Ch. 841..850

Chapter 841

"What about Aunt Jojo? Do you think she likes him?" Genevieve inquired after a short pause.

"Well, she lets him in every time and even asks him to stay back for meals, so I guess she likes him too. That's not what she's like with Uncle Tim. Aunt Jojo is always moody when she sees him and even asks the guards to chase him away."

Genevieve massaged her temple, feeling an incoming headache.

Johanna must be wholly disgusted by what Timothy did. What do I do if she falls in love with other men?

Suddenly, the housekeeper's shrieks came from outside the room. "Find a way to prevent Aunt Jojo from falling for that man. Do your best, okay?"

The abrupt end of the conversation left Lucian speechless.

How would I find a way for that!

Meanwhile, Genevieve swung the door open and ran out, only to see the other housekeepers rushing into Herbert's room, so she also fastened her pace.

When she reached the room, she saw how pale Herbert's face was, and he was coughing violently. A gush of blood spewed from his mouth and stained his pillow red. The housekeepers were all horrified.

Darting to the bed, Genevieve took a handkerchief and wiped the blood on the corner of Herbert's mouth. "Get a stretcher," she instructed the housekeepers calmly.

"I already called the doctor over," one of them informed anxiously.

"Old Mr. Zeigler's condition is not looking good. He just coughed up blood, so we need to send him for a check at the hospital. Quick! Get me a stretcher. Get two bodyguards here too."

Two housekeepers nodded and dashed out to carry out the orders. One went to get the car ready, while the other went to bring in the guards.

As trained ex-members of the military, they got everything sorted quickly. They brought a stretcher, put Herbert in the car, and rushed him to the hospital, with Genevieve following behind.

"Call the hospital and tell them General Zeigler is coughing blood and is unconscious. Tell them to be prepared," Genevieve told the guards as she fished for her phone from her pocket to call Yuvan, but the latter did not pick up, as he was occupied.

Genevieve called him repeatedly while they were at the hospital. Still, the call did not get through even until Herbert was pushed into the emergency room, so she could only wait patiently outside, clutching her phone.

After receiving the news from the guards, those from the Zeigler family arrived at the hospital after ten minutes.

Since all three of Herbert's sons were caught up in work and did not even have the time to return home during usual times, they did not make it to the hospital when Herbert was admitted that day. Those who came were Herbert's grandchildren, who were residing in Baykeep.

Suddenly, one of them shot forward from the crowd in surprise. "Genevieve! What are you doing here?" he asked, not expecting the woman to be here.

Genevieve recognized him right away. He was none other than the man Coco almost married-Miles Zeigler.

Genevieve pursed her lips as her face fell. "Mr. Yuvan invited me to the Zeigler residence, so I've been staying over these two days. When he coughed up blood, I immediately sent him to the hospital." Miles frowned at her answer. To him, there was no reason why Yuvan would bring Genevieve to the residence, so he called Yuvan, but the latter was not picking up.

One of Herbert's granddaughters was so worried she was brought to tears. "Will anything happen to Grandpa? He's finally recovering after staying at the hospital for so long..."

The others also teared up when they heard her words and started thinking of the worst.

Seeing how his cousins were on the verge of crying, Miles massaged his temples and consoled them.

The lot quietened down after Miles assured them.

They stood outside the emergency room, and some squatted down as the wait dragged on into a solid two hours until the emergency room's door finally opened.

"How's my grandpa?" Miles blurted as he rushed toward the doctor.

"Things are not looking good," the doctor replied solemnly. "His liver is very weak. It's a food poisoning case. Though we managed to flush out the toxin, he's still unconscious, so he will have to stay in the ICU. Food poisoning? Everyone, including Genevieve, was stumped.

Chapter 842

After Herbert was promptly transferred to the best intensive care unit, Miles questioned the housekeepers harshly, "Didn't I ask all of you to take care of Grandpa?"

"We did," one of them replied with a pale face. "We get the ingredients fresh from the market every day. W-We also have no idea how Old Mr. Zeigler got the food poisoning!"

"I don't think it has anything to do with the dishes," Genevieve chimed in. "I had lunch with him just now."

I would've also been poisoned if there was something wrong with the food.

Glancing at Genevieve, Miles phoned the gatekeepers at the residence, asking them to ensure none of the staff left home while instructing them to check the food Herbert had for lunch.

While the guards were carrying out Miles' order, things were also progressing at the hospital's side. The doctor had just conducted a diagnostic test, and the results were out.

Having read the results, the doctor called Miles into his office alone.

When Miles found out Herbert had had severe food poisoning, his face darkened, and he made another call home.

It was not until four in the afternoon that the whole ordeal finally died down.

