Chapter 371 Poisoning
Lately, Darwin had been pretty well-behaved.
When they were alone, he respected her boundaries and stopped trying to argue with her.
Fiona thought maybe becoming a father had truly changed him, but now she realized that Darwin was just biding his time.
It didn't last long. Within days, his true nature resurfaced.
"Darwin, what are you nipping at? Do you think you can go wild just because they call you Mr. Solomon online?” Fiona pushed Darwin away forcefully.
She clutched her robe closer, her gaze wary and irritated.
Darwin seemed quite pleased with himself.
He raised his hand, thumb gliding across his lips. "What do you mean? I've liked it this way for quite some time, haven't I?"
Fiona said nothing. Memories of her five years as his wife’s replacement flickered through her mind.
"Yeah, right. You've been a dog from the start!" After her retort, Fiona slammed her glass on the bar and stormed upstairs with determined strides.
Darwin followed her at a measured pace.
But at the foot of the staircase, he stopped. Now, he was a hunter.
He was waiting for his unique and precious prey to inevitably fall into the trap he'd meticulously set. It was trap with no escape. She had left him and infuriated him to no end.
But that was all right. Things were fine this way.
Back in her room, Fiona headed straight to the bathroom.
An embarrassing red mark stood out near her shoulder, a stark contrast against her skin.
She had a meeting at RH Company the next day. Luckily, the mark was low enough to be concealed. If it had been on her neck, she would have been downstairs, fighting Darwin at this very moment.
*
The next morning saw Fiona sharp and spirited as she appeared in the living room.
"Mummy, aren't you having breakfast?" Charles was an early riser and approached Fiona as she came downstairs, dressed for the day.
Fiona embraced Charles, planting a kiss on his forehead. “Mommy has a meeting somewhere else today. I’ll grab breakfast on the way.”
"Don't drink coffee on an empty stomach," Charles reminded her.
In truth, Fiona had tasked Laura with getting an Americano ready for her to sip in the car, so she could stay sharp all day.
"Okay," Fiona kissed Charles again. "I’m off now, you go have your breakfast."
Charles watched Fiona leave.
Then, he turned back to face Darwin, who had just walked over. Darwin hadn’t had a chance to say anything to Fiona. Charles said, "Did you do something again? Mommy seems even more annoyed with you."
Darwin said nothing.
P
What was he supposed to say? That she was even angrier because he had planted a French kiss on her without consent last night?
"Really?" Darwin shook his head. "No way. Let's go have breakfast together!"
After Fiona left, it took about fifteen minutes for Chicago to get out of bed.
She tidied up and clattered downstairs, wanting to see her mom.
When she learned that Fiona had gone to work, Chicago's spirits sank, and she slumped at the kitchen table.
"I'll make sure to get up early tomorrow," Chicago mumbled after a few bites of breakfast. She pounded the table as a solemn promise to herself.
Darwin chuckled from beside her. "Mom's not as busy with work tomorrow. She won't leave that early."
Chicago looked at him. "How do you know?"
"As your mom’s husband and your father, I know everything about her," Darwin said, pushing a glass of milk toward Chicago. "Drink up while it's warm. We're skipping the little park today."
"Why?" Chicago asked with a puzzled frown.
"It's a secret. You'll find out soon," Darwin said with a twinkling smile.
Chicago eyed him suspiciously, inadvertently eating faster.
After breakfast, she quickly went to change into fresh clothes and came back down.
"Will you tell me what the secret is now?" Chicago inquired.
Darwin's eyes crinkled in a smile. "We need to go somewhere first."
Chicago's curiosity was now fully piqued.
Moments later, Darwin, carrying several gift boxes, led Chicago to a house at the edge of their neighborhood.
After ringing the doorbell, it took a while before a housekeeper rushed out and said, "Chicago?"
"Oh?" Chicago exclaimed in surprise, then turned to Darwin. "Is this Bob and Grace's place?"
"Uh-huh," Darwin said, looking at the housekeeper, "I had an appointment with Mr. Bob."
"Oh... The grandparents are out. Their dog had a bad fit last night, and they took it to the vet," the housekeeper hurriedly explained.
"Jessie’s at the vet?" Chicago’s face visibly filled with concern.
Darwin quickly asked, “Could you tell me where the vet is?”
About ten minutes later, Darwin and Chicago arrived at a nearby vet.
Just then, Bob returned with breakfast in hand.
When he saw Chicago and Darwin, he was startled, but then remembered, "Oh my, I'm such a scatterbrain. I completely forgot to call you."
"What happened to Jessie, Mr. Bob? Is she sick?" Chicago approached, nervously tugging at the hem of the old man's shirt.
Bob was always well put together. He was usually neat, clean, and meticulous in his habits.
His hair, now a salt-and-pepper tangle, was in disarray, his shirt crumpled, and he was still wearing the slippers he wore around the house.
He stared at Chicago as if he was overcome with grief, tears suddenly streaming down his face.
Darwin realized this was more than just a simple illness. "Come on, Chicago. How about we head in and check on Grace and little Jessie first?" As he spoke, Darwin bent over to gently fix Chicago's disheveled hair, his voice a soothing balm.
Chicago looked up at Darwin, her face a portrait of relief, and nodded.
Moments later, Darwin and Bob stepped out of Jessie's veterinary ward, leaving Chicago to comfort a heartbroken Grace.
They could see Chicago holding Grace and offering solace from outside through the glass.
And there lay Jessie, a barely breathing whisper of life inside the oxygen chamber, streaks of blood still on her fur—a stark contrast to the vibrant creature she once was.
"She was poisoned," Bob said through tears. "Thankfully, we caught it in time. Jessie's always been careful about what she eats. She didn't eat much, or else..."
"Did she get into something while she was out for a walk?" Darwin asked.
Bob remained silent.
If that were the case, he would have been angry, not just upset.
"My wife thinks... it might have been our granddaughter. She's never been fond of Jessie, and we had an argument with her just yesterday..."
A frown creased Darwin's forehead without his noticing.
"This is my fault. I should've let you and Chicago take her yesterday," Bob lamented, laden with guilt. Even a small dosage of poison could be life-threatening for a dog.
Darwin's gaze returned to Chicago.
She was comforting Grace, but her eyes never left little Jessie, her concern visibly growing.
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