he steadied himself and asked evenly, “Can it be cured?”
“Yes. I’ve never met a poison I couldn’t cure. Just give me some time to develop the antidote.”
“Thank you.” Stellan’s gaze returned to Evelyn.
To him, the girl before him was nothing short of salvation. What had he done to deserve meeting someone so kind? If he ever recovered, he swore he would guard her with his very life.
That evening, the moment Evelyn returned home, Penny pulled her over. “Evie, this is your younger brother, Simon. He’s home for the weekend. Simon, come greet your sister.” She nudged the teenage boy seated in a chair.
The teenager only cast Evelyn a glance, then ignored her and walked into the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Evelyn frowned. This little brother of hers clearly wasn’t easy to get along with. But he was a teenager–rebellious years. She understood.
Seeing this, Penny offered an embarrassed smile. “This child…”
“It’s fine, Mom. I’ll go see how Dad is doing,” Evelyn said, trying to ease her mother’s discomfort. They hadn’t met before, so it was only natural that there was no bond between them.
Penny followed her inside. Wyatt was doing better than before. He no longer needed anyone’s help to walk, relying on his rehabilitation equipment to move about on his own.
Just then, Penny’s phone rang. She stepped aside to answer it, and when she returned, her face looked heavy.
“What is it, Penny?” Wyatt asked, worried.
“It’s… It’s a call from the mansion. They want to see Evie.”
Evelyn froze. Mansion? The Gullivers don’t own much besides this house. What mansion?
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Chapter 18 Return to the Mansion
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“Evie, let me explain so you know what to expect,” Penny said.
It turned out that the Gullivers also did business in Crownpoint as Gulliver Enterprises. They weren’t quite at the level of old money, but they were still a wealthy business clan.
Her family was the senior branch, and Wyatt had two younger brothers. Because they had never been favored, they had been pushed out by the rest of the family more than a decade ago.
Since then, they had rarely had any dealings with the main family. Now, upon hearing about the switched–at–birth daughters, the Gulliver family wanted to see Evelyn.
“If you’ve had so little contact, let’s not go,” Evelyn said.
“That won’t do. She’s still your grandmother. We can’t just refuse,” Penny insisted. The bloodline could never be severed. As long as the old matriarch remained, the family remained.
“Evie, you should go,” Wyatt added. “See what your grandmother has to say.”
For the sake of her parents, Evelyn agreed to go to the mansion the next day.
The following morning, Penny went out to the fields, picking fresh vegetables and packing them up to bring as gifts.
“Evie, let’s go. Ideally, your father should go with you, but since he has trouble traveling, I’ll go with you,” Penny said.
Evelyn nodded. They took buses and a cab, switching several times before finally reaching the Gulliver Mansion.
As she looked up at the sprawling mansion, Evelyn couldn’t help comparing it to Cirrus Residence. It was not the grandest in Crownpoint, but it was still the residence of a wealthy clan.
They have all this wealth, yet they let their firstborn and his family live in hardship in the countryside. What kind of logic is that?
The butler opened the door. When he saw them, he showed not a trace of respect, his face full of disdain as if looking at broke country relatives. “Get a move on. The old madam’s been waiting a long time.”
“Let’s go,” Penny whispered, taking Evelyn’s hand as they entered.
Evelyn carried a basket on her back, filled with vegetables. She had tried to persuade Penny not to bring them, pointing out that they might not appreciate such gifts, but Penny had insisted. “It’s rude to come empty–handed,” she had said.
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Chapter 18 Return to the Mansion
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The main hall was filled with people.
The interior was decorated lavishly. Barbara Golding sat upright with her jet–black hair, her figure still strong and healthy. Yet Evelyn noticed the strands of white at the roots–clearly dyed. Her face was stern, her demeanor sharp and calculating, her brows bearing a resemblance to Wyatt’s.
“Well, well. Penny, you finally came! We’ve been waiting long enough!” The speaker was Jade Zavala, Barbara’s second daughter–in–law.
Penny forced a smile. “I… I got stuck in traffic on the bus. Mother, these are fresh vegetables I picked this morning from our fields–no pesticides, very healthy-” She began introducing the gift, trying to curry favor, but another woman cut her off.
“Penny, that’s enough. Do you think we can’t afford vegetables? Are you looking down on us? Coming all this way without a proper gift, and you bring this trash? What good are these?” It was Scarlett Rutherford, Barbara’s third daughter–in–law, her voice sharp with scorn.
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