Genevieve had been waiting in the corridor the whole time, and although the weather in Baykeep in May was not particularly chilly, Genevieve still felt cold, as she was not sufficiently dressed. Since she had been waiting outside the intensive care unit for a whole afternoon, her legs felt sore.

However, because Herbert's grandchildren were still at the hospital, Genevieve felt terrible leaving them there, so she just stayed.

As for Yuvan, Genevieve finally managed to contact him, and the man hurried over immediately when he found out that Herbert had been poisoned.

At four-thirty, a bodyguard went to the hospital to look for Miles with a lab report for a food test. "I sent all the food to the lab. They found nitrite in his liquid medicine."

A tiny amount of nitrite was enough to cause food poisoning, and three grams was all it took to kill someone.

Upon learning that, Miles glared at the housekeepers.

"This has nothing to do with us, Mr. Miles!" they defended themselves anxiously. "This type of traditional medicine is packed separately. We always put the medicine directly in a pot to cook it, and it's always just the two of us in the kitchen when we prepare the medicine! Besides, we have served the family for six to seven years. There's no way we'll do anything like this!"

"I did check the traditional medicine. As she said, there's nothing wrong with it," the guard confirmed. "But the bowl of the medicine he had used in the afternoon had nitrite in it."

Suddenly recalling something, the housekeeper glanced at Genevieve uneasily as if she was hesitating.

Noticing this, Miles ordered with a darkened expression, "You guys will be responsible for this if you don't spill whatever you know, so keep silent if you want to end up in jail." "Other than Caryn and I, Ms. Rachford was the only person who touched the medicine," the housekeeper quickly answered.

Genevieve was surprised that she was pushed into suspicion, but she still replied calmly, "Yes, but that's only because Old Mr. Zeigler refused to take the medicine since he had had it for a month-per his words so I told him I would go hiking with him if he took it. But I'm not dumb. There's no way I would poison him for no reason-in front of many witnesses, at that. Besides, there's no grudge between me and him."

Miles did not jump to conclusions after hearing both sides. Instead, he turned toward the bodyguard and asked, "Did you check the surveillance camera's footage in the kitchen and living room?"

"Yes. I have a copy on my phone," the man replied, opening a folder on his phone. "I slowed down the footage and found nothing peculiar when the two housekeepers were preparing the medicine. As for the part in the living room, I think you should just take a look yourself."

Miles tapped on the footage recording and saw the housekeeper going to the living room with the medicine. When Herbert refused to take it, Genevieve took the bowl over from her.

Genevieve was standing with her back to the surveillance camera then, and her hand was seen moving after she received the bowl.

"The medicine was hot, so I swirled it with a spoon to cool it before he drank it," Genevieve explained, looking at the screen.

"Do you think we're stupid?" one of Herbert's granddaughters roared. "That's when you put the poison in! You're a vicious woman! You messed up Grandpa's birthday last time, and he almost had a heart attack because of you. I can't believe you poisoned him this time! Why would you even do that? Don't you know how weak he is?"

The young woman was so carried away by her emotions that she glared at Genevieve with hatred in her eyes. She even lunged forward, wanting to attack Genevieve, but those around her restrained her in time.

Chapter 843

As Steven stood beside Genevieve, his face hardened.

Just then, Yuvan also showed up.

After seeing the footage and hearing Genevieve's side of the story, he uttered coldly, "I believe Genevieve. She'll never do something like that. Something's definitely amiss."

"Are you serious, Yuvan Zeigler?" Miles finally snapped. He could not understand why his cousin would take Genevieve's side when things had escalated to that extent. "She's the one who gave Grandpa a heart attack last time!"

"She didn't do that on purpose. She was just trying to expose Sylvie's real identity," Yuvan argued.

"She could well disclose it to us. Why did she have to do it in front of Grandpa on his birthday? She definitely did it on purpose," the same granddaughter weighed in.

When Yuvan saw that the family was hellbent on accusing Genevieve, he had no choice but to tell them the truth. "The reason why I got Grandpa discharged is that the doctor said he was depressed. If his condition worsened, he might not live any longer than three months. Since Grandpa likes Genevieve so much after seeing her, I asked her to come over to take care of him for two days, and in fact, Grandpa's been getting better."

"But she's not related to our family at all," Herbert's granddaughter rebuked. "Neither is she a doctor. Are you sure she can take care of him, Yuvan? Yeah, she's pretty, but she's a divorcee, and her husband died "

"So what if I'm a divorcee?" Genevieve cut in. "Also, there's no need to comment on my looks. Please don't blame me for looking ugly yourself. Are you going to blame me if you can't get a husband in the future too?"

The woman's face flushed red with anger as she glowered at Genevieve.

