Melody Strikes Back by Myra Walker (Chapters 541, 542, 543, 544, and 545) 

Chapter 541

When she asked the question, the two servants exchanged glances, as if hesitating to speak.

Melody frowned and feigned sternness. “If you don’t say anything, I’ll assume Miss Nathan has no allergies. But if anything goes wrong with this prescription, it won’t be my responsibility.”

Startled, the two servants responded, “Pauline has known Miss Nathan since she was a child. We’ll go get her.”

Melody raised an eyebrow. “Go ahead.”

Soon, the wet nurse, Pauline Landry, was brought in by the two servants.

In front of Melody, an outsider, Pauline dropped her usual arrogance and put on a flattering smile. Obviously, she was used to lording over the other servants in the Nathan family, bullying them, and hiding things from her superiors, making her adept at switching her demeanor.

She asked, “Dr. Knowles, they told me you wanted to ask about what Miss Shindy might be allergic to?”

“That’s right.” Melody nodded and gestured to the chair opposite. “Have a seat. Let’s talk.”

“Alright…” Pauline sat and said, “Miss Shindy isn’t allergic to anything. She doesn’t react to cephalosporins or penicillin, but she seems to have a slight alcohol allergy. Though I suppose there’s no alcohol in traditional medicine, right?”

“Indeed, only some medicines contain alcohol.” Melody pretended to be grateful. “Alright, I understand now. You may go.”

Pauline felt relieved, but as she took a few steps, Melody suddenly called out, “Wait.”

Pauline turned back in confusion, only to hear Melody calmly ask, “Have you been feeling your heart race recently, having trouble sleeping at night, and experiencing dizziness and ringing in your ears when you wake up in the morning?”

Pauline’s eyes widened in shock. “How did you know that…?”

Melody replied, “Traditional medicine relies on observation and inquiry. I noticed it from your complexion, but to be sure, I’d need to check your pulse to see if there’s an underlying condition.”

Hearing this, Pauline immediately approached Melody and asked, “Dr. Knowles, could you please check my pulse?”

“Sure. Since Mr. Nathan hasn’t returned yet, I’m free anyway,” Melody said as she gestured for Pauline to extend her wrist.

Pauline quickly offered her hand for Melody to take her pulse.

After about a minute, Melody’s eyelid twitched slightly. Her suspicion was correct. Pauline had indeed been drinking Three Steps Wine.

Judging by her pulse, she had been drinking it regularly for some time.

The question was whether Pauline had consumed it unknowingly or if she had a deal with Ulric, drinking it intentionally.

However, given how foolish she seemed, it seemed she was not qualified to collaborate with Ulric.

Melody didn’t show any sign of her thoughts and made up a diagnosis. “This condition is usually triggered by drinking strong tonic wines. Have you been drinking a lot lately?”

Pauline averted her eyes, feeling guilty. “N-no, I rarely drink.”

“Is that so?” Melody gave Pauline a meaningful look. Pretending to be puzzled, she said, “That’s strange. If you rarely drink, you shouldn’t have developed such a severe illness.”

“Severe illness?” Pauline was terrified and quickly asked, “Is my condition serious? Could I die?”

Melody shook her head, then nodded. “If it’s caught early and treated promptly, it won’t be life-threatening. However, it could be problematic if treatment is delayed. Moreover, this disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. You’re lucky that I detected it in the early stages.”

“Then… does that mean… you can cure me?”

“Of course.” Melody raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and said, “But it might also be a misdiagnosis on my part. This illness is only caused by alcohol, but you don’t drink much…”

Pauline’s expression changed. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Dr. Knowles, I misspoke earlier. I usually don’t drink much, but in the past two months, I’ve been having a little every day…”

“That explains it.” Melody clapped her hands and said, “Come on, take me to see what kind of alcohol it is.”

Pauline asked in surprise, “Aren’t you supposed to be diagnosing me? Why do you need to see the alcohol?”

