Dinner was as uneventful, exactly as Rose wished it to be. She spent the entire time observing; she watched the servants as they went about their day, cleaning and making sure that everything was in working order. She went exploring as much as she could, or at least as much as she was allowed to and found nothing. There were no secrets that could be discovered. The house was the same as any other normal one. She would sooner find a dirty speck in that house before she would find anything relating to her grandmother. That was how clean the house was and how proficient the Evans were at hiding things and keeping secrets.
She ate dinner alone. Lola, Jade, and Mason were no where to be found. Rose was grateful for their absence. She did not think she could tolerate being in the same room as either Lola or Jade. They were just too much for her to bear.
When she was done with dinner, she carried her leather case that held her equipment to Xander’s room. She did not wait for a response before she opened the door after knocking on it. It was safe to say that Xander was annoyed.
A light frown was playing on his face when she entered the room but she smiled in his direction and closed the door behind her.
“What do you want now?” He asked coldly. Rose maintained her smile and pointed at her leather case.
“Have you forgotten? I’m your doctor,” she replied, walking to the larger table in the room. The distinct lack of chairs made the room even more somber.
“Right, my doctor. I didn’t realize you thought I was taking you seriously,” he chuckled. She put the case on the table and pursed her lower lip, frustrated.
“You have to take me seriously, Xander. A medical practitioner needs a patient’s consent and cooperation before working on them,” she explained, opening her case and pulling out a few vials of liquid that came in different colors.
“Fine, Doctor Rose, I’ll take you seriously. I promise,” he was sarcastic and Rose wondered why he was in such a good mood. She would have to admit that having a friendly conversation with him warmed her heart. He was actually a good person to speak to as long as he was acting cold towards her.
She began mixing a few herbs and medicinal drugs together in exact measurements, concentrating on her work. Xander watched her from the bed. Her smile was gone. Instead, she was heavily focused on what was in front of her.
Before long, a terrible smell filled the room and Xander couldn’t help but frown.
“Can’t you make something that’s a little appetizing?” He asked. Rose glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. He was like a child who needed to be tricked with candy o take his medication. She laughed inwardly.
“You’re an adult, Xander. You should know that the best medicine is the most bitter,” she said, pulling out a pestle and mortar.
She proceeded to grind the herbs and drugs until they were a fine powder. Then, she poured small doses in capsule and finally, she had made a full pill. There was a jug of water and a glass cup on the nightstand beside the bed. She walked up to it and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“I need you to take this,” she gave the pill to Xander. He reluctantly took it from her and she poured him a glass of water. Xander looked at the pill closely.
“You won’t wake up dead in the morning,” she said heartily. He sighed and took the glass from her hand, but he still did not drink the pill.
“Still? Was the smell that bad?” She asked, astounded. He nodded. She did not think Xander the type to have a sweet tooth.
“I might have something for you in here, somewhere,” she said, walking back to her case and rummaging through it. A few minutes later, she pulled out a piece of candy that was wrapped.
“Why do you have that with you?” Xander asked when she walked back to the bed.
“In the event that I might have to treat a child. I didn’t think it would be today,” she said the loud part too softly for Xander to hear her. He sighed and swallowed the pill with water. Immediately afterwards, he grabbed the candy from her hand—she had already unwrapped it—and put it in his mouth.
“Now, it’s time for the injection,” she said it so abruptly that Xander’s mood was instantly soured. He had had enough of the examinations and painful treatments from the other doctors.
“Is that really necessary?” He asked and once again smiled, picking up the injection she had already filled. She walked back to the bed.
“Yes, it’s very necessary. Your immune system needs to be boosted in order to tolerate the medicine I’ve already given you,” she explained, politely asking him to roll up his sleeve. He did so and she took ahold of his forearm.
“Deep breath,” she instructed and he obeyed. She was about to inject his upper arm when the door was pushed open and none other than Jade walked in.
“So, this is where you’ve been. Having a bonding experience with my brother?” Jade asked bitterly, “Or are you trying to kill him?” She turned around and watched as Mason entered the room. Xander, who had yet to receive his injection, was on edge and irritated. He wanted to get the pain over and done with, but they had to be interrupted for some dumb reason.
Mason saw all the medicines on the table along with the injection and he was livid.
“What are you doing?” He asked.
Rose did not get the chance to reply when Jade interrupted her.
“She trying to kill my dear brother, that’s what she’s doing! She’s trying to poison him. Why else would she have that injection?” Jade accused, walking up to her grandfather.
“Look at her. At what she’s wearing. I knew from the second I saw her that she had ulterior motives for marrying Xander. She wants the inheritance. She couldn’t even wait one full day before attempting to kill him!”
“I don’t want to jump to conclusions… Rose, please explain yourself,” Mason asked after a moment of thought. Xander rolled his eyes.
“Explain? Is there any need? You believe that brat's words already,” Xander called out, shocking Jade. For her loving brother to call her a brat, over that country girl?
“I’m trying to be impartial, Xander,” Mason said, “You’re too trusting.”
“And? It’s my life at stake. I trust what she’s doing,” and Xander replied.
Mason frowned, “What exactly is she doing?”
Rose stood up for herself and clutched the needle in her hand.
“I know what’s wrong with him. I’m confident I can cure him-”
“Confident? Based on what merit?” Jade loudly interrupted Rose, “You’ve never even been to the lowest tiered college. What do you know about what’s wrong with him?”
“Maybe if you had done your investigating properly, you would know that I went to the best medicinal university in this country,” Rose replied, full of pride.
She was fine with giving out that personal information because Yolan would plant the evidence for Xander to find. That evidence would corroborate her words.
“That doesn’t prove anything. Schools basically give away degrees to people nowadays,” Jade said. Rose decided at that moment that she despised Jade.
“No, it might prove something. If you can prove your… skills, then I’ll take them into consideration-”
Xander interrupted Mason.
“That is not your decision to make. I’m the patient here. I decide if Rose can treat me or not,” Xander said. The pill’s effects were surfacing and he hated how they made him feel groggy. He wanted Rose to administer the injection without any more delays.
“Give me the injection, Rose,” he ordered. Rose nodded and did as he asked. It took only a few seconds for the pill’s bad side effects to wear off. Not only that, he experienced something as well. For a shred of a second, Xander thought he felt the bed covers weighing heavily on his legs. It was impossible because he had no feeling in his legs at all. He was so stunned that he didn’t speak, alarming both Jade and Mason.
“She’s killed him! I’m calling the police!” Jade pulled out her phone from her pocket, however, Mason grabbed it out of her hands and looked to Xander.
“Xander, how do you feel?”
Xander sighed and leaned back on the large pillows, “We can’t expect results so soon. I want her to continue her treatment-”
“But,” Jade interjected, “We can’t just trust her. This might be a slow working poison.” She took her grandfather’s hand, urging him to call the police. But Mason could not give in to her wants.
“Think of what wild stories the media will brew if they find out that Xander’s wife was arrested? Xander made his decision,” he said, greatly disappointing Jade. She frowned and released Mason’s hand. That Rose was baleful existence to the Evans. Jade hated her.