Yuvan quickly came between the two women to break them apart. Then, he turned toward Miles, saying, "I know Genevieve remains the culprit unless we can prove her innocent, but I believe her. I can even vouch for her with my life. I'm the one who invited her to take care of Grandpa, so I'll be the first to confront her if she's at fault, and I'll never forgive myself."

Since Yuvan had said so, Miles figured he should just put the matter aside.

"Bring Genevieve to a hotel first, then. She's not leaving Baykeep until she's proven innocent. We'll stay here to take care of Grandpa," Miles pronounced. Nodding, Yuvan left with Genevieve and Steven.

"What actually happened, Genevieve?" Yuvan asked once they got in the car. "Everything was fine when I left. How did the nitrite even end up in Grandpa's medicine?"

"I have no idea," Genevieve answered, recalling what happened during lunch. "I took the bowl from the housekeeper and fed Old Mr. Zeigler myself with the spoon. Something's fishy about those two housekeepers."

"I'll go back and check it out, then," Yuvan said.

"Take Steven with you to the Zeigler residence. It's better to have someone from my side investigating with you," Genevieve added, pressing her brows in worry.

"I'm so unlucky. I can't believe I'm running into the same trouble here in Baykeep. I was already framed once when Sylvie poisoned Mrs. Hossler," Genevieve added.

All of a sudden, she whipped her head toward Yuvan and looked at him intently. In all seriousness, she uttered, "Yuvan, please also check if those two housekeepers got along well with Sylvie when she was at the Zeigler residence."

Instantly understanding Genevieve's concern, Yuvan nodded firmly.

After they arrived at the hotel, Yuvan booked a suite for Genevieve and asked his men to bring her luggage over before leaving.

As for Genevieve, she went right to the hotel restaurant with Steven after Yuvan went off since she was famished.

While eating, she asked Steven why he was at Baykeep.

"Lucian told me something happened while he was on a call with you, so I took a private jet over immediately," he answered.

"That's my son," Genevieve commented, feeling an urge to hug Lucian and give him a huge kiss. "He's always thinking about me." Lucian is so nice, unlike that particular man. He only makes me angry even when he talks.

Chapter 844

After dinner, someone from the Zeigler residence arrived with Genevieve's luggage. After that, Armand followed the driver back to the Zeigler residence.

Perhaps it was because Genevieve was standing in the chilly corridor for too long earlier that afternoon, she felt slightly dizzy, and she was having difficulty breathing.

As she was lazy to call the receptionist for medication, she went to take a shower before going to bed.

When she was falling in and out of sleep, she felt someone touching her forehead and calling out to her.

Armand helped Genevieve up and wrapped his arms around her. He then put a cup of hot tea next to her mouth and said, "Drink some hot tea, okay?"

"No!" Genevieve turned away.

Armand rubbed her cheeks and coaxed her, "Your cold won't go away if you don't drink something hot."

Genevieve ignored his words and buried her head in his arms.

Armand sighed and sipped a mouthful of tea and fed her after that.

Genevieve was suffocating because he was kissing her while feeding her the tea with his mouth. Left without a choice, she drank it. Some tea flowed out of the corners of her mouth and flowed all the way down from her chin to her collarbones.

Slowly, the sweet scent of the tea began to fill the air.

Armand then slowly kissed the tea off of her chin. When he was about to feed her a second mouthful, Genevieve suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and got on top of him.

If Armand didn't grip the cup of tea tightly, it would've spilled all over the rug.

Then, Genevieve kissed him and uttered, "I'm not going to drink the tea. I'm going to spread my cold to you..."

Like a cat, she kept pressing her head against Armand's chest and kissed his chin, neck, and all the way downward.

Armand's breathing became heavy because of what she was doing to him.

With that, he wasn't in the mood to make Genevieve drink the tea anymore. Instead, he pulled her in and kissed her passionately. At the same time, he reached out his hand to pull off the strap of her sleeping gown.

After they were done with the steamy session, Armand carried Genevieve to the bathroom to get her cleaned up before putting on a new sleeping gown for her.

Since the tea had already turned cold, Armand went to make a new cup of hot tea for her. When he got back to her, he saw her sitting up and making a call by using the phone by the side of the bed. "Are you hungry?" Armand asked.

Genevieve snorted and complained in a hoarse voice, "You came into my room in the middle of the night and raped me! I'm going to complain about you to the hotel! Your reputation as a Deputy Minister of the Department of Public Information will be ruined tomorrow!"

Armand quickly went up to her and disconnected the phone before she could call the receptionist.

He then sat by the bed and hugged her before putting a blanket over her. After giving the hot cup of tea a few blows, he gave it to her.