Melody smoothly made something up. “Have you ever heard we should treat the disease by addressing its cause?”

Pauline nodded, still a bit confused. “I have.”

“Exactly. I need to see what’s in the alcohol you’re drinking so I can prescribe the right treatment.”

Hearing this, Pauline became more concerned about her health than anything else. She led Melody to her room.

As Melody entered, she could tell Pauline had a privileged position in the household. Most servant quarters were cramped with multiple people sharing a room, but Pauline had a spacious room all to herself. Considering Shindy’s situation, Melody could understand why.

A woman in her twenties who had never weaned, with her mother long deceased, would naturally be especially close to her wet nurse.

“These are the two jars of wine.” Pauline pointed to a couple of jars in the corner. “I’ve already drunk some, but these two jars are still full.”

Melody nodded and opened one of the jars. She dipped her finger in to get a few drops, which she then sniffed.

It was indeed the scent of Three Steps Wine, though… it seemed to contain a few additional herbs.

Melody dipped her finger again and placed a drop on her lips, tasting it carefully. Her taste buds confirmed that these two jars were indeed Three Steps Wine that contained some kind of slow-acting poison.

Once the remaining wine was consumed, Pauline would likely meet her end. And Shindy’s fate would be the same.

The danger of the slow-acting poison in the wine was that it could be passed through the milk.

The poison wouldn’t be detectable through pulse checking or facial observation until it started to take effect.

No wonder Shindy was constantly drowsy and bedridden, with a flushed face but a cold body. It must have been the combined effects of the Three Steps Wine and the poison.

What puzzled Melody was that Pauline’s symptoms should have been more severe than Shindy’s, yet she only displayed mild symptoms.

Melody asked, “Besides drinking wine, have you been consuming anything else recently?”

Now convinced she was gravely ill, Pauline answered truthfully, “Aside from the wine, I’ve also been drinking some herbal soup. Oh, right, the herbal soup was a gift from a traditional medicine doctor I met.”

“Traditional medicine doctor?” Melody’s eyelid twitched as she asked, “Where’s the herbal soup?”

“Right here.” Pauline retrieved a bottle of herbal soup from a shelf and handed it to Melody. “This soup has been good for my health. Sometimes when I feel a bit tipsy, I’ll drink it, and it seems to help with the hangover.”

Melody opened the bottle, and a flash of realization crossed her eyes.

This wasn’t just herbal soup. It was dried arrowroot flowers mixed with other detoxifying herbs.

The only thing that could counteract the effects of Three Steps Wine was the arrowroot flower, and it worked remarkably well.

It was no wonder Pauline’s symptoms were lighter than Shindy’s…

“Do you remember what the person who gave you this looked like?”

Melody asked.

Chapter 542

“I don’t remember.” Pauline shook her head and said, “And she was wearing a mask at the time, so even if I had a good memory, I wouldn’t know what she looked like.”

Melody was both amused and exasperated. “You’re quite trusting. You didn’t even see what she looked like, yet you consumed what she gave you without a second thought. Aren’t you worried it could be poisoned?”

Pauline waved her hand dismissively. “Who would bother trying to poison me?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Pauline suddenly realized something was wrong. Her eyes widened, and she asked, “Are you saying this soup is poisonous?”

Melody crossed her arms and let out a wry laugh. “No, quite the opposite. This actually helped you. I guess fortune favors fools…”

In her mind, Melody was now certain that Pauline couldn’t possibly be collaborating with Ulric. Pauline was just an unwitting pawn, unaware of her role in the scheme.

If Lucas hadn’t come by today, she wouldn’t have discovered any of this, let alone been able to treat Shindy’s illness. She wasn’t sure if it was Shindy’s luck or her own.

However, Pauline was clueless about what Melody meant. “Dr. Knowles, what do you mean by saying this soup helped me?”

