Chapter 901
Lillian was over the moon, throwing her arms around Jackson's neck and leaning in close, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at him.
"How'd you pull it off? Come on, spill!"
Beck had always been a tough nut to crack. When Oberon and Flora went to Miracalia before, they tried everything to get an appointment with him.
But no matter what they did, Beck wouldn't see them, not even for a minute. In the end, Oberon had to settle for treatment from Beck's apprentice.
Lillian had thought this time would be no different, that they'd come back empty-handed. She had no confidence, only trying for Oberon's sake.
And then she missed the chance to meet Beck because she had fainted.
She thought there was no hope left, but Jackson had quietly managed to pull it off.
Thinking about how Oberon sometimes couldn't sleep all night because of his headaches, Lillian felt a surge of gratitude and sweetness in her heart.
She looked at Jackson with undisguised admiration and joy.
Jackson gazed back at her, feeling that all his efforts were worth it.
He smirked slightly and said, "That's my little secret."
Seeing that he didn't want to say more, Lillian didn't press him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck again, planting kisses on his forehead, nose, cheeks, lips, and chin.
Each kiss was accompanied by a loving gaze from her bright eyes.
This was a stark contrast to her previous cold and distant demeanor.
Jackson couldn't resist; he felt as if his heart was blooming with joy.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his large hand on Lillian's waist tightened, his voice hoarse.
"Don't tempt me. I can't take it! Unless you really want something to happen right here."
For a man who hadn't had sex in a long time, last night's encounter was clearly not enough.
Instead, it had only whetted his appetite, making him more sensitive to her teasing.
As Jackson leaned in closer, Lillian felt the threat, and her ears turned red, her eyelashes fluttering.
"I'll go tell Grandpa the good news!"
She tried to jump off the counter, but Jackson stopped her.
"Not yet. Let's wait a few days and surprise him when we go back to Miracalia together."
Lillian nodded, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
She hugged Jackson's waist, rubbing her cheek against his chest.
"You're so good to me."
Lillian's voice was soft, and Jackson felt his heart melt.
He ruffled her hair, "Finally growing a conscience, huh? Let me see if it's enough."
As he spoke, his hand moved to her chest, causing a different kind of sensation.
Lillian was getting lost in the moment when Gia suddenly burst in.
"Ms. Kelly, Mr. Kelly..."
Gia stopped short, seeing an even more intimate scene than before, and quickly turned away.
Lillian's face turned beet red, and she quickly jumped down.
Jackson, however, stayed cool and composed, making sure she landed safely before stepping back.
"What's up with Grandpa?"
"Mr. Kelly said he needs to see you and Mr. Frane in the study."
"Got it."
Lillian glanced at Jackson and started walking out.
After a few steps, she looked back at Gia and then turned to Jackson, extending her hand.
Jackson was a bit surprised. Lillian had always been careful to avoid any public displays of affection in front of the Kelly family staff.
But now, she was openly reaching out to him, signaling to the staff that she was committed to him, regardless of Oberon's approval.
Jackson's eyes sparkled with amusement as he took her hand.
They walked out of the kitchen together, and Gia, watching them, couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic for young love.
Seeing so much of it made her feel a bit younger herself.
Oberon noticed their joined hands the moment they entered the study.
"Grandpa, what did you need us for?"
Lillian and Jackson stood in front of the desk, directly asking.
Clearly, if it wasn't important, Oberon wouldn't have called Jackson in as well.
Ambrose was also sitting on the nearby sofa.
Oberon's gaze remained fixed on their clasped hands, his expression darkening as he looked up at Jackson.
He glanced back and forth between their hands and Jackson's face, making it clear he wanted Jackson to let go.
But Jackson, pretending not to understand, kept holding Lillian's hand.
Oberon then looked at Lillian, his gaze growing more intense.
Lillian blinked innocently, mimicking Jackson's clueless act.
Oberon felt exasperated. These two were pushing their luck!
He decided to drop it, turning his gaze away.
The atmosphere was tense, and Lillian looked to Ambrose for help.
Ambrose, unable to refuse her, spoke up.
"The police called."
Lillian's eyes lit up, "Did Ruby confess?"
Ambrose shook his head slightly, "Not exactly, but she wants to see you and Jackson. She said she'll talk after meeting you."
Lillian frowned, unsure of Ruby's intentions.
But Ruby was cunning, and they had to be cautious.
Still, with Ruby in custody and evidence piling up, she couldn't escape this time.
Lillian wasn't afraid to face her.
After a moment's thought, she said, "Alright, we'll go see her."
Oberon spoke up, "In that case, let's all go."
He wanted to see Ruby, too, to bring closure to the matter.
After all, he had watched her grow up and once treated her like a daughter.
When they arrived at the police station, Ruby was already in her detention uniform.
Gone was her usual elegant and refined appearance, replaced by a more genuine expression.
Ruby no longer displayed the hysteria she had when the police took her away. Now, she seemed hollow and numb.