"I'm not drinking that!" Genevieve shied away. "You're a rapist!"

"Fine. I'm a rapist. Still, drink the tea, okay? I'll go to the kitchen later to get you something to eat. Perhaps some toast and a bowl of oats?" Genevieve didn't reply because she was still unwilling to drink the tea.

Armand was afraid that her condition could get worse, so he fed her a mouthful of tea. Genevieve furrowed her brows and drank it reluctantly.

After feeding her half a glass of the tea, he stopped because Genevieve was having none of it.

He tugged Genevieve in and left the room. At around four that morning, he returned with some toast and a bowl of oatmeal.

Genevieve took a bite of the toast

Armand then fed her a spoonful of oat he brought.

Genevieve finished three slices of toast and a whole bowl of oat in no time. Armand carried her to the bathroom to brush her teeth before putting her back on the bed and rubbing her sore back. Although he was taking care of her lovingly, she put on a cold expression and said, "This is just something you're supposed to do, okay? I'm still not going to forgive you."

At that point, she was still angry when she recalled what Armand said at the airport.

Chapter 845

Armand merely smiled and moved his hand upward to rub her shoulder. "Steven told me about General Zeigler's food poisoning."

"What is there to tell?" Genevieve pursed her lips. "Even without you, I won't get bullied."

The deal she made with Yuvan was to lift Herbert's mood. As for the other members of the Zeigler family, she really couldn't be bothered with them. If Steven didn't come this afternoon, Old Mr. Zeigler's granddaughter would be the one in trouble.

Armand noticed how fair her back was, and he couldn't help but kiss it. "Why did you come all the way to Baykeep? Also, why did you go to the Zeigler residence?"

"Stop kissing me!" Genevieve reached out her hand to push Armand's face away. "I'm not like you, okay? I must make amends. Although my kids don't have a dad, I can't let Asel grow up without a dad!"

Armand felt terrible when he was reminded of what he had done to Genevieve and the kids.

However, there was nothing he could say. He brushed Genevieve's hair aside and kissed her cheek. "From now on, just treat me as if I'm a stranger."

Genevieve abruptly turned around and stare at Armand. "Say that again."

Armand said in a deep voice, "I have no choice but to replace Robert. Also, I need to take care of Sally. If you stay in Jadeborough, I won't be able to protect you. I'll get Steven to send you and the kids abroad

Before Armand could finish his sentence, Genevieve delivered a tight slap across his face.

While glaring at him, she said, "In the past, you said you owed it to Samuel, right? That was why you needed to take care of Marilyn. Now, you're telling me that you owe it to Sally. Well? How about me? Don't you owe me anything?"

She understood the fact that Armand was in a difficult situation, so she was willing to let it slide. However, she couldn't accept what he said. "Armand, do I owe you anything?" Genevieve asked, and her eyes were brimming with tears.

"You've hurt me, and you were the reason I lost my child. After that, I got pregnant again, and I went abroad because of you. You knew how frail I was, so it was a big risk for me to give birth. Throughout the five years I spent in Dartan, you didn't even accompany me or the kids. You owe me far more than the five years! Or do you think I've just been delusional all this while? Do you think it was purely my decision to fall for you?" she asked.

Immediately, Armand gulped and uttered, "Darling-"

Genevieve took that half a glass of tea and splashed it on Armand's face. "Don't call me that! You disgust me!"

"Leave!" she roared.

Armand wiped the tea off of his eyes and pursed his lips when he saw Genevieve not willing to look at him.

His lips parted, but in the end, he said nothing.

All the while, Steven had been waiting outside the door. When Armand came out of the room, Steven saw that half of his face was wet and the other half was reddened. Steven then quickly delivered him some tissues.

While walking Armand toward the elevator, Steven couldn't help but ask, "Did Mrs. Faulkner slap you?"

"Yes."

Steven had suffered all sorts of injuries in his career as a bodyguard. However, he was heartbroken when he saw the slap mark on Armand's face.

After getting into the elevator, Steven asked softly, "Why don't you just tell Mrs. Faulkner? In fact, Mrs. Faulkner is stronger than you think, and she doesn't need someone to protect her all the time."

"Sally is a trained fighter, and she could fight as fiercely as someone in the special forces. Besides, she's smart, and I might not even beat her. Do you think Genev will be able to handle her?" Armand took the tissues and wiped his face dry. "I'm not going to put her at risk."

Steven didn't know how to respond to that. In the end, he merely sighed and said, "What if Mrs. Faulkner really gives up on you? You know exactly how much Jack loves her."

Jack was just too lazy to compete with Armand. If he were to show up beside Genevieve and comfort her, there was a great chance Genevieve would be with him.

