Once we were all in the car, I leaned closer to Caleb and whispered, âWho do you think is behind the poisoning? Could it be someone from Andrewâs manor, or maybe one of Shirleyâs people?â
Caleb remained silent, deep in thought.
I pressed on, âOr could it be that Veronica manipulated Shirley? Perhaps she feigned ignorance about Shirley abducting the child, but secretly orchestrated the poisoning?â
Calebâs brow creased in concern as he replied thoughtfully, âVeronica is a conservative person.
Sheâs also aging, and her daughter lacks the necessary skills.
I donât believe sheâs interested in sparking a conflict between the witch clan and the Thorn Edge Pack right now, nor does she want to jeopardize her relationship with Andrew.
â
I nodded, finding Calebâs reasoning sound and agreeing with him.
Caleb added, âAnd Shirley seemed genuinely joyful and expectant when she brought us to Abby yesterday.
Itâs not like her to be so cheerful if she knew Abby had been poisoned.
â
That revelation made my heart skip.
If neither Veronica nor Shirley were responsible, then Andrew remained the only suspect.
Caleb glanced at me.
Instead of voicing his suspicions about Andrew outright, he inquired, âWhat will you do if it turns out Andrew is the one who harmed Abby?â
I furrowed my brow, puzzled, and responded, âBut why would Andrew want to hurt Abby? Is it because he doesnât want me reconciling with you, or because he doesnât want me to leave the manor?â
A complex expression flickered across Calebâs face as he fell silent.
But I was still confused.
I had recently assured Andrew that Abby would remain at the manor for the foreseeable future.
Moreover, I had no immediate plans to leave the witch clan.
So the notion of moving from the manor to Calebâs place didnât seem enough to provoke Andrew into harming my child.
It just didnât add up that Andrew would have a motive to hurt Abby.
Once we confirmed that the source of the poison was someone within Andrewâs manor, a sudden thought struck me.
Nora had been Abbyâs nanny throughout.
âYes, Nora,â I blurted out.
âShe was the one who drugged me before.
Could she be involved this time too?â
Caleb frowned as he mulled over this new possibility.
I went on, âNora was the one around Abby constantly, handling all her belongings.
She recently claimed Shirley threatened her, but that doesnât sit right with me.
â
âWhat do you mean?â Caleb asked.
I clarified, âShirley may be quick-tempered, but sheâs also incredibly forthright.
She genuinely despises Nora, who is a mixed- blood witch, almost to the extent of revulsion.
Itâs highly unlikely Shirley would ever work together with Nora.
â
After I laid out my thoughts, Caleb gave a thoughtful nod.
âYour insights seem very sound.
Noraâs behavior has indeed been quite strange.
â
Debraâs POV:
I clutched the baby tightly in my arms, my mind racing with suspicions.
âCan you drive straight to Andrewâs manor? We need to confront Nora.
â
I had always thought I treated Nora well, saving her from Shirleyâs wrath.
Yet, I couldnât fathom why she would hurt Abby like this.
Drugging me was one thing, but she had always professed such affection for Abby, claiming she wanted to care for her forever.