Chapter 675: Chapter 675: The True Heiress of a Prestigious Family
Since Warren Vance knew Ian Vaughn was in Marinia Hospital, it was unlikely he was lying just to lure her out.
She heard last night that he was in Marinia Hospital and thought he was going to do something to Ian Vaughn, panicking her so much that she ignored the wind noise from his side over the phone.
If she had rushed over at the time, it would have been like telling Warren Vance that she cared deeply about Ian Vaughn.
By then, it would have been even easier for him to manipulate her.
This wasn’t the first time he’d done such a thing, making it difficult for Ann Vaughn not to connect the dots.
After freshening up, Ann Vaughn went downstairs for lunch, brewed medicine for Kenny, and instructed the kitchen to serve it to him on time before hurrying to the hospital.
As the door to the ward opened, Ann Vaughn saw Brooke Ryan and Jane Sheridan standing beside the bed, appearing ready to sit down.
Ann Vaughn paused for a moment, then walked straight over without looking sideways and threw away the flowers in the vase, replacing them with a calming bouquet she brought.
Brooke Ryan originally wanted to replace it with the flowers she brought, but seeing Ann Vaughn beat her to it, she stomped her foot in anger.
"A bunch of withered flowers, and you have the nerve to display them in such a high-class ward, so tacky."
Hearing Brooke Ryan’s mocking words, Ann Vaughn twitched her lips.
This naturally calming and nourishing bouquet can’t be found in any flower shop, not just in Marinia, but nationwide.
The flower fields supply less than a hundred of these bouquets each year to the Vaughn Family’s relatives and friends, not only being priceless but also requiring Old Mr. Vaughn’s approval.
"Miss Ryan, with your broad knowledge, not recognizing the Earth Store Flowers personally grown by Old Mr. Vaughn." Ann Vaughn placed the bouquet by the bedside casually.
Brooke Ryan had heard of the Earth Store Flowers but had never seen them, so she naturally couldn’t recognize them.
She had previously asked Old Mr. Vaughn to take her to see the flower fields and pick a few flowers, but he never agreed.
Yet Ann Vaughn could directly bring a bouquet...
Brooke Ryan was so angry her eyes turned red, glaring fiercely at Ann Vaughn as if she wanted to skin her alive.
Jane Sheridan, knowing the inside story, gave a small tug at her lips. Even though the Vaughn Family was hesitant to openly acknowledge Ann Vaughn due to events over twenty years ago, she didn’t think they could resist doting on her.
Who wouldn’t envy her good fortune and family connections?
Not only was she the granddaughter of the Vaughn Family, but also the only daughter of the Sheridan Family in several generations.
"Brooke, this is a hospital room." Jane Sheridan gently reminded Brooke Ryan to prevent her from saying anything more embarrassing.
Brooke Ryan seemed to find her backbone and replied sarcastically, "Some people get carried away thinking they’ve latched onto a few backers, but in front of true high society, they’re nothing but jokes."
"In life, people are ranked, and some are superior while others... are fit only to be inferior!"
Ann Vaughn, who was checking Ian Vaughn’s pulse, almost couldn’t restrain herself from rolling her eyes.
"Had The Great Qing Dynasty still been around, why didn’t they take you into the palace as a bickering eunuch?" Ann Vaughn mocked, "According to your logic, you, raised by the Vaughn Family but originally from an ordinary family, are also inferior?"
Brooke Ryan’s face turned bright red with fury as she glared at Ann Vaughn, seeming as if she wanted to flay her.
Jane Sheridan intervened and softly said to Ann Vaughn, "Apologies, Miss Vaughn. Brooke has always been outspoken and means no harm. I hope you won’t be offended."
"Outspoken, indeed," Ann Vaughn nodded as if enlightened, "Miss Sheridan knows her friend well; at least she knows there’s nothing in her head, so her words come without thinking."
Jane Sheridan: "..."
Brooke Ryan: "..."
Damn, can’t win an argument.
"Rather than arguing with us here, Miss Vaughn, maybe you could think about how to get my brother and cousin out of confinement," Jane Sheridan laughed, "They stood against their father for you and are still locked up."
Confinement?
Ann Vaughn’s clear eyes showed a flicker of surprise.
No wonder the last time she texted Wilder Sheridan or called Elliot after reaching Marinia, there was no response.
She had initially thought they were too busy to reply, but hadn’t expected this reason...
"Miss Sheridan’s words are quite interesting. What do you mean they are confined because of me?" Ann Vaughn controlled her turbulent feelings, maintaining a calm exterior.
"You might not believe it, but they’ve been confined in the Sheridan Family’s ancestral hall, kneeling. Unless they agree never to see you again, they must continue kneeling." Jane Sheridan picked up her bag, ready to leave.
Stopping by Ann Vaughn, Jane Sheridan looked at her and placed a card before her, "Miss Vaughn, your allure is astonishing, causing unrest in my family’s household. As I’ve said enough, if you care, persuade them to stop opposing their father. There’s no benefit."
Her words were thick with sarcasm, which gratingly unsettled Ann Vaughn.
She glanced at Jane Sheridan, then, in her peripheral vision, suddenly noticed the black-and-white fashionably patched dress under Brooke Ryan’s coat, pausing abruptly.
Hadn’t she seen Jane Sheridan in that dress before?
But it was just a dress; even if Jane Sheridan had worn it, why would she react so strongly?
"Previously in the Imperial Capital... Miss Sheridan might have forgotten what happened?" Ann Vaughn raised her eyes, smiling faintly at Jane Sheridan, though her smile was serene.
These words might seem disjointed to Brooke Ryan, who understood nothing and was naturally puzzled.
But the guilty heart feels differently.
Jane Sheridan’s pupils flinched imperceptibly, though she recovered quickly, "I’ve been away from the Imperial Capital too long; I can’t quite recall what Miss Vaughn refers to."
A perfect answer.
If not for that moment of unease, Ann Vaughn might have thought herself overanxious.
Now it seemed she indeed forgot something crucial, involving Jane Sheridan.
What was it?
After Jane Sheridan and Brooke Ryan left, Ann Vaughn picked up the card, contemplating deeply.
Jane Sheridan’s words held half-truths; her claim that Elliot and Wilder were confined might not be accurate.
But what if? What if they were indeed confined and forced to kneel...
Embracing a "better safe than sorry" approach, Ann Vaughn reached out to the Sheridan Family’s butler, Uncle Vance, whose contact she had obtained earlier.
She claimed to be visiting Marinia for a trip and to check on Old Mrs. Sheridan’s eye ailment recovery, which didn’t raise any suspicion.
Choosing a time when Old Mrs. Sheridan was napping, Ann Vaughn visited the Sheridan Family estate; Uncle Vance asked her to wait a moment in the downstairs living room while he prepared some refreshments.