The two prison guards heard Joseph confess with their own ears that he had ordered Vivian to poison James.

And the entire conversation between Sean and Joseph had taken ce under police surveince. As a detainee, Joseph’s admission was considered a formal confession under criminalw. With that in handb, /bthe investigation became significantly

easier.

Sean also assigned people to assist the authorities. Soon, the police uncovered that a maid at the Jasper estate had once witnessed Vivian putting something into James’s soup. At the time the maid didn’t say anything. She figured it was best not to get involved.

Now that everything hade to light, and with Vivian already cut off from the Jasper family, she didn’t bother hiding anything when questioned. She told the police everything, down to thest detail.

When the news reached Mrs. Jasper Sr., she was devastated. She pounded her chest and cried out in grief.

“This is sin! Pure sin! I thought she was just misled and just confused for a moment. I thought she still had a good heart. I never imagined she’d poison her own foster father!”

Tears ran down her wrinkled cheeks.

“How could she do something so vicious?” she wailed.

Lilian, seated beside the hospital bed, looked unimpressed. “I told you long ago Vivian wasn’t as innocent as she seemed. But you never listened.”

Back when Vivian used to whisper nasty things about Charlotte into Mrs. Jasper Sr.’s ear every chance she got, Lilian had warned her that Vivian was up to no good. But Mrs. Jasper Sr. refused to hear a word against her beloved granddaughter.

The truth was, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had never liked Lilian as a daughter–inw.

Mother–inw drama wasn’t exclusive to ordinary families. Wealthy ones had it too.

Years ago, when James cheated, Mrs. Jasper Sr. despised the mistress, but that didn’t stop her from ming Lilian for not being able to “manage her husband.”

In her eyes, Joseph’s mother was morally corrupt and a homewrecker. But Lilian was just as useless for letting it happen. As far as she was concerned, men would always stray. James had simply done what all men do.

When Fiona showed up pregnant and tried to force her way into the family, Lilian nearly jumped off a balcony. To Mrs. Jasper Sr., that wasn’t strength. It was pathetic. A real Jasper woman should have handled it with dignity and strategy, not tears and

suicide threats.

She looked down on Lilian and she loathed Fiona even more.

Lilian had always sensed her mother–inw’s contempt. For years, they had kept up appearancesb, /bmaintaining a polite distance, nothing more.

Now that Mrs. Jasper Sr. hadnded in the hospital again with another heart attack, Lilian came by every few days to keep up the act. On the surface, she was dutiful. In truth, she couldn’t care less

She would only get to enjoy a quietb, /beasy life once Mrs. Jasper Sr. was dead.

It wasn’t cruelty. It was just human nature.

So when it came time to break the news about Vivian poisoning James, Lilian was the one who told her.

Mrs. Jasper Sr. burst into tears, shouting every curse she knew. Once she had cried herself out, she turned her anger back on Lilian.

“Look at what your daughter turned out to be!” she snapped, face contorted in rage. “Is this how you raised her?”

Lilianughed. “Wow. You really are good at shiftin Wasn’t she your precious little granddaughter?”

ame. Didn Vivian spend more time with you than she ever did with me?

At this point, Lilian wasn’t about to pretend anymore. She met her mother–inw’s re head–on.

“So you’re saying I’m the one who raised her to be like this?” Mrs. Jasper Sr. was furious.

“Oh please,” Lilian said with a cold smile. “You’re so good at raising kids. First James, then Vivian–each one more impressive

than thest.”

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