Chapter 44
Two days had passed in the blink of an eye.
Since the night Austin had taken her to the barbecue joint and dropped her off, he hadn’t returned home. Suzanne assumed he was just busy and didn’t think much about it.
At this moment, Suzanne had just walked out of the largest stall in Coniston Herbal Wholesale Market. She surveyed her surroundings, taking in the lively market scene. Merchants selling herbs hustled through the market, pushing carts laden with bundles of various herbs. The market was bustling with activity.
Suzanne smiled to herself. She had finally gathered all the ingredients she needed.
Suddenly, her phone rang, and her expression immediately darkened. It was Mandy again.
Without hesitation, Suzanne hung up the call, but it rang persistently a few more times. Eventually, she answered.
Before she could speak, Mandy’s voice on the other end was filled with panic. “Suzanne, your dad has suddenly fallen seriously ill and is bedridden! You need to come and see him!”
Suzanne’s face immediately turned pale. “What did you say?”
She gripped the phone tightly and quickly walked out of the market.
Mandy continued to sob. “If you’re too late, he might…” Her words trailed off as she broke into uncontrollable cries.
Mandy was putting on a show, but Suzanne didn’t know that. She felt her heart sink. How could Henry suddenly be so ill? Just recently, he had been pressuring her to marry Todd, and now he was bedridden?
Suzanne quickly asked, “What did the doctor say?”
Mandy’s voice wavered as she said, “The doctor said it’s a stroke. What are Seline and I going to do if…?”
Her voice trembled more with each word, as though she were about to collapse.
Suzanne frowned. Mandy was clearly thinking about her own interests and those of Seline. Could this be true? After all, Henry had just had a health check-up not long ago, and there had been no issues. How could this happen now?
Suzanne’s face was as pale as a sheet. She forced herself to get it together before asking, “If he’s sick, take him to the doctor. Why are you calling me?”
Mandy paused, clearly taken aback, but she quickly resumed her loud crying. “How could you say that? He’s your father! Suzanne, no matter the rift between you, blood is thicker than water!”
Suzanne grew increasingly worried. In any other circumstances, she might have been more rational and analyzed the situation carefully. She would have known that if something had really happened, Mandy wouldn’t have had the energy to call her. But now…
Before Suzanne could think further, Mandy’s voice softened with pleading. “He was just calling your name, saying he regretted what he did to you, Suzanne. He just wants to see you one last time. Won’t you regret it if you don’t come back?”
Suzanne was now genuinely anxious. Without considering anything else, she hung up the phone and hurried toward the parking lot.
Meanwhile, Mandy sneered at her phone and let out a disdainful snort. This fool thinks she can outsmart me?
Seline, thrilled, immediately spoke up. “Everything will be easy once she comes back. If she doesn’t, then I’ll be the one marrying Todd.”
Mandy scoffed. After putting down her phone, she turned to Seline. “How could I let you marry him? You’re my treasure.”
Seline smiled and opened her Instagram. Her tone took on a sinister edge as she said, “Let’s just wait for that bitch to walk right into our trap.”
An hour later, Suzanne parked her car at the Yates residence and rushed inside.
Immediately, she saw two people casually sitting on the leather couch in the living room, laughing as they scrolled through their phones. Suzanne’s expression darkened. Frowning, she asked in a low voice, “Where’s Dad?”
