Chapter 7

In just 20 minutes, the whole internet was in an uproar. A single post—"The Stock God Is Back!"—shot to the top of the trending list. Grace sat in the back seat of a car, scrolling through the headlines and marveling at Sabrina's efficiency. She gazed out at the shifting scenery, feeling a bit dazed. Six years could really change a lot. She still remembered how, six years ago, Sabrina was just a crybaby who always hid behind her. But now, that timid woman had become the CEO of Norman Group, standing strong on her own. The gates to the Donovan residence were wide open. Grace had barely stepped inside when she heard Clara sobbing. "Ethan, don't die!" Grace's heart skipped a beat. She rushed in and saw a group of doctors surrounding Ethan. He was curled up in the corner of the couch, his face pale and trembling in pain. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "What's going on?" "Don't act all concerned, you fake!" snapped Ethan. He refused to let her touch him. Grace hesitated for a second. He was just as stubborn as she was. Being gentle clearly wasn't going to work, so she tried a firmer approach. The moment she grabbed Ethan, the boy sank his teeth into her arm. By the time he realized what he'd done, he could already taste blood in his mouth. It was her blood. Almost by reflex, Ethan let go and tried to straighten himself up as if steeling himself for her rage. But unlike before, Grace didn't lash out. She simply looked at him and said gently, "Don't worry. It doesn't hurt." Ethan's face was set in a scowl. "Who's worried about you?" Grace studied him intently. "Well, I'm worried about you." He stopped fighting, staring at her in shock. Worried? She said she was worried about him? She had to be lying. But still, she'd never bothered to lie to him before. She once told him that he and Clara were just a burden, not even worth the effort to deceive. Seeing that he was no longer putting up a fight, Grace gently checked his pulse. A frown crossed her face. "You're only five, yet your stomach's in really bad shape." Right then, she noticed the uneasy looks among the household staff members. "You've been starving my kids?" she demanded coldly. Her tone was so sharp that the staff members fell to their knees, trembling. "Mrs. Donovan, we would never dare treat Mr. Ethan and Ms. Clara badly! This... This was your order! "You wouldn't let us give them breakfast or dinner. You said... You said feeding those two little brats was a bigger waste than feeding the dogs!" Grace's chest tightened. She looked at Ethan's reaction instinctively. He just sat there, quiet and blank, his eyes clouded and distant. There was no anger, no emotion at all. It felt more like numbness than calm. He was only five. He needed proper nutrition. But apparently, he'd only been getting one meal a day. And even then, he was insulted while eating it. The more Grace thought about it, the angrier she got, furious enough that she wanted to slap herself. Was she any different from a wicked stepmother? "Prepare some soup," Grace said to the staff. Soup would help his stomach. Nobody moved. They just lowered their heads—almost to the floor—like they'd seen a ghost. Grace sensed something behind her. She turned around and saw Adrian standing there, his expression a mix of shock and controlled anger, fists clenched hard as though battling some deep torment. He'd had no idea his son and daughter had been suffering like this. For his own selfish reasons, he had harmed his children. Clara sensed the tension, and tears welled up in her eyes. She clutched Adrian's hand, choking back sobs as she stammered, "Daddy, it's not Mommy's fault. Ethan and I just didn't like eating..." Even now, the little girl tried to protect Grace. That made Grace's heart ache all the more. She had done so many cruel things, yet Clara had never blamed her, even going so far as to defend her. "I can treat Ethan's stomach problems," Grace quietly said, wanting to make it right. However, Adrian wouldn't believe her. "Grace, you can hate me all you want, but you had no right to mistreat our kids. After all, they're your kids too..." He stopped, unable to say more. Those two children had originally been his plan. He'd known she didn't love him, but he'd still wanted to tie her to him with kids. He had never earned the right to ask her to truly love them. "It hurts..." Ethan groaned from Adrian's arms, curling up in pain. He couldn't hold it in any longer. Adrian looked at the doctors. "Why are you just standing there? Help my son!" One of them explained, "Mr. Donovan, his stomach problems have dragged on too long. Most pediatric medications won't help. We don't have a solution." Right then, a female doctor spoke up. "If Dr. Lawson could help, there'd definitely be a chance." Rumor had it that Dr. Lawson was skilled in all kinds of treatments and especially known for the acupuncture technique, said to bring patients back from the brink of death. If they could get Dr. Lawson to help, a stomach ailment would be no big deal. Adrian frowned, looking worriedly at his son. Dr. Lawson was hard to find, and tracking her down would take time. But Ethan couldn't wait that long. Grace saw how bad things were. If Ethan kept suffering, something terrible could happen. She stepped forward and pressed a silver needle into Ethan's hand. "Grace!" Adrian grabbed her wrist. She stared back at him, dead serious. "Adrian, trust me this once." In his arms, Ethan's pained shuddering slowly eased, like the agony was dulling. Adrian saw it and finally let go of Grace's hand. She didn't dare waste another second. She opened an embroidered pouch that looked like a vintage medical kit. Then, she took out a few silver needles and gently inserted them into Ethan's acupoints. Within five minutes, the boy, who had been in too much pain to breathe, finally relaxed, slipping into a peaceful sleep. The doctors gaped. Just moments ago, they hadn't believed she could do anything for Ethan's gastritis. But with only three needles, she had eased his pain? They'd only ever heard of Dr. Lawson having such deep knowledge of acupuncture. No one else had skills like this. Could it be... No, it was impossible. Everyone in Regalton knew Grace as a lovestruck doormat. How could she be Dr. Lawson? Adrian was momentarily dazed by Grace's calm and unadorned face. She was breathtaking. He had always believed he knew her inside and out, yet he never knew she had medical skills.