The Seventh Year

Chapter 4

Audrey was stunned. "What?"

"Stop acting! What did you feed Colin? He can't breathe!"

Without pausing to question why Nathaniel suspected her, she rushed into the crowd and saw Colin lying on the ground, clawing desperately at his throat, his little face turning pale.

"Colin!"

Lily clung to Colin, sobbing. "Ms. Miller! Even if you dislike me, you can't make Colin sick on purpose just to get Mr. Bennett's attention!"

Audrey spotted the rum-infused mango cake on the ground.

Colin was allergic to mangoes, and his asthma meant he couldn't consume any alcohol.

"Where's the fluticasone?!"

Lily wept dramatically, tears streaming down her face. As Colin's condition worsened, Audrey slapped her across the face.

"Stop your wailing! If anything happens to Colin, I won't forgive you. Where's Colin's asthma inhaler?"

She had repeatedly reminded Colin to always carry it with him.

Lily's head snapped sideways from the blow, and a red handprint glared against her pale skin.

Finally, she pointed to the lake, where Colin's medicine pouch floated on the surface.

Gritting her teeth, Audrey jumped into the lake.

The evening water was bone-chillingly cold, and slippery creatures brushed against her limbs.

'It's... a snake!'

Audrey had once been kidn*pped and thrown into a nest of water snakes, leaving her terrified of them ever since.

After Nathaniel found out, he scattered snake repellent around the villa, and not a single snake remained on the entire mountain.

'For snakes to appear now? Someone must have done this deliberately!' Audrey thought.

Audrey didn't dare stop. She lunged forward, fingers grasping until she snagged the medicine pouch. But before she could smile, sharp pain shot through her calf.

The snake's fangs dug deep into her flesh, thrashing and tearing underwater.

Blood clouded the water, the scent drawing more snakes.

Her calf was torn and bleeding from the bites, but Audrey kept going. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she swam desperately for shore.

Covered in blood, she shakily held the inhaler out toward Colin.

Lily snatched it away. "Colin, please be okay. If anything happens to you, Mommy... I won't survive it!"

Shoved aside by the crowd, Audrey staggered and fell to her knees.

Everyone clustered around Colin, oblivious to Audrey trembling in her soaked clothes in the chilly night wind.

Suddenly, police sirens wailed around the villa as two officers entered the courtyard.

"Who called the police?"

Amid the crowd's puzzled stares, Audrey spoke calmly. "I suspect someone intentionally gave my son cake that triggered his allergy. This is attempted murder."

Nathaniel's face darkened as he hissed under his breath.

"Do you have to disgrace the Bennett family? Today's guests are all prominent figures. Look at yourself. How embarrassing. You're supposed to be the lady of this house."

Audrey drew a sharp breath. Even though she knew Nathaniel's heart had begun to stray, she still felt a bitter ache.

She couldn't comprehend how the man who once fretted over a scratch on her finger—who would travel across town to buy her cakes—had become this person.

Her heart turned to ice as she raised her voice. "I want to check the security footage."

Lily cut in before the police could respond. "Ms. Miller, you know perfectly well the courtyard cameras were broken yesterday. There's no evidence to clear my name. If you dislike me, just say so. Do you really have to ruin Colin's birthday celebration?"