Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 121: Bewitchment and Poisoning!

At this moment, in the Donovan Family’s backyard.

Beatrice Donovan was staring blankly at a courtyard full of precious orchids.

"Little sister, you’re in a good mood." Philip Donovan walked over, his tone unreadable.

Beatrice snapped out of her daze and forced a smile, "Second brother, what brings you here?"

"Just came to see you." Philip sat on the stone bench beside her, his gaze sweeping over the delicate orchids, hinting at something, "No flower blooms for a hundred days, no person is good for a thousand days. Some things, if you don’t fight or compete for, in the end, you won’t even get a leaf."

Beatrice frowned, "Second brother, what do you mean by that?"

"What do I mean? Don’t you already know?" Philip sneered, nodding towards the main house. "Look at Shane. He’s riding high now. Innovatech Bio is about to go public, valued at trillions, and he’s marrying into the Sterling Family, a strong alliance..."

He deliberately paused, observing Beatrice’s face turn pale, and continued slowly, "If Stella Sterling bears a child in the future, then this vast Donovan Family, inside and out, from top to bottom, truly won’t have any place for Rhys Lennox."

Beatrice clenched the silk handkerchief tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

Philip sighed, appearing deeply worried, "There’s no hope for me in this life, and I don’t have any children under my knee. The state of the Donovan Family doesn’t concern me much. But Rhys is different!"

He paused intentionally, observing Beatrice’s suddenly tense face, adding fuel to the fire, "Rhys is still so young. Can you really bear to see him spend the rest of his life as a marginal figure under Shane Donovan?"

"Never mind the future. Just look at now. They say it’s for experience, but really, he can’t even touch the core of Innovatech Bio, instead left in a small law firm in Riveria. What is this?"

Beatrice’s heart was gripped tightly.

Indeed, her son was so outstanding. Why should Shane Donovan always suppress him?

Previously, it could be said that he was too young and unstable, but now?

Shane’s engagement was imminent, and once Stella bears a child, the future heir position in the Donovan Family would be more secure. Where would Rhys have space to stand?

"Parents love their children and plan for them deeply." Philip spoke earnestly, "Little sister, you have to make plans for Rhys! Do you really want to see him marginalized for a lifetime?"

"What... what can I do?"

Beatrice’s voice was dry, tinged with helpless anxiety, "Second brother, help me, help Rhys! If... I mean if, in the future, Rhys really becomes successful, he will certainly repay you well as his uncle!"

A glint of satisfaction flashed quickly in Philip Donovan’s eyes, but externally he showed a bit of struggle and hesitation.

He looked around, ensuring no one was there, then carefully took out a transparent, unlabelled small vial from the inner pocket of his suit, containing some colorless, tasteless powder.

"Little sister, second brother sees that you’re anxious..." He lowered his voice, "This is a special kind of medicine. Colorless, tasteless, dissolves in water."

He paused, looking deeply at Beatrice, "It won’t be immediately fatal, but will slowly destroy a person’s brain tissue. Initially, it causes mental excitement and hallucinations, gradually leading to loss of control... even sudden death, but it would appear as an accident."

Beatrice gasped, her face instantly turning ashen, subconsciously stepping back half a step, "Sec-Second brother... you... you want to..."

"Why panic!" Philip firmly grasped her wrist, "Nobody is asking you to kill! As long as Shane Donovan shows any ’mental abnormalities’ at the engagement banquet, or thereafter, like losing composure in public, speaking nonsense, or just appearing extremely unstable... What do you think the Donovan Family, for the sake of family’s reputation and Innovatech Bio’s stock price, would do?"

Beatrice’s heart raced, the answer was clear and apparent.

Philip sneered, speaking out the answer for her, "They will immediately ’rest’ him, stripping him of all his duties! How can someone with mental issues still steer the Donovan Family? By then, to stabilize the situation, the old man will certainly reconsider the choice. Rhys will be the only option!"

"But... but this medicine..."

"Don’t worry," Philip placed the bottle into her cold hand, "This thing’s metabolism is fast, hard to detect afterward. Even in the worst case, at most, it’ll be a ’sudden brain disorder’, a brain hemorrhage... Who would think otherwise?"

He tightly gripped Beatrice’s hand holding the bottle, gazing at her intensely, "There’s only one chance! At the engagement banquet, isn’t there a toast session? Find a way to put the medicine in his drink. Unnoticed... For Rhys’s future, little sister, decisive action is needed!"

Beatrice held the cold little bottle, feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds, her hands trembling badly.

Fear and a twisted ambition wildly intertwined in her heart.

She thought of Rhys, of his possibly dim future, a long-repressed grievance and jealousy finally crashing through her last hesitation and fear.

She suddenly closed her fingers, clenching the small bottle tightly in her palm, her nails biting painfully into her skin.

"I... I understand." Her voice carried the tremor of a desperate resolution, but her gaze gradually turned fierce...

...

That night.

The Sterling Villa.

Stella Sterling lay on the soft big bed, her body utterly exhausted, yet her mind was abnormally alert, unable to fall asleep.

The moonlight outside the window filtered through the sheer curtains, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Tomorrow was the engagement banquet.

Everything was ready, perfect like a fairy tale.

But in her heart, it was as if there was an unruly little rabbit, thumping incessantly, keeping her from sleeping.

She turned over, picked up the phone on the bedside table, the screen emitting a faint light in the darkness.

Her fingers almost uncontrollably tapped on that familiar number and dialed out.

The call was answered almost immediately, after only one ring.

"Hello?" Shane Donovan’s deep, pleasant voice came through, carrying a soft rasp of the night, like a feather lightly passing over her heart. "This late, still awake?"

Hearing his voice, half of Stella’s restless heart strangely settled.

Holding the phone, her voice unconsciously carried a soft, somewhat petulant tone, "Shane Donovan... I can’t sleep."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by his low chuckle, full of understanding and indulgence, "Nervous?"

"Mm." Stella admitted honestly, burying her face into the soft pillow, muffling her voice, "A little."

Actually, more than a little.

It’s hard to describe the feeling...

"Silly girl." Shane’s voice carried no surprise, instead imbued with a reassuring strength, "Look up, at the window."

Stella blinked, instinctively following his words to look at the night sky beyond the floor-to-ceiling window.

Crestfall rarely had such clear nights, a few stars scattered in the inky blue sky, flickering with faint yet bright light.

"Can you see the brightest one?" His voice, clear and deep through the line, seemed as though it was right next to her ear.

Stella’s heart skipped, suddenly reminded of a night not long ago, when he carried her home, pointing skyward saying something similar.

"Yes." She responded softly.

"Now, silently count my name three times while looking at it." His voice came through, tinged with amusement.

Stella’s cheeks warmed, yet oddly, much of her unease was dispelled by this childish act.

She closed her eyes, silently mouthing: Shane Donovan, Shane Donovan, Shane Donovan.

As the third repetition ended, alongside his deep chuckling voice, she heard two soft "thud-thud" sounds coming from the direction of her balcony.

It sounded like... someone knocking on the glass?

Stella’s eyes flew open, shock writ large as she looked towards the balcony.