Chapter 363
“Poisoned?” Lilian was stunned, unable to believe what she was hearing.
The doctor rattled off a string of medical jargon that went completely over her head.
Seeing her confusion, he switched to simpler terms. This time, Lilian understood.
James had been poisoned. It was a case of chronic poisoning. The toxin was water soluble, colorless, and tasteless. When consumed in small amounts, it caused no obvious symptoms. But with prolonged exposure, it gradually seeped into the body’s organs and became fatal.
While Charlotte was still fighting for her life in one emergency room, James had just been taken into another.
The hospital issued a critical condition notice. After signing it, Lilian felt dazed, as if the entire world had started spinning
around her.
Suddenly, all the little things she had ignored began replaying in her mind with startling clarity.
She remembered how James’s hair had been thinning more than usual. She had noticed it but never thought much of it. Most men his age struggled with hair loss anyway. Some even went completely bald.
His appetite had been fading. The shadows under his eyes had grown darker. He had looked paler and more exhausted with each passing day.
Lilian had seen all of this.
But she had not cared.
Not truly.
She and James had drifted apart over twenty years ago, ever since his first affair. Whatever love they had once shared had already withered. What remained between them now was only the appearance of civility.
James himself had been feeling worse and worse these days. Business at the company had been hectic. Although his father had already handed most of the power over to Sean, James still held the title of chairman at the Jasper Corporation.
It was, after all, the family business. As chairman, he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.
Like Lilian, he chalked up the hair loss, insomnia, poor appetite, and random body aches to age and stress.
He had planned to go in for a full-body checkup after finishing a few urgent tasks.
But he hadn’t made it that far.
The poisoning was serious. Lilian immediately called Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Sr. to inform them. After James was diagnosed, she also scheduled her own medical tests.
Some of the basic test results came back quickly. But for the blood panel, she would have to fast overnight and return the next morning.
Mrs. Jasper Sr. also came to the hospital and scheduled a physical.
Mr. Jasper Sr. was far away in the capital and couldn’t get back immediately, so Lilian updated him over the phone.
“Poisoned? How could that be?” Mr. Jasper Sr.’s voice was low and grave.
Lilian frowned, gripping the phone tightly. “I don’t know either. He usually eats at home. The meals Mom and I eat are fine, but somehow only James was poisoned. I suspect it’s connected to Joseph. Vivian was working for him before. If you ask me, she’s the most likely suspect.”
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There was a brief silence on the other end.
Then Mr. Jasper Sr. said, his voice full of authority, “Report it to the police.”
“Understood.”
“I’ll request permission to return to Jersey City immediately. I want to confront Joseph and Vivian face-to-face.”
Mrs. Jasper Sr. had been sitting beside Lilian the whole time. The moment she heard Lilian mention Vivian as a suspect, her expression darkened.
After Lilian hung up, Mrs. Jasper Sr. glared at her, her voice laced with anger. “Don’t say things like that! Vivian was just misled by Joseph. She got caught up in the wrong crowd. But she’s not a bad person at heart. She would never poison James. No matter what, James is still her adoptive father. Why would she hurt him?”
Lilian was speechless. She let out an impatient sigh. “Mom, you’ve always been too soft on Vivian. She’s already committed serious crimes, and you’re still defending her character? She helped Joseph cover up a murder. If she’s capable of that, what makes you think she wouldn’t poison a man who’s not even her biological father?”
“No! That’s impossible!” Mrs. Jasper Sr. shook her head repeatedly, clearly refusing to accept it. “Vivian would never do that. She wouldn’t…”
Even though a sliver of doubt had started creeping into her heart, she simply couldn’t bring herself to face it.
