Chapter 278: There Won’t Be a Next Time

Chapter 278: Chapter 278: There Won’t Be a Next Time

Mrs. Churchill wrenched herself free from the bodyguards holding her and rushed over to Jenson Whitman, desperate to explain.

"President Whitman, this is all a misunderstanding! We saw that Chadwick was drunk and just wanted to help him find somewhere to rest."

"Drunk?" Jenson Whitman sneered. "My son always knows his limits. Why would he drink himself unconscious on such an important occasion?"

He knew his son’s tolerance for alcohol better than anyone. A moment ago on the phone, Vesper Grayson had stated clearly that someone had drugged Chadwick Whitman.

Mrs. Churchill’s expression froze, and she forced a smile onto her face.

"Anyone can be careless. Perhaps Chadwick was just overjoyed about finding his sister and had a few too many drinks."

Renee Rhodes shoved her aside and rushed forward to check on Chadwick Whitman.

"Prue, how’s your brother?"

Vesper Grayson’s gaze was firm, her tone chilling. "He’s been given a potent drug. I’ve already blocked several of his acupressure points to suppress its effects. The priority now is to get him home. I have an antidote there."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get Chadwick home immediately." Renee Rhodes turned to Jared Hawthorne. "Jared, please go with Prue."

Jared Hawthorne nodded. He released his grip on Hannah Churchill, walked to the car, and supported the limp body of Chadwick Whitman, helping him safely into another vehicle.

Vesper Grayson turned, a cold glint flashing in her almond-shaped eyes.

"Mom, Dad, that mother and daughter drugged my brother on purpose. They have malicious intentions and cannot be let off lightly."

Renee Rhodes nodded, her eyes filled with ice. "Don’t worry. Your father and I know what we’re doing."

The car sped away, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake until it vanished from sight.

An imperious, chilling aura emanated from Jenson Whitman as his cold gaze fell upon Mrs. Churchill and Hannah Churchill.

"Mrs. Churchill. Miss Churchill. Don’t you think you owe us an explanation?"

"President Whitman, it truly was just a misunderstanding. We never had a single ill intention toward Chadwick." Mrs. Churchill’s eyes reddened as she lifted a hand to dab at the corners. "You mustn’t forget that my eldest daughter, Iris, died saving Chadwick’s life. Our families were on the verge of being joined by marriage. I’ve always thought of Chadwick as a son. How could I possibly harm him?"

Once again, she was bringing up the deceased Iris Churchill to play the victim, hoping to prey on the Whitman Family’s guilt over their past connection to get herself off the hook. For years, she had used this exact tactic to squeeze countless benefits from them.

Before Jenson Whitman could speak, Renee Rhodes stormed up to her and rebuked her harshly.

"Stop using Iris as your shield! If it wasn’t for your negligence, she never would have been lost in a foreign land! And after you finally found her, you let Hannah treat her like a personal blood bank, beating and cursing her whenever you pleased! Do you really think we have no idea what a miserable life she led with the Churchill Family?"

"For all these years, the Churchill Family has been profiting from the Whitman Group’s support. The debt has long been paid, even if it took ten lives to do it!"

"I have never met such a selfish, cold-hearted mother! You mistreated your daughter in every way when she was alive, and now that she’s gone, you continue to exploit her memory for your own gain!"

Mrs. Churchill’s face went white. She clutched her chest and staggered back a step.

"Mrs. Whitman, how can you say such things? Iris was my own flesh and blood! I carried her for nine months. How could I not love her?"

"It was indeed my fault she went missing all those years ago. I’ve lived every single day tormented by guilt. I never mistreated her in the slightest. As for giving blood to Hannah, it was simply a sign of their deep sisterly bond. They’re family, after all."

Hannah Churchill quickly stepped forward and explained in a soft voice, "Mrs. Rhodes, you must have been misled by someone’s malicious gossip. Mother may favor me slightly, but she has always treated my sister as an equal. After wandering for so many years, my sister’s personality was inevitably affected by her circumstances. She’s a compulsive liar. Please don’t believe a word she said."

Renee Rhodes shot her a cold glare, her voice sharp as ice.

"I think you’re the one who’s full of lies! Your sister is long dead, yet you still insist on slandering her."

"Don’t think I don’t know what you want with Chadwick. I’ll make myself perfectly clear right now: even if Chadwick stays single for the rest of his life, I will never, ever allow you to set foot in the Whitman home."

The color drained from Hannah Churchill’s face. She rushed forward and grabbed Renee Rhodes’s arm, her voice desperate and pleading.

"Mrs. Rhodes, I truly love Chadwick! My sister is gone, so why can’t you let me have him? My sister and I share the same mother. There are similarities in our features and temperament. Why can’t you just..."

Before she could finish, Renee Rhodes yanked her hand away and cut her off coldly.

"In my heart, no one in this world can ever compare to Iris."

