Chapter 237 - 236: Plan: Play the Victim

「The next day, at Lowell Hospital.」

When Yvonne Lowell pushed open the door to the hospital room, she saw Grandpa and Grandma Lowell eating breakfast, and really digging in, at that.

Grandpa Lowell had woken up last night, but he still needed two more acupuncture sessions to fully recover.

Charles Lowell, that ever-so-dutiful son, had deliberately taken several photos of him from every possible angle while the poisoned blood was seeping from his seven orifices, just for him to admire after waking up.

As for Grandma Lowell, the toxins in her system were relatively minor. One more acupuncture session today would clear them out completely.

After their acupuncture sessions in a little while, they could be discharged immediately.

However, the two elders would still need a period of recuperation afterward to restore their vitality and spirit.

Also present were Charles Lowell and his wife, as well as Caleb Lowell, his wife Nina Jennings, and their two strapping sons.

In other words, the entire Lowell Family was present, except for her three older brothers who were swamped with work.

Yvonne Lowell raised an eyebrow. "Well now, what a full house."

Grandma Lowell smiled and waved at them. "Nola and Zion, you’re here! Have you eaten yet?"

"We ate before coming, so don’t worry about us."

Yvonne Lowell walked to the sofa and sat down, deliberately choosing the spot next to Caleb Lowell.

She wore a blank expression, but for some reason, Caleb Lowell could practically see the words floating above her head: ’Go on, ask me!’

Caleb Lowell couldn’t stop the corner of his mouth from twitching. ’How did I never realize what a little actress she is?’

Adhering to the principle of ’I won’t move unless the enemy moves first,’ Yvonne Lowell calmly ate the bun Grandma Lowell had insisted on feeding her.

Caleb Lowell wasn’t getting anxious, but her own father was, and he piped up,

"Nola, your uncle said you were looking into what happened to your grandpa and grandma. Have you found any leads?"

Leo Loster had told him about the Sheryl Avery matter last night, but even Leo didn’t know the specifics of their conversation, only that Sheryl Avery hadn’t spoken another word after Yvonne left.

He knew just how deep the rabbit hole went. The Lowell Family’s network was also secretly investigating, but so far, they had turned up nothing.

So Charles Lowell hadn’t expected her to find out much in one night. He just hoped for a small lead that the Lowell Family could use to dig deeper.

Yvonne Lowell mentally threw a couple of insubordinate punches at her own father for spoiling her fun.

She turned to Caleb Lowell and "scolded" him with a heartbroken expression,

"Uncle, look at my dad! At least he thought to ask. And then there’s you! I’m sitting right here beside you, I’ve already eaten two whole buns, and you haven’t said a single word to me! It’s so obvious who’s loved and who isn’t!"

Caleb Lowell laughed in exasperation and flicked her on the forehead.

"If I had asked you right away, you would’ve just said I was too slow and that I don’t care, wouldn’t you?"

"Tsk, you figured me out. You’re smarter than you look," Yvonne Lowell said, rubbing her head as if it hurt.

Her clowning around immediately livened up the atmosphere in the room.

Yvonne Lowell nodded to herself in satisfaction. ’That’s more like it. They’re all getting on in years, so why is everyone so gloomy? No energy at all.’

’They’re all middle-aged or older; this is the prime time to be positive and full of vigor!’

Charles Lowell pursed his lips. "Trying to play mind games with your uncle? He’s got a mind like a maze. You’re still too green; I’ve never been able to get the better of him."

"Hah! That’s just because you’re not smart enough," Caleb Lowell shot back mercilessly. "Besides, when it comes to being crafty, who can beat your daughter? I have no idea how you got so lucky. It’s one thing to have a daughter, but to have one this clever..."

His own brother? Nonexistent. When it came to verbal sparring, sibling loyalty went out the window.

Frank Lowell and Adrian Lowell: ...Right, it’s painfully obvious who’s loved and who isn’t. Should we just take our leave, then?

