Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“Alright, I will.”With that, Elspeth said goodbye to him. She had wanted to send Callum to the hospital, but she saw how flushed his face was, so she took him back to the Joneson Residence instead.Just as she was helping Callum into the house, Michael, who was about to step out, stopped her.
“What are you doing?”Although she didn’t want to interact with Michael, today was an exception. She explained,
“Callum has a fever, and no one was taking care of him, so I brought him back.”It was okay for them to be intimate outside, but now, she had even brought him home!Michael was naturally upset about this and grumbled,
“As the president of the Winthrop Group, he doesn’t even have a property in Konig? What’s the point of dating such a person?”Elspeth didn’t want to argue with him, and Callum’s body was hanging weakly on her shoulders. She was desperate to bring him in so he could rest. Therefore, she didn’t bother arguing with Michael.”I won’t allow him to enter the Joneson Residence!”
Michael roared, seeming to be insinuating something.”If you don’t let him in, I’ll leave with him.”She knew Michael disapproved of Callum, so she turned around and walked out.”Elspeth! What is the meaning of this?”
Michael was trembling with anger.He really didn’t understand why his granddaughter was being so disobedient. It was like she didn’t care about her grandfather’s feelings at all.What did she think he was doing this for?He just wanted Elspeth to marry an excellent man!How was this Callum guy worthy enough for her?Her expression became colder when she noticed Callum wincing in pain.
“I’ve made it very clear. If you don’t like Callum, I’ll go back to Damoria with him.”Michael took a deep breath and asked,
“What about Frank?””It’s your call.”Her words were ruthless.
“Okay, okay!”His face turned red with anger. He could only obey her wishes for the sake of his precious grandson.
“You can let Callum stay here today, but he has to leave the Joneson Residence after he wakes up!”After all, Frank was still lying on the hospital bed. If his back couldn’t heal, his life would be ruined.Elspeth’s eyes were trained on Callum, and she didn’t spare a look at Michael.
“Alright. I’ll bring him in, then.”With that, she no longer bothered herself with Michael, who was almost exploding with anger, and left instantly.Michael’s assistant stood next to him, looking perturbed.
“Old Mr. Joneson, what should we do? If this continues, she will certainly end up married to Callum.”Michael held his breath and said in a quiet voice,
“It’s okay. This is just a phase. When I introduce a better man to Elspeth, she will understand my efforts.”Right then, he remembered something, and he asked,
“I heard that the boy from the Carr Family has returned to Blaydal. When you have time, make an appointment with him. Let him and Elspeth meet.”The assistant understood what he meant and commented with a smile,
“Old Mr. Joneson, you’re very wise. She will definitely see your efforts.”Michael narrowed his eyes. There was an unreadable look in his eyes.
“I hope so. I really hope she won’t follow her mother’s path.”In the room, Elspeth put Callum down on the bed and carefully tucked him in.She looked at his closed eyes and felt an indescribable emotion in her heart.She got up to prepare some hot towels for him. Before she placed them on his forehead, he grabbed her hand tightly, and she couldn’t move.”Callum-“Before she could finish speaking, he tugged at her hand, and she lost her balance. She fell directly on him.Elspeth noticed the slight tremble in Callum’s tightly shut eyes and figured she was causing him pain by pressing down on him. She was just about to get up when he suddenly opened his eyes. There was an indescribable gentleness in his gaze.”I heard everything.”She looked up at him with a look of astonishment.”I heard what you said to Old Mr. Joneson.”Elspeth thought of what she said, and her face turned red.
“I didn’t say anything. Pretend you didn’t hear anything.”Callum laughed weakly at that.
“Why are you embarrassed for speaking up about your love?””Oh, shut it!”She was furious and smacked his chest softly. Suddenly, a pained expression flashed across his face.”Callum, are you in pain?”Elspeth sensed something was wrong, and she wanted to lift his shirt, but Callum stopped her.
“I’m okay. I was messing with you. It doesn’t hurt at all.””You’re lying.”Suspicion rose within her, and she lifted his shirt only to see a bandaged wound. There was blood seeping through the bandage.Callum watched as the suspicion in her eyes faded into a pained look. He pulled his shirt down quickly to cover it.
“It’s okay. It’s just a small injury. I’ll be fine.”Elspeth didn’t listen to his dismissive words. With a hint of anger in her tone, she inquired,
“What’s going on? Tell me the truth.”Seeing that he remained silent after a while, she raised her voice impatiently as she asked,
“Callum, are you going to tell me or not?!”
Callum paused to think for a moment before he finally relented and said,
“It’s nothing. I eavesdropped on some people in the hospital that wanted to harm you. I found out before they could do anything, and…”
He heard a conversation between two people that morning. They were plotting in the corridor to knock Elspeth out and take her away.However, he didn’t notice they were carrying switchblade knives.He immediately tried to stop them, but the two men panicked and tried to flee from the scene, and they managed to cut him in the chest.”So, you stopped them for me? The fever is caused by the inflammation of the wound, isn’t it?”Elspeth didn’t know why, but as she spoke, she couldn’t help but feel like crying. Every word was like a needle poking at her heart, and she teared up from the pain.Callum knew she would be worried, so he didn’t want to tell her. However, he didn’t expect her to cry over it.His heart ached when he saw this. He pulled her into his embrace and gently comforted her.