Chapter 846

Armand froze for a while, and his eyes were filled with sadness and complicated feelings.

After that, he uttered softly, "After I have taken over Robert's place, I need time to deliver results. I'll need two to three years, and that's a long time. Besides, Robert is very important to Sally. In the past, Jack was the one who took care of Genev and the kids. If Genev goes with him, I don't have to worry about them."

Steven was overwhelmed by sadness because he knew how much Armand loved Genevieve and the kids. He did everything to stay alive so that he could reunite with the three of them. Now that he gets to stay alive, he can't even make decisions for himself.

Steven regained his composure and asked, "Mr. Faulkner, are you feeling unwell?"

"No." Even Armand didn't expect that Ethan's heart would fit so well with his body that he hadn't had a single rejection since the heart transplant.

Armand didn't want to continue with that topic, so he asked Steven about the investigation of the housekeeper in the Zeigler residence.

Steven answered, "I interrogated Caitlyn for more than an hour, and she finally caved in. She was the one who poisoned General Zeigler. However, General Zeigler isn't doing too well. Earlier this morning, he went into cardiac arrest once."

Indeed, Herbert's health had always been an issue. The poisoning had caused his health to deteriorate even faster.

"Contact Timothy and get him to find the best doctor and the best medical equipment. Keep a close eye on that housekeeper," Armand ordered. If General Zeigler dies, it's the Zeigler family's problem, and it has nothing to do with me. However, it concerns Genevieve. If he dies, Genevieve is going to be in a lot of trouble.

Steven acknowledged his order.

When the elevator arrived at the ground floor, Steven brought Armand out of the hotel through the back entrance.

After getting rid of Armand, Genevieve dozed off. She then received a call from Yuvan telling her to go to the hospital because the results were out.

After hanging up the phone, Genevieve checked the time and saw that it was already past eight in the morning.

She then went to the bathroom to get ready and saw the love marks on her arms and collarbones. Right away, her expression turned solemn because she was reminded of the raunchy session she had with Armand the night before and the words he said.

Genevieve texted Steven and found out that he was already at the hospital. Hence, she had a simple breakfast before going to the hospital in a taxi.

On the way to the hospital, she saw the trending news she had received on her phone earlier that morning.

To her surprise, the news about Herbert getting food poisoning was all over the websites. Some media outlets had even revealed that Herbert's heart had stopped early in the morning. Besides, it was said that the doctors had confirmed the fact that the patient wouldn't last much longer.

Genevieve was utterly shocked. How did they know General Zeigler was sent to the hospital? We've all been keeping it a secret.

When Genevieve arrived at the hospital, she called Steven. A while after that, Steven came down and brought her to an intensive care unit. While walking, he said, "Ever since the news spread across the internet, a lot of reporters have arrived at the hospital. That was why General Zeigler was transferred to an intensive care unit."

Genevieve was still in a daze when she asked, "Did General Zeigler's heart really stop pumping last night?"

"Yes," Steven replied. "However, don't worry about it. Mr. Jensen had already sent the best doctor here. General Zeigler is going to live a while longer."

I was just reading him a book yesterday afternoon, and today, he's dying... With that in mind, Genevieve felt sad and scared. This is exactly how I felt when I was told that Grandma wasn't doing well and that she had been sent to a hospital.

Genevieve forced herself to keep her emotions aside and followed Steven out of the elevator.

Chapter 847

In order to keep the reporters away, the elevators and staircase entrance of that particular floor were all guarded by the Zeigler family's bodyguards.

From afar, Genevieve saw that the outside of the intensive care unit was filled with members of the Zeigler family.

At that point, everyone looked solemn, and the atmosphere was tense.

Yuvan was the first person to see Genevieve approaching, and he greeted her. He was there throughout the night, so he looked utterly drained.

"This is all your fault! You did this to my grandpa!" The girl, Herbert's granddaughter, Genevieve saw the day before roared, "If something happens to my grandpa, I'll come after you!"

Steven opened the door to the ward next door and pulled a housekeeper out of there. In front of the rest of the people there, he said, "She's the one who poisoned General Zeigler! This has nothing to do with Mrs. Faulkner!"

With a stern expression, Yuvan demanded, "Caitlyn, tell everyone what you did."

After returning to the Zeigler residence the night before, Yuvan and Steven investigated those two housekeepers who prepared the medication. Caitlyn admitted to poisoning Herbert rather quickly.

Since everyone was there that day, Yuvan wanted Caitlyn to tell everyone she was the one who poisoned Herbert.

While facing all the members of the Zeigler family, Caitlyn was frightened. She was especially scared of Phineus because he had always looked intimidating.

Caitlyn rubbed her palms sheepishly and lowered her head. "I-1 was the one who poisoned General Zeigler..."

