Chapter 581 Things Are Not Always as They Seem
Chapter 581 Things Are Not Always as They Seem
Lucas was speechless.
Derek and Christian didn't say anything, either.
When Derek heard Leigh's words, his initial thought was that this girl lacked modesty.
However, a new thought quickly formed in his mind. Her confident speech must be a reflection of her genuine talent and knowledge.
One would seek medical help from all sorts of sources when one was sick.
An idea immediately came to Derek's mind. He whispered to Kieran, "Is Dr. Shefford truly skilled in medicine?"
Nodding, Kieran replied, "That's what they say."
Kieran didn't know much about Leigh, but he heard that she was highly skilled in medicine.
"That's what they say?" Derek wasn't quite satisfied with this answer.
Kieran explained, "It means that I haven't personally witnessed it, but I heard from Lucas that she saved Miss Luna and that she has a good understanding of body conditioning…"
He suddenly remembered something and lowered his voice, "Are you thinking of getting Dr. Shefford to examine your sister?"
Derek nodded.
Kieran suggested, "I think it's worth a try. When you are sick, you'll ask anyone for help. It would be great if Dr. Shefford could cure her. If not, there's still nothing to lose."
Derek agreed, "That's what I think too."
He looked at Leigh and asked, "Dr. Shefford, can we talk in private?"
"Of course." Leigh smiled. "I asked someone to buy a Polaroid camera for me. Once I have it, I'll take a picture of you and Christian, then you two can sign it for me. We can discuss everything then."
Derek was speechless.
He glanced at Christian.
Christian smiled lightly and nodded. "It would be our pleasure."
Leigh's smile grew even brighter. "You certainly know how to talk. No wonder you're Mr. Anthony's friend."
Derek didn't say anything.
He had a complicated look on his face as he asked Leigh to go with him to a private room.
"I can do that." Leigh looked at Madeline. "But Maddie has to come with us. She is my boss, after all.
Besides, it's not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone in private."
Derek was speechless.
The expression on the youngest best actor's face became even more difficult to decipher.
He had a feeling that it wouldn't be easy for him to deal with Leigh.
"Okay," he said, "Actually, it's not a secret. It's just that I think it's more convenient to talk about it in private. If that's the case, Kieran should come with us too."
Having an ally would make things easier for him.
Kieran could help and speak on his behalf.
After informing everyone else, the four of them went to a private room.
"Here's the situation." Derek wasted no time and got straight to the point. "I have a younger sister who has always been healthy since childhood. However, two months ago, she suddenly developed an allergic reaction, and rashes broke out all over her body. We have tried everything, but her condition keeps recurring, and we can't find a cure. I'm wondering if you have any expertise in this area, Dr. Shefford."
"A skin disease?" Leigh said, "It would be best to have an in-person consultation. Of course, if you have medical records and photos, I can take a look at them now."
Derek immediately replied, "Yes, I have all that."
He was extremely worried about his sister's skin condition, so he had photos, detailed medical records, and various test results of it.
He quickly added Leigh's contact information and sent her all the documents on his phone.
After patiently reviewing all the information, Leigh looked at Derek and said, "Your sister doesn't have a skin disease; she simply has allergies."
"All the doctors who have treated her have said the same thing," Derek said, troubled, "But we have checked for allergens and eliminated them. We have tried all the treatment methods suggested by the doctors, but we just can't find a way to cure it. It simply keeps recurring. Do you have any effective solutions, Dr. Shefford?"
"Do you want to hear the truth?" Leigh's gaze turned dark.
"Of course," Derek replied.
"Your sister's allergies can't be cured regardless of the treatment used. I believe that it is not because of accidental exposure to allergens but rather deliberate human intervention," Leigh spoke frankly, shocking Derek.
"What?" Derek widened his eyes. He was unable to say anything for a moment.
"It's very simple," Leigh explained, "Based on your sister's medical records and test results, she is simply allergic to lilac pollen. As long as she doesn't come into contact with lilac pollen, she won't have an allergic reaction. Lilacs are not common, as you mentioned, and lilac pollen is completely eliminated
from your sister's living environment. Yet, she still experiences recurrent episodes. Therefore, there is only one reason left. Someone deliberately exposed her to lilac pollen."
Derek fell silent, dumbfounded.
He had never considered this possibility.
If it were true that someone deliberately caused his sister to come into contact with lilac pollen, hence causing her allergies… why did they do it?
"It can't be, can it?" Derek couldn't fully accept Leigh's explanation. "My sister is an introverted girl. She's very quiet, and she has a small circle of friends. Also, she is a writer. She spends all day writing at home. She rarely goes out, and she doesn't have any enemies…"
"That must be the work of her family or friends," Leigh confidently stated, "They know that she is allergic to lilac pollen, but they have found a way to secretly expose her to it multiple times. It can only be someone close to her."
Derek was stunned. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Madeline glanced at Leigh, then turned to Derek and said gently, "Mr. Young, I understand that it may be difficult for you to accept Leigh's theory, but in our line of work, we come across these kinds of situations frequently. Leigh's reasoning is based on evidence, not random speculation. Mr. Young, perhaps you can think about whether your sister has recently offended someone or hindered someone's interests."
"Yes," Leigh agreed. "An allergic reaction that causes skin rashes is equivalent to disfigurement. Think
carefully. Has your sister hindered someone? For example, is she participating in a beauty pageant, or is she involved in a love triangle?" Material © NôvelDrama.Org.
Madeline added, "To put it bluntly, who would benefit if your sister's appearance became unattractive?"
After a prolonged period of silence, Derek finally spoke up. "Both of my parents were remarried. When they divorced, I went to live with our father while my sister went to live with our mother. Our mother married Mr. Lynch, who has a daughter named Zoe Lynch…"
Leigh raised an eyebrow and speculated, "So, your sister and Zoe are both interested in the same man, but that man prefers your sister?"
"Yes, but it's not as complicated as it sounds," Derek explained, "It's not a situation where two women are simultaneously in love with the same man. Tucker is my classmate and also my sister's senior. They have been in a relationship for many years. Zoe only met Tucker because of my sister, and she developed feelings for him. However, Zoe is a good person. Despite being stepsisters, she and my sister are close to each other."
Leigh looked at him and said earnestly, "Things are not always as they seem."
Derek fell silent.
Madeline could sense Derek's skepticism regarding their claim that his sister's allergy was intentionally caused. She suggested, "How about this? If your sister is free tomorrow, Leigh and I can visit her and try to identify the source of the problem."