“It’s okay. It’s a small injury. It’s not like I haven’t been hurt before. You don’t have to feel this way.”She cried like a child for the very first time, and her nose twitched uncontrollably.
“You were hurt this time because of me. Even if I didn’t get hurt, I could still feel the pain from your wounds as if they were mine.”He pinched her nose softly.
“I’d be even sadder if you were the one that had gotten hurt.”With a solemn face, he continued,
“Elspeth, I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”He was happy that he was able to stop something bad from happening to her.”Miss…”Just then, someone rapped on the door.The two of them pulled away from each other instantly. Callum let go of her hands, allowing her to open the door.The man at the door smiled kindly when he saw her.
“Hello, Miss. I’m the Jonesons’ family doctor, Dr. Leonard Hyde. Old Mr. Joneson asked me to come and take a look at Mr. Winthrop’s condition.”As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced at Callum. He could sense an icy, unfriendly aura exuding from Callum. It was somewhat intimidating.”Okay, come in.”Leonard looked kind and friendly, so Elspeth didn’t refuse him. She let him into the room and allowed him to take a look at Callum.After a careful examination, his face became solemn, and he couldn’t help but frown.”Dr. Hyde, what’s wrong with Callum?”Leonard stared off for a while thoughtfully before letting out a sigh.
“His wound isn’t an ordinary cut. There was poison on the knife. The poison is now spreading throughout his body. The situation doesn’t look very good.”A pang shot through her heart, and she asked,
“What kind of poison is it?””I can’t tell. This type of poison is rather strange. I’ve been practicing medicine for so long, yet I’ve never encountered such a poison before… Maybe it’s because I don’t know much about poisons, so I can’t tell from a glance.”That being said, how could the doctor hired by the Jonesons be incompetent? The fact that he knew nothing about the poison meant that such poison was rare, not to mention hard to be treated.Elspeth looked at the wound on Callum’s chest and felt it was familiar. She thought for a while but couldn’t remember who had suffered a similar injury.”Thank you, Dr. Hyde. Please think of a way to prescribe a medication to suppress the toxins from spreading.”Leonard nodded.
“I will. Don’t worry.”
Then, she saw him off and went back to Callum. He looked up at her worried expression and smiled comfortingly.
“It’s okay. Don’t worry. Aren’t I fine for now?”Even if he was okay for now, he still looked pale to everyone else.She shot him a look.
“You might be okay now, but what about when something happens? What should I do if you die?””What are you talking about? Nothing will happen.””But Callum, I feel like I’ve seen this kind of wound before.”This seemed to pique his curiosity.
“Where have you seen it before?””I think it was…”
Elspeth narrowed her eyes and suddenly remembered something. She quickly took out her phone to call Harper.”What’s going on, Elspeth?”It sounded chaotic on Harper’s end. He seemed to be in a meeting.”What was the injury that you had last time?”Although he didn’t know why she would suddenly ask that, he still answered honestly,
“I was bitten by a poisonous snake. If it weren’t for the miracle doctor, I would have died a long time ago.”Elspeth’s eyes lit up at his words.
“Yes, a poisonous snake!”With that, she hung up the phone and began to study Callum’s wound.His flesh was turned out, and there was dark blood leaking from the wound. The tissues around it were damaged. These were the symptoms of a wound after being bitten by a poisonous snake.”Callum, your wound is caused by a cut from a knife dipped in a snake’s venom.”Callum listened to her conclusion and asked in a serious tone,
“Then, what do you think we should do next?””It’s very simple. We just need to use ginkgo. I’ll get Sonny to get it.”The ginkgo she had right now was reserved for Frank, and it could only be used once. Thinking of this, she immediately decided to call Sonny.”Elspeth, what’s the matter?”
It was rare for her to call first. Sonny couldn’t help but feel surprised.”Mentor, do me a favor.”He seldom heard her addressing him in such a way, and his hand trembled slightly. The chess piece in his hand almost fell.
“Elspeth, what happened?”She had a temper, and she was arrogant, so she rarely called him a mentor.Yet, here she was, addressing him as a ‘mentor.’ It was as if she had had a change of heart.Elspeth thought about it and asked,
“Do you still have century-old ginkgo? The older, the better.”Her request made his heart ache for a bit.
“What do you need it for?”Century-old ginkgoes were hard to come by, and the longer it was preserved, the rarer they would be. The one he had was eight centuries old, and it took him a lot of effort to find it.”Saving one life is better than building a reputation for yourself. Of course, I want to use it to save a life.”Sonny listened to the impolite tone on the other end of the line and pursed his lips indignantly.
“Can’t you be nicer to me? I’m your mentor…”However, Elspeth wasn’t in the mood to joke with him.
