DOCTOR’S LEGACY

Chapter 4

Heads whipped toward the man who had stepped forward. A collective gasp tore through the hall, sharp as shattered glass. For a moment.

“Wait… isn’t that…, Mr. Thompson's son?”, one of them murmured.

Murmurs spread like wildfire, a tide of whispers rushing through the crowd.

“It’s him… Fedrick. The son of Mr. Thompson.”

Gasps deepened. 

“Wow, it's him”.

Mr. Thompson, the name alone carried weight like thunder. He was the kind of investor whose presence could make or break entire empires.

 When he moved, the city’s elite moved with him. To oppose him was to court ruin. And now his son was standing there, they wouldn't dare oppose him.

One man muttered under his breath, awed, “Whichever company Mr. Thompson supports, the rest of us follow. If this is his son… then…, this should be our opportunity ”

A woman exclaimed aloud, “Wow. It really is him! Fedrick Thompson!”

The shift was immediate. A moment ago, the crowd had buzzed with sympathy for Richard, but now the tide turned violently against Richard. Their voices rose, harsh and cruel.

“Why should we believe this lunatic!” someone barked.

“He sounds mad..completely mad!” another hissed.

“So what if they’re sleeping together?” a man scoffed loudly. “Can’t they enjoy themselves? Why should we care?”

Each word struck Richard like stones hurled by a mob. His chest tightened, disbelief crushing him as he stared at their faces.

Fedrick’s smirk widened. He stepped closer to Fiona and wrapped an arm possessively around her waist. 

Everyone gasps, then cheers. The crowd roared with approval, as though this humiliation was a show staged for their amusement.

“I am in love with Ms. Fiona,” Fedrick declared boldly, his voice dripping with confidence. “And so what? This haggard fool forced himself into her life. She never wanted him. She doesn’t want him now. Isn’t that right, my love?”

Fiona leaned into his embrace, her mocking smile deepening as she allowed him to pull her close. The sight stabbed Richard’s heart like a burning dagger. His knees almost buckled.

The ballroom erupted into applause. 

Richard’s breath caught, the room spinning, his rage clawing at the edges of his sanity. He wanted to run mad.

“I told you, Richard,” Mr. Collins sneered from across the hall, his voice dark and triumphant. “If you dared to cause a scene, I would kill you.” He raised his hand, snapping his fingers. 

“Guards! Seize him. Beat him until he remembers his place.”

The massive double doors burst open, and uniformed guards stormed inside. Heavy boots thundered against the marble floor as they surged forward like wolves unleashed. Their faces were hard.

Richard tried to stand tall, but before he could move, they swarmed the table. Strong hands grabbed his arms, his legs, yanking him down. 

Smack

The first blow landed on his ribs…

sharp, brutal, stealing his breath. Then another, across his jaw, snapping his head to the side.

 Kicks rained down, fists pounding mercilessly, until pain blurred his vision, until the world itself seemed to dissolve into red haze.

“Yes. Knock sense on him”.

“Beat him till he learns”.

The crowd cheered. Some laughed. Others turned their faces away, pretending they saw nothing.

And through it all, Richard’s eyes searched desperately, finding Fiona’s. She stood there, still clutched by Fedrick, her lips curved into a satisfied smile.

Crack!!.

They just broke his legs.

“Ahhh, my leg, ahh, I swear. I will get revenge. You will all regret all what you just did to me today”, He cried out loud.

“Uhm, what does he think, that this is some meganovel rich to poor Story,  pathetic”.

“Haha, so poor he is running a fantasy in his head”.

Crack!.

Another broken finger.

“Ahhh”, He cried so much, and the last thing he saw was Amelia's worried face before everything turned into darkness.

xxxx

Richard’s head hummed, a heavy fog clouding his thoughts as he struggled to open his eyes. Even in the darkness behind his lids, the memories of the ballroom, the humiliation, and the beating rushed at him like a flood.

“Please don’t kill me… please don’t kill me…” he whispered subconsciously begging for his wife.

“Young master… young master, are you awake?”

The voice echoed,  Richard froze, then forced his eyes open. At first, everything was a blur. But slowly the shapes sharpened, and what he saw stole his breath.

He was lying on a bed. Not just any bed, but a massive king-sized bed draped in silken sheets as white as fresh snow.

 The headboard gleamed with intricate golden carvings, while velvet curtains the color of deep wine framed the canopy above. The mattress was so soft it almost seemed to swallow him, the fabric cool and smooth against his bruised skin.

Golden chandeliers glittered above, filling the vast chamber with warm, radiant light. The walls were adorned with oil paintings, landscapes and portraits that whispered of old money and power. 

Polished marble floors reflected the glow of the lights, and exotic flowers in tall vases filled the air with a faint, sweet fragrance.

Richard sat up straight, his chest heaving. His eyes widened further when he noticed nearly twenty people, all bowing low before him. 

Their movements were synchronized, disciplined, almost ceremonial. At their center stood a man, older,  bowing deeper than the rest.

Tears stung Richard’s eyes. He nodded slowly, overwhelmed, his voice breaking as he whispered, “Thank God… I made it to heaven.”

But then the man raised his head. His eyes brimmed with emotion as he spoke firmly, “Young master! You are awake. You… you are not in heaven. You are finally home.”

Richard’s lips parted, confusion slicing through him.  “Home? Which… home?”

The man stepped closer, still bowing his head “Young master, we have been searching for you for so long. We finally found you lying injured by the roadside. Forgive us..forgive us for not finding you sooner. We ought to die for our failure.” And with that, he fell to his knees, tears gathering in his eyes.

Richard staggered to his feet, and scoffed. “Nonsense. This… this is just a fantasy in my head, or heaven, or some theatre play. Please, just let me be!”.

“Young master…It is no dream. You are Richard Blair, the only heir of Mr. and Mrs. Blair—the great founders of the Vortex Consortium. Years ago, they perished in an accident. You were with them in that car. Their bodies were found, but yours was never recovered. Since that day, we have searched endlessly for you, hoping you survived. And now… now you are here. Alive.”

Richard was just staring, finding it amusing, is this another way of Fiona and his lover humiliating him.

“While you were gone, we upheld the legacy your parents left behind. Under your name, the Vortex Consortium has flourished. Today, you stand as the owner of ten great companies. The owner of the Vortex Corporation which remains the largest, a global leader in advanced technology and infrastructure.”

 “Beside it, you own three grand hotels, Eternia Suites, Celestia Palace, and The Regal Crest. Two powerful commercial banks, Aurora Bank and Dominion Trust”.

“Also, Blair Pharmaceuticals, known for producing life-saving medicine, is currently the world leading clinic in the country right now. Also as Titan Steelworks, a titan in construction materials; Helios Energy, leaders in solar and hydro power; and Global Nexus Shipping, commanding fleets across the seas.”

The man lifted his gaze, his voice trembling with conviction. “All of it, young master. All of it… belongs to you.”