Chapter 200 Poisoned
"Dad!" Samantha's voice echoed through the room as she sprinted towards Aaron. He caught her in his arms, chuckling softly as he smoothed her tousled hair. Everything seemed normal, yet there was a noticeable absence. Jenny and Edric were nowhere to be found.
The family gathered around the breakfast table, the clatter of cutlery and the aroma of food filling the room. Nora, looking at her three children, spoke up. "I have to go to work today, so you all need to behave while I'm gone." The trio nodded in unison, not questioning their mother's statement. After all, Nora was often called out for consultations.
Aaron, however, furrowed his brows. "Isn't today supposed to be your day off? Why do you still need to work?" he asked.
"Sue asked me to help out at the set today," Nora responded. Aaron's eyes flickered subtly at her words, his furrowed brows relaxing. As long as she wasn't working with Jack, he had no objections.
"Babies, I'm planning a trip to the park later. Would you like to come along and have some fun?" Carter asked, his face lighting up with a beaming smile. Nora felt a twinge of unease at his words. The events of the previous day had left her reluctant to let the children venture outside.
Before she could voice her concerns, Samantha piped up, "Sure, I'd love to go for a walk in the park." Nora fell silent, her words dying in her throat.
"Great," Carter turned to the two brothers, grinning widely. "How about you, Alex and Billy?" The brothers were indifferent to the idea of the park, but remembering the previous day's events, they exchanged a glance and nodded in silent agreement. "We'll go, too," they said in unison, determined to protect their sister.
"Cool, the old gang will be green with envy when they see how adorable you guys are!" Carter chuckled, his laughter filling the room. Aaron's attention was piqued. Carter taking the three kids to the park meant they would surely run into Grandpa. Would Grandpa like the kids? Aaron found himself hoping so.
"Noe, send some extra bodyguards to protect them," Aaron instructed, his voice firm.
"Understood," Noe confirmed, nodding in agreement.
"Calm down, Aaron," Carter said, his tone soothing. "I am meeting a bunch of seniors. They're all fond of kids. If you have bodyguards watching over us like hawks, people might think there's been some incident."
Aaron glanced at Nora and flashed a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'll have them keep a discreet watch. They won't interfere with your outing." His words were meant to reassure Nora, but he also didn't want the bodyguards to alert Jacob.
"Alright then," Carter conceded, no longer resisting Aaron's decision. Nora's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but with all three kids in agreement, she ultimately remained silent.
Children can't be sheltered like flowers in a greenhouse forever, living in a warm house. The world isn't full of bad people, she reminded herself, trying to calm her nerves.
After dinner, before she picked up her purse to leave, she made sure to remind her two sons to take good care of Samantha. They both nodded, accepting the responsibility seriously. "Don't worry, Mom, we'll take good care of Samantha," they assured her.
Nora ruffled their hair, her voice soft. "Be careful yourselves."
"Sure," they replied, their voices echoing in the quiet room. Aaron picked up on that hint of worry in her tone. "Don't worry, I won't let yesterday happen again," he said, his voice steady and reassuring. Nora smiled at his words and drove off.
Sue's film crew was shooting in a small mountain village named Spring Valley. The location was remote, surrounded by mountains on three sides, and not very economically developed. But the landscape was beautiful, and the scenery was pleasant. A picture of pastoral beauty between green mountains and clear waters.
It took Nora a three-hour drive to reach the destination. Once she got out of the car, someone was already there to meet her. "You must be Nora. I'm Garrett, a production assistant. Sue sent me to pick you up. Please follow me," the young man in his twenties greeted her warmly. Nora smiled and followed him to the set.
Currently, Sue was shooting a scene using a two-story farmhouse. It was a scene where the male lead visits the female lead's hometown to meet her parents. Originally, the star of the show was Sunny, but after she plagiarized Nora's academic paper and her public image collapsed, the crew, with Aaron's support, had to replace her. The male lead remained the same, the celebrity Baldwin.
At the moment, the new female lead and Baldwin were shooting a scene in the garden behind the farmhouse. The couple was so engrossed in their love that they couldn't resist kissing. Under the sunlight, the handsome man and beautiful woman kissing created a very aesthetic scene.
"Great job, take a break. We'll get ready for the next scene," Sue's command signaled the conclusion of that scene.
After watching it, Nora approached Sue to greet her. "Sue," she called out.
Sue turned around, smiling. "Nora, you're here! Conditions here are a bit rough, and we might need to stay for another couple of days. Thanks for coming," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.
Nora chuckled, "No problem. I grew up in the countryside, and I'm not that delicate." They exchanged a few words when suddenly someone shouted, "Sue, something's wrong, Baldwin has fainted!"
Baldwin fainted? Sue's expression changed, and she quickly checked on the situation. Nora followed them to the scene. Inside a lounge area where performers usually rested, Baldwin was found with his eyes tightly shut, his complexion ghastly, curled up in a corner, and seemingly in great pain.
"Amelia, how did he pass out?" Sue asked Baldwin's assistant.
"I have no idea," Amelia confessed. "I just poured Baldwin a glass of water, and after taking a couple of sips, he suddenly clutched his chest in agony and then collapsed unconscious."
Amelia, a young woman in her early twenties, looked pale and distraught.
"Nora, can you please have a look at him?" Sue asked, turning to Nora. Nora responded and immediately knelt down to check Baldwin's pulse. Everyone around held their breath as they watched her. After thoroughly examining him, Nora finally withdrew her hands.
Sue anxiously inquired, "Nora, how is Aaron doing?"
"He's been poisoned," Nora revealed truthfully.
"What? Poisoned!" Sue gasped, her face stricken with panic, "What do we do now? Can he be saved?"
"Yes, he can. I'll start detoxifying him immediately," Nora said, her demeanor calm and composed as she had Baldwin laid flat and began administering acupuncture with her silver needles.
Sue's nerves were shot. The production seemed cursed with misfortune.' First, the lead actress had trouble, now the lead actor. If Aaron doesn't pull through, I might have to give up directing,', she thought, her mind filled with worry. 'Who would finance my films if this streak of bad luck continues?'
She was lost in her worrisome thoughts when suddenly, Baldwin spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
