“But you? Living the good life in this nice house with your precious herbs?” The old man kicked over the drying racks, sending herbs flying everywhere. “We all know what these are for. Cross the Evans family again, and you’ll regret it.”

The yardy inplete disarray, with dried medicinal herbs scattered across the ground like debris after a storm.

Grace knelt on the ground collecting herbs, her hands shaking slightly, but her voice steady. “Those are lies,” she said without looking up. “You need to leave right now, or I’m calling the police for trespassing.”

The old man ground the herbs into dust under his shoe. “Let me introduce myself properly,” he said coldly. “I’m Frank, the head butler of the Evans

family.

“That girl you raised got Mr. Evans suspended from his position. His reputation is inow /iin tatters because of her. What do you intend to do about this,

Grace?”

–

Grace’s hands stilled as she processed this information. Olivia certainly had medical knowledge, but causing someone’s professional suspension seemed impossible for the girl.

“Need I remind you that Mr. Evans kept you out of prison years ago?” Frank continued. “iAnd /ithis is how you repay that kindness? You’d better keep your

His threat ended abruptly as his knees hit the dirt with a heavy thump.

With a sharp strike behind his knees, Olivia’s stick brought the butler crashing down in a humiliating heap before Grace.

Frank spun around sharply. “How dare you!”

Olivia grabbed his chin and squeezed. “Why not? I’m here to kill you,” she said coldly. “The Evans family just can’t take a hint.”

First, some kids had picked on Sean, and now, the Evans family dared to send someone to threaten Grace. They clearly underestimated Olivia.

“You… you started this with the Evans family!” Frank screamed, unable to break free from her grip.

While keeping him ipinned /iwith one hand, Olivia pped him hard with the other.

“You dare hit me?” Frank’s face showedplete shock as he struggled uselessly. “I was sent by the Evans family!”

Without hesitation, Olivia delivered another sharp p to his right cheek. Frank’s face contorted in pain as matching red handprints appeared on both

sides.

Olivia’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Finished talking?” she asked with dangerous calm,

Frank shrank back in fear, his entire body drenched in cold sweat as he gave a shaky nod.

Olivia twisted his ear sharply, leaning in until her breath brushed his skin. “I don’t just cure people,” she whispered. “I hex them too. Ask Henry about

thatb./b”

A memory shed through Frank’s mind–Henry returning home that night, shaking violently like a man who’d stared into the abyss. Every instinct told him Olivia carried something dark within her.

Olivia’s voice dropped to a dangerous purr. “Or maybe I should give you a taste of your own medicine,” Her eyes turned to ice. “Poison is the Evans bfamily /btrade, after all.”

“That’s murder!” Frank’s voice broke with bfear/bb. /b“You’ll end up in prison right beside Grace.”

His mouth went dry as a terrifying realization hit him–in all his bsixty /byears, he’d never seen such cold, murderous eyesb, /bespecially not bon /bba /bbyoung /bbgirl/bb. /bbHe /bwas certain that if he made ione /iwrong move now, Olivia would kill him without hesitation.

07:20 Tue, 2 bSept /b

Grace frowned deeply and grabbed Olivia’s wrist. “Let him go now, Olivia.”

Too many people were watching, and Grace knew the Evans family loved creating drama from nothing. With her reputation already ruined, she couldn’t let Olivia’s get destroyed too.

Olivia kept her face expressionless while increasing the pressure on Frank’s chini, making him yelp in pain. “Don’t worry I know exactly what I’m doing

she said casually.

Someone in the crowd shouted, “Let him go. The police will be here any minute.”

“He’s just got a big mouth,” another person said. “An apology should be enough.”

“Right, you can’t actually kill the guy,” a third voice added.

Olivia gave the crowd a freezing look. “If apologies fixed everything, we wouldn’t need police.”

Grace knew Olivia’s temper well enough to fear what she might do. With unsteady hands, she pulled Olivia back while fixing Frank with a cold stare. “bTell /bme exactly why Henry sent you here.”

She recognized Henry’s usual tactics–this whole spectacle was either about profit or humiliation.

“Ah, there’s the Grace we know!” Frank struggled to his feet. “Mr. Evans insists on catching up properly. He’ll see you at the party held by the Sheas in ten days.”

The gathered crowd buzzed with murmurs at this announcement.

“Someone from ourne has connections to the Evans family?”

“Grace is more important than we thought.”

Grace linked arms with Olivia and scoffed. “There’s nothing between us worth discussing. Tell Henry I won’t be attending.”

Frank smirked. “Mr. Evans knew you’d chicken out. So here’s the deal–hand it over now, bor /bwe’lle take it.” His voice turned nasty. “A fake doctor blike /byou should quit already.”

“The Sheas?” Olivia raised one eyebrow with a confident smile. “We’re definitely going.”

“You? No way.” Frank looked Olivia up and down with undisguised contempt before bursting intoughter. “Don’t waste my time, girl. No invitation means you’re not getting in. Save your fantasies for bedtime.

“Only ithe /iEvans family gets invites in this city,” Frank said, pulling out an invitation and ripping it up. “Mr. Evans was being nice to his old friend, but since you don’t care, just stay home.”

Olivia gave a coldugh. “Tell iyour /iboss we’ll see him in ten days.” What Frank didn’t realize was that she could get an invitation with a single phone call.

“Yeah, right,” Frank scoffed, shaking his head as he walked away.

Frank had mainlye to humiliate Grace and retrieve a certain item. The invitation was just for show–the Evans family had plenty to spare.

As the car disappeared, Olivia smiled darkly. She’d make sure people who hurt Grace regretted it.

Frank barely made it into the car before realizing something was wrong. His jaw had gone ck, drool dripping down his shirt. The numbness terrified him. ‘That little witch must have done this. But how did she know where to strike?‘ he thought.

“Drive! Let’s bgo /bback,” he managed to say through his useless jaw.

Willow Lane looked like a storm had passed. Sean scared off bthe /bst spectators with a fierce growl before locking bthe /bbgate/bb, /bband /bpeace bfinally /bbreturned /bbto /b

the house.

Grace sat stiffly in her chair, unable to hide her unease.

Olivia picked up the fallen herbs and then ced a hand on Grace’s shoulder. “Grandma Grace, tell me what they’re after” She knew well that the Evans family wouldn’t send men for something unimportant.”

Grace sighed deeply, her eyes filled with emotion. “It belongs to you, dear.”