2024-09-10 08:20:13Shock rippled through the room as they heard the voