Irina's POV
Vera shook her head, sorrow filling her gaze. "We used to be so tight, and now look at this mess."
Erik had pushed her buttons, throwing cruel words at her. Even that poisoning incident from years back had his dirty work written all over it.
The more Vera dwelled on it, the heavier her disappointment became, eventually twisting into contempt and morphing into something like pure hatred.
I frowned. "Grandma Vera, give it to me straight. Does the orphanage poisoning tie back to the Cross family too?" I'd always had a knack for cutting through the noise to find what mattered.
Vera gave a solemn nod. She had to hand it to me - I was sharp as a tack.
"The kids were eating their regular meal that day," she began. "Midway through, some started throwing up and getting the runs, foaming at the mouth. Then more children showed the same signs."