"Why would you do that?" Genevieve asked.

"I did it because I wanted to get you in trouble and avenge Ms. Sylvie!" Caitlyn glared at Genevieve and added, "Ms. Sylvie is a good person who is nice to us and General Zeigler. Besides, she didn't purposely pretend to be General Zeigler's granddaughter. You were just jealous of her, and you wanted to ruin her life!"

Genevieve smiled in response. "I was told that your son had leukemia, and Sylvie was the one who gave you the money to treat him. That's the reason why you've done this, right?"

"Yes!" Caitlyn admitted. "Ms. Sylvie was pretty and kind. If not for her, my son would've died long ago."

"Pretty and kind?" Genevieve was disgusted when she heard that. "Madam, you're in your forties or fifties, right? Are you really that stupid?"

Caitlyn was infuriated, and she glared at Genevieve. "If General Zeigler dies, you're the cause of everything. You went to General Zeigler's birthday party that day and said all those things. He was stressed out because of what you said, so you're the reason he got sick!"

Caitlyn then added viciously, "Just you wait! All the wrong things you did will have consequences on your kids-"

Before Caitlyn could finish her sentence, Genevieve slapped her across the face.

She then grabbed Caitlyn's shirt and pulled her in. In a cold tone, she said, "If Sylvie really wanted to help your son, she would've told General Zeigler about it. You've been working so hard in the Zeigler residence for the past five to six years. Do you really think General Zeigler wouldn't have helped you? Instead of doing that, Sylvie contacted you privately and found a doctor to treat your son. She did that because she wanted you to owe her a favor!"

Caitlyn widened her eyes, and she couldn't even utter a single word in response.

"You chose to trust a person you've only known for a few months instead of your employer. Don't you see how stupid you are?" Genevieve asked. "Also, there's nothing wrong with me asking Sylvie to pay back what she owed to me. However, I know I've hurt General Zeigler then, and that was my fault. Still, you can't use that as an excuse to commit a crime."

While glaring at Caitlyn, Genevieve articulated each word slowly. "If you want revenge, come at me. You knew exactly how weak a man in his seventies is, but you've still poisoned him. That's beyond evil! Listen to me, okay? Even if General Zeigler ends up fine, I'm not going to let you off the hook!"

Chapter 848

Everyone in the Zeigler residence was stunned by the aggressive way Genevieve taught the housekeeper a lesson.

The granddaughter was first to come back to her senses. She rushed over to scream and curse at Caitlyn, yelling that Caitlyn was a traitor who had set her grandfather up. In fact, the granddaughter was even pulling Caitlyn's hair and slapping her.

Yuvan, who was closest to the woman, stopped her. "Grandpa's in the intensive care unit right beside us, so stop shouting."

The woman then glanced at the intensive care unit before ceasing her yelling.

Right then, the door to the intensive care unit opened, and a doctor came out to tell the others, "General Zeigler has awakened. His vital signs are all stable, so he can be transferred to an ordinary ward now." Upon hearing that, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Phineus' eyes were still red as he sincerely said to the doctor, "Thank you so much."

"You should be thanking Ms. Rachford instead." The doctor glanced at Genevieve. "She was the one who informed Mr. Jensen of Forlisle Medical about this. The medical equipment that was transported to the hospital early in the morning was Forlisle Medical's latest products. A day's use would reach up to over a hundred thousand. Moreover, the special medicine for heart diseases is exceptionally pricey as well. After they've received permission from the higher-ups to use it, they've given it to General Zeigler first."

After the doctor said that, he left.

After all, he still needed to make arrangements to move Herbert to a ward.

Phineus walked over to Genevieve and bowed before her. "Ms. Rachford, thank you for saving my father. Don't worry. We'll pay for all these fees."

"It's fine." Genevieve subconsciously straightened up when the high-ranking man talked to her. "I was at fault too for I've been too rash back then. All I wish for is for General Zeigler to recover. You don't need to pay the bills; I'm only paying the price for my mistake."

Just as Phineus was about to say something else, Yuvan said, "Dad, let's just do as Ms. Rachford says."

"All right." Phineus stopped insisting on paying her back.

Meanwhile, Herbert, who was in the ward, still had a pale face, but he did not need the assistance of a ventilator anymore.

After he chatted a while with Phineus and the others, he urged Phineus to return to his post.

After the Zeigler grandchildren visited their grandfather, they left too.

In the end, Genevieve and Yuvan were the only ones left in the room.

Genevieve had an apologetic look on her face, and she was at a loss as to what she should say to Herbert.

However, Herbert waved at her to gesture her to come closer. "I've woken up a long time ago, so I've heard everything you said to the housekeeper outside the intensive care unit. You weren't wrong. This is my fault."

