Chapter 94

"Mother?" Adrian Valentine looked up, his brow slightly furrowed.

Margaret Valentine entered, her face pale as she clutched her waist.

Beads of sweat dotted her temples, her lips trembling faintly.

"Adrian." Her voice was strained.

He set down the documents in his hand. "Why did you come here yourself?"

"Where's Evelyn?" She winced, sucking in a sharp breath. "Have her perform acupuncture for me. My back is killing me."

His expression darkened. "She's gone."

"What?" Margaret's head snapped up.

"Didn't you say she posed a threat to Isabella?" His tone remained even. "I sent her abroad today."

Her face turned ashen.

She hadn't expected her son to act so swiftly.

The searing pain in her back made her legs wobble.

"My spine..." Her voice shook. "Only she can treat it..."

Adrian regarded her impassively. "The hospital has an acupuncture department."

"Useless!" She gritted her teeth. "The same pressure points, but no one else's treatment works."

A sudden realization made her eyes turn venomous.

"That girl hid her skills well." A cold smirk twisted her lips. "She could even cure Natalie Lowell's asthma, yet kept it from us."

Adrian turned toward the window.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting sharp shadows across his chiseled profile.

"You should go to the hospital for a check-up." His voice was detached.

Margaret's forehead glistened with sweat.

She recalled Evelyn's focused expression during each acupuncture session.

The girl's technique was indeed unique.

"Adrian..." She softened her tone. "I only want what's best for you."

His back remained rigid, his shoulders tense.

"Isabella is the most suitable match for you." She pressed on. "The Langley family now—"

"Enough." He cut her off.

Margaret's face flushed with indignation.

Leaning heavily on the sofa, she began shuffling toward the exit.

Then her phone rang.

"Isabella?" Her voice instantly turned sweet.

Sobs crackled through the receiver.

"Aunt Margaret, Cassandra Valentine, she—" Isabella gasped between tears.

Margaret's expression darkened. "Did she bully you again?"

"I only accidentally—"

"That wretched girl!" Margaret exploded. "I'll go deal with her right now!"

She hung up, her back pain intensifying.

Adrian never turned from the window.