When she saw Oberon and Ambrose had also come, her eyes flickered briefly before she gave a mocking smile.
"Everyone's here. I must be really honored."
Her sarcastic expression made her look particularly sharp, showing no signs of remorse or realization.
Oberon stepped forward with his cane, and Lillian helped him sit across from Ruby.
Oberon stared at Ruby without speaking, but Ruby seemed to know what he wanted to ask.
She spoke first, "You want to know if Mrs. Kelly's sudden illness eight years ago had anything to do with me, right?"
Indeed, Oberon had come primarily for this reason.
Eight years ago, Flora suddenly became mentally unstable, insisting that Anouk wasn't her granddaughter.
Why would Flora suddenly lose her sanity? Why would she insist that Anouk wasn't her real granddaughter?
Oberon had suspected that Flora had discovered something, but after a thorough investigation, they found no evidence of Flora being poisoned or having contact with anyone suspicious.
Even Anouk's DNA was confirmed to be that of the Kelly family.
In the end, all suspicions were dismissed.
But there were many poisons in the world that couldn't be detected, and Oberon suspected that Flora's sudden illness was Ruby's doing.
He tightened his grip on his cane, his old eyes fixed on Ruby.
Lillian held her breath, staring at Ruby, hoping to hear that Ruby had indeed poisoned Flora.
If that were the case, Flora's condition might not be incurable, and it might not be too late to find an antidote.
However, Ruby cruelly smiled and spread her hands.
"I wish Mrs. Kelly's illness were related to me. That way, you'd have to keep me safe for her health's sake. But unfortunately, she really did get sick on her own. I didn't poison her."
Ruby's face was full of mockery, and Lillian felt a surge of disappointment and intense anger.
She glared at Ruby, "Are you sure it had nothing to do with you? My grandmother wouldn't just randomly insist that Anouk was fake."
Ruby looked at Lillian and sneered.
"I only said I didn't drug Mrs. Kelly. Her belief that Anouk was fake does have something to do with me. Who would have thought she'd overhear my conversation with the old butler?"
Oberon's eyes narrowed, filled with coldness.
"What do you mean? Explain!" Ambrose's eyes reddened with anger.
Lillian clenched her fists, fearing she might lose control and strangle Ruby in front of the police.
"The week before Mrs. Kelly got sick, Anouk had a minor car accident. Do you remember?" Ruby asked casually.
Oberon remembered clearly, his eyes sharp.
"Because Anouk needed a blood transfusion?"
"Yeah, it was an accident. By the time I got there, Anouk was already getting blood. The butler was there too.
Anouk has type A blood, which Kenneth and Ophelia couldn't have passed on. Luckily, I had leverage over the butler. I threatened him and bribed hospital staff to alter the records and medical files.
But there were nurses, patients in the same ward... so many people at the hospital. I was always worried something would go wrong.
Especially the butler, one of your most trusted people. Even though I threatened him, I could see his hesitation.
But after a week, there was no sign of trouble. When I went to the Kelly Manor, I tried to intimidate the butler again. Unexpectedly, he refused to be threatened and wanted to tell you everything. We argued, and Mrs. Kelly overheard us.
We were both shocked. Mrs. Kelly confronted me, very agitated.
I panicked, thinking it was over. But then she suddenly fainted.
I admit, I had some dark thoughts while she was unconscious.
I even considered poisoning her to ensure she never woke up."
Ruby's self-deprecating smile was cold and heartless.
Lillian bit her lip hard, tasting blood from her anger.
Jackson noticed her distress and pulled her into his arms, gently squeezing her chin to make her release her lip.
Lillian looked at Jackson, meeting his worried eyes. She took a deep breath and managed a small smile before turning back to Ruby with a cold gaze.
"But I couldn't bring myself to do it. Mrs. Kelly had treated me better than my own mother. In the end, I didn't poison her."
Ambrose demanded, "You know how well Grandpa and Grandma treated you well!"
Ruby's eyes showed a flicker of emotion.
She knew. Despite being the Lawson family's daughter, her parents had always favored her brothers over her.
Oberon and Flora had genuinely cared for her after she donated a kidney to Ophelia.
But what did it matter? They only saw her as Ophelia's replacement.
Ruby sneered, "Yes, I'm a snake. But I couldn't do it. I planned to claim I had just discovered Anouk was fake and wanted to protect you from the truth."
"Even if I was suspected, I thought I could manage. But I didn't expect Mrs. Kelly to become mentally unstable from the shock. It seemed even fate was on my side."
"But why couldn't fate help me all the way? Just when I was about to get everything, I lost it all!"
Ruby's expression was dark and resentful.
Lillian felt heartbroken for Ophelia, Oberon, and Flora.
Thinking that Flora's illness might have been avoidable if not for the shock, Lillian wanted to tear Ruby's unrepentant face apart.
"Ruby, you're inhuman!"
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