Chapter 2001
Vivian's eyes brightened when she saw Manfred. "You're finally back!" But her relief turned to dread the moment she took in Manfred's appearance.
His steps faltered as he approached, and when light hit his face, she saw how pale he was. Blood streaked across his torn clothes, soaking the fabric.
A deep wound carved into his chest, fresh blood still oozing from it.
"You're hurt!" she gasped.
Manfred lifted his gaze, his eyes locking onto hers. "Don't worry. I'm fine. See that cabinet over there? There are medical supplies inside. Just help me dress the wound. Don't worry."
His body gave out as soon as he finished speaking.
Vivian rushed forward, catching him before he collapsed completely. Her face turned pale at the sight of the wound up close. It was still bleeding steadily.
Her experience tending to Manfred's wounds in the past gave her the confidence to act quickly. Without hesitation, she ripped off his torn shirt.
The full extent of the injury became clear, and she stopped, stunned. "This is far worse than I imagined," she murmured. "It's so deep!"
She shook off her shock and ran to the cabinet. Inside an assortment of medicine bottles sat in neat rows. She grabbed an ornate bottle at random.
Manfred's wound was a brutal gash, the flesh ripped open and raw. It was deep, spanning a wide area, and the risk of infection loomed large if not treated properly.
Her supplies, likely pilfered during her unconsciousness in the black market, were nonexistent. She had no choice but to trust the bottle in her hand.
By the time she finished treating him, sweat dripped from her brow.
Manfred remained unconscious, his face still as pale as death.
"Manfred, hold on. You can't give up now!"
Her mind raced with questions. What had happened in the past two days? His injuries were far worse than she'd anticipated. And who had done this to him? Before she realized it, she had drifted into an exhausted sleep at his bedside.
She awoke with a start, disoriented. How long had she been out? A sudden noise from beyond the hidden chamber jolted her awake.
"Manfred?" she called softly.
From outside the hidden chamber, she heard voices. A maid's anxious tone answered someone. "Mr. Bowman, Mr. Atkinson hasn't been in the mansion for the past two days. We're telling the truth."
Then came Miley's voice. "Manfred has been acting strange lately. He used to be easy to read, but now he's completely unreadable. Do you think someone's whispering things to him?"
"I think so too. No one has seen him for the last couple of days," Sterling replied,
his tone cold. He began scanning the area around him.
Miley frowned in confusion. "What are you looking at?"
Sterling narrowed his eyes, his expression cold. "Do you smell blood?"
Vivian's heart skipped a beat. She instinctively reached for the dagger beside her.
Miley scoffed, "Blood? Have you forgotten whose room this is? This is Manfred's room. People die here all the time.
"Even if the room is cleaned thoroughly, the stench of blood lingers. And since he got rid of the candle jars, there's nothing to cover the smell anymore."
While talking, she gave Sterling a playful, flirtatious look.
Sterling smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "You make a good point."
"But Manfred's definitely changed. He's much more aggressive now, if you ask
me," Miley remarked, a hint of knowingness in her voice.
Sterling's gaze darkened.
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The room was dimly lit, and their m
gazes met in a fleeting, almost imperceptible clash. The content is
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Had the maid standing nearby dared to lift her head, she would have been shocked No one would have The content is on Novelxo.org! Read the latest chapter there!
imagined Miley and Sterling
entangled like this, especiallyl.net?
their age gap. In public, Sterling still called her "Aunt Miley".
Vivian held her breath, not daring to make a sound. Sterling was sharp. If he
could
detect the scent of blood, he could just as easily sense something else was
amiss.
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His gaze swept the room again, and his expression shifted "Something's not right This/scent isn't old," he said, his voice low. "It's fresh." The content is on Novelxo.org! Read the latest chapter there!