Chapter 180

Before Henry Laurent could finish speaking, Hugo suddenly became agitated again, his eyes bloodshot as he lunged toward Evelyn Roland.

Sebastian Valdemar reacted swiftly, stepping in front of Evelyn in a flash.

But Evelyn gently pushed him aside and pressed a fingertip to Hugo’s forehead.

Hugo instantly stilled, his gaze clearing as the haze lifted.

Henry rushed forward to steady his son, his face etched with guilt. "Miss Roland, I sincerely apologize—"

"It’s fine." Evelyn waved him off, her attention shifting to the tattered doll on the floor.

She picked it up and brought it to her nose, inhaling lightly.

Her frown deepened.

"Something wrong?" Sebastian asked, immediately sensing her unease.

"White Lotus," Evelyn said coldly. "A hallucinogenic drug."

Henry paled. "What?"

"This substance changes color when exposed to cotton fabric." She flipped open the recipe book. "Combined with prunes, it causes neurological deterioration."

Henry whirled around, glaring at the nanny. "How dare you—"

"Sir, I swear I didn’t know!" The nanny dropped to her knees, trembling. "I had no idea!"

Evelyn approached slowly, the sharp click of her heels echoing through the room.

Beads of sweat formed on the nanny’s forehead.

"You’re lying." Evelyn gripped her chin. "Shall I make you tell the truth?"

The nanny gasped in pain.

Just then, a figure burst into the room.

"Brother, is Hugo alright?" The man’s face was frantic with worry.

Henry blinked in surprise. "Vincent? What are you doing here?"

Evelyn studied the newcomer with keen interest.

She noticed the way his eyes flickered toward the nanny—just for a split second.

How intriguing.

This master-servant pair was definitely hiding something.