Chapter 507

Eleanor, agitated, pounced on Winnie, her voice laced with anger and defensiveness. "What are you insinuating? That I played a part in your father's demise? Absurd! Your malicious intent is evident in casting unfounded suspicions. Mom, Dad, you've witnessed my deep love for Carlos throughout the years."

She was sobbing, a hand clutching at her chest in distress.

Ishara enveloped her mother in a protective embrace, her gaze accusatory as it met Winnie's. "Winnie, you're being overly harsh. My mom would never harm him. She was his wife, his closest companion. Are you attempting to lead Grandpa and Grandma to believe she's at fault? They both understand that we have no hidden motives."

Winnie sneered. "You're worried for no reason. I'm not implying that your mom has any hidden agendas. I'm just reminding Grandpa that Dad waking up might not sit well with her. The Blanchet estate is substantial, a high-profile family like that is not like any ordinary household. It's wise to be cautious. As for me, a daughter born out of wedlock, what more could I want than to see my father come around and enjoy family life? I don't have any claim to the Blanchet inheritance."

Paul was finally convinced. "All right then, you'll take care of Carlos."

"Dad, do you really believe she thinks I'd harm Carlos?" Eleanor was adamant in her opposition. "No way. What will people think of me if word gets out?"

Winnie shot back with an intense look, saying, "Eleanor, Grandpa has made his decision. If you persist in arguing with me, I'll have to question why you're so desperate to retain control over Dad's care. What are you afraid of? That he might wake up?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Eleanor's voice was stern.

Patrick, who had been silent in his wheelchair, finally spoke up, "Eleanor, let's honor Father's decision. With my brother in trouble, the Blanchet family is divided. You are his wife, and Ishara is his legitimate daughter. The two of you should stand strong and be prepared for the challenges ahead. Letting Winnie take care of my brother is simply a matter of dividing responsibilities."

Eleanor was taken aback and glared at Winnie. "Fine but if anything happens to Carlos, I won't let you off the hook."

Ishara put on a show of concern. "Mom, Uncle Patrick has a point. Though I'd rather avoid getting involved in the Blanchet family drama, it seems like I'll have to, for the sake of maintaining stability."

"Exactly." Patrick agreed. "However, you two women without someone to protect you, facing those major Blanchet shareholders might be challenging. I've been getting calls nonstop and the reporters are swarming the company headquarters, causing chaos." Patrick looked genuinely troubled.

Eleanor locked eyes with him and broke down crying in front of Paul, saying, "Dad, Ishara and I are alone in this world and we don't know the first thing about running a company. I guess we need Patrick now."

Paul nodded thoughtfully and turned to Patrick. "Your brother won't wake up anytime soon and your sister-in-law is overwhelmed. Patrick, I'm entrusting you with the company for the time being. Take care of your sister-in-law for us, will you?"

Patrick winced, trying to gracefully excuse himself with a strained smile. "Dad, I've been out of the game for so many years due to my paralysis. Corporate affairs aren't really my forte."

"Paths are made by walking," Mr. Blanchet replied, his resolve strengthening at Patrick's modesty. "You're not that far behind your brother. To keep the Blanchet legacy alive, you must step up."

"All right, I'll do my best," said Patrick, nodding affirmatively as he adjusted his demeanor.

Winnie stood silently, observing the interaction between Eleanor and Patrick, clenching her hands tighter as she took in the scene. Despite the veneer of politeness and accommodation, she suspected there was more beneath the surface.

In an instant, she inhaled sharply, her thoughts whirling with uncertainty. The motive behind her father's shooting eluded her understanding. The dynamics between Eleanor and Patrick felt peculiar. Just moments ago, Eleanor adamantly resisted Winnie's involvement in their father's care.

However, her stance shifted remarkably after a single sentence from Patrick. Now, she was endorsing him to lead the company. There was an unmistakable ambition in Eleanor, a longstanding desire to claim the Blanchet legacy for herself.

Lost in her cold contemplations, Winnie noticed Patrick's eyes darted away when they met her piercing gaze. He said with a pained expression, "Winnie, please take good care of my brother. Dad, I'm going to find the shooter. I want to see who dares mess with the Blanchet family."

Paul's eyes reddened as he urged, "Go on then, investigate."

Winnie's stare grew even colder. Uncle Patrick, unexpectedly, had just crafted an alibi for himself. Maybe she had underestimated him, and he wasn't as naive as she thought.

After Patrick left, Eleanor went downstairs with Ishara to retrieve some personal items for Carlos. Winnie stood by, waiting for Carlos to be wheeled out, when someone approached her.

"Miss, may I have a word?" It was her father's right-hand man, who had been loyally working by Carlos's side. He spoke in hushed tones, his words carrying an air of caution. Winnie caught on instantly. She glanced at the senior members of the Blanchet clan and followed the aide toward the stairwell.

The aide, visibly troubled, whispered urgently, "Mr. Blanchet got shot on his way back from your mother's gravesite. Just yesterday, he prepared a notice for your upcoming role at Blanchet headquarters and arranged a will in advance, planning to allocate you 20% of Blanchet's independent shares. He was supposed to sign some papers at the office today, but the shooting occurred during his journey."

Winnie froze upon hearing this. She understood what the aide meant. Her eyes underwent an abrupt transformation, and her pupils expanded with a deep, intense anger.

"Was the drafting of the employment notice and will kept confidential? Who else at Blanchet knows about my father's actions, apart from you?"

The aide replied, "The lawyers and the relevant HR staff."

Winnie clenched her fists.

The aide looked at her and added, "I mean no disrespect by telling you this. I just felt you deserved to know the truth."

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Winnie's eyes misted over. "Thank you. I won't utter a word. Did my dad say anything when it happened?"

"I wasn't at the scene of the shooting and crash, so I can't say if he mentioned anything about you."

Winnie blinked away tears and nodded with a choked sob.

After the aide departed, Winnie experienced a sensation akin to her heart being sliced open. If she had only harbored suspicions before, the aide's words now directed her gaze almost squarely at one suspect which was Eleanor.

She ruefully lamented proposing the idea of linking her father to the Blanchet headquarters. Eleanor, just out of a divorce with Carlos and surrounded by her loyal followers within Blanchet, likely panicked upon discovering the shares passing to Winnie. This led them to resort to desperate measures, orchestrating a calculated shooting.

Having just come back from Lymington, now her father was in this state. All because of the cruelty from Eleanor and Ishara. Maybe Patrick was also involved. It felt as if the sky itself had collapsed.

Drained of all strength, hatred filled Winnie's eyes. She walked out in a daze, only to bump into a tall figure who happened to be Lawrence, who had rushed over in a hurry.

Lawrence's lips were pressed tight. Upon seeing her, his gaze narrowed, and he instinctively reached out to catch her faltering form. His voice was hoarse with concern. "Are you all right?"

"Lawrence." Ishara's voice, tender and teary, broke the silence as she ran up and wrapped her arms around Lawrence's arm. "I didn't expect you to get here so quickly. My father's had an accident, and I'm just so devastated."

Winnie stepped back abruptly, her icy gaze swept over the man's broad hand and the clinging figure of Ishara.

Her heart lay in ruins, like a fragile vase that had been shattered into countless pieces.