The letter wasn’t very long, but Seraphina Sinclair read it over and over again, clutching the brown-yellow pill that had fallen out of the envelope in her palm.
When Desmond Fairchild entered the room, this was the scene he saw. He glanced at the letter Mr. Sinclair left for Seraphina and sighed softly, carefully pulling Seraphina into his arms.
Only then did Seraphina snap out of her memories, and she took a step back, leaving Desmond’s embrace.
"How did you get in?" Seraphina asked, placing her hand behind her.
"You’re not acting right," Desmond said, noticing her somewhat resistant demeanor. He paused his movements, staying put.
"I’m fine, it’s just that seeing my father’s letter made my emotions a bit uncontrollable for a moment," Seraphina shook her head, not yet knowing how to face Desmond, so she could only temporarily protect herself with indifference.
"Alright, I’m here if you need me," Desmond said.
Seraphina nodded gently, clutching the pill in her hand, unable to resist asking, "Can you help me get this pill tested, to see what kind of medication it is?"
Desmond paused, looked at the small pill in Seraphina’s hand, and carefully wrapped the pill in paper, "The Fairchild Group has a private hospital. I’ll take the pill there for testing tomorrow."
Seraphina nodded and said calmly, "I’ll go with you tomorrow, thank you."
Without waiting for Desmond’s reply, Seraphina took the storage card to Jude Sinclair, asking him to import its contents onto the computer.
As soon as the images appeared on the computer, Seraphina immediately gripped the bed sheets nervously.
The screen clearly showed Mr. Sinclair’s room. Jude set the playback speed to 2.0x, and the footage quickly progressed to Ethan Lloyd opening the door and carefully opening the cabinet, taking out the small medicine bottle Mr. Sinclair used. Ethan poured the pills into an empty bottle he held, then took out other pills from his pocket and placed them inside, before leaving.
The surveillance in Mr. Sinclair’s room automatically refreshes every seven days, so the storage card only contained seven days’ worth of footage. Jude sped up the playback, and about two hours later, the video finished playing.
Seraphina had been tightly holding Desmond’s hand, but at that moment, she let go, her entire body collapsing on the sofa as if her backbone had been extracted, her face turning ashen.
"Mommy..." Jude called out worriedly. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ noveⅼfire.net
Desmond glanced at him, signaling him to return to his room. Jude took one last look at Seraphina, hesitated, but ultimately went back to his room.
After Jude left, Desmond embraced Seraphina, gently kissing her lips with a soothing touch.
Several minutes later, Seraphina finally returned to normal, her complexion gradually turning rosy.
"It’s okay, I’m here, I’m here," Desmond said, lifting his head slightly as he saw her appearance.
Though Seraphina had just decided to give him the cold shoulder, perhaps his embrace was too comforting for that moment, causing her to forget her resistance and lean wholly into his arms.
Early the next morning, Desmond took Seraphina to the Fairchild Group’s private hospital to test the medication.
After handing the medication over to the doctor, Seraphina remained in a state of anxious restlessness, unable to sit still.
"Drink some water," Desmond said, pouring her a cup and placing it in her hand, brushing her hair gently.
But during the wait, Seraphina remained apprehensive, clutching the cup without drinking any.
"Take a sip," Desmond said patiently, noting the untouched water, holding her hand to bring the cup to her mouth.
Seraphina instinctively drank a few sips with his guidance, slightly alleviating her anxiety, allowing her to regain her composure, as she awkwardly took the cup herself.
Just as Seraphina grew more uncomfortable, the office door finally opened.
After completing the medication tests, the doctor entered the office with the report, the first thing he did was to ask Desmond, "President Fairchild, if you could kindly disclose who is the patient taking this medication?"
"It’s for an elderly man in his fifties, who has had heart problems," Seraphina replied.
The doctor furrowed his brow upon hearing her words, seriously stating, "He should stop taking this medication immediately and receive hospital treatment. This medication contains several components that lead to heart failure. If a healthy person takes it, there shouldn’t be any harm, but for someone with existing heart issues, using this medication long-term and under stress, there’s a 90% chance of sudden death."
Although Seraphina had mentally prepared herself, upon hearing the doctor’s words, she still couldn’t endure it, falling into a daze, her hands clenching ever tighter.
Desmond quickly sensed her emotional shift, gently opening her clenched fists, holding them in his palm, "Alright, we understand, thank you, Dr. Lynch."
"You’re welcome, President Fairchild. If this patient has been taking this medication long-term, I’d advise immediate hospitalization for treatment," the doctor said, adjusting his glasses.
Desmond nodded, took the test report from the table, and left holding Seraphina’s hand. Seraphina dazedly followed Desmond out of the hospital, silent the whole way.
It wasn’t until they got in the car that Seraphina really snapped out of it. She took the test report from Desmond’s hand and read it carefully, her eyes reddening instantly, "Desmond, will you go buy a bouquet with me? I want to see my dad."
Seraphina spoke with a barely perceptible sob.
Thus, Desmond drove to the flower shop, where Seraphina bought a bouquet of her father’s favorite flowers, then drove all the way to the cemetery.
"Dad, I came to see you," Seraphina said softly, placing the flowers on the ground, then sat down, gently stroking Mr. Sinclair’s photo on the tombstone.
Though it’s still February, and the weather is cold, Desmond worried Seraphina might catch cold sitting on the ground, so when she sat down, he took off his coat and laid it beneath her.
"Dad, all these years I haven’t come to see you. Are you angry with me? I really wanted to visit you, but I was afraid. I was afraid I was the reason you died," Seraphina sniffed, pausing briefly before continuing.
Two days before Mr. Sinclair’s accident, Seraphina had a huge fight with him over Ethan Lloyd, and she’s always feared that disagreement triggered Mr. Sinclair’s stroke.