Chapter 230 - 229: Beauty Intoxication

「The next day.」

At seven in the morning, a faint light began to spread across the horizon, but a thin layer of fog still shrouded the world.

A shrill, urgent ringtone shattered the tranquility of the bedroom.

Yvonne Lowell’s eyes snapped open. She usually kept her phone on vibrate when she slept, with exceptions only for contacts whose calls had to be answered instantly.

When she saw the caller ID, Yvonne Lowell’s expression darkened.

She hurriedly swiped to answer. "What’s wrong, Mom?"

Perhaps because Wendy Sutton was too overwrought to speak, the person on the other end of the line was Charles Lowell.

He spoke quickly, summarizing the entire situation in just a few words.

As he spoke, Yvonne Lowell’s face grew increasingly grim, and the knuckles of the hand gripping her phone turned white.

Yvonne Lowell sat up and strode quickly toward the bathroom.

"I understand, Dad. You two try not to panic. I’m on my way right now. I’ll see you at the hospital soon."

After hanging up, Yvonne Lowell called Nina Jennings while getting ready.

The moment the call connected, before the other person could speak, Yvonne Lowell said urgently,

"Five minutes. Grab your medical kit and come with me."

"Huh? Okay!"

Nina Jennings’s mind had been foggy with sleep, but those words jolted her fully awake. She shoved the lunkhead’s arm off her and scrambled out of bed.

Yvonne Lowell moved fast, but to her surprise, someone was even faster.

When she came out of the bathroom, Leo Grant was already fully dressed and standing by the door.

Sensing her surprise, Leo Grant quickly reassured her, "I put your clothes on the bed. Go get changed. I’ll be ready in a moment. I’ll drive."

Without waiting for her reply, he walked past her and went into the bathroom.

Leo Grant had woken up the moment the phone rang, but seeing her serious expression, he hadn’t said anything to disturb her.

He had just quietly gotten dressed and picked out an outfit for her as well.

Yvonne Lowell knew this was no time for sentimentality, so she quickly changed her clothes.

The two of them then went downstairs to the car. As they drove out of the villa, Nina Jennings and Silas Lynch were already waiting at the gate.

Seeing the car, they didn’t waste any time and jumped straight into the back seat.

Leo Grant slammed the accelerator to the floor, speeding out of Tidalview and heading for Lowell Hospital.

Nina Jennings asked, "What happened? Why the sudden rush?"

"Grandma and Grandpa were supposed to get up for their morning exercises, but Grandpa wouldn’t wake up. The medical team at Lowell Manor couldn’t find anything wrong with him. He’s just... like he’s asleep. Everyone is heading to Lowell Hospital now."

Yvonne Lowell stared out the window, her tightly clenched fists the only sign of her inner turmoil.

"Can’t find a problem, vital signs are all normal, just like he’s asleep... Why do these symptoms sound so familiar?"

Nina Jennings rubbed her chin, her expression growing graver. "Holy crap! Isn’t this the exact effect of Beauty Intoxication?! What the hell is going on?! Isn’t Beauty Intoxication only supposed to be in Apeiron?"

"It’s not clear yet. Let’s run some tests to be sure," Yvonne Lowell said, a storm brewing in her eyes.

In truth, from the moment she received the call, a suspicion had already begun to form in Yvonne Lowell’s mind.

Beauty Intoxication. A slow-acting poison.

It was an odorless, white powder with an onset period of one month.

After ingestion, the victim would gradually become dizzy, drowsy, and weak.

After fifteen days, the victim would fall into a deep slumber from which they could not be roused, no different from someone in a vegetative state.

The most insidious thing about Beauty Intoxication was that after the victim fell into this slumber, their vital signs would initially remain completely normal. Even medical instruments couldn’t detect anything wrong.

Another half a month later, they would die in their sleep, with the cause of death listed as sudden organ failure.

Yet the deceased would have a peaceful expression, as if lost in a sweet dream of worldly pleasures—hence the name, Beauty Intoxication.

The reason Yvonne Lowell knew all this so clearly was because the creator of Beauty Intoxication—the number one Poison Master, Madam Bloom—lived in Apeiron.

They used to trail after Madam Bloom constantly and had been exposed to numerous poisons, Beauty Intoxication being one of them.

However, according to Madam Bloom, she was the only one who knew the complete formula for Beauty Intoxication.

Furthermore, it had never appeared on the market; only a few doses remained in storage in Apeiron.

Besides the few ruling elders, they were the only other people who even knew of the poison’s existence.

"Yvonne, I can create an antidote for Beauty Intoxication. What’s important is the poison’s origin and whether or not this is the original version." Nina Jennings’s expression was grim.

She had learned her skills with poisons from Madam Bloom, so she knew how to formulate the antidote.

But to this day, even she couldn’t replicate an identical version of Beauty Intoxication, so her suspicion was not without reason.

Either Old Mr. Lowell was poisoned with something that has similar effects, or there’s a traitor in Apeiron.

Neither outcome was one they wanted to face.

"I know. I’ve already had the old man secretly check if the inventory count in Apeiron is correct."

Yvonne Lowell lowered her gaze, hiding the flash of malevolence in her eyes. She hoped it wasn’t the original Beauty Intoxication. Otherwise, they shouldn’t blame her for what came next.

Leo Grant drove at high speed. By the time they reached Lowell Hospital, the others had also arrived from Lowell Manor.

The "sleeping" Old Mr. Lowell, lying on a gurney, was taken to the top floor.

Walking alongside him, Nina Jennings discreetly took Old Mr. Lowell’s pulse, forming a preliminary diagnosis in her mind.

Just as the hospital director was about to arrange for further tests for Old Mr. Lowell, Nina Jennings spoke up.

"That won’t be necessary. A comprehensive blood test will be enough."

The hospital room instantly fell silent, and all eyes turned to Nina Jennings.

The director’s brows furrowed slightly, his eyes showing disapproval.

"Miss Jennings, we haven’t determined the cause of Old Mr. Lowell’s condition yet. I’m afraid a single blood test won’t be sufficient."

"Grandpa has been poisoned. No matter how many tests you run, you won’t be able to find the cause."

Hearing the word "poisoned," Grandma Lowell’s breathing became ragged.

Seeing this, Nina Jennings quickly took out a silver needle and inserted it into several of her acupoints, and the old woman’s breathing gradually steadied.

"Nina, is he really..."

Nina Jennings placed a hand on her wrist and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry, Grandma. It’s not a major problem. If I say I can cure it, I can cure it."

She then turned to the director, her tone firm. "I can neutralize the poison, but I need the blood report."

"But this isn’t..."

The director started to say something else, but Yvonne Lowell cut him off with a raised hand.

"Stop wasting time. Do as she says. I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences!"

Grandma Lowell also spoke up. "Just listen to Nina and Nola! The medical team at Lowell Manor is made up of elites from Lowell Hospital, and their equipment is top-notch. They ran so many tests and still couldn’t find anything, right? Regardless of the outcome, the Lowells will bear all consequences ourselves."