Despite being the legitimate daughter of the Allen family, Ephyra was soon treated as an outcast. It wasn't long before she was labeled a "bastard," shunned by nearly everyone, and overshadowed by her stepsister, Myra. The wealth and status the Allen family enjoyed were all thanks to Ephyra's late mother. The only reason Ephyra hadn't been cast aside entirely was that her mother's substantial inheritance was locked away until she turned eighteen.
Jania's fingers paused briefly over the next section. *And then came the accident.*
The accident had been life-altering for Ephyra in more ways than one. What appeared at first to be a tragic misfortune marked the beginning of drastic changes in her personality. Ephyra went from being a quiet, withdrawn girl who had learned to keep her head down to someone colder, more detached—and, in many ways, stronger. Those around her chalked it up to trauma. But Jania didn't think that was the reason.
Jania continued reading, piecing together Ephyra's life as her thoughts churned. The tension in the Allen family must have escalated when Marianna realized that Ephyra was on the verge of regaining control, along with her mother's inheritance. And now, it was clear why Marianna had wanted her dead.
Jania's lips pressed into a thin line as she closed the file. Fucking family dramas.
The car drove into the estate grounds, the long, winding driveway lined with tall trees casting early morning shadows across the path. Jania's fingers tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel, her mind still processing what she'd just read.
Lyle's estate loomed ahead, an imposing structure nestled among carefully manicured gardens. As Jania brought the car to a halt in front of the grand entrance, she glanced over at Doctor Liam, who was still asleep. She hesitated before reaching over and gently shaking his shoulder.
"We're here," she said softly.
Liam stirred, blinking his eyes open groggily. He straightened up, rubbing his face as he glanced out the window. "Already? That was quick," he muttered, stretching his arms.
Jania offered him a faint smile. "You needed the rest."
Liam nodded, stepping out of the car and grabbing his luggage from the backseat. Jania followed, her heels clicking against the cobblestone as they made their way to the front door.
The estate's large wooden doors swung open, revealing a butler who greeted them with a curt nod. "Welcome, Miss Jania, Doctor Liam."
"Is Master Lyle awake?"
The butler shook his head, stepping aside to allow them entry. "No. He's also not in his room. I believe he slept in the girl's room."
Jania raised a brow. "Really?"
"What?" Liam raised an eyebrow at the butler's words, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Lyle? In a girl's room?"
Jania nodded slowly, her mind racing with possibilities. Lyle was never one to be swayed easily by emotions or attachments, and yet here he was, acting completely out of character. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ No(ᴠ)ᴇlFire.nᴇt
She shook her head, filing the thought away for later. "Let's go," she said, leading the way inside the estate.
Liam followed closely behind, his brows furrowed in thought as they made their way to one of the guest rooms.
They arrived at the guest room, where Jania stopped and looked back at Liam. "Take a shower and come down when you're done. I will be In the living room."
"Okay, I will join you shortly," Liam responded, running a hand through his hair as he walked into the guest room.
Once in the living room, Jania sat down on one of the large sofas, her phone in hand as she composed a message to Han.
{Keep digging into Marianna Allen. I want to know everything about her connections and past.}
She hit send and leaned back, closing her eyes for a moment.
Minutes later, footsteps echoed through the hall, signaling Liam's arrival. He entered the living room looking refreshed, though his expression remained serious. He sat across from Jania, his hands clasped together.
"So, who is the girl?" Liam asked, cutting straight to the point.
Jania met his gaze, her voice steady. "Ephyra Allen, the girl who had gotten into a car accident and was your patient."
"What? Ephyra?" Liam's expression shifted from confusion to disbelief. "Wait, Ephyra Allen, the girl from the accident?"
Jania nodded and stood up, "I knew you would react this way, which was why I prepared the CCTV footage of what happened when we met her."
She took out a laptop, opened it, and placed it in front of Liam. "Watch, you'd said from the experiment you did, if Master Lyle smelled the scent of all the flowers combined, he would become a completely different person, like a different personality of himself and that was exactly how he acted before he even saw her."
Liam's eyes widened as Jania played the footage. The screen showed a distant shot of Lyle hugging Ephyra in the alleyway, his face buried in her neck, breathing in her scent. The usually composed and controlled Lyle Aelion appeared almost possessive, unhinged even, as if he were under some kind of spell. It showed everything that happened there, from the beginning till when he carried her bridal style to his car.
This is crazy. Was the first thought Liam had after he finished watching the video.
Liam leaned back, narrowing his eyes. "That's... not possible. I only speculated about the effect the floral scents would have on him in theory. But it's like she triggered the exact reaction I hypothesized and more. I was also never sure if someone could possess such a scent. It's not... natural."
"But you said it could not be artificially created which was why you couldn't make it and someone could maybe possess such a scent."
Liam nodded slowly, processing Jania's words. "True, I did theorize that someone might naturally have such a scent. But the chances of that were so slim, I dismissed it as purely hypothetical. Now, seeing Lyle react this way..." His voice trailed off, his mind racing with possibilities. "If Ephyra possesses the exact combination of scents, then she's not just important—she's critical. But this reaction... it's far more intense than anything I could have predicted."
Jania frowned, her expression hardening. "Critical or not, this kind of attachment can only mean that she is his cure. But you're right, his reaction to her is a bit concerning."
Liam rubbed his temple, feeling the weight of the situation settle over him. "That's exactly what worries me. This isn't just a biological reaction anymore; it's psychological. His connection to her could become obsessive, and that's when things spiral out of control."
Then he frowned, deep in thought. "If Ephyra is really connected to Lyle's condition, it could mean two things. One, she might be the cure we've been searching for. Or two..." He trailed off, his voice low.
Jania finished for him, "She could make him worse."