’Iris Churchill was honest and sincere. Though she’d been mired in hardship since she was a child, she never despaired or gave up. She was always resilient and optimistic. Renee cherished and admired that spirit from the bottom of her heart.’

Hannah Churchill’s face turned ashen, and for a moment, she was speechless.

’Why did the Whitmans like Iris Churchill so much?’

’I’ve had the best education since I was a child. I’m skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. How could I possibly lose to that uncultured brat, Iris!’

’I was the one who met Chadwick first! I was the one who fell for him first!’

’But the moment Iris Churchill showed up, she stole all of Chadwick’s attention.’

’She completely overshadowed me!’

Jenson Whitman turned his head and gave a grim order to the butler at his side.

"Release an official statement immediately. As of this moment, the Whitman Family is terminating all support and protection for the Churchill Family and all its businesses. I want the Churchills to pay the price for what they’ve done today."

’I’ve shown them too much leniency, and it’s only made them more audacious, more shameless.’

Mrs. Churchill trembled from head to toe, her voice nearly a plea.

"President Whitman, you can’t! We know we were wrong! Please, give the Churchill Family a chance to make amends. It’s all Hannah’s fault. She was desperate because she’s so in love, and in a moment of confusion, she made this terrible mistake."

"President Whitman, please be merciful!" Mr. Churchill burst out of the elevator, rushing toward them in a panic.

Jenson Whitman’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest. "Were you aware of this, or did you help plan it?"

"I knew nothing about it! I had no idea that my wife and daughter would be so audacious as to plot against Chadwick." Mr. Churchill turned and viciously slapped both Mrs. Churchill and Hannah across the face.

"This is a disgrace to our family! Look at the disgusting mess you’ve made! Now apologize to President Whitman!"

The mother and daughter clutched their stinging cheeks, their hearts filled with a resentment they dared not show. Crying, they could only step forward and bow deeply to Jenson Whitman in apology.

Jenson Whitman sidestepped their bow, his tone devoid of warmth. "It’s not me you should be apologizing to. I’ve made my decision, and there’s no turning back. From now on, the Churchill Family is on its own."

"If Chadwick is willing to let you off the hook, I won’t interfere."

’As long as they behave and are content with the wealth they already have, they won’t have to worry about a thing.’

Mr. Churchill’s expression changed drastically at his words.

"President Whitman, what they did had nothing to do with me! I knew nothing about it! Punish me however you see fit, I won’t have a single complaint. But the Churchill Family is innocent! For my eldest daughter’s sake, please don’t be so ruthless..."

’So they really were all cut from the same cloth.’

Jenson Whitman’s attitude remained unchanged as he looked at him coldly. "If it weren’t for your eldest daughter, the Churchill Family would be nothing today."

The wail of police sirens soon filled the air. Officers arrived and took all three members of the Churchill family to the station for questioning.

That evening, the Whitman Group released an official announcement right on schedule:

[Effective immediately, the Whitman Group is terminating all support and protection for the Churchill Family and its associated businesses. All ties between the two parties are hereby severed.]

Meanwhile, the sedan sped along, pulling smoothly into the courtyard of the Whitman Estate.

The moment the car stopped, Vesper Grayson threw open the door and rushed toward the main house, heading upstairs.

Jared Hawthorne’s heart tightened as he watched, worried that she, pregnant as she was, would lose her footing. He quickly called out a warning.

"Vesper, slow down! Watch the steps."

"I know!" Vesper Grayson called back without turning, her steps light as she entered the foyer. She didn’t look four months pregnant at all; her waist was still as slender as a young girl’s.

Jared Hawthorne helped the exhausted Chadwick Whitman into the living room. The man collapsed onto the sofa, his forehead beaded with cold sweat. A faint trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth; he had been forcefully enduring the drug’s torment.

"Sir, what’s wrong with the young master?" Mrs. Warner, the housekeeper, asked with concern as she hurried over.

"Bring a glass of warm water," Jared Hawthorne said without further explanation.

"Right away, sir."

A short while later, Vesper Grayson came downstairs with the antidote. She helped Chadwick Whitman sit up and take it with the warm water.

"Brother, just hang in there. It’ll get better soon."

Chadwick Whitman kept his eyes closed, too weak to respond.

’If Vesper hadn’t noticed in time and they had been allowed to take me away... the consequences would have been unthinkable.’

About half an hour later, the churning heat from the drug began to subside. Chadwick Whitman’s strength returned, and he pushed himself into a sitting position on the sofa.

"Brother, how are you feeling now?"

"I’m fine now," he said, his voice low and hoarse.

"That mother and daughter who drugged you—you already knew them?"

"Yes."

"That mother and daughter are devious. You need to be on your guard against them from now on."

Chadwick Whitman’s expression was grim, his eyes chillingly cold. "There won’t be a next time."