Having confirmed that Pauline was completely in the dark, Melody decided there was no point in continuing the act. She replied bluntly, “The wine you’ve been drinking is poisoned, and the reason Miss Nathan is bedridden is because you’ve passed the poison on to her.”

“W-what?” Pauline’s eyes widened in shock. Her face was filled with terror. “That’s impossible… I’m fine, so how could Miss Nathan be in trouble?”

Melody tossed the bottle of soup in front of Pauline and said, “Because someone didn’t want you to die just yet!”

“W-what do you mean by that?” Pauline couldn’t grasp the full meaning of Melody’s words, but her instincts told her that she might have caused a serious problem. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground.

At that moment, Owen returned from work. Seeing Pauline sitting on the floor with a shocked face, a sense of foreboding gripped his heart.

He asked, “Dr. Knowles, what is going on here?”

“I’ve discovered the cause of Miss Nathan’s illness,” Melody replied, pointing to the wine in Pauline’s room. “Those two jars of wine are poisoned.”

Owen’s eyes widened in shock. “Poisoned?”

Pauline recoiled instinctively, blurting out, “I didn’t know the wine was poisoned! I swear I had no idea! I swear!”

Owen frowned, turning to Melody. “Dr. Knowles, even if the wine is poisoned, my daughter doesn’t drink alcohol. How could the poison possibly affect her?”

“That’s a question for you to answer,” Melody replied calmly. “Miss Nathan is known for being low-key and reserved, unlike those flamboyant socialites. People might think it’s because of your good upbringing, but if you raised her well, why would you allow her to still be nursing in her twenties?”

Owen snapped his gaze toward Melody. “Dr. Knowles, how… how did you know that?”

Pauline was well-paid for her services in the Nathan family and would never have revealed such a secret.

Melody responded coolly, “How I know is irrelevant. Are you saying your pride is more important than Miss Nathan’s safety?”

“Of course not…” Owen took a deep breath and asked, “Why do you say my daughter’s illness is caused by the poison in the wine?”

Melody raised an eyebrow and said, “Surely you’re aware that some illnesses can be transmitted through breast milk? Poison and alcohol are no different. There are records where a wet nurse, who was fond of drinking, would nurse a child after consuming alcohol, causing the child to become intoxicated.”

She continued, “Miss Nathan’s long-term sleepiness is due to Pauline drinking a strong liquor called ‘Three Steps Wine,’ while Miss Nathan herself has a poor tolerance for alcohol. As a result, she is constantly in a state of intoxication. Additionally, the chronic poison in the wine has been slowly accumulating in her body. If this continues, she will never be able to get out of bed again.”

With every word Melody spoke, Owen’s face grew increasingly tense. By the time she finished, his face was hardened with rage.

“Poison… it was poison…” Owen slowly clenched his fists, his gaze turning icy as he glared at Pauline.

Pauline, trembling in fear, immediately pleaded, “Mr. Nathan, I didn’t know the wine was poisoned! If I had known, why would I drink it? I would never harm Miss Nathan, even if it meant risking my own life! Please, you must believe me!”

Owen ground his teeth, nearly driven to strangle Pauline in his rage, but he managed to keep his composure.

His rational mind reminded him that Pauline had been with the family for years and was even closer to Shindy than he was. She would never have knowingly drunk the poisoned wine. Yet, the fact remained that it was Pauline’s actions that had caused Shindy’s poisoning.

“Then answer me honestly. Where did those two jars of wine come from?” Owen struggled to keep his anger in check as he questioned her.

“I-I bought them…” Pauline stammered, instinctively lowering her gaze as she spoke.

Melody immediately caught the subtle change in Pauline’s expression. With a low chuckle, she asked, “You bought them? Do you have any idea how much those jars are worth?”

“They’re just a few jars… how much could they possibly be worth?” Pauline replied dismissively.

Melody smirked. “A few jars? You truly don’t know these are expensive jars. Let me put it this way. Just one jar could buy this entire Nathan family estate.”

