An hour crawled by... Maybe two...
The shock that had protected her began to recede, like a tide pulling away from shore, and underneath was raw, gaping grief.
Her Popo was gone. The only person who had ever loved her without agenda, without conditions, without expecting anything in return was gone because Shuyin had been selfish, had dumped her pain and betrayal onto a fragile old woman whose heart couldn't bear the weight of it.
She broke down crying uncontrollably....
The morning light had fully arrived now, streaming through the windows. Outside, the city was waking up. People were starting their days, drinking coffee, checking their phones, living their ordinary lives. Inside this room, Shuyin's world had ended.
It was just after 8 AM when the door burst open with more force than necessary. The doctor was back, but this time he wasn't alone.
Two police officers flanked him, their uniforms crisp and official, their expressions hard.
Behind them came another man in a dark suit, clearly someone important from the way he carried himself.
The atmosphere in the room shifted dramatically. The heavy grief was suddenly replaced with something colder, sharper. Something dangerous.
Shuyin looked up, confused and still too numb to be properly afraid. Why were so many people here? Why did they look at her like that?
"Miss Lin," the man in the suit began, his voice clipped and efficient. "I'm Inspector Wang from the Criminal Investigation Division. The expedited toxicology report has come back with extremely concerning findings."
Expedited. The word registered dimly. Why would they expedite anything?
"The tests indicate the presence of a rare, slow-acting toxin in your grandmother's system," Inspector Wang continued, pulling out a tablet and tapping through what looked like a medical report.
"A cardiac glycoside derivative, to be specific. It would have built up over several days, progressively damaging her heart until it triggered the fatal cardiac event we saw this morning."
Shuyin stared at him, her grief-fogged mind struggling to catch up. "A toxin? I don't understand. What do you mean? She had a heart attack because she was upset...."
"Miss Lin," one of the officers interrupted, stepping forward with a small notepad, "We've already reviewed the hospital's pharmacy records. Those records show that you personally collected a refill of your grandmother's heart medication three days ago, on October 19th at 2:15 PM. Is that correct?"
"Yes," Shuyin said slowly, a flutter of unease starting in her chest. "Yes, I picked up her medication. I always do. She has trouble getting around, so I..."
"The contaminated medication," the doctor interjected quietly, still not meeting her eyes, "was from that specific batch. The toxin was mixed directly into the prescription medication. Lab analysis shows it would have been delivered in precise doses over the past three days."
The second officer spoke up, his voice flat and accusatory. "We've already conducted preliminary interviews with your household staff via phone. They've confirmed that you were the only family member present at the residence for the past two days. They also confirmed that you were alone with your grandmother in the kitchen immediately before the medical emergency, and that there had been some kind of heated conversation."
"It wasn't heated!" Shuyin protested, her voice rising. "I was upset! I was crying! She was comforting me, and then she grabbed her chest and...."
"You were the last person with her before the fatal event," Inspector Wang stated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"You had access to her medication. You collected the prescription that was used to deliver the poison. You were alone with her in the critical moments. Miss Lin, you had the means and the opportunity...."
"Means and opportunity for what?" But even as she said it, Shuyin felt ice spreading through her veins. They couldn't possibly think....
"We've also been in contact with your family's lawyer," the Inspector continued, his eyes fixed on her face, watching for her reaction. "Your grandmother's will was made available to us immediately. It shows that you are the primary beneficiary of her personal estate if she dies, since you are the first grandchild, with 50 million yuan in liquid assets, plus several properties and a substantial investment portfolio. You stand to inherit more than any other family member."
"I didn't even...."
"I never thought about...." Shuyin's words tumbled over each other. "She was my Popo! I loved her! Money doesn't..."
"We've also spoken with several of your acquaintances," the first officer added, flipping through his notes. "They've informed us that your wedding to Lu Zeyan was abruptly cancelled yesterday. That your family left for an extended vacation immediately afterward. That you've been under considerable emotional and financial stress."
How did they know all of this already? How had they gathered so much information so fast? It had only been hours since her grandmother died.
Inspector Wang pulled out his phone, tapped it, and turned the screen toward her. "This was found during an emergency search of your bedroom, conducted with authorization from your parents via international phone call one hour ago."