Absolon called out urgently, "Karol? Karol?"
Karol lay still on the floor, her face pale and her body unmoving.
It seemed she had been drugged.
"Don't worry. Chayce will be here soon," said Danna with her voice cold and commanding. “Put her on the sofa. We'll know what's going on soon."
Chayce, a man in his 5@s, entered the room. Dressed in traditional black attire and carrying a black medical box, he looked every bit the professional. His beard was neatly trimmed, adding to his serious demeanor.
He knelt beside Karol, feeling her pulse and lifting her eyelids with his brow furrowing in confusion.
"What's the matter, Chayce? What happened to Karol?" Danna asked, her voice tense.
Chayce examined Karol again, his face reflecting his uncertainty.
“She passed out from some kind of shock. She'll be alright after a bit of rest," Chayce finally said.
Shocked?
She wasn't drugged.
“Is she poisoned?" Danna asked, her voice unsteady.
Chayce looked baffled. “Poisoned? What do you mean? No, she's not.”
He quickly jotted down a remedy for some calming herbs and told a servant to make an herbal soup.
An uneasy silence hung in the large living room.
Lilah, impatient for Karol to wake up, took action. She assisted the servant in lifting Karol and without anyone noticing it, expertly pressed several acupoints on her body.
Just a few minutes later, Karol's eyes fluttered open.
“Dad, Grandma, is Dr. Ortega here yet? Am I poisoned? You didn't believe me. It's all this woman's fault..."
As she spoke, she broke into sobs, her tears adding to her sorrowful appearance.
Yet, even after her lengthy crying, Absolon didn't offer any consolation.
Danna's expression was a mix of displeasure and unease.
“What's the matter? Dad... Grandma..." Karol perceived something was amiss.
"Karol, I understand you resent Lilah and feel she's taken the affection meant for you. But treating her this way is unacceptable,"
Absolon said firmly. His face showed an irritation as he had never expected she would act like this. “This must never happen again.”