Pauline’s eyes shot up in disbelief. “That’s impossible…”

Melody’s expression turned cold. “Still not telling the truth? Don’t you realize that poisoning someone is far more serious than whatever it is you’re trying to hide? This could land you in prison, and it’s not just a matter of compensation!”

Owen had lost all patience. No longer holding back, he snapped at the long-time servant with no trace of his kindness. “Tell me the truth, or I’ll call the police right now!”

Pauline’s hands trembled uncontrollably as the fear she had been suppressing finally overwhelmed her. She stammered, “I-I took the wine without permission…”

“What do you mean?” Owen pressed her with a frown, while Melody remained unperturbed, having already deduced the truth.

As she expected, Pauline’s story matched her suspicions exactly.

Shindy lost her mother at a young age, and although Pauline was a servant, Shindy saw her as a mother figure. Pauline had indeed raised Shindy, continuing to nurse her even into adulthood.

This abnormal dependency gave Pauline increasing influence within the Nathan household, to the point where even the family’s steward had to defer to her.

This was why Pauline could boss around the kitchen staff as she pleased. But with power came greed.

Despite Taynorma Capital facing a takeover by the Swanson Group, the Nathan family still had considerable assets, attracting those who wanted to curry favor. However, Owen often rejected gifts.

Seeing a profitable opportunity, Pauline volunteered to “return” these gifts.

On the surface, she appeared to return them, but in reality, she kept them for herself. The jars of wine were among the items she had taken in this way.

Chapter 543

Upon hearing Pauline’s words, Owen was furious, directing his anger both at her and at himself.

He said, “I must have been blind, raising a parasite in my own home, and I only discovered it today! Tell me the truth right now! Who sent that wine?”

Pauline’s lips trembled as she replied, “I don’t know… I really don’t remember. I didn’t recognize the people who brought it…”

Her evasiveness only fueled Owen’s anger. “You wretched old woman! I’ll beat you to death!”

As Owen moved to strike Pauline, Melody hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.

She grabbed his hand and urged, “Mr. Nathan! Now is not the time to punish her. The priority right now is Miss Nathan’s health.”

Owen took a deep breath, regaining some composure. “Dr. Knowles, can you cure my daughter?”

“There is a way, but it will be a bit complicated.”

Owen’s eyes lit up, his anger momentarily forgotten. “Dr. Knowles, as long as you can save my daughter, just name your price. I won’t haggle over a single cent!”

Melody didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she glanced at Pauline.

Understanding her unspoken request, Owen quickly ordered his servants to take Pauline away. “Lock her up, and don’t let her escape!”

After issuing the order, Owen returned to Melody. His tone was much softer. “Dr. Knowles, what do you need to do to save my daughter? I promised my late wife that I would take good care of Shindy. I can’t let anything happen to her!”

Seeing the middle-aged man on the verge of tears moved Melody. She had never experienced a father’s love, but Owen showed her what it meant.

If Russell had cared for her half as much as Owen did for Shindy, she wouldn’t have ended up at odds with the Fox family.

But Melody quickly reminded herself of her original purpose. She calmed herself before speaking. “This wine, ‘Three Steps Wine,’ is extremely potent and the main cause of Miss Nathan’s long-term lethargy. The symptoms of intoxication and drowsiness can be easily treated, and the antidote is already here.”

She weighed the bottle of herbal soup Pauline had left behind and tossed it to Owen.

Owen asked, “This is the antidote? How did it end up here?”

Melody explained, “The person who targeted your daughter set up a plan to ensure Pauline, the ‘host,’ would last longer. The soup contains arrowroot flowers. After quitting breast milk, Miss Nathan should drink it twice a day. In two to three days, her condition will improve.”

Owen awkwardly clutched the bottle. The Nathan family’s secret, hidden for over twenty years, had been casually exposed by Melody.

