Betrayed By The Billionaire

286

Vince stood by the massive iron gates of the estate, his eyes filled with genuine anxiety as he looked at Chloe Bishop’s limp form. "Madam Bishop," he stammered, addressing the grandmother. "What exactly has happened to the Young Mistress? Is she... is she truly ill?"

Old Mrs. Bishop’s expression was granite-hard, her usual warmth replaced by a clinical gravity. "Chloe has suffered a severe spiritual and physical shock. I am taking her back to our home immediately. She will not be staying at the Grayson Estate for the next few days."

She paused, locking eyes with Vince and Mrs. Gable. "This matter can no longer be handled in the shadows. You must inform Xavier Grayson of everything that transpired here. Tell him he needs to make a choice—and quickly. Otherwise, we will never allow Chloe to step foot in this house again."

Vince shivered. The implication was clear: the "Divine Healers" believed there was something genuinely "unclean" lurking beneath the floorboards of the Grayson legacy.

Before departing, Old Mrs. Bishop produced a small, yellow slip of paper—a traditional warding talisman—and pressed it firmly against the frame of the basement door. Then, in a display of strength that left the security guards speechless, the seventy-year-old woman scooped Chloe into her arms. She carried her granddaughter toward the car with a back as straight as a spear, her breathing steady and her pace rhythmic, showing no signs of exertion.

Vince watched them go, too stunned to intervene. He had seen many things in his years with the Graysons, but the quiet power of the Bishop elders was something he didn't yet understand.

The Hidden Mark

Inside the moving SUV, Old Mrs. Bishop’s hands moved with lightning speed over Chloe’s body. She was performing a rapid acupressure sequence, stimulating specific nodes to prevent the "basement chill" from settling into Chloe’s internal organs. If she didn't move the stagnant energy now, Chloe would wake up with a life-threatening fever.

As she worked, the grandmother’s fingers brushed against the nape of Chloe’s neck. She paused. Beneath the hairline, a faint, mottled red mark stood out against Chloe’s porcelain skin.

A knowing, subtle smile quirked the corners of the grandmother’s mouth. She glanced at Master Marcus Sr., who was sitting across from her. "Old man, do you see what’s going on here?"

Master Marcus Sr. nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "I see it. Now, it all depends on how Xavier Grayson chooses to play his hand."

Jane Bishop and Tiffany looked at each other in total confusion. Tiffany, who had seen absolutely nothing in the basement but a collection of supercars, felt like she was losing her mind. "Grandmother, what are you talking about? What is going to be 'made clear' in two days?"

"Patience, child," the grandmother replied, her voice soft but dismissive. "The truth has a way of rising to the surface when the pressure is right."

"Go home and prepare the medicinal liniment," Master Marcus Sr. added, his voice tinged with a rare note of pity. "That poor girl... that mark must be incredibly painful. She’s a delicate thing to be caught in such a storm."

The Succession

Back in the safety of the West Side district, Chloe was given a potent sedative—the Heart-Calming Pill—crafted from the Bishop family’s private apothecary. When she finally opened her eyes, she didn't look for her mother or the luxury of her old life. She lunged forward and threw her arms around her grandmother, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Grandmother... please. I don't want to go back to the Grayson Estate. Never again. I can't go back there..."

Old Mrs. Bishop held her tight, stroking her hair as if she were a small child again. "Shh, it’s alright. You aren't going back. We won't let them take you back."

In the hallway outside the bedroom, Master Marcus Sr. pulled his wife aside. The gravity of his expression made the grandmother catch her breath.

"I’ve made a decision," Marcus whispered. "I want to pass the Bishop Mantle to Chloe. I want her to inherit the full lineage."

The grandmother was genuinely startled. "You mean... the secret techniques? The ancestral records? But Marcus, we have several grandchildren. You’re sure about Chloe?"

Master Marcus Sr. nodded firmly. "Among all the children, Chloe is the only one with the right temperament. Her heart is steady, and her character is far superior to those children raised by Aunt Sarah."

Mentioning their other grandchildren brought a look of shared disappointment to the grandmother’s face. "As the saying goes: 'Marry a virtuous woman, and three generations prosper; marry poorly, and three generations are ruined.'"

Marcus sighed. "James made a poor choice in his youth, blinded by a pretty face. His son, Silas, has his father’s indecisive nature. Neither of them is made for the weight of our legacy."

"If Chloe inherits your mantle," the grandmother mused, "she will have a skill that commands respect wherever she goes. She won't have to look up to the Graysons; she’ll stand on her own feet. But... do you think she can pass the Trials of the Ancestors?"

Master Marcus Sr.’s face grew heavy. "I don't know. And more importantly, I don't know if Chloe even wants to be a healer. But in the world she's entered, she needs a weapon. And medicine is the most lethal weapon we have."

The Bishop family is closing ranks around Chloe, and a legendary medical inheritance is on the table. But the "Trials of the Ancestors" are notoriously dangerous. Will Chloe accept the burden of the mantle to gain her freedom, or will Xavier Grayson’s arrival at the West Side manor force a confrontation before she can even take her first dose of medicine?