Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
It’s strange. I thought Jasmine has an intense hatred for me and wants me dead. But now, it seems like she wants to take me to her residence. What can her motive be if she doesn’t want me to die?
Elspeth’s anxiety turned into curiosity. She would see what Jasmine had in store for her. “Okay, then. Just take me there as usual.”
After saying this, she sat down and put away the blade in her hand.
“What? Aren’t you planning to run?” The man couldn’t help but blurt out the question, but he almost bit his tongue in the process. Why am I getting involved in her business? Besides, my primary purpose is to deliver her, right? This woman is strange too. She knows she will be kidnapped, yet she remains calm and willing to face any danger.
“I have nothing to do with you anymore. By the way, tie my hands in the loosest knot when we arrive.”
Elspeth was becoming increasingly curious.
The man dared not respond to her and could only nod twice.
Half an hour later, the car arrived at the McGrath Residence.
She reached out her hands, and the man tied her up with the loosest knot as per her request.
After tying her up, he handed Elspeth, who pretended to have just woken up and was still bewildered, over to the person waiting at the entrance.
“You did a good job. I’ll transfer the money to your bank.”
The man was so happy that he didn’t even care about what had just happened. He only nodded with a smile.
After he left, the man in charge of receiving Elspeth kicked her leg to signal her to follow him.
Elspeth quietly took note of this incident, planning to seek revenge later.
As the two of them walked inside, the people in the house stared at them.
This made Elspeth even more suspicious.
As they walked further, she suddenly smelled a strong aroma of medicinal herbs, as if the whole house was marinated with them.
The man’s tone was impatient as he ordered, “Okay, you can go in by yourself now.”
After saying this, he turned and left. Before leaving, he kindly untied the rope on her hands.
While untying the rope, he muttered, “I don’t know how he tied it so loosely. You, on the other hand, didn’t even resist.”
Elspeth smirked. “It’s none of your business.”
The man was suddenly enraged, but because of the situation, he dared not to speak up and could only glare at her fiercely before turning away.
Elspeth moved her wrists, which were a little sore from being tied up, before pushing open the door to enter a quaint courtyard.
In the courtyard’s center was a pot boiling with medicinal herbs, emitting a steaming aroma.
Elspeth was no stranger to herbs. She leaned forward, fanned the wind toward her nose with her right hand, and barely discerned the herbs inside by the smell.
“I have nothing to do with you anymore. By the way, tie my hands in the loosest knot when we arrive.”
“Medicine to drive away the cold.”
“This young lady knows her way around medicinal herbs, eh? Nowadays, there aren’t many young girls like you who are willing to study it.”
An old voice came from behind, and Elspeth turned to see a smiling man in a white robe. Despite appearing to be in his sixties or seventies, he was as sharp and energetic as a man in his prime.
“May I know who you are?” Almost instinctively, Elspeth felt a sense of respect for the man in front of her.
The old man was pleased with her respect and his impression of her improved slightly.
“I am Haris McGrath, Jasmine’s grandfather.”
So, he is her grandfather. Elspeth had read in some material that the McGrath Family was a renowned family of traditional medicine, and Haris McGrath was a famous name in the field, but his granddaughter didn’t seem to be living up to that reputation.
They were two separate people. Elspeth nodded and smiled. “Hello, Mr. McGrath.”
“I heard from Jasmine that you’re having health problems. Is that true?” Haris carefully observed her face and instantly figured out something. “Yes, you’re a bit weak.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help but become more guarded against the man in front of her. How did Jasmine know about my health problem? Did Callum tell her?
At this point, Elspeth’s emotions were chaotic, and she couldn’t quite express her feelings.
Seeing that Elspeth was lost in thought, Haris asked with a smile, “Jasmine begged me to help you with your treatment. I have been retired for ten years. You’re lucky to have me brewing medicine for you.”
Elspeth was shocked to hear this and was almost speechless. How could Jasmine, who is at odds with me, possibly ask her grandfather to come out of retirement to save me? That doesn’t make any sense!
But when she thought more about it and recalled many overlooked details, everything seemed to point to one person-Callum Winthrop.
Is Callum the one who arranged everything?
