Chapter 370

"Is this true?" Old Mr. Roscente tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.

Emily Laurent stood with her head bowed. "Every word."

"Preposterous!" The old man slammed his palm on the table and rose abruptly. "Ethan handles crucial matters daily, and you bother him with such trivialities? Are Hong Kong's physicians superior to others?"

Emily's shoulders trembled slightly. "I acted thoughtlessly."

Seeing her submissive demeanor, the old man snorted and stormed out.

As he rounded the corridor, he suddenly paused and glanced back. Shadows moved in the pavilion, and a glint flashed in his eyes. "Summon Margaret from the fourth household."

The butler's heart skipped a beat. "You suspect the fourth young madam..."

"Investigation will tell." The old man twisted his prayer beads with a cold smile.

Margaret knelt nervously in the study.

"Has the fourth young madam taken any medicine recently?" the butler demanded sharply.

"Your Honor, she has been drinking tonic soups to regulate her health."

"Where did the medicine come from?"

Beads of sweat formed on Margaret's forehead. "I... I vaguely recall her mentioning Hong Kong."

The old man's frown eased slightly, and he waved her away.

The butler handed him a teacup with a bow. "It seems Mr. Ethan and Miss Emily have a personal connection?"

"Just a plaything." The old man took a sip. "Better than that Sophia girl."

On the desk lay a photo of Ethan Roscente standing beside a delicate young woman. The old man had already verified she was merely the sister of a deceased friend, kept for amusement.

As long as it didn't interfere with the Roscente family's marriage alliance, he was content to turn a blind eye.

"What about Sophia..."

"Withdraw the surveillance." The old man rotated his jade ring. "She knows her place. Saves me the trouble."

The butler understood. That face, so reminiscent of the past, was a liability. Her voluntary departure spared them a scandal.

"Add sweet and sour mandarin fish to tonight's menu." The old man suddenly instructed. "Isabella enjoys it."

Behind a pillar, Margaret dialed a number with trembling hands. "Mr. Ethan, I said everything as instructed."

The faint tap of a pen against a desk came through the line.

"Good." Ethan Roscente gazed at the twilight outside his window, his lips curving into a frosty smile.