Mary smiled. "Guess."


    Edward narrowed his eyes and tried to press the nurse''s call button, but Mary quickly grabbed his hand to stop him.


    "Edward, don''t you think you''ve been too heartless toward me and Vik?" she asked calmly.


    "Mary, Vik is my son, and so is Brian. If Vik caused Brian to lose a leg, don''t you think he should pay for that with his own leg?" Edward shot back.


    "You have two sons. One has already lost a leg. Are you really going to make the other one disabled too? If I were you, I''d make Vik your only heir-train and support him," she countered.


    Edward scowled. "Call Vik back here first, then we''ll talk about the rest."


    Mary smirked and said slowly, "No need. As long as you''re alive, you''ll still be able to help me and Vik. How you stay alive, though, doesn''t matter."


    She called out to the door, "Daniel,e in here."


    Daniel Belcher pushed open the door, looking surprised when he saw Mary holding Edward down on the bed.


    "Ms. Jewell, what''s the matter? Why did you call me?" he asked.


    Edward''s face darkened. "Daniel, can''t you see? Mary is holding me hostage! Come over here and pull her off me!"


    His voice was full of anger, but Daniel didn''t move. He kept his head down, motionless.


    "Daniel!" Edward''s frustration was growing, his re burning through Daniel like fire.


    If looks could kill, Daniel would have been dead several times over.


    Maryughed. "Edward, stop


    wasting your energy. The people you entrusted to me while you were sick they''re all on my side now. They won''t follow your order anymore."


    "What are you talking about?!" Edward''s eyes widened in shock. "They were people


    I trained for over ten years. How could they be on your side?!"


    "You trained them for ten years, but


    you always had them do the dirty work. Back then, you were the head of the Nixons. If they didn''t serve you, they''d be killed. But now, you'' practically useless. Staying by your side is the same as courting death," she replied.


    Mary hadn''t nned on using these people against Edward, but his cruelty toward Vik made her realize that she and Vik had always been second to the scum in the estate.


    Since that were the case, she would fight for herself. She didn''t believe she couldn''tpete with Emerald!


    Edward trembled with rage, struggling to push Mary off, but his body was too weak after the longa. He had the strength of a child.


    "Mary, I''ll kill you!" he hissed.


    Mary''s eyes shed with contempt as she looked at Daniel. "You know the poison Emerald gave him? Go get some more. Just a little-enough to keep Edward alive."


    "Got it," Daniel replied quietly, turning to leave.


    The door to the room clicked shut behind him.


    Mary released her hold on Edward, but the moment she did, he pressed the call button on the bed.


    This time, she didn''t try to stop him. She just watched, smiling, with no trace of fear on her face.


    Edward clenched his hands into fists. "Is the doctor also one of your people?!"


    "That''s right," Mary confirmed with a sly grin. "switched the staff to may own people, just in case Emerald made another move. But now, it''s worked out even better than expected