But then Owen realized that Melody had only given him part of the information. He quickly asked, “What about the poison in the wine?”

“The poison… I’ll need some time to think of a proper antidote,” she replied.

Owen asked in confusion, “Is this poison very difficult to neutralize?”

Melody gave him a meaningful look. “Do you know who might have poisoned your daughter?”

“I don’t know… I have many business rivals. I can’t be certain which one of them would go this far…”

Melody held up her hand to stop him. “I’m not talking about the poison right now. Let’s discuss the wine first. Three Steps Wine. Did you know it is a banned liquor?”

“Banned? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“So let me explain. It’s banned because… it was created by malicious doctors and is highly addictive.”

At the mention of “malicious doctors,” Owen’s eyes widened, and his pupils constricted. “Malicious doctors?”

Melody nodded. “Mr. Nathan, think about it. Even if your business rivals hated you, would they risk their careers just to harm your daughter? Who among your enemies knows you and the Nathan family so well and has the means to involve malicious doctors without fearing the

consequences? Or better yet, who in all of Silverlake has the power to shield malicious doctors?”

Owen felt his body stiffen. The mere thought of malicious doctors, a matter of grave concern to the authorities, chilled him. In all of Silverlake, only one family was influenced to harbor such figures…

“The Swanson family… It must be either Ulric or Ken…” The moment he spoke, Owen realized he had inadvertently voiced his suspicions and quickly covered his mouth.

But when he saw that Melody wasn’t surprised and had a knowing smile, he understood immediately. He asked sternly, “Who are you?”

Melody spread her hands. “No need to be alarmed. I’m a doctor who can cure your daughter. You don’t have to doubt that.”

Owen wasn’t a fool. He was now certain of her true identity. “You’re one of Ken’s people! He sent you here to blackmail me with the antidote!”

Melody didn’t deny it. “I wouldn’t call it blackmail. Let’s say it’s a fair trade. As I mentioned earlier, for me to cure Shindy, you’ll need to agree to one condition. And by now, I think you know what that condition is.”

Owen clenched his fists, his emotions in turmoil. “You want me to return to Ken’s side, betray Ulric, and help Ken regain his position at the Swanson Group’s headquarters.”

Melody smiled. “You’re a smart man, Mr. Nathan. And because of that, you should realize that the person truly trying to harm you isn’t Ken.”

Sweat formed on Owen’s forehead.

It was true. If Ken wanted to threaten him using Shindy’s life, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths.

He could have chosen a simpler method to ensure Owen knew he was being coerced, without hiding it for so long. Moreover, during Shindy’s illness, it was Ulric’s people, not Ken’s, who frequently visited his home.

Seeing the change in Owen’s expression, Melody knew it was time for Ken to speak with him directly. She said, “I have a friend waiting for you. Would you like to come with me?”

Owen knew exactly who she meant by “friend.”

He was not one to waver. He had already betrayed Ken once, and switching sides again would make him an outcast in both camps. But the thought of Shindy’s condition made his head throb.

Melody said calmly, “I’ll give you three minutes to decide. Your reputation or your daughter’s life. And don’t blame us for pushing you. It was your greed that led you to betray us and side with Ulric. If not for that, none of this would be happening. Take your time. I’ll wait.”

She patted Owen on the shoulder and walked to the door, waiting patiently for him to make his decision.

Meanwhile, James finally managed to trace the call records from the SIM card Janet had purchased at the airport, thanks to his connections in the black market.

Chapter 544

The moment James received the call records, he wasted no time. He forwarded them directly to Ken’s email without glancing at them.

At that moment, Ken was waiting in his car for Melody to bring Owen over.

As soon as he saw the email from James, Ken’s brows furrowed, and he opened it. The second his eyes landed on the string of numbers in the call records, his expression darkened, and the temperature inside the car seemed to plummet.

He found it unbelievable.