“Ship it over immediately. I want to see it in four hours. Get it done right away.”With that, she couldn’t be bothered to bicker with him any longer and hung up the phone.She then turned to look at Callum. His lips were pale as the toxins spread across his body. He was on the verge of losing consciousness.”Callum! Stay awake! Hang on, Callum! I’ll definitely save you!”Although he was starting to slip away, he forced a weak smile to reassure Elspeth.However, in the next second, his head fell to the side, and he passed out.”Callum!”Her pupils narrowed in terror. The light she had in her eyes drained, and she was extremely worried. All she could do now was wait patiently for Sonny to deliver the herb.
After four hours had passed, Elspeth still hadn’t received the ginkgo. She didn’t know what to do. In the end, she called and found out that Sonny had sent the ginkgo to the Winthrop Residence in Damoria. She then made a call to Winthrop Residence, but no one answered. She was met with the dial tone instead.The moment she hung up the phone, an unknown number called her. When she picked up, the voice on the other end of the phone shocked her.”Elspeth, what are you looking for? Is it the ginkgo?”Arthur’s prideful voice was heard over the phone.As soon as she heard his voice, the bad premonition she had was immediately confirmed. She immediately understood that the ginkgo was now in his hands.She felt her heart drop.”I heard Callum is seriously injured. You’re not planning to give this ginkgo to him, are you?”Elspeth’s voice was cold when she answered,
“You were behind this, weren’t you?”Arthur seemed like he was in a good mood as he said,
“Of course not. But I’ve heard about what’s going on.””Arthur, give it back to me.”He was far from an angel, nor was he easygoing. He was still furious after getting humiliated the last time they met.
“Give it back? Why should I give you something that I’ve found? Don’t you think it’s a coincidence that I saw this parcel right when I decided to go back to the Winthrop Residence? If I didn’t open it out of curiosity, I wouldn’t have known that this was the life-saving ginkgo.””What exactly do you want?!”Callum didn’t have time to spare, so Elspeth couldn’t just let Arthur have the ginkgo.Arthur was pleased that he managed to provoke her and threw his final blow.
“If you want it back, you’ll have to agree to my conditions.”Although Elspeth was furious, she had no choice but to calm herself down and asked,
“Tell me, then! What do you want?!””There’s no fun if I just tell you outright. How about you take a guess?”Elspeth could hear the smile in his voice, and she knew what he wanted without a second thought.She asked tentatively,
“The Winthrop Group’s shares?””Oh!”
The corners of Arthur’s lips curled up.
“Elspeth, you know me so well. Why don’t you break up with Callum and come with me? Not only will the ginkgo be yours, but the Winthrop Group’s shares will also be yours.”Elspeth felt disgusted and interjected instantly,
“Arthur, are there any other conditions?”Her words surprised him.
“Of course not. I only want the shares and you. I don’t want anything else.””Arthur, I am your elder brother’s girlfriend.”He pursed his lips for a moment before a devilish smile formed on his face.
“I know, but isn’t that more interesting?””Shameless.””Go on.”Elspeth knew she wasn’t in a good position to negotiate. In the end, she didn’t bother arguing further and immediately told him to meet up.”Come to Blaydal. Bring the ginkgo, and let’s talk.”She couldn’t give up the Winthrop Group to him, but she knew she couldn’t tell him about that. Otherwise, it would infuriate him.Arthur didn’t trust her, fearing that she might lie to him.
“Don’t try and trick me into going to Blaydal before ambushing me there. I’m telling you. If you try to pull something off, I can destroy you any time.”Elspeth didn’t bother to argue with this lunatic and said softly,
“Don’t worry. I won’t lie to you. Don’t we have to meet up to sign the transfer contract?”Although he was still on edge, he hesitantly agreed to her request. Damoria was only two hours away from Blaydal by plane. Callum was still in a coma due to the poison. Elspeth mused over it and decided to temporarily allow the family doctor to take care of him. Then, she went out alone to meet Arthur.They made an appointment in a five-star hotel not far from the Joneson Residence since the hotel had really good sound insulation.When she finally arrived, Arthur was already inside, drinking tea by himself.”You’re finally here. I thought you lied to me.”
Raising his chin slightly, he motioned for her to take a seat.She picked a seat furthest away from him and didn’t bother touching the cup of water.Arthur played with the cup in his hand and teased her,
“What’s wrong? Are you scared of the glass of water? I’m not a monster. How could I do something to you here? I wouldn’t dare to drug you.”However, she ignored him and went straight to the point.
“Did you bring the ginkgo?””I did, but it’s not with me at the moment. It’s upstairs in the hotel room. Do you want to come and see it with me?”When Elspeth looked up, she noticed that he was staring at her with great interest. There was a faint smile on his face and a hint of sarcasm in his voice.”It’s fine. Tell me. Are you only going to hand it over after I’ve transferred the shares to you?”Arthur shrugged.
“I suppose so.””But right now, Callum is in a coma. I can’t transfer the shares to you until he wakes up.”What she said made sense, but Arthur wasn’t satisfied with her answer.
“Once you’ve used the ginkgo, and Callum is awake, what leverage do I have left?”She wasn’t being pushy or dismissive.
