Anna's Background  

Anna was especially talkative today, making small talk with me and repeatedly apologizing, saying it was her negligence that caused Kyle to fall ill.

I asked her, hinting at something deeper, "Is the housework too much for you, making you too exhausted? If you're feeling overwhelmed, I can hire someone else to help you out!"

This hit the mark. She quickly waved her hands and said, "No, no, Madam! There's no need for that. I can handle it. Hiring another person would just mean an extra salary to pay, and that's wasteful. I promise I'll be more careful next time." Clearly, she didn't want me to hire another person. To her, my suggestion was a threat, to her or to both of them.

However, I wasn't planning on letting her off the hook so easily.

Around noon, Inara called to inform me that Dean Han had received the antidote from abroad and asked me to let her know when it would be convenient to deliver it.

I immediately decided, "Let's meet outside! I want to see you and discuss something."

"Ah? Is that okay?" She seemed surprised by my decision and asked, "Is your health up to it?"

"I need to get some fresh air; I'm feeling cooped up," I said wistfully. "Fortune favors the brave. Sean's been running rampant, and I can't even step out for a breather?"

Inara laughed heartily in agreement, "Exactly, don't spoil him!"

I told Inara, "Sean has explicitly ordered me to stop taking my medication."

"What's going on? What trick is he up to now?" Inara asked. "Is he trying to divert attention? You need to be careful."

"You're right, he is up to something. He probably sensed my suspicions, so he had Anna stop my medication. But I feel there's more to it than just that." Honestly, this feeling was very real, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong. If he had decided to kill me, why stop at the last moment? "Okay, let's discuss it in person. You choose the place, and I'll come to pick you up! But isn't the time too short?"

Inara was concerned about my safety.

"It won't be!" I said meaningfully. "I'll make sure she gets a good sleep, and she'll get used to it. Somewhere near our community will do, so I can return easily."

"You mean, it's her turn to sleep now?" Inara teased, knowing well how I would handle Anna.

I smiled knowingly.

After lunch, perhaps due to his illness, Kyle went down for his nap early. So, I added a little "extra" to Anna's drink, ensuring she would nap with Kyle.

Inara picked me up, and we went to a nearby teahouse.

She handed me a small packet of medicine, "Keep this safe. I have more, but I didn't bring it all to make it easier for you to store. You must take it on time! Dean Han instructed that after finishing this batch, you should get tested to see if there's any improvement, then plan the next steps."

I nodded and gave Inara the USB drive for safekeeping, just in case.

"Are you sure Sean has another agenda?" Inara looked at me seriously, full of questions.

"I'm sure! Otherwise, he would have acted by now and wouldn't have stopped midway," I said, exasperated. "He has so many lovers, and I never discovered them all these years, yet he suddenly wants to kill me and then stops. Doesn't that seem illogical to you?"

My statement stunned Inara. After a long pause, she forced a smile and asked, "So, you know everything?"

"Don't tell me Gabriel has already dug up the details?" I sensed something in Inara's words.

"Yes," Inara nodded ambiguously, "It turns out Sean's background is quite intriguing. He has a complex web of social connections and maintains improper relationships with many women, including your maid, who is one of his lovers. He uses this to control many women, making them serve him. And by serving, I don't just mean sexually, but becoming his..."

Inara thought for a moment, searching for the right word, "Puppets, as you put it, devotedly working for him."

Hearing this, I felt a chill run through me. How foolish was I to have married such a creature?

"Chloe, don't be too hard on yourself. No one has foresight; who could have expected to encounter such a monster?" Inara quickly comforted me, fearing I might not take it well. "Honestly, after seeing these details, I regret not investigating him thoroughly back then. How could we have missed it?"

"And what about Anna's background?" I asked, looking at Inara.

Upon hearing my question about Anna, Inara smiled wryly and shook her head helplessly.

"Anna's father was a drunkard who frequently abused his family. Her mother had an affair with a married man before marrying her father, was publicly humiliated, and ended up with a broken leg before marrying Anna's father. After marriage, her mother adopted a self-destructive attitude. Having been with a handsome man before, now crippled and married to a plain drunkard, she naturally felt life was hopeless."

"It seems she has an inherently restless nature," I commented disdainfully.

"Exactly, and she's brainless too!" Inara agreed wholeheartedly, continuing, "In the early days of marriage, the drunkard was still somewhat doting. But her mother's own behavior wore out his patience. After another provocation, he beat her severely. Once domestic violence starts, it never stops. Even when she was pregnant with Anna, she was beaten. Anna grew up in such a family."

"She doesn't deserve any sympathy then, repeating her mother's mistakes without remorse!" I sighed. "I guess she was lucky to meet me!"

Inara couldn't help but laugh, "You're right. It's in her genes to be lowly. Later, she dropped out of school and left home, entering domestic service at 17, aiming to marry a wealthy man. She was once caught and beaten for seducing her employer, which is how she ended up in NorthSea City. She has a history in this field!"