Herbert sighed before continuing, "When I found out that Sylvie hired a professional to kill someone, I thought she was far too ruthless unlike my daughter, Juliana. I was suspicious about the result of that DNA test, so I took her hair to secretly do another DNA test. She might have found out about it and was upset that I kept interfering in her matters, so she tried to kill me."

When Herbert first met Sylvie, she had been sweet and cute. Herbert quite liked her, and he tried to give Sylvie everything he could not give to his daughter.

Even when Sylvie was proven to be an imposter, he was disappointed, but he did not hold her accountable for it.

It was then Genevieve realized that Sylvie had bribed the housekeeper to kill Herbert. She could not believe how vicious Sylvie was.

I shouldn't have let Sylvie die so easily.

Herbert then glanced at Yuvan, who was standing by the foot of the bed and smiled. "My three sons were successful, and my grandchildren have all grown up. I don't have any regrets anymore." The truth was, Herbert did not fear death. He was only sad that he could not find the daughter he lost.

"Old Mr. Zeigler, our country is such a big place. You should take a look at the beautiful sceneries all over the country," Genevieve said. She did not like the way his words sounded like his last words.

As she held onto Herbert's hands, she gently continued, "Didn't you say that your wife loved Lake Belthea? It's just that you never got the chance to see it together when you were younger. Once you recover, I'll take you there. As long as you continue to take that special medicine, you'll get better."

Herbert gazed at her for a while before nodding with a smile. "Okay.1

Chapter 849

Yuvan quietly stood there and listened to Herbert talk to Genevieve. For a moment, he felt that it was as if Genevieve was Herbert's granddaughter, for they seemed to be comfortable around each other as if they were a family.

Yuvan did not think that any random person would be able to lift Herbert's spirits.

A thought entered his head at that, and Yuvan discreetly went out to make a call.

In the meantime, Genevieve stood up to get the flask from the table. However, she spotted something hidden in the fresh bouquet of flowers.

After she parted the flowers, she took out the tiny black object stuck in the middle of the bouquet.

It seemed like it was a tapping device.

Genevieve's eyes darkened. Then, she excused herself by telling Herbert that she was going to the restroom. Upon stepping out of the room, she handed the device to Steven.

"Someone might have placed it in the bouquet and found a way to bring the flowers into General Zeigler's room," Steven deduced.

Everyone knew that Herbert did not have long to live, and everyone focused on his three sons, who were all in high-ranking positions.

The moment Herbert died, the political scene in Baykeep would change.

Genevieve did not know politics, but the idea that many people were waiting for an old man to die and the Zeigler family to fall from grace was one that sent shivers down her spine.

"Tell Dr. Salmond that he'll be in charge of Old Mr. Zeigler while the latter is hospitalized here. Remind him not to hand Old Mr. Zeigler over to another doctor." Raphael Salmond was one of Timothy's men, so Genevieve could trust him. "I'll be in Baykeep for a while longer."

Steven was baffled, thinking that Genevieve was being too nice to Herbert, but he did not say anything about it.

A black Chevrolet was silently stopped at the side of the road outside the north entrance of the hospital.

All of a sudden, the driver took out his wireless earphones and turned around to report to the man behind him, "The tapping device in the ward has been discovered."

The one in the back seat was a man who had his legs crossed. Behind his messy black fringe was a pair of rare and gentle purple eyes, but there was no warmth to be seen in his eyes at all. Instead, one would develop goosebumps upon looking at his eyes.

That man was the man Genevieve accidentally bumped into two days ago at Westlake Park-Zephyr Juksford.

Upon hearing the driver, Zephyr raised a brow and asked, "Is General Zeigler dead?"

"No. I heard that Mr. Jensen of Forlisle Medical brought doctors and the special medicine for heart diseases to Baykeep in the wee hours of the morning," his subordinate replied. Zephyr did not respond to that and turned to look at the building outside instead.

After a moment of silence, his subordinate could not help but ask, "Mr. Zephyr, could it be her?"

"Of course it is." The man chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. "I recognized her when I smelled the scent on her at Westlake Park."

The corners of his subordinate's lips twitched in response. He could not help but think of a certain animal that frequently used its nose as well.

"I've already made arrangements and stationed the people at the two exits of the hospital," his subordinate continued. "They'll be able to take action the moment Genevieve comes out."

"Have them withdraw for now." Zephyr looked down at his palms. "You can do it during the chaos if Old Mr. Zeigler is dead, but he's still alive. When I was at the park that day, I realized the old man's pretty good to Genevieve. Baykeep is the Zeigler family's territory, and Old Mr. Zeigler has quite a high status in the army. I don't want trouble."

