As Serena got up and headed for the kitchen, Eleanor seized the opportunity to casually ask Magdalen, "Do you know much about Gina''s family? How was her parents'' health?"


    It was a personal question, but Magdalen had no intention of hiding anything from Eleanor. "Gina''s mother passed away young," she said after a moment''s thought. "I''m not sure of the exact cause-some sort of serious illness, I believe. Her father, however, lived well into his seventies. Why do you ask?"


    "It''s nothing, really. We''ve been doing some research on longevity genes and wanted to understand the patterns in different families."


    Magdalen epted her exnation without suspicion, nodding with a smile. "That makes sense. It''s important for you researchers to look into these things."


    "Magdalen, do you know whyn went abroad?" Eleanor asked again.


    Magdalen''s eyes brightened, pleased that Eleanor was finally asking about her grandson. "That boy keeps so much to himself," she mused. "I believe he took his mother on a trip and to a hospital in Drexford for a full check-up. You know, since Gina has been feeling some difort in her chest."


    Eleanor was stunned. She hadn''t realizedn had kept Gina''s condition so tightly under wraps that even his own family was in the dark. Could it be that Gina herself didn''t know the truth?


    It was certainly possible.


    Fromn''s perspective, it made a certain kind of sense. He was shielding his family from fear. Eleanor knew Gina''s personality-sensitive and prone to worry. If she knew she had a rare blood disease, her morale would likely plummet.


    So, when had Gina first gotten sick? That was a question onlyn could answer.


    Eleanor resolved to schedule a physical and gic screening for her daughter after the New Year, just to be safe.


    When dinner was ready, Magdalen invited Eleanor and her daughter to the dining table, where a reluctant Serena joined them.


    "Grandma, I got a call from my brother this afternoon," Serena announced.


    "Oh! What did he say? Did he mention how your mother''s check-up went?"


    Serena rolled her eyes. "My brother is being so dramatic. Mom is perfectly fine, but he insisted on dragging her all the way to Drexford for a check-up, iming their equipment is more Honestly, think she''s


    overthinking things, which is why she feels one ache or another."


    Her tone was dripping with dismissal.


    Eleanor''s gaze shot up to her. Beneath Serena''s foundation and eyeliner, she could just make out a faint scattering of what looked like tiny, point-like red spots. Serena had clearly been partying hard; her Complexion was sallow with bloodless pallor that suggested exhaustion.


    If Eleanor hadn''t discovered Gina''s medical file, she would never have noticed these details. Anyone else would have simply assumed Serena wasnt getting enough rest of


    course, Eleanor couldn''t be certain, but Serena''s overall condition looked worryingly poor.


    "You! Your brother should be here to keep you in line. Just look at the state of you," Magdalen chided, clearly at her wit''s end with her granddaughter.


    "Grandma, don''t you dare call him! He''s on vacation with Vanessa right now," Serena protested quickly.


    At the mention of the name, Magdalen coughed sharply and shot her a re. This was hardly the time or ce to bring up her brother''s rtionships with other


    women.


    Serena nced at Eleanor and pouted again. "It''s not like she doesn''t know."