Some women can be very cunning. She might have saved the child to deflect blame and gain trust, making you believe she truly cares for him," she said, her voice tinged with suspicion.

Gerard had heard enough. “That's enough!" he interjected sharply, his authoritative tone silencing the room.

Laura, caught off guard, stared at Gerard, visibly shaken.

Gerard continued, his voice firm, "Lilah is not like that. Let's not jump to conclusions without any proof.”

Laura's plans seemed to falter at Gerard's defense of Lilah. She looked at Jerrold with feigned sympathy, gently stroking his hair.

“Poor thing, you must miss your mother, right?"

Her intentions were clear; she hoped to sow seeds of doubt in Jerrold's mind, perhaps even fostering resentment toward Lilah. She knew that if Jerrold grew to dislike Lilah, it would be a significant obstacle for Lilah if she hoped to become part of the Harris family.

Laura's lips curled into a slight smile at the thought, but she quickly suppressed it, continuing to comfort Jerrold.

Then, unexpectedly, Jerrold slapped her hand away with a sharp "smack!"

Laura's hand reddened instantly, and she looked at Jerrold in astonishment.

After Jerrold's wound was tended to, he walked toward Lilah, his eyes brimming with tears.

For a moment, Laura was puzzled, but it quickly dawned on her that Jerrold must want to get back at Lilah. As the young heir of the Harris family, Jerrold wouldn't tolerate such mistreatment.

Laura observed, curious to see how Lilah would handle the situation.

“Mommy . . Jerrold's soft, regretful voice broke the silence as he gently leaned against Lilah. “I'm sorry.”

Lilah's response was tender, as she reassured him, "It's alright, baby. It's not your fault.”

Jerrold, however, continued to blame himself, worried that his actions might have hurt his mommy.

This unexpected apology from Jerrold caught both Laura and Gretchen off guard. They were stunned. Wasn't Jerrold supposed to resent his future stepmother?

Gerard, noticing the tension, picked up Jerrold and tried to soothe him. "Don't be sad, little one. Laura mentioned that the anti-slip measures of the stairs weren't effective."

“No, Gerard. I never said that," Laura retorted instinctively.

Gerard fixed her with a piercing gaze. “But you said that the stairs were safe, and yet an accident happened. Are the safety measures here not up to standard?"

Laura felt a chill as Gerard's icy stare bore into her. For a fleeting moment, she worried he might have suspected something. But that seemed impossible. She had been careful to cover her tracks, confident that her actions had gone unnoticed.

Laura had discreetly arranged for the servants to make the stairs slippery by applying oil, hoping Jerrold would slip. This would have allowed her to cast blame on Lilah for not looking after him properly.

Biting her lip, Laura assumed a look of remorse. “Gerard, if you think it's my fault, then I accept that. I'll instruct the servants to be more careful with the stairs. This won't happen again."

Gerard, unmoved, announced his intention to leave. "Then we'll be going," he said, his tone detached.