His eyes revealed intense rage, like a tornado that swept away the last shred of trust he had left for Janet.

Just then, the car door suddenly swung open.

Ken turned his cold gaze to see who it was and found himself staring into a pair of clear eyes. It was Melody’s eyes.

Ken lowered his gaze, and when he looked back at Melody, the coldness in his eyes had completely vanished.

“You’re here?” His tone was as calm as ever, showing no sign of what he had just learned.

However, Melody had already remembered his gaze just now.

In all the time she had known Ken, she had never seen him look like that. Not even when dealing with Ulric, or when they first met.

His gaze was piercing and extremely intimidating, sending a chill down her spine.

Ignoring Ken’s words, Melody frowned and asked, “What happened?”

Ken smiled slightly. “What do you mean?”

“You just-” Melody started to press him for answers when Owen’s cough interrupted her. She remembered the matter at hand and said, “I’ve brought Mr. Nathan. You two talk, I’ll head back to the Nathan family’s place to handle something.”

“Alright.” Ken nodded, his gaze shifting to Owen, who stood behind Melody.

Owen’s nerves were nowhere near as steely as Melody’s. Even though Ken had reined in his intimidating aura, just one look from him made Owen’s heart tighten with fear. Instinctively, he avoided meeting Ken’s eyes.

Without emotion, Ken reminded him, “Mr. Nathan, do you want everyone to know you’ve reconnected with me?”

Startled back to his senses, Owen quickly bowed his head and climbed into the car, ignoring the powerful presence beside him.

As soon as the door closed, Ken’s deep voice broke the silence. “Let’s go.”

“Go… go…?” Owen stammered, mustering the courage to ask, “Where are we going?”

Ken glanced at him with a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. “To the Swanson Group headquarters, of course, where you’ll explain those falsified accounts and the dirty deals you made with Ulric.”

“Wha-what? Right now? Mr. Swanson, there must be some mistake! We haven’t even started negotiations yet… I-I haven’t agreed to anything!”

“Oh? So you’re choosing your career over your daughter’s life. That’s fine, too. Stop the car…”

“Wait!” Owen was on edge. “Mr. Swanson! Please, listen to me. I don’t want to sacrifice my daughter. She’s my most precious thing. I just haven’t had time to prepare myself!”

Ken chuckled coldly, though his eyes remained hard. “I’m not asking you to spin a story, just to tell the truth. There’s no preparation needed. All you have to do is be honest about what you’ve done and what you know.”

“N-no… Mr. Swanson, I’m really not ready yet. This is too sudden! You can’t just drag me to meet the chairman without giving me a moment to collect myself!”

“Fine.” Ken nodded. “I’ll give you time to prepare your thoughts…”

Owen finally breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could fully exhale, he heard Ken instruct the driver, “Slow down a bit. Give Mr. Nathan more time to prepare.”

The driver obediently replied, “Yes.” The car indeed slowed down, but only by ten miles per hour.

Owen felt irritated. It was as if Ken was toying with him like an animal in a zoo, and he was the helpless creature being mocked.

The man known as the devil of Silverlake truly lived up to his reputation. And here he was, after betraying the devil, making deals with him again.

Regret washed over Owen, but there was no turning back now…

Ken’s ruthless efficiency caught Owen by surprise, and naturally, it shocked the rest of the Swanson family as well. It wasn’t until Ulric was wheeled into the Swanson Group headquarters by Ramon that he realized how dire the situation had become.

Meanwhile, after returning to the Nathan family’s place, Melody didn’t immediately seek out Shindy. Instead, she went to Pauline’s room to continue her investigation.

Her efforts soon paid off, revealing something that suddenly made a lot of sense to her.

“So that’s it…” Melody murmured, her eyes narrowing as she had a servant take her to the locked-up Pauline.

Pauline, already in a state of panic, began crying and pleading the moment she saw Melody. “Dr. Knowles, I swear, I didn’t know there was poison in that wine! If I had known, I wouldn’t have dared to harm Miss Nathan!”

