Nathaniel finally reached the hospital and went straight to see his mother.
Gracie looked better than before. Her legs were still weak, but at least she could speak again. The moment she saw her son, tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Nathaniel…" she cried.
"Mom, don't," he whispered gently as he bent down to hug her. "Everything is alright now. You'll get better soon."
"It was Riya," Gracie said shakily, pulling away. "She pushed me down the stairs."
"I know," he replied softly. "And she has already paid for what she did."
Gracie had heard about Riya's death, yet she felt no sorrow. What she had in her heart was only remorse and heartbreak.
"I loved that girl," she said, voice breaking. "I treated her like my own. I trusted her. But she betrayed us. She didn't hesitate to poison Vincent. When I caught her and confronted her, she pushed me down the stairs. She wanted to silence me forever and even poisoned me. I can't believe I raised such a venomous snake into this house."
