Penelope, waiting anxiously at the door, felt her heart leap to her throat as Keaton emerged.
She immediately sought answers with her eyes, but Keaton, too afraid to linger, pretended not to see her and hurried away. Sensing something amiss, Penelope still approached Landon softly.
"Landon, don't be too sad. That doctor and Amber... after all..."
She tactfully trailed off , employing her usual ploy.
"They had reached that point; the doctor must have been helping Amber too..."
Looking at her fake sorrow, Landon felt a wave of disgust.
"Then tell me, if they were that involved, why would Keaton kill the child!"
His tone was accusatory, making Penelope panic.
"Maybe... maybe he feared exposure?" With no other option, Penelope threw Keaton under the bus.
Landon noticed her flustered look and frowned, not wanting anything to do with this woman anymore.
"You go first."
Landon could no longer trust her.
"Mr. Rhodes, it's clear now."
The assistant swiftly completed Landon's assignment.
Landon took a deep breath. "Tell me."
The assistant unfolded a file, presenting it to Landon. "According to Miss Quinn's spending records, Miss Nolan was indeed drugged by her that day. Here are Miss Quinn's receipts."
"The hospital also admits to falsifying the illness, coerced by Miss Quinn. Here are the real reports showing Miss Quinn is healthy."
"So Penelope was never ill?" Landon stammered out the conclusion.
"Yes. Here's Miss Quinn's recorded threats to the hospital." The assistant handed over a recorder with copied conversations.
Landon's fingers trembled as he played it, a thunderbolt striking him. His hand clenched the recorder, veins bulging, ready to explode!
Penelope!
Landon's eyes flamed, surrounded by a murderous aura.
The hardest part of truth to accept is often its brutality.
"Miss Quinn is impressive. Framing your sister, seducing the doctor, faking illness, all in one go!" Landon dialed the phone, delivered a cold remark, then promptly hung up, waiting for Penelope to show up on her own.
Penelope was caught off guard, realizing things went wrong. But she and Landon shared a deep bond, so she expected forgiveness based on old sentiments.
Little did she know, Landon was utterly disappointed.
"Landon." Entering, Penelope resorted to her old tactics, weeping and looking frail.
"Why frame me? I did nothing!"
She cried again, managing a few genuine tears this time, but still looking false.
Landon watched her deceit coldly, shaking his head. "Penelope, you're something! Nolan family's wealth wasn't enough for you, now you've set your sights on the Rhodes family, am I right?"
"Framing your sister, deceiving my feelings, not sparing even a child, you're quite capable!"
Panicked by his aggression, Penelope blurted, "Landon, what are you saying, I don't understand!"
"I really didn't deceive you, I don't know anything about the child. I told you not to use my sister's child for my treatment from the start."
"I know my sister's death upsets you. Although I'm your fiancée, I've never blamed her! How can you say that about me."
Penelope scrambled to defend herself, emphasizing her status as the rightful fiancée, to no avail.
"Hmph... still unrepentant till now!" Landon threw a few documents at her. "Then explain these!"