After she figured everything out, Elspeth clenched her fists and spoke firmly, “Thank you for offering to help me, Mr. McGrath. However, I have something more important to do right now.”
Elspeth was determined to find Callum and ask him directly.
Suddenly, Haris’ expression changed dramatically. “You can’t go out,” he said.
“Why can’t I go out?” she asked.
“That Winthrop kid is going to marry Jasmine soon. If you go out, it’s likely to ruin the wedding,” he said.
Hearing that, she clenched her fists quietly. “What if I try to leave?”
“If you leave, there are only two possibilities. One, you will be treated coldly by that Winthrop kid and then escorted back here. The other possibility is that you will die outside from an illness. Miss, I’ve examined your body. I’m afraid you don’t have much time left,” he said.
On the other hand, Elspeth had been experiencing chest pain and shortness of breath for the past few days, and she knew her condition was deteriorating daily. So, she had thought of indulging in some happy activities during her final days. However, she never thought she would be taken there.
“No matter whether or not he despises me, I still want to ask him.” She made up her mind in her heart. If Callum asks me to leave, I will do so without remorse.
“That Winthrop kid has spent a lot of effort to ask me to cure you, and if you mess it up by going out now, he will be distraught.” Following that, Haris rubbed his beard, his smile tinged with remorse. “Although this exchange of interests is not very ethical, Jasmine is very fond of Callum, so I had no choice.”
He knew she was considering what he said, so he stepped forward to pat her on the shoulder. “Miss, I know this is quite unfair to you, but she’s my precious granddaughter. My wish is for her to be happy. Nevertheless, the bright side is that I will do everything I can to treat your illness.”
After hearing his words, her heart was filled with mixed emotions. She couldn’t describe how she felt, but her heart ached horribly when she learned Callum sacrificed his love for her to find a cure for her illness. Moreover, he had deliberately kept a cold attitude toward her the whole time to make her give up and make the entire act look real. She had even been fooled by him.
At that moment, memories of the past flooded her mind, and she felt a crushing weight of guilt. She felt terrible for saying those heartless words to him.
“Don’t worry. I won’t keep you locked up forever. After they get married, I’ll let you leave. During that time, I will have cured your illness. Then, you will be healthy again, and you can fall in love with a better man,” Haris said.
A better man… Who could be better than Callum to Elspeth? Although she wanted to go find Callum immediately, she knew that the treatment opportunity was something he had worked hard for. If she left without any consideration, it would ruin everything he had achieved.
“You don’t have to feel guilty. Callum is blessed to marry my granddaughter. After spending time together, he will naturally discover Jasmine’s good personality-“
However, she had already accepted the outcome with a heavy heart. No matter what, I think it is best to cure this illness first. With that thought, she turned around and found a chair to sit on.
He was amused by her unexpected reaction. “It seems you have settled on a decision. So, are you going to stay?”
“Yes, Old Mr. McGrath. Please help me cure my illness.” Then, she dropped the load off her shoulder momentarily and gave him a radiant grin in exchange.
Afterward, he looked at her cheerful expression and felt a little regretful. “You’re also a good girl, but unfortunately, you’re not destined for him.”
When Elspeth heard that, she shook her head. “No need to say that. You’ve already done so much for me. I’ll make sure to repay you once I leave.” Even though Haris had his granddaughter in mind, she knew he would save her life, and she would never forget that.
Later, he sat beside her, looking at the steaming pot of medicinal herbs in front of them, lost in thought. “By the way, I could tell from what you said earlier that you know medicinal herbs,” he said.
“Female ginseng decoction. It contains female ginseng, cinnamon twig, peony, wild ginger, licorice root, clematis, and jujube dates. With the weather becoming cold, it’s easy for the body to get sick. So, it’s better to wear warm clothes.” After that, she frowned when she saw that the man only wore a thin suit.
On the other hand, his eyes lit up when he heard her words. “Even though the female ginseng decoction has a simple recipe, it’s rare for someone like you to know all the ingredients so clearly. Miss, tell me, have you studied traditional medicine before?”
Nonetheless, she had nothing to hide in front of such an expert. “Yes, I studied traditional medicine for two years with my mentor when I was abroad.”