Chapter 4

A few days later, on the weekend, the Hartwell family held their monthly dinner at the old estate.

As newlyweds, Liam and I were expected to attend together.

The Hartwell family had deep, murky waters beneath the surface. Liam's parents had passed away when he was young, and he had been raised entirely by his grandmother Elizabeth Hartwell. And then there is his uncle, William Hartwell. Always hungry for the CEO seat of The Hartwell Group, he has always viewed Liam as a thorn in his side.

The moment we walked in, Elizabeth Hartwell's face lit up and she waved me over warmly.

"Ruby, sweetheart, come sit with me. I've been waiting for long long time — and you're finally part of our family."

She took my hands in hers, beaming from ear to ear. "You two have been bickering since you were kids — I always knew it was just that classic love-hate thing. If Liam ever gives you a hard time, you come straight to me. I'll sort him out."

I smiled and nodded sweetly. "Thank you, Grandmother Hartwell."

Nearby, Lily watched the exchange, a flash of cold resentment crossing her eyes.

She was here too, standing beside William.

Before long, Lily walked over carrying a steaming cup of herbal tea, a syrupy smile plastered on her face. "Mrs. Hartwell, don't let us keep you from your tea. I made this especially for you — please have it."

I was standing close enough that the moment she brought the cup over, I caught it — a scent. Faint. Almost imperceptible. But unmistakably off.

My brow furrowed sharply.

I recognized that smell. It was a byproduct from a targeted drug my family's pharmaceutical company was currently developing. The compound itself was colorless and odorless — but when heated, it released a very specific scent.

And it was lethal.

Only someone who had personally overseen the development of that compound would recognize the smell.

Lily was trying to poison Elizabeth Hartwell — and frame me for it it.

That drug only existed in my family's lab. I had just married into this family. If Elizabeth died, William would have every reason to seize control.

What a vicious, airtight setup.

I watched Elizabeth smile and lift the teacup toward her lips. There was no time to think. I lunged forward and slapped the cup out of her hand.

Crack.

Scalding tea splattered across the floor. The fine porcelain cup shattered into pieces.

Dead silence fell over the room.

Elizabeth flinched, staring at me in shock.

Lily screamed first. "Ruby! Have you lost your mind?! You just knocked the cup out of Grandmother Hartwell's hands — what is wrong with you?!"

William shot to his feet, his voice sharp as a blade. "How dare you! Ruby, you just stepped through the door and already you dare to cause trouble in this old estate? Someone grab her — now!"

Several bodyguards closed in immediately, their expressions dark and threatening.

Liam's face went pale. He tried to push through to reach me, but William's men blocked him hard.

[Let go of me! Any of you dare touch her! Ruby is not the kind of person who cause trouble without reason — something is wrong with that tea!]

Hearing him defend me without a single doubt, I felt a quiet warmth move through my chest.

I fixed my eyes on Lily's smug face and snapped, "Nobody move. There's poison in that tea."

The room erupted.

Lily went white — then immediately fired back. "That's insane! I brewed that tea myself. How could it be poisoned?! Ruby, you're making things up!"

"Am I?" I pressed forward, step by step. "Then prove it. Lick the tea off the floor."

At that moment, one of the servants suddenly dropped to her knees, pointing at me and sobbing. "Elizabeth Hartwell — Mr. William Hartwell — I saw it myself. I watched her sneak something into the teapot. A white powder. I saw it with my own eyes!"

A witness. Physical evidence. A perfectly constructed frame-up.

Elizabeth already had a weak heart. The shock of it all was too much. She clutched her chest, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed.

"Grandmother Hartwell!"

Liam's eyes went red. He tore free from the bodyguards and rushed to catch her.

The entire hall descended into chaos.

I stood where I was, watching the cold smile creeping at the corner of William's mouth — and the gleam of satisfaction in Lily's eyes.

This had stopped being a game of love and loyalty. It was a fight with blood on the line.