Chapter 291
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gaze
turned cold.
I had always treated others with respect. But if they kept being disrespectful toward
me ,
I would stop minding my manners.
“Madam Hardwell, if you’re so worried about me treating your son I can always opt not to , ” I said coolly.
Agatha’s eyes widened in disbelief. Clearly, she hadn’t expected me to say such a thing.
“Do you even know what you’re saying?” she asked sharply.
“Madam Hardwell, I can choose not to treat him if you don’t trust me to ,” I repeated plainly.
Agatha’s expression turned stormy in an instant, but I wasn’t afraid. No matter how powerful and influential the Hardwells were, we lived in a society governed by laws.
Grace also frowned.
She wanted to get me out of the country so I would never appear in front of Timothy again. However, when she learned I had to adjust the treatment according to how his condition developed, she had to put that plan on hold.
Her plan now was to wait until Timothy’s legs had healed before she drove me away.
She also knew I would suspect Timothy was Irvin no matter what she said. Because of this, she had been confident I would tirelessly devote myself to treating his legs. Hence, she never imagined that I would refuse to do so.
Gathering herself, Grace stepped forward and hooked her arm around mine.
“I don’t think we need to investigate this further, Ms. Quill,” she said warmly. “I’m sure you can tell your husband and mine are identical twins based solely on how similar they look. Which would make me your older sister–in–law and Agatha your mother-
in–law.
She added, “That also means we’re all family, and it’s normal for family members to misunderstand each other–just as long as they’re resolved in the end.”
Grace saw me as an insignificant bug she could crush whenever she wished. Still, she could be both flexible and assertive when necessary. And since she needed me right now, she had affectionately looped her arm around mine and claimed we were family.
However, it didn’t have any effect on me.
.
Extracting my arm from her grasp, I said, “Since you’ve already looked into me, you should be aware that Irvin and I had divorced a long time ago, Mrs. Hardwell.”
Grace also hailed from a prestigious family. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to marry the Hardwell heir. And despite her delicate and weak appearance, she was actually highly skilled.
She held considerable influence in both her own family and in the Hardwell household. As such, she had never been spoken to in such a manner before.
The tension in the room grew so thick , it was almost suffocating.
Eventually, Grace snapped back to her senses and looked at Timothy meaningfully. It seemed she hoped he would speak up and ask me to treat his legs.
However, Timothy showed no signs of reacting.
He clearly needed my help in order to walk again. Yet, Agatha had arrogantly slapped me without knowing the whole story. She needed to be taught a lesson. She needed to realize the world wouldn’t always bend to her will and that not everyone would tolerate her.
No one knew how to break the tension, so the atmosphere became very stifling.
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Just then, footsteps echoed from outside the door of my work studio. Black–suited bodyguards formed a path just outside the door . Soon after , a tall , middle–aged man strode in.
He looked somewhat similar to Irvin, except he exuded a stronger air of authority. The man’s presence was immediately felt when he entered the room, typical of those who had held a long–standing position of power.
Even the once high and mighty Agatha became meek the moment he arrived. She looked at him and seemed to want to say something.
However, before she could , the man addressed me and said, “My apologies, Ms. Quill. My wife has misjudged you because of her fondness for Grace. I ask for your understanding.
“We , the Hardwells, genuinely want you to treat Tim’s condition. also believe you’re compassionate enough to avoid prolonging a patient’s condition because of a misunderstanding.”
True authority figures didn’t remain on their high horse and continue to look down on others. Instead, they knew when to set aside their pride and see the bigger picture.
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