Chapter 210: Being Poisoned Long-Term

Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Being Poisoned Long-Term

Hearing that Miss Sterling had woken up last night, Miss Kensington had her grandson, Sebastian Kensington, accompany her on a personal visit.

Miss Sterling was leaning against a soft pillow, resting with her eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, she slowly opened her eyes.

"My dear old friend, I’ve come to see you."

Miss Kensington sat down by the bed and took her frail, withered hand, her voice full of concern. "How are you feeling? Do you still recognize me?"

Miss Sterling squeezed her hand in return. Her breathing was weak, but her voice held a hint of weary resignation.

"Winnie, I’m just sick, not senile."

She seemed to be in decent spirits today, but her face was ghastly pale, and her frame was gaunt.

Silas Sterling had privately told her this was just a final burst of energy before the end, that she didn’t have much time left.

Miss Kensington felt a sting in her nose as her eyes quietly reddened.

"You have to get better soon. We promised to go to the opera together. You can’t go back on your word."

"Alright. When I’m better, I’ll go with you."

Both women knew in their hearts that this was a promise that would likely never be kept.

"Winnie, if I pass away, I’ll have to ask you to look after the Sterling Family. Silas’s health has been failing for years, Julian’s mind is clouded and confused, and Sean’s foundation is still shallow. If he suddenly takes over the company, I’m afraid he won’t be able to command respect."

While she was alive, she could keep those people in line. But once she was gone, they would surely defy Sean and start making trouble.

"Don’t you worry. I’ll have Sebastian help them out more. And even now, you’re still worrying about everything."

...

Downstairs, Sebastian Kensington went to the side building alone to visit Julian Sterling.

The young man was the same as always—his mind vacant, unable to recognize people or his surroundings. He spent his days in a daze, like a fool.

Who could have imagined it? He was once so full of vigor, with a dazzling future ahead of him. At his age, he should be in his prime, ready to achieve great things, yet he had been reduced to this state. It was a true case of heaven being jealous of talent.

"Sebastian, my brother has been like this for years. We’ve sought out all sorts of leading experts, but there’s never been the slightest improvement," Sean Sterling said, his voice heavy. "My father is unwell, and now with Grandmother... I really don’t know what will become of the Sterling Family."

Sebastian Kensington patted him on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "But you’re still here to hold things up, aren’t you? Take good care of your elders."

"I will."

"From now on, if you ever need anything, just ask. If I can help, I won’t refuse."

"Thank you."

As Sebastian Kensington rounded a corner in the corridor, he glimpsed two unfamiliar figures in the distance.

"Who are those two?" he asked in a low voice.

The Kensington and Sterling families had been close for over twenty years, yet he had never seen these two before. A flicker of doubt arose in his mind.

"They’re Grandmother’s grandnephews. They’ve lived abroad for years and rushed back when they heard she was critically ill."

The two of them walked into the living room, just in time to hear Jenson Whitman’s voice.

"Silas, I was tossing and turning last night, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is amiss. Why don’t we find a master with profound spiritual abilities to look at the Sterling Family’s geomancy and fortune?"

Silas Sterling was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. "Since when did you start believing in this stuff?"

"It’s better to be safe than sorry!" Jenson Whitman’s expression was grave. "Don’t you think the Sterling Family has been plagued by one disaster after another these past few years?"

His words hit a nerve.

In recent years, it was as if the Sterling Family had been shrouded in an invisible curse. First, Julian Sterling met with misfortune, then Silas Sterling was afflicted with a chronic illness, and now the matriarch herself was critically ill.

Sean Sterling immediately chimed in, "Dad, Cousin is right. We should find a Geomancer to take a look, just for peace of mind."

"Fine. I’ll arrange for someone to be brought in."

Sebastian Kensington’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. He didn’t step forward, instead turning to walk into the courtyard and light a cigarette.

Just as he lit it, his phone rang. It was a call from Zane Rivers.

"Bro, I’m officially off the market. Want to get together tonight?"

"Congratulations. Who else will be there?"

"A bunch of people. Most of them you know."

That evening, Sebastian Kensington pushed open the door to the private room. His gaze swept coolly over the crowd; aside from a few new faces, the rest were all familiar.

