Chapter 18

Khloe froze for a moment.

One glance at Eliana's face, and she knew. This was the same woman who had clashed with her over the Goosegrass at the herbal pharmacy.

If this woman hadn't interfered, she wouldn't have spent hours scouring every corner of the city.

The memory hit her like a spark to dry tinder, and fury flared up inside her. She stormed toward Eliana.

Eliana hadn't noticed her yet, though she sensed movement behind her.

When Eliana turned, Khloe's hand was already slicing through the air, ready to strike. But before it could connect, a strong hand caught her wrist mid-swing.

Eliana's gaze shifted to the man who stopped the blow-Tristan. Her attention shifted back to Khloe, and the truth clicked instantly. This wasn't some random encounter-Khloe was here to settle the score over a stalk of Goosegrass.

The absurdity of it nearly made Eliana smile. Out of all the places in the world, fate had tossed them together again. And there Khloe was, the same woman who once tried to rip the Goosegrass from her hands, now showing up here with that same smug determination.

"Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? Let go of me!" Khloe fought against the hold, her voice sharp with fury.

Tristan's hold might as well have been forged from steel, and the pressure made her wrist throb. No matter how she twisted, there was no breaking free.

"Are you deaf? Let go of me!" Khloe's voice rose, her frustration spilling into raw fury.

Ruby flinched at the outburst and rushed over."Khloe! Show some respect. That's Mr. Pearson!" The name stopped her cold. Mr. Pearson? Could this be Tristan Pearson?

For the first time, she really looked at him. The man's expression was unreadable, but his features were almost unreal in their sharpness, carrying an authority that seemed to fiIl the space.

Even with someone else holding her heart, she felt her pulse falter for a moment.

She hadn't expected a face like his-handsome enough to outshine even Jermaine.

While she lingered in that stunned haze, Jeffry stepped up, his voice like ice. "Mr. Pearson is an honored guest. Is this how you greet someone of his standing? Apologize. Now."

Without a word, Tristan let go of her wrist. His expression stayed like stone as he drew a crisp handkerchief from his pocket and brushed it over his palm, as though her touch had left a stain.

A flicker of heat rushed to Khloe's cheeks, her pride taking the hit.

Still, with his standing, defiance wasn't an option.She swallowed hard, obeying Jeffry's demand. "I'm sorry, Mr.Pearson."

Tristan acted as if she hadn't spoken, his attention locked on Eliana.

Eliana caught the meaning in his eyes instantly-he was checking if she'd been harmed.

A slight shake of her head gave him the answer.Honestly, even without his intervention, her reflexes would have kept Khloe's hand from ever making contact.

Khloe noticed the silent exchange and remembered why she'd walked over in the first place-to strike Eliana.

Standing in front of a man like Tristan, though, made her rein it in, her composure taking precedence over the outburst she'd planned.

StilI, choosing not to lash out didn't mean she intended to keep quiet.

Khloe thrust her finger toward Eliana, her voice sharp and accusing. "Dad, Mom, that's the one! She grabbed the Goosegrass I was trying to buy at the herbal pharmacy. If she hadn't meddled, I'd have been back ages ago! What now-does she plan to jack up the price just because she knows we need it?Kick her out!"

A faint, ironic smile tugged at Eliana's lips. "Mr.Clarke, it seems your family takes great pride in showing me the door. Perhaps I should make it easy for you and leave right now."

"Stop! Don't take her nonsense to heart. Khloe's being rash-I'll deal with her immediately," Jeffry explained.

His glare fixed on Khloe, and his tone turned to ice."Do you even understand who you're talking to?She's the doctor who came here for your grandpa's treatment. Apologize to her. Now."

Ruby's frustration had reached its limit. Watching Hector and Khloe handle the situation without an ounce of tact made her want to tear her hair out.

Insulting Eliana was reckless. Her skill bordered on the miraculous, and winning her favor was worth more than gold.

No one was immune to illness, and when the time came, they might be desperate for the very hands they were now trying to drive away.

The richer people became, the more they clung to life. Many would risk crossing powerful officials before daring to offend a doctor of Eliana's caliber.

"Why are you just standing there? Apologize to her!"Jeffry's tone sharpened when he caught Khloe gawking at Eliana in disbelief.

Khloe's head jerked in refusal. "No way. Dad, Mom,how could this... this beggar be the famed doctor you hired? Someone's pulling the wool over your eyes!"

Jeffry drew in a breath to answer, but Miguel's voice cut in, steady and commanding. "Pulled the wool over our eyes? Then tell me-who healed me?"

"Grandpa?" The word slipped out before Khloe could stop it, her eyes darting over his healthy complexion in shock.

When she'd left, he had been unconscious. For an entire month, he'd slept more than he'd been awake,and even in his waking hours, he'd been too frail to speak more than a few words-nothing like the strong, alert man before her now.

"Grandpa... are you telling me she's the one who healed you?" Khloe's voice trembled with disbelief.

"Naturally! Half the household saw it happen-why would anyone doubt it?" Miguel answered without hesitation.

It felt like a lightning strike had hit her, draining the color from her face.

"Didn't I tell you to apologize? Are you pretending you didn't hear me?!" Jeffry snapped, his frustration mounting at the thought of her offending Eliana further.

Her gaze locked on Eliana, a sudden realization surfacing."The Goosegrass you bought at the herbal pharmacy... that was for my grandpa, wasn't it?"

Eliana's lips curved faintly. "You could say that."

Truthfully, she'd purchased it for Stella, but fate had steered it toward Miguel instead.

Khloe's expression sank even further, her skin nearly as white. "I.." The word hung in the air, her voice faltering, unable to let go of the bitterness twisting inside her.

No one had ever dared to take something from her before. Even so, the hard lines on her parents' faces,paired with the uncharacteristic sharpness in their voices, left her unsettled.

At last, she forced out, "I'm sor-"

"Save it." Eliana's hand lifted, stopping her cold. "If you don't mean it, I don't want to hear it." Khloe's lips tightened, a small wave of relief washing over her. Apologizing to Eliana was the last thing she wanted anyway.

In her mind, her grandpa's recovery had nothing to do with Eliana's skill. It had to be the Goosegrass-or maybe pure luck.

For half a million a stalk, she thought bitterly, even the dead should be able to crawl back to life after taking it.

Then Eliana's voice cut through her thoughts."Words are cheap. I prefer something more...tangible."

Khloe blinked, not following her meaning.

Jeffry's brows drew together. "And what exactly do you have in mind?"

A faint smile tugged at Eliana's lips. "She tried to slap me earlier. If you return the favor on my behalf, we can call it even."

Khloe's eyes flared, her voice dripping with mockery. You expect my parents to hit me? You've lost your mind."

But Jeffry didn't hesitate. His hand came down in a sharp arc, landing with a crack that rang through the room.