A Chill Runs Down the Spine

As soon as the question was asked, Sophie White's entire body suddenly trembled violently. She looked utterly lost, bowing her head and glancing nervously around.

Alexander Hayes watched Sophie White's reaction, a bleak smile appearing on his face. "So it really was you... Sophie, I have never treated you badly, yet you poisoned me!"

"No, no... Alex, I never meant to hurt you!" Sophie White clutched desperately at Alexander Hayes's robe, raising her anxious face. "My heart is full of you. I love you so much—how could I ever want to hurt you...?"

"Lies! Utter nonsense!" Alexander Hayes coldly shook off her hand. "I have never understood how I was poisoned back then. I have always been cautious—there are few who could poison me! I never wanted to believe it was you, after all, I raised you myself! But the truth is, I raised a thankless wolf, Sophie White. You have truly disappointed me."

"No, Alex, it really wasn't me!" Sophie White was frantic. "I—I only meant to give you an aphrodisiac, but—who knew it was poison! The person who gave it to me lied, said that if you took the medicine, you’d... you’d fall for me, and if we became intimate, you’d take responsibility and marry me. I truly didn’t know it was poison, Alex, I never wanted to harm you, you have to believe me! As for those who tried to kill you later, I have no idea who they are or who sent them! After you disappeared, I secretly sent people everywhere to look for you, searching for years. Alex, I admit I hated Su Li and wanted her dead, but my feelings for you were genuine—I would never poison you, let alone send assassins after you!"

A cold light flashed in Alexander Hayes’s eyes. He grabbed Sophie White’s chin. "Who was it? Who gave you the medicine!?"

"He was... an old man selling medicine..." Sophie White was so anxious that tears streamed down her face. "The market at the border opened that day, and I just couldn’t resist going to look around. I dressed as a girl, wandering the stalls. I saw lots of people buying medicine, so I got curious and went over. The old man was selling a medicine that could make men fall in love with you. I—I was young then, only thinking about making you love me, so I foolishly bought it... Later, after you took it and were poisoned, then hunted and disappeared, I realized I’d been tricked! I regretted it so much and searched everywhere for you, trying to make up for my mistake... Alex, it’s true that I gave you the poison, but I didn’t know it was poison!"

"That old man—do you remember what he looked like?" Alexander Hayes pressed on.

"No, I—I don’t remember." Sophie White recalled, "It was windy and dusty that day, everyone had scarves wrapped around their faces. The old man’s face was covered in beard, and half his face was hidden by a scarf. Plus, I was young and so focused on buying the medicine to make you love me, I was too nervous to notice his features... Later, after you had your accident, I went back to the market to look for the old man, but he was nowhere to be found. The market’s manager said they’d never seen such an old man... Alex, I was set up, used by someone!"

Alexander Hayes released her, his eyes dark and unreadable.

He had always thought it was Sophie White’s doing, never expecting that someone had been using her from behind the scenes…

Back then, Alexander Hayes had hidden Sophie White away—very few people even knew she existed. Yet that old man not only knew about her, but also understood her feelings for Alexander Hayes, and used her infatuation as the perfect tool to poison him…

Suddenly, a chill rushed up from the soles of Alexander Hayes’s feet to the top of his head. All these years, he’d never realized there was such a force lurking in the shadows, a force that had nearly taken his life.

It was as if an invisible hand behind the scenes had been pulling all the strings—making Alexander Hayes shudder with fear…