Chapter 280
Sienna lifted her hand, her gaze dropping to her fingertips where a speck of dirt clung beneath her nail.
She traced the carved crevices of the cane’s handle, discovering more soil packed deep within the intricate design.
It was still damp, clearly freshly deposited.
While the surface of the cane had obviously been wiped spotless, the tiny, overlooked grooves still harbored grime.
She cast a glance over her shoulder at Grandpa Sterling lying unconscious in the bed.
He was a notorious neat freak, the kind of man who would immediately change his clothes if a single breadcrumb fell on them.
There was no way he would tolerate carrying a cane packed with wet dirt.
Sienna immediately stopped the two young maids who were about to leave the room.
“You’re being incredibly careless. If he had just come back from an outing, his cane should have been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. Why is there mud wedged into the carvings p>
The two maids exchanged a bewildered look.
One of them hurriedly took the cane, inspecting it thoroughly, her expression shifting from confusion to outright panic.
“This… this can’t be because we didn’t wash it properly, Ms. Sloan. He hasn’t stepped foot outside today.
He spent the morning sunbathing on the balcony, and the accident happened right after lunch. He never went anywhere p>
The other maid leaned in, nodding vigorously. “Exactly! We sanitize everything he uses on a daily basis.
If he had gone outside, we definitely would have scrubbed it down p>
Her voice trailed off, a hint of uncertainty creeping in. “But he never left the house today. How could there be mud on it p>
The two maids shot each other accusatory glances, silently questioning if the other had taken the cane outside.
One of them lowered her voice. “If we break that thing, it’d cost a luxury condo in the Capital to replace it. I wouldn’t dare touch it p>
“Maybe he took a stroll through the back garden during lunch and you just didn’t notice,” Sienna suggested mildly. “Take it and clean it for now p>
“No, that’s impossible,” one maid quickly denied. “He took a nap in the small study right after turfch. Feven brought him a blanket myself p>
“Hey, just drop it. Let’s go wash it quickly. He’s going to need it when he wakes up,” the other urged.
Too afraid to dawdle, the pair hurried off to sanitize the cane.
Sienna stood rooted to the spot, committing every word of their exchange to memory as a deep frown creased her brow.
He hadn’t left the manor all day, yet his cane was smeared with fresh mud.
The sprawling Sterling Manor only had one place with large patches of damp soil—the back garden.
She lowered her head, bringing her fingertips closer to her nose, and caught a fant, unmistakable stent of sweetbriar lingering on her skin.
The back garden of the estate just so happened to be filled with sweetbriar trees.
And the small study the maid had just mentioned had a set of French doors leading straight into that very garden.
A sharp glint of suspicion flashed through Sienna’s eyes.
Without a second thought, she turned and headed straight for the small study.
When she pushed the door open, the room was pin-drop silent.
The desk, chairs, and books were immaculately arranged, everything organized to perfection.
It looked exactly as it always did, utterly devoid of anything suspicious.
She stepped slowly into the room, her gaze sweeping over every corner.
Suddenly, her eyes locked onto an inconspicuous spot by the wall—Grandpa Sterling’s wheelchair.
It was neatly folded and tucked away, leaning quietly in the shadows.
Confusion clouded Sienna’s features.
Though his health had been improving, his legs were still weak.
Even with his cane always at hand, he only ever used it to hobble short distances indoors.