Serena Sterling’s hands and feet were cold. Her grandfather had just woken up, and today was supposed to be a day of reunion, but she never expected that he would be poisoned. The reunion turned into a final farewell. All the joy was instantly doused. Serena tightly held the old master’s hand, her eyes quickly becoming moist, "Grandfather, don’t go, I beg you, you are my only family." Old Master Xavier, reluctant, stroked Serena’s head and then looked at Gregory Sterling. With a thud, Gregory fell to his knees at the bedside, "Dad!" Old Master Xavier said his final words, "Serena is the young mistress of our Sterling family, and the entire family must obey her, including the Sterlings in the City of Aethelgard. Your second uncle and the others, when I’m gone, the Sterlings in Aethelgard will inevitably come for you. Since you have no prospects, don’t go there; just muddle through in Bayside." Gregory never imagined that the old master’s last words to him would be about "muddling through." Whether it was the old master’s lament or Gregory’s, those four words held unknown weight. At this moment, Old Master Xavier slowly closed his eyes and departed peacefully. Serena’s eyes were blurred with tears, "Grandfather! Grandfather!" Gregory, now an orphan without a father, also wept at the bedside. The entire hospital was shrouded in a layer of sorrow from parting. Serena sat on the cold hospital bench, her eyes swollen from crying. Her grandfather’s departure took with it her last attachment and reluctance toward Bayside. Leah Thorne handed over a cup of hot water, "Serena, the old master left peacefully. You should grieve briefly and move on. What’s most important now is to find out who poisoned him, who caused his death!" Serena wiped the tears off her face. Yes, she didn’t have time to mourn; she still had many things to do. Serena turned her head towards Gregory beside her. Gregory had also become a tearful mess, "I’m not your biological daughter. Why didn’t you tell me?" Gregory put away his sorrow and clumsily wiped his tears, "The old master didn’t allow it to be said. How could I dare tell you?" Serena suddenly felt a sense of relief. She had always wondered why Gregory didn’t love her. It turned out she wasn’t even a daughter of the Sterling family. She had her own dad, but unfortunately, she didn’t know who he was. "Is there a Sterling family in the City of Aethelgard too? Do we have a second uncle? I’ve never heard Grandpa mention it." Gregory thought for a moment, "I’m not too clear about it either. The old man didn’t tell me when he was alive, but I know that our Sterling family in Bayside is just a branch. It was brought out when your mommy came to Bayside. The real Sterling family is in the City of Aethelgard." "Over the years, we haven’t had contact with the City of Aethelgard’s Sterling family. This was probably all at your mommy’s behest, wanting to sever the connection." Serena nodded. She originally thought that when her grandfather woke up, she would know the whole truth, but unexpectedly, she became more confused. She didn’t know what kind of person her mommy was. It seemed there were many mysteries surrounding her. "During this time, who in the Sterling family has been taking care of Grandpa? The last time I gave him a needle, he hadn’t been poisoned yet. The poison must have been administered recently." "During this time, it was... Yasmine taking care of the old master," said Gregory as he stood up, looking at Serena in shock, "Are you suspecting that Yasmine poisoned him?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoveIＦire.net Serena sneered, "It’s not a suspicion; it’s certain. Grandpa was murdered by Lillian and Yasmine Sterling, the mother-daughter duo!" "Impossible!" Gregory quickly denied, "Lillian and Yasmine wouldn’t poison the old master. You also said that ten years ago, they pushed him down the stairs. I don’t believe any of it." Leah standing at the side chimed in, "That mother-daughter duo is truly vicious. They murdered the old master, and now with no witnesses or evidence, they just have to deny everything." Serena clenched her fists. Yasmine must have noticed the signs of Grandpa waking up. To prevent old matters from being exposed, they chose to cut the grass at the root and directly poisoned him. As long as Grandpa was dead, they could sleep peacefully. Gregory, blinded and swayed by selfish desires, didn’t believe they were the murderers at all. "I won’t believe any of this unless you have evidence. Let’s not focus on this now; the old master died. Let’s arrange the funeral first." Gregory turned to make the funeral arrangements. Just then, Serena’s clear, cold voice called out from behind, "Stop!" Gregory turned back, "What now?" Serena stood up, and the restrained fury in her swollen, tear-stained eyes revealed itself with an icy gleam, "Grandfather’s death must be kept confidential for now. No public funeral." "What?" Gregory stammered, "The old master is dead. You won’t bury him; what do you want to do?" Serena looked at Gregory, "Lillian and Yasmine Sterling think that poisoning Grandpa will allow them to keep their secrets forever without worry? There is no escape from the law, not in this world. I’ll drag them out and let you see with your own eyes what kind of venomous snakes have coiled beside you all these years!" "What...what do you want to do? The old master is dead." "Tomorrow it’s your birthday, isn’t it? I’ll come by to celebrate your birthday. Just enjoy the day, and mention casually during the party that Grandpa has woken up!" Gregory stared at Serena in shock, "This is absurd. You want me to play along and act with you? I won’t..." Before he could finish, Serena’s eyes turned cold as she sternly reprimanded, "Gregory Sterling!" Gregory had never seen Serena so fierce. The girl’s presence overwhelmed the room like a queen ruling over her domain. His legs trembled, nearly dropping him to his knees. "Gregory, have you forgotten Grandpa’s last wishes? You must obey me. I’m not negotiating with you; I’m telling you that you must deliver an Oscar-worthy performance for this act!" Gregory’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, "Understood...Understood. No need to be so fierce. I am an Oscar-winning actor, after all; I guarantee you a great performance." "Go back; don’t let them notice anything. I will stay here to keep watch over Grandpa!" Serena waved dismissively, unwilling to waste more words on him. Gregory skulked away hastily. Leah looked at Gregory’s fleeing figure, "Serena, never thought Gregory Sterling wasn’t your father. What’s your plan now?" "Leah, after dealing with Lillian and Yasmine Sterling, I’m going to Aethelgard. I feel as if something there is calling me." "Serena, if you go to Aethelgard, what about Mr. Crawford? Are you going together? You haven’t been married long; are you going to live apart?" At the mention of Hayden Crawford, Serena’s eyes quickly filled with a crystalline mist. He no longer wanted her.