Chapter 9 - The Poison in the Pantry
An hour later, Dr. Adrian Cole finished examining Emily in the sunlit guest suite. Nora sat on the edge of the large bed, happily eating warm soup brought by the kitchen staff.
Dr. Cole walked out into the sitting room where Luca was waiting in his navy suit, sipping a dark espresso.
"How is she?" Luca asked.
"She has severe exhaustion and dehydration, but that's not all," Dr. Cole said, his brow furrowed in serious concern. "Her bloodwork shows traces of a low-grade sedative. Nothing lethal, but enough to cause chronic fatigue, dizziness, and cognitive fog over several weeks."
Luca set his espresso cup down with a sharp clink. "Someone was drugging her?"
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"It was being introduced through her daily herbal tea blend," Dr. Cole confirmed. "The specific blend supplied only to the household staff pantry."
Luca’s mind connected the dots instantly. Harland wasn't just firing Emily for being sick—he was systematically making her sick so he had an excuse to remove her from the estate before she noticed what he was hiding in the financial records.
