She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 56

Loyce didn’t press Marcella to confess the whole truth. She only flicked the invitation in her hand and said lightly, “It’s fine. This time, I’ll make sure the Walshes get torn down to the ground. Don’t worry about me.”

Marcella knew exactly how sharp Loyce was and how ruthless she could be when she needed to be. She didn’t argue. She just patted Loyce’s head, her voice softening. “Scott told me you’ve found your family. Then you should go back to be with them.”

Loyce caught the loneliness in Marcella’s eyes. Marcella had lived her whole life without children of her own, and the thought made something sting in Loyce’s chest. For once, she let herself act a little spoiled.

“What are you talking about? This is my home too,” she said, leaning in. “And no one makes stew like you. Let me stay for dinner tonight. Will you make it for me?”

Marcella’s expression brightened, warmth returning to her face. “Of course.”

While Marcella went to the kitchen, Loyce pulled aside one of the pharmacists at Blossom Drugstore.

“Tell me what really happened back then,” she said.

The man hesitated, then finally gave in.

Back then, both the Lawtons—Marcella’s family—and the Walshes were rising names in the medical world. But the Lawtons didn’t have the Walshes’ resources or influence. Marcella was their only true standout.

She’d clashed with Purity Walsh over a patient’s treatment plan. Marcella had insisted on using a surgical method she’d developed herself for a delicate neurological operation. The patient died on the table.

Worse, the patient was said to have powerful connections. The scandal crushed the Lawton family overnight. If Marcella hadn’t successfully treated countless patients before, and if certain people hadn’t pulled strings to protect her, she would’ve ended up behind bars.

Loyce listened without interrupting, her face unreadable. But inside, her thoughts tightened into a hard knot.

Loyce scanned the room—so frilly it looked like it belonged in a dollhouse—and offered a polite nod. “That’s thoughtful of you, Alicia.”

Her third brother, Hank, walked over. “Loyce, Grandpa wants to see you.”

When Loyce entered Gordon’s study, she found Sybil there, along with two of her brothers.

“Grandpa,” Loyce greeted, walking in. “You wanted me?”

Gordon motioned her toward the sofa. “Now that you’re home, I want to hold a grand reception. I’ll invite guests from everywhere and let them meet the only granddaughter of the Lonsdale family.” His eyes softened. “But Sybil suggested you might not be ready for something that big, and that we should wait. What do you think? I’ll follow your lead.”