Melody remained calm, pulling out a chair to sit down. “When did you start drinking?”

Pauline averted her eyes, replying nervously, “Drinking? I only started drinking a little every day after I got those barrels of wine.”

Melody sneered. “Still not telling the truth?”

“I-I am telling the truth! Miss Nathan never had that sleeping problem before I started drinking those wines!”

Seeing that Pauline was sticking to her story, Melody’s patience wore thin, and the smile vanished from her face. “You’re still lying? Take a look at this.”

As she spoke, Melody pulled out a small bottle from her pocket. The liquid inside was a pale white, sealed with a cork, seemingly ordinary but enough to drain the color from Pauline’s face.

Pauline asked, “H-how did you find that…?”

Melody shook the bottle gently, her expression indifferent. “When you first arrived here, you were already an alcoholic, gambling away your money and drowning in debt.”

She continued, “Seeing that Shindy was about to be weaned, you were about to lose your job. So you resorted to this, ensuring Shindy would remain dependent on you. And you succeeded. To this day, she still hasn’t been weaned. Your wicked deeds have gone unnoticed, until now!”

“You… you…” Pauline was so terrified that her pupils contracted, and she was unable to form a coherent sentence.

Melody smirked coldly. “You thought no one would ever find out? Shindy and the entire Nathan family have been deceived by you for years. How does your conscience handle that? I’m genuinely curious. Have you never felt guilty, never had a single nightmare?”

With the last barrier of her deceit torn down, Pauline’s expression shifted from terror to rage.

“Shut up! Shut up!” Completely unhinged, Pauline screamed and lunged at Melody in a fit of desperation.

Chapter 545

“You bitch! Shut up! I swear I’ll kill you!” Pauline’s face twisted into a horrifying expression that sent chills down the spine.

But Melody remained unflinching and smiled coldly, Pauline wanted to lash out after her secret was exposed. How foolish.

To Melody, Pauline’s movements seemed to play out in slow motion. She didn’t rush to dodge, calmly waiting until Pauline was right in front of her before reacting.

Just as Pauline’s hands were about to claw at her face, Melody sidestepped, avoiding the attack with ease. In the blink of an eye, she was behind Pauline, delivering a sharp kick to the back of her leg.

With a dull thud, Pauline crashed to her knees. The sound indicated how painful the fall was.

Pauline winced in pain, hissing through her teeth, but Melody showed no mercy. She pressed her foot down on Pauline’s back, forcing her flat against the floor, completely immobilized.

“Let go of me!” Pauline’s eyes were bloodshot with rage and fear.

Melody was about to respond when she caught sight of a figure that shouldn’t have been there.

Pausing for a moment, she had a sly smile and asked, “You used poppy juice to make Miss Nathan dependent on you. Do you truly feel no guilt at all? From what I know, she regards you as a second mother, and the entire Nathan family considers you one of their own.”

“Second mother? One of their own? Ridiculous!” Pauline let out a bitter, mocking laugh.

She continued, “I went to all this trouble to stay with the Nathan family for their money. The only reason they kept me around was because Shindy couldn’t quit breast milk. If she did quit, they would have kicked me out long ago. How could they see me as one of their own? We’re all just using each other!”

Melody raised an eyebrow slightly. “So, you’ve never had genuine affection for the Nathan family?”

“Of course not! To them, I’m nothing more than a milk cow. Why should I care about them? They don’t care about me either!”

Pauline suddenly changed her tone, struggling to turn her head to look at Melody, who was still pinning her down.

She said, “Dr. Knowles, I’ve made quite a bit of money over the years working for the Nathan family. If you keep this a secret, I’ll give you half of my savings! How about it? You can earn money by keeping a secret.”

Melody scoffed. “I’m afraid I can’t take your money.”

