Chapter 4 Ten Million For Treatment

The breakfast table in the Walsh family residence carried a strained silence that morning, tension hanging as thick as the steam rising from the coffee pot.

Walking out of her room, Elissa froze mid-step when she spotted Lilah sitting casually at the table, eating as if she belonged there. Her expression twisted in disbelief. "Who said you could sit there and eat? You seriously forgot your damn place?"

Lilah didn't even glance at Elissa, calmly slicing through her toast as though Elissa's words were nothing more than background noise.

"Who knows what kind of germ this woman is bringing into this house?" Elissa's voice climbed, sharp with disgust. "Someone, get her the hell out of here!"

Her shouting echoed through the hall, drawing Lachlan out of his room, his brows furrowed. "What's all this noise about?"

"Dad!" Elissa pivoted to face him. "You have to make her leave and replace everything she has touched! What if she infects us with something?" She stomped her foot in frustration.

Lachlan didn't look mad at her request. If anything, he looked faintly relieved, hoping Lilah would leave on her own.

A sharp crack cut through the room as Lilah's hand met the tabletop. "One more word out of you, and every last one of you is gone," she warned, tone clipped and merciless.

Lilah's cold gaze locked on Elissa. "You want to talk about my place? Let me make it clear-I own this mansion. You're nothing more than a temporary resident under my roof. So if you don't want to be shown the door, I suggest you keep your fucking mouth shut."

Color drained from Elissa's face before fury replaced it. "What kind of bullshit are you spewing?" she snapped.

Lilah turned to Lachlan, a sardonic smile curling her lips. "Why don't you tell her?"

Lilah's mother had once been a formidable businesswoman who built her empire from nothing. The first thing she'd bought was this estate. Lachlan had merely ridden her success, living off her wealth. And after her mother's death, he'd claimed everything as his own. Eighteen years of taking what never belonged to him. Without anyone to remind him of the truth, would he really believe it all rightfully belonged to him?

Under Lilah's unflinching stare, Lachlan's confidence faltered. "Enough. Just dig in," he muttered, eager to divert the tension.

To avoid another outburst from Elissa, Lachlan said to Lilah, "I'm busy today. The driver will take you for a check-up. If your report suggests you're fine, I'll have a room on the third floor arranged for you."

Lilah's voice cut through the air. "And if it turns out I'm not fine?" she demanded.

"We'll send you to a psychiatric hospital!" Elissa sneered disdainfully, the fury in her tone curdling into glee.

Lilah pushed to her feet, leaning over the table until Lachlan's composure cracked. "You'd better be certain you can actually do that, or I will kick you all out."

She strode out of the house and headed for the waiting car, her departure leaving Elissa shrieking in indignation.

Lilah smirked derisively. Honestly, Elissa was almost entertaining-so easy to provoke with the barest push. But she hadn't returned to toy with someone so trivial. Those who had betrayed her mother, plotted her death, and stolen everything she had-she would make sure they paid for all of it, slowly, before her final breath.

Soon, the car pulled up in front of the hospital. To ensure Lilah underwent the check-up, the driver personally escorted her to the doctor.

To Lilah, whether she went through with the check-up hardly made a difference; as the legendary physician Panacea, she knew her body's condition better than anyone. But she wanted to disrupt Lachlan's peace, and that was reason enough to visit the hospital.

"Tell Lachlan I'm not only mentally unstable, but highly contagious," Lilah told Albin coolly, leaving him wondering if he'd misheard.

After endless failed attempts to reach Panacea, Albin had finally gotten through to Cory, Panacea's assistant. Cory had promised that if Albin cooperated with Lilah today, he'd get to meet Panacea himself. The prospect left Albin practically giddy.

With an even tone, Lilah added, "Tell Lachlan I'll need to be admitted for treatment. The first round will cost ten million. I'll decide later how many more sessions I'll need."

Albin froze, uneasy with how that trampled every rule of medical ethics. But hell, fibbing a bit meant he'd get to meet Panacea. After a brief inner struggle, he finally agreed. "Alright."

After Albin placed the call to Lachlan and relayed Lilah's terms, Lachlan's reply came in a sharp, incredulous roar. "Ten million? Are you out of your damn mind? You might as well rob a bank!"

Lilah's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile. Slinging her backpack over one shoulder, she turned to leave.

Rushing after her, Albin hastily asked, "Wait-what about arranging me to meet Panacea?"

"You already met her," she said over her shoulder, leaving him frozen in stunned disbelief.

Albin struggled to accept the seemingly absurd notion.

...

The moment Lilah returned home, Elissa walked ahead and blocked Lilah's path, her face clouded with rage. "So you and that doctor conspired to extort money now? Quite the act you've got going, Lilah."

Without so much as a glance at Elissa, Lilah brushed past her toward the living room.

Still seething, Elissa stormed toward Lachlan. "Dad, I swear she is faking the sickness! She just wanted an excuse for you to bring her home!" Her tone sharpened as she whipped back toward Lilah. "If you're after money, just say it! Plotting with outsiders to fool Dad? That's utterly disgusting!"

Lachlan's expression darkened. He said nothing, merely studying Lilah in silence, clearly waiting for an explanation. No matter how she spun it, there was no way he'd hand her ten million for treatment.

Amusement flickered in Lilah's eyes as her lips lifted into a chill, taunting smile. "My mother built that company from nothing," she muttered indifferently. "If I decided to spend ten million-or a hundred million-it would still be my right to use the money as I please."