Chapter 197 

Chapter 197 

Oneida’s hand was still enveloped in Jackson’s palm. 

Until Ruth released her grip–leaving just the two, hands intertwined. 

Oneida subtly struggled. 

This time, Jackson didn’t maintain his grip but silently eased the force. 

Oneida finally pulled her hand back as she wanted. 

“Good girl…” Ruth said with effort, looking at Oneida, her eyes kind and smile gentle, “You and Jackson must take good care of each other… Jackson has had it tough, too…” 

Oneida listened half–heartedly; her attention was unexpectedly drawn to the skin of Ruth’s arm. 

Dark patches were scattered irregularly across her skin. 

A shocking thought suddenly crossed Oneida’s mind. 

Ruth might have been poisoned. 

Years of accumulated poison was now manifesting on the surface of her skin in the form of these flaws. 

‘Could it be that Ruth wasn’t sick but had been deliberately poisoned?‘ she suddenly thought. 

That would explain everything. 

Instead of a hospital stay and routine treatment, Ruth was placed in this secluded manor–because she wasn’t ill, just poisoned. 

How was she poisoned? 

And what kind of poison was it? 

These were things Oneida didn’t know. 

If she could look deeper at Ruth’s body, maybe… 

“It’s time to go.” Jackson’s deep and calm voice echoed. 

Oneida’s thoughts were suddenly pulled back. 

Ruth had already closed her eyes, her face looking incredibly serene. 

Oneida nodded slightly. 

Indeed, it was time to leave. 

Although she was eager to know about Ruth’s health, she could not recklessly display her medical skills in front of Jackson and the others. 

Her ability in medicine was still unknown to anyone. 

Just now, her chess game with Lionel had already revealed quite a lot of her skills. 

She might be able to muddle through her chess skills, but her medical skills were difficult to explain. 

If Jackson discovered her medical prowess, he might start suspecting her… 

“There will be other opportunities in the future, Oneida thought to herself. 

In the future, she could secretly check on Ruth’s condition. 

With a subdued expression, Oneida moved behind Jackson, wheeled the chair, and they retraced their path. 

After saying goodbye to Lionel, they directly drove away from the Bane manor. 

In the car, the atmosphere was still somber. No one spoke. 

1/3 

Chapter 197 

Jackson’s deep eyes were downturned, his features tight. 

In his mind, the frail face of his grandmother still lingered. 

Thinking of Grandma, a hint of restless depression appeared in his eyes. 

Meanwhile, Oneida was pondering what Bella and Jackson had discussed. 

Because of Bella’s words, she couldn’t help but harbor some suspicions towards Jackson. 

Deep in thought, they both sat silently and returned to Garrison Mansion. 

After getting out of the car, Oneida, as before, wheeled Jackson into the hall. 

“Mr. Bane, you’re finally back!” A girly voice suddenly rang out, followed by a flurry of footsteps. 

Fiona appeared unexpectedly in front of them. 

“I thought you weren’t coming back…” She completely ignored Oneida, her gaze fixed on Jackson, with a slight smile. 

That smile, in Oneida’s eyes, was just unbearably glaring. 

Oneida’s fingers on the wheelchair tensed slightly. 

She suddenly felt a bit agitated. 

Why…Why are there so many women around Jackson? He’s just a lonely young lord in a wheelchair now… In the future, once he’s free from the wheelchair and starts to shine, how many women will secretly adore him? Probably even more than there are now!‘ she thought. 

This realization suddenly made Oneida feel a strong sense of crisis, ridiculously helpless. 

She had never felt such insecurity before. 

Oneida withdrew her hand. 

She gazed at Fiona indifferently and said, “In that case, you take him back.” 

Oneida didn’t hesitate to turn around and walk in the opposite direction. 

She needed some time alone. 

When Jackson heard this, his gaze hesitated for a moment. 

He didn’t turn his head or look at Oneida; instead, his cool lips tightened slightly. 

Fiona, seeing this, was overjoyed. 

She immediately trotted behind Jackson, placing her hands on the wheelchair, and said with a beaming smile, “Mr. Bane, let me take you back.” 

“No need.” Without any hesitation, Jackson indifferently refused. 

Upon hearing this, Fiona’s expression stiffened. 

Jackson then commanded in a frosty tone, “You can go now.” 

His meaning was clear- he did not want Fiona to push him. 

Realizing this, Fiona’s face suddenly looked quite ugly. 

She gritted her teeth, reluctantly and disappointed, before withdrawing her hands. 

“Sure.” Her voice was a soft murmur, filled with a sense of hurt. 

Jackson, however, no longer paid her any attention and proceeded forward, maneuvering the wheelchair himself. 

Oneida was unaware that, in this household, besides Victor and Carlos, Jackson had never allowed anyone else to touch his wheelchair. 

For Jackson, Oneida had already become an exception. 

2/3 

4:37 PM 

Chapter 197 

At this time, Oneida walked back to her bedroom. 

She randomly picked a chair and sat down, feeling upset and confused. 

There were a lot of unread messages on her phone. 

Oneida scrolled through her phone, reading one message after another. 

Suddenly, she spotted a message, previously overlooked, from Edmund- 

[Oneida, I ranked first in this month’s exam. I just wanted to share the good news and brighten your day.] 

Oneida’s lips curved into a slight smile upon seeing the message. 

Eagerly, she replied to Edmund with swift fingers. 

[Congratulations! How have you been lately, dear Edmund?] 

After sending out the message, Oneida waited for ages but did not receive a reply from Edmund. 

‘Maybe he’s asleep?‘ she thought. 

Oneida casually checked Edmund’s Twitter; the last post was from two days ago. 

He posted a pitch–black image accompanied by a line of text- 

[It’s tough when no one believes you.] 

Seeing this, Oneida felt terrible. 

Something inauspicious must have happened to Edmund. 

Her brows furrowed deeply, and she immediately called Edmund. 

But–Still, no one answered. ‘Edmund… What on earth happened to him?‘ she worriedly thought. 

Oneida hesitated momentarily, then quickly sprang into action and dialed Lucas’s number. 

This time, the call was finally answered. 

“What’s up, Ida?” Lucas’s voice sounded worn out and tired. “Why are you calling so late? What’s up?” 

“Edmund…” Oneida gripped her phone tighter, the words slipping out almost instinctively. 

Upon hearing this, Lucas went pale. “You… you know already?” 

Just as she expected, something was going on.