Chapter 293

The sharp crack of colliding billiard balls ceased abruptly.

Gregory Wilson straightened up after his final masterful shot, the colored balls dropping neatly into the pockets. A confident smirk played on his lips. "Good game."

Vivian Dempsey burst in, phone still pressed to her ear. "What? It's over already?"

"If Miss Taylor hadn't gone easy on me," Gregory said, leisurely polishing his cue, "you'd still be waiting in the parking lot."

"Whatever." Vivian hung up, waving her phone excitedly. "Perfect timing! I just got great news. Let's go—my treat to celebrate!"

Annabelle leaned heavily against the pool table, her face deathly pale. "You go ahead... I'm not feeling well..."

Vivian snorted. "Who said I was inviting you? This is for Evelyn and Dr. Wilson."

Annabelle's fingers dug into her palms as she swayed unsteadily. Her lips parted, but no sound emerged.

"Hey," Vivian frowned, eyeing her suspiciously. "You're not about to pull some fake injury stunt, are you? Just so we're clear—I haven't laid a finger on you."

Annabelle's pupils suddenly dilated. Her knees buckled—

Thud.

The sickening impact silenced the room. Annabelle collapsed face-first onto the floor, blood rapidly pooling beneath her.

Alexander Hamilton shot to his feet, his gaze darting between Evelyn and Annabelle's motionless form.

"Let's go!"

Vivian grabbed Evelyn's wrist, practically dragging her toward the exit. As the glass door swung shut, Evelyn caught Alexander's enraged roar and Vincent Wilson's panicked shouts.

The car ride was suffocatingly quiet.

Through the rearview mirror, Gregory watched Vivian nervously twisting her fingers while Evelyn stared blankly out the window, her profile betraying no emotion.

"Worried about her?" Gregory finally broke the silence.

"Who'd worry about that scheming witch?" Vivian bristled like a startled cat. "It's just... the way she fell looked pretty bad..."

At a red light, Gregory turned to face them. "Facial impact likely caused fractures. And judging by her posture during the fall, she was already unconscious."

Vivian peeked at Evelyn's expression and seized her hand. "She deserved it! Remember when you miscarried, Evelyn? The bathroom was covered in blood—I still get chills thinking about it..."

"Vivian." Evelyn's quiet rebuke held steel.

"Well it's true!" Vivian's eyes reddened. "You were skin and bones afterward, and even now your periods leave you sweating in pain..."

Gregory deftly changed the subject. "Miss Taylor's condition seemed abnormal. Her symptoms before collapsing suggest chronic anemia causing sudden syncope."

The car jolted over a speed bump.

As city lights blurred past the window, Evelyn recalled Annabelle's bloodless lips earlier—and the faint needle marks barely concealed beneath her sleeves.