Free Web NovelChapter 176: Treat (2)
Marlene didn’t know how to react to this. She didn’t know what Victor did when he visited Ian since she worked inside the big house, unlike Noelle. Victor wasn’t meant to be near the cottage so Layla might have never thought that she could hurt her son.
Noelle couldn’t have predicted when Layla had food sent for Ian so she couldn’t have stopped Victor from eating them. Noelle was always lucky that Ian grew to hate sweets.
"I have been sick for as long as I can remember and the person who may hold the key to the answer has been my mother all along. If what Noelle suspected is true, why am I nor Noelle dead? What did my mother want to give Ian?" Victor wondered.
"Your mother might have hated Ian, but your father wanted him around. Even though Lord Kingsley failed to acknowledge Ian, he still liked having a spare around should you fail him. If Ian just dropped dead, all eyes would go to your mother. It must have been her plan to slowly kill him," Marlene concluded.
Marlene had worked for Layla long enough to know that the woman was that cruel to try poisoning a young boy. If Marlene didn’t like Victor, she might have celebrated knowing that Layla had accidentally poisoned her son and made him sick. Now Layla could stop blaming Ian’s mother for being the one to make Victor sick.
"That is like my mother. The butler told me of what happened the night before you were all told that Noelle returned to her family. If she suspected my mother all along, what did she find out that night? Whatever it was, my mother decided Noelle needed to die. I don’t know how I would prove this to the town guards," Victor said as the evidence was long gone.
How would any of the doctors in town be able to prove that it was what he ate which made him sick? His mother would never admit to what she had done and be taken to the town guards. There wasn’t anything he could do to have her confess to her crimes.
Victor knew that his father would never allow something like this to be revealed as it would tarnish the family name. That wouldn’t happen unless his father wanted to abandon his mother.
"I knew my mother had her ways but I never placed her to be so bad as to go ahead with trying to kill Ian when he was only a boy. It feels like I am her punishment-"
"Do not think that," Marlene pleaded. Victor wasn’t brought into this world for that reason. Something else would be Layla’s punishment. It might come from the land of the living or in the dead. freewebnovel.cσ๓
"Don’t you think it fitting that while trying to get rid of Ian, she was always so close to killing me? Having me bedridden and unable to stand by myself. My death would have been a good way to make her realise her actions. I am her precious son after all," Victor repeated his mother’s words.
After his mother’s failed attempts to have a child, when he came into this world, she was obsessed with him. There wasn’t anything more that Layla loved more than him. Her obsession showed by always having him near and trying to create the perfect life for him. It just might send her mad if she were to lose him.
Marlene touched Victor’s hand to comfort him. He had learned a lot today. "You were an innocent child who thought you could eat the same candy you were used to that was offered to your brother. I do not think you are to be how your mother is punished."
"I shall try to think positively. I must tell Ian of this. There is no doubt in my mind that he has no plans of getting justice by sending my mother to the palace court. He will kill her and I will not stop him. Thank you for being so willing to see me. I will send Ian to you so you can answer his questions. I’ve done my part," Victor said, done with the promise he made to Ian.
He had found out what happened to Noelle and now all he had to do was share it with Ian. It was sad to accept that to gain a brother he had to lose his mother. Victor wished it wouldn’t be this way but his mother would never change.
"I look forward to seeing him now. I have a few of Noelle’s things I can pass on to him. I would love it if you could find where they placed her. Noelle is deserving of a proper burial. It would be better if she were to somehow be alive. I would love to see my friend once more. Please bring her home," Marlene requested, placing all her hope in Victor and Ian.
"I will try my best. I don’t want to keep you any longer. Your husband is looking through the window and I must go before my mother sends someone out to find me. It was nice speaking with you," Victor said, looking away from the angry man spying on them to Marlene. "I hope to bring you good news soon. Excuse me."
Victor had to find Ian as soon as possible so they could get started on finding where Noelle was now.
...
At Ian’s home, he couldn’t stop smiling because of how focused Scarlet was as she cut the vegetables he handed her. Ian didn’t need the amount he gave her but she was so proud of herself that he kept pushing more her way. By now, he thought she would have questioned how much he gave her but she was just happy to help.
"Who would have ever thought it would be fun for an heiress to cut vegetables," said Ian.
"It is hardly fun. It is just interesting to see how the food is made. I am done," Scarlet said, putting down the sharp knife. "This is the part where I leave you to it."
Ian inspected her work. "It appears that I owe you a kiss for doing well."
"I think we must work on what one of us gets when we beat the other in a bet. A kiss is not what I want when I do well," Scarlet said, still allowing Ian to hug her and kiss her cheek. She could not do anything about his touchy behaviour.
"You wish to have more. I shall take care of that as soon as you are fed," Ian answered.
"How is it that you can ignore all of what I say and twist it to benefit you? Please release me as I want to soak while you cook. There is no point in me standing around to watch you cook," Scarlet said, trying to free herself from Ian’s hold but it felt like she was chained because of how tight his arms were around her.
Ian kissed her neck and then said, "You should wait for me so we can save water."
Scarlet wasn’t falling for this nonsense again. "Ian, if you don’t release me, I shall flip you right now. I do not care how many knives are in the kitchen."