"You’re celebrating being off the market and you didn’t invite Jared and Vesper?"

"Of course I invited them. They’re on their way."

After he sat down, Zane Rivers quickly made the introductions.

"This is Tristan Forrester, Bella Thorne, and Justine Hughes. They’re all from Portclyde, here for Jared’s wedding. And this is Sebastian Kensington, a good friend of ours."

They nodded to each other in greeting, and with that, they were acquainted.

Just then, Jared Hawthorne walked in, holding Vesper Grayson’s hand.

"Making such a big deal out of a new relationship," Jared Hawthorne teased, his lips curving into a slight smile.

Zane Rivers threw an arm around Elena beside him, a wide grin on his face. "You have no idea how much effort it took to win her over."

Elena gave him a light shove, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "I didn’t exactly force you to chase me."

"Yes, yes, you’re right. It was me, pestering you relentlessly," Zane Rivers said, raising his glass. "Except for Jared, everyone else has to have two drinks tonight."

Vesper Grayson was stunned. Not long ago, the two of them were just friends with benefits, and now they were actually together.

Elena had a strong personality and was very career-driven. She had always preferred mature, stable, career-oriented men. Zane Rivers’s wild, unrestrained nature shouldn’t have been within her dating parameters at all.

"Vesper, I heard you’re pregnant?" Elena’s gaze fell to her abdomen, her smile gentle. "You two work fast."

"You’re not so slow yourself," Vesper Grayson replied, looking up curiously. "So, what’s the deal with you and President Rivers?"

"Ahem, we got along well and thought it felt right, so we decided to give it a try."

"Who fell for who first?"

"He chased me first, of course."

"He wouldn’t have had a chance without your tacit approval," Vesper Grayson said with a small laugh. "But still, congratulations to you both."

There’s no logic to matters of the heart. Only the wearer knows if the shoe fits.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table grew lively.

Partway through, Jared Hawthorne took Vesper Grayson to the back garden for some fresh air, and Sebastian Kensington followed close behind.

"Miss Grayson, may I have a word with you in private?"

"You may."

"It’s about the Sterling Family."

Jared Hawthorne’s brow furrowed slightly, and his tone held a hint of a warning. "Sebastian, I’ve already made my stance on this very clear."

"I understand," Sebastian Kensington said sincerely. "I just want to ask Miss Grayson to look at a few photos and a video, and to use her medical expertise to help me assess their symptoms and offer an opinion."

Vesper Grayson’s eyes flickered with interest. "There’s no harm in looking."

Sebastian Kensington immediately held his phone out to her.

Several minutes later.

Vesper Grayson’s lips tightened, and her expression slowly grew solemn.

"Miss Grayson, have you noticed anything?"

"I have."

She hesitated, unsure whether to voice her suspicions.

’If I tell him but then do nothing, it would go against my principles as a doctor. But if I conceal the truth, I can’t lie and betray my conscience.’

Sebastian Kensington’s expression was grave. "I would be grateful for your insight, Miss Grayson."

"Based on my observations and the symptoms you’ve described, it’s highly likely they’re being slowly poisoned over a long period. The poison isn’t potent, but it accumulates in the body over time, lying dormant until a certain point when it suddenly erupts."

Sebastian Kensington’s heart pounded. He suppressed the turmoil of emotions rising within him and asked in a low voice,

"What kind of poison is it?"

"I can’t tell from just the photos and video."

Traditional Chinese medicine relies on observation, listening, inquiry, and palpation.

Just now, she had only observed their complexions and heard about their past symptoms; she hadn’t conducted an in-person consultation or taken their pulses.

To accurately determine the specific poison, an in-person diagnosis is essential.

Furthermore, the poisoning was done with extreme stealth. Even a host of leading doctors couldn’t find the cause. This meant one of two things: either the poison itself was incredibly tricky and concealed, undetectable by standard tests, or someone was deliberately hiding the truth.

But the Sterling Family had consulted countless famous doctors over the years. It was impossible for all of them to have conspired to lie. The only explanation was that the method of poisoning was exceptionally sinister and sophisticated.