Chapter 460 Seeking Memories at the Scene of the Incident
Overwhelmed with concern at the hospital, Martin was unaware that Patricia had unexpectedly arrived at Silver Birch Sanctuary. The staff, recognizing her and unaware of the incident involving Shane due to Riley's discretion, welcomed her without hesitation upon her arrival.
"Miss Watson, what brings you here at this hour? Mr. Shane is in the hospital, and Mr. Riley and Mr. Sebastian are with him," a staff member mentioned, indicating that the individuals she might be seeking were not present.
However, Patricia seemed to disregard his comment and proceeded directly to the east wing, where Shane's residence was located. Despite the gaps in her memory about the incident, her recollection of everything else remained intact.
She made her way to Shane's study on the second floor of the east wing and paused at the door, closing her eyes in an attempt to unearth any buried memories by revisiting the scene.
Despite her efforts, she was unable to recall anything beyond the same fragmented images that had been plaguing her mind. Overcome with despair, she sat, holding her head in her hands, frustrated by her inability to remember and tormented by her sense of helplessness.
It was then that a mocking voice broke the silence. "Patricia, what are you doing here? Trying to destroy evidence, perhaps?"
Patricia looked up sharply, trying to locate the source of the voice.
Grace stood at the end of the hallway, her presence ominous as she was partially enveloped in shadows, her appearance reminiscent of a sinister figure watching with intent, sending shivers down Patricia's spine.
The sight of Grace triggered fragmented memories in Patricia's mind—the sound of malicious laughter and a sneering expression. She could see Grace's lips moving, but the words were indistinct. Desperate to remember, Patricia's efforts only intensified her headache. She pressed her temples, hoping to ease the pain.
Grace watched her every move, walking over and looking down at her with a sneer. "Just because Grandpa and my brothers dote on you doesn't mean you can replace me. There's only one of me, and without my consent, no one can take my spot."
Patricia felt there was a hidden message in her words, but her head hurt too much to decipher it.
Grace's face twisted with an unprecedented smugness. "Get out right now, you don't belong here."
Once her headache lessened slightly, Patricia pushed herself off the wall and stood, her gaze fixed on Grace. "Before Grandpa's incident, did I encounter you?"
Grace confidently responded, "Yes, you were looking for Grandpa. As I passed by, I told you to stay away from him. I'm his real granddaughter."
Her words miraculously matched Patricia's fragmented memories.
Grace continued, "I couldn't believe you'd actually sneak in to see Grandpa with a knife, intending to kill him. It's despicable! Grandpa has always treated you well, and this is how you repay him? You're ungrateful."
Patricia observed Grace's lips moving and instinctively shook her head. "No, you said more than that... there was something else..."
Exasperated, Grace grabbed Patricia's wrist. "You're responsible for Grandpa's condition, and I'm taking you to the police, you criminal..."
However, Patricia swiftly shook off Grace's grip and, acting on impulse, pinned her against the wall with a sudden push.
With her hands firmly on Grace's shoulders, Patricia's eyes bore into hers. "Spill it. What else did you tell me?"
Grace winced under the pressure, her shoulder blades aching as she struggled against Patricia's firm hold. "Have you lost your mind? This is the Koch Estate. Release me now, or I'll call for help."
Patricia seemed deaf to her words, her inquiry relentless. "Tell me, what else did you say to me?"
She was certain Grace had said more. Even if no memory of it lingered, that feeling was just too strong.
Grace rolled her eyes. "Nothing, I've got nothing to say to you. Let go, or you'll regret it."
Patricia's confidence faltered, doubt creeping into her expression.
In that moment of hesitation, Grace managed to break free and raised her hand to strike Patricia.
Caught off guard and still processing, Patricia's reflexes were slow, leaving her vulnerable to the impending slap.
Just as Grace's hand neared Patricia's face, a stern voice from down the hall commanded, "Stop!"
A cold glint flickered in Grace's eyes as she disregarded the command, her hand continuing its trajectory toward Patricia. However, the stern reprimand jolted Patricia back to reality, and she swiftly caught Grace's wrist, meeting her gaze with a steely look.
"What are you doing?" Patricia asked.
Grace retorted with righteous indignation, "Hitting you! You've been scheming against Grandpa, and I wish I could take you out myself."
Patricia, frowning, released Grace's wrist and remained silent, still trying to make sense of the situation. Powerless to refute Grace's allegations, she stood quietly.
It was then that Ariel approached, casting a disapproving look at Grace, her expression sore. "I said 'stop.' Why didn't you listen?"
She suspected Grace had done it on purpose, but Grace replied, "I just couldn't hold back."
Ariel's relationship with her sister had been strained since the plagiarism scandal at the jewelry design contest, and her tone now was particularly stern. "Resorting to violence? Is this what Grandpa taught us?"
Grace's face flushed with anger. "Why do you still defend her? She attacked Grandpa. I'm so upset, I just wanted to teach her a lesson. Is that wrong?"
"Hurt? Upset?" Ariel let out a derisive snort. "Then why haven't you visited Grandpa in the hospital yet? If you really cared, you'd be at his bedside tonight."
"I... I..." Grace faltered, guilt washing over her as she struggled to find an excuse.
Truth be told, while everyone else—Riley, Ariel, Jeremy, and even the ever-busy Sebastian who was always MIA—had dropped everything to be at the hospital, she played the perfect absentee. No excuse could justify it.
Ariel found Grace's presence irritating and insincere. "We don't know the full story yet, so stop throwing around accusations of 'murderer' like it's a fact."
With that, she took Patricia's hand and strode off without looking back.
Grace seethed with frustration, unable to comprehend why everyone seemed to support Patricia. She pondered whether blood was truly thicker than water, feeling infuriated.
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