Hearing that, the subordinate made a call to tell the men stationed outside the hospital to retreat.

Then, he drove off

Meanwhile, Genevieve continued to accompany Herbert after he transferred from the intensive care unit to a normal ward. During that time, numerous big shots of the political and military world came to visit Herbert.

However, Genevieve asked Yuvan to reject them all by saying Herbert needed to rest quietly.

Those who saw Genevieve thought that she was Yuvan's girlfriend, and their words soon traveled into Phineus' ears.

When Phineus came to the hospital to visit Herbert again, he pulled his son aside. "Although Genevieve is a divorcee and has children, I won't object to the relationship if you truly like her."

After all, it was not as if this son of his was working in the political or the military world. It was not impossible for him to marry Genevieve.

Chapter 850

His father's words made the hair behind the back of Yuvan's back stand. In the end, Yuvan muttered in slight exasperation, "Dad, I don't have that kind of feelings for Ms. Rachford. She came to take care of Grandpa here in Baykeep, and I'm settling some matters for her in return."

"Do you want to try things out with her?" Phineus asked. "Genevieve's a nice person."

Try things out with her?

Perhaps Yuvan might have entertained that thought in the past, but ever since he thought about how Genevieve might be his cousin, he dared not think about that anymore.

Yuvan rubbed the bridge of his nose for a while before persuading his father to leave.

Just as Phineus left, Genevieve returned with a bag of fruits. "I bumped into Dr. Salmond when I came up just now. Dr. Salmond says that General Zeigler is doing quite well, so he can be discharged." "I'll settle the discharge procedures in the afternoon then," Yuvan said. "Let's have dinner at home."

Genevieve shook her head and gave him a small smile. "I've been in Baykeep for too long. I'm sure my kids miss me, so I won't go back with you. Still, I'll come to visit General Zeigler in Baykeep whenever I'm free. Don't worry. I'll have Timothy keep supplying you the special medicine that Old Mr. Zeigler is taking."

"Okay." Although Yuvan was a little disappointed by her answer, he knew she had to prioritize her two children.

Yuvan then said to Genevieve, "I haven't contacted Mindy yet. One reason is that the news of my grandfather falling ill has traveled to the ears of others, and another reason is that I have a much higher status than her. If we message each other too frequently, I'm worried that she'll think it's a trap."

"My, my," Genevieve began. "You even know how to play hard to get now?"

Yuvan sighed. "Don't say such tilings, okay?"

"It's a compliment," Genevieve explained.

After lunch, Genevieve read "Her Tearoom" to Herbert until it was after four in the evening. It was then Yuvan came, and he brought along someone.

Harry, who looked sweet as usual, was wearing a mustard yellow hoodie, which made him seem particularly lively and youthful.

"Genevieve." Harry's eyes lit up when he saw Genevieve.

Genevieve smiled and asked, "Why are you here?"

"I saw the news of Old Mr. Zeigler's falling ill, and since I was on holiday and in Baykeep, I messaged Yuvan to check about it," Harry explained. "Then, I came with him to the hospital."

Yuvan was in the same class as Evan, and Evan was close to Harry. Therefore, it was nothing unusual for Harry to visit Herbert.

Half an hour later, Yuvan took Herbert away from the hospital.

Harry watched the car leave as he stood at the entrance of the hospital. A while later, he turned to Genevieve. "Genevieve, you don't look too happy. Why don't I accompany you around Baykeep before you go back to Jadeborough tomorrow instead?"

"How did you know that I'm not in a good mood?" Genevieve asked, amused. "Is it that obvious?"

"It's because your eyes don't look bright." Before Genevieve could reject him, Harry quickly towed her to the open-air parking lot.

Once they reached a motorcycle, Harry passed her a helmet.

"Don't you like sports cars?" Furthermore, Genevieve thought that the young man would be too traumatized to ride motorcycles after the horrible accident that landed him in the hospital for over a month. "Yes," Harry said with a giggle. "But a motorcycle is a better choice for the place I want to take you to."

Perhaps it was because Genevieve was feeling gloomy, or perhaps it was because she wanted to find out what place Harry was going to take her to. Genevieve put on the helmet and got onto the motorcycle. Like a swallow, Harry's motorcycle was gracefully maneuvered between the cars.

Soon, they were on the highway and out of the city center.

Eventually, Genevieve caught a glimpse of the sea.

By then, the sun was starting to set. The rays of yellow and orange shone through the clouds in the sky on the sand as the scarlet waves washed to the shore. The sea breeze blew past the surface of the ocean, creating red scales that glittered.

Genevieve took off her helmet and let the wind billow her hair as she stared at the picturesque sunset in a daze.