“What do you mean by that? We don’t talk about it, and no one will ever know that I’ve been using poppy juice to keep Shindy from quitting breast milk.”

Melody’s smile widened, and she suddenly glanced towards the doorway.

Pauline, noticing Melody’s shift in gaze, felt a sudden pang of dread. She followed Melody’s line of sight, only to see Shindy, who should have been resting in bed, standing at the door. Behind Shindy were Albert and Laura. Their faces were grim, their eyes filled with an intense fury that seemed ready to tear her apart.

Pauline shuddered violently and, overwhelmed by fear, fainted on the spot.

Melody lifted her foot from Pauline’s back, brushing off her pants as if dusting away something unpleasant, and then looked up at the three members of the Nathan family.

Melody said, “You all heard what she said. How you choose to deal with this is up to you. Once I leave this room, I won’t know a thing.”

“Dr. Knowles, I sincerely apologize for my previous rudeness, and thank you for everything you’ve done for the Nathan family.” Albert bowed to her, his sincerity evident.

Laura looked at Melody with equal gratitude, her eyes filled with appreciation.

Melody waved her hand dismissively, her gaze shifting to Shindy.

She said, “Miss Nathan, your father might not have had the chance to tell you yet. Besides the poppy juice, there’s also a chronic poison in your system, which you got because of Pauline. I’ll work on an antidote for the poison, but it will require your determination to break free from the dependency.”

Shindy wanted to speak but couldn’t utter a word. From Shindy’s reaction, Melody could tell that her feelings for Pauline were genuine, which made her sigh inwardly.

Melody knew all too well the pain of having one’s trust shattered, having experienced it herself.

With this in mind, Melody softened her tone. “It’s not as difficult as it seems. I know of a remedy that can help break the dependency faster. Once I’ve perfected the formula, I’ll bring it to you.”

“Thank you…” Shindy finally forced out the words, her cracked.

Melody nodded. “How do you plan to deal with her?”

“I want to wait until she wakes up before deciding,” Shindy replied in a hoarse voice. She took a step forward, but suddenly her legs gave out, and she started to fall.

Fortunately, Melody was quick to react and caught her before she hit the ground.

“Thank you…” Shindy managed to say, her eyes red with unshed tears.

“Don’t worry,” Melody said, releasing Shindy’s arm as her grandparents rushed forward to support her.

“Shindy, she isn’t worth your tears. Don’t be sad over a woman like that!”

“That’s right, my dear. If you’re feeling lonely, we’ll stay with you here in Silverlake. There’s no need to go back to Insterimond!”

Melody listened to their comforting words, knowing full well that such reassurances wouldn’t ease Shindy’s pain. It reminded her of her own experiences, and she quietly left with a heavy heart.

As she walked away from the Nathan family’s residence, Melody’s thoughts grew increasingly uneasy.

She realized that despite all the years she had spent with Ulric in her previous life, she had only scratched the surface of understanding him.

He was ruthless, patient, and masterful at deception. To handle someone as insignificant as Owen, he had orchestrated everything with meticulous precision… ‘What about the things that matter to him even more?’

If it hadn’t been for Ken at the youth center, she might already be dead. The next encounter would be more dangerous.

After her rebirth, Melody was confident in her ability to take revenge on Ulric. But as time went on, that confidence began to waver.

‘Can I achieve vengeance on my own?’ For the first time, Melody doubted herself. Just then, her phone rang in her pocket. It was Ken.

Melody took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before answering. “Hello?”

Ken asked, “Where are you?”

“Outside the Nathan family’s residence.”

“Stay where you are. I’ll come pick you up,”

Before Melody could respond, Ken had already hung up, leaving her no chance to refuse.

Melody sighed. Whether she succeeded or not, giving up halfway wasn’t her style. Having been given a second chance at life, she wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

Melody tightened her grip on her phone.

Not long after, a luxury car pulled up in front of her. But when the window rolled down, it wasn’t Ken inside.

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