Charles Lowell wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. He chuckled and sipped his tea. "That’s right. I’m just lucky. I have a daughter. Something certain people can only be envious of~"

His brother had served himself up on a platter; it would be a crime not to take a jab. This was the only topic on which he could ever score a point against him.

Caleb Lowell felt as if an arrow had struck him square in the chest, piercing him through the heart.

Too lazy (and too embarrassed) to engage with him any further, he turned to the little rascal snickering beside him. "Alright, let’s get down to business! What did you find?"

"Everything," Yvonne Lowell said airily.

Caleb Lowell froze for a second, then looked at her seriously. "What do you mean by that? You’ve figured out the whole thing?"

"It wasn’t that hard, Uncle. We even got a full party-pack of intel on their whole crew," Zachary Jacobs added, raising his eyebrows at him smugly.

’It’s just that my hands are a little sore, my eyes a little dry, and my brain is a little fried, that’s all.’

And then, the dreaded awkward silence...

No one doubted they were telling the truth. It was just so shocking that everyone needed a moment of silence to process it.

Nina Jennings, however, was unfazed. She was quietly conserving her energy, preparing for the acupuncture session in a little while.

Meanwhile, Charles Lowell was lost in thought. ’Are the people on my payroll completely useless? Have I been spending so much money on them that they’ve all just gone soft?’

Caleb Lowell silently held out his hand to Yvonne Lowell. "Let’s have it."

"Uncle, why don’t you hear my plan first, then you can decide, okay?" Yvonne Lowell asked coaxingly.

Caleb Lowell was unmoved. "Let’s hear it first."

Yvonne Lowell turned to her grandpa. "It’s quite simple, really. All we need to do is make it seem like Grandpa is critically ill."

Before Caleb Lowell could give her a rap on the head, Old Mr. Lowell spoke first. "Nola, elaborate."

Old Mr. Lowell’s face was pale and sickly, but his eyes were as sharp and wise as ever.

"Right now, the doctors can’t even determine the cause of Grandpa’s illness. All of us ’don’t know’ he was poisoned. Plus, Grandma’s ’poison’ hasn’t even ’acted up’ yet. So naturally, we can’t let Uncle handle this.

In a little while, Grandpa will be wheeled out of the hospital. We’ll have paparazzi ’sneak’ some photos, get a ’hospital employee’ to leak the news that he was just admitted yesterday, and then put out a press release that he’s ’suspected to be on his deathbed’.

Once it starts trending, we’ll then have the topic suspiciously taken down, which will only make it look more real.

We’ll have my three brothers rush back home. The paparazzi will smell blood in the water and will flock to the airport and school entrances to stake them out.

And if the paparazzi get photos, they’ll be able to spin a story of urgency and grief, even from a picture of my eldest brother’s stone-cold face.

Furthermore, we’ll post a high-priced bounty on the dark web under the names of the Lowell Family and Pluto, seeking medical treatment from Michael White.

Everyone should move back into the family estate for the time being, and the entire Lowell Family will refuse all visitors.

The point is to make this whole affair as big and public as possible. The downside is that the company’s stock will definitely take a hit for a while."

Old Mr. Lowell waved his hand dismissively. "Let it fall. Our family isn’t worried about a few pennies. But are you doing all this just to put on a show for the culprits?"

"Of course not. Professional matters should be handled by professionals. As for our family, we’re the poor, pitiful victims. All we need to do is focus on selling our tragic story," Yvonne Lowell said with a meaningful smile.

Caleb Lowell pondered for a moment. "You mean you’re going to use someone else to do the dirty work? You have those kinds of connections?"

"A lady has her little secrets. Don’t worry about who I’m using, and don’t worry about who the mastermind is. You’ll find out when it’s all over.

But when you go to work tomorrow, make sure you don’t blow your cover, okay? You have to look like you’re just pretending to be strong."

Yvonne Lowell patted his shoulder like they were best buds, then immediately grabbed his hand to stop it from moving.

’Trying to give me another rap on the head? Not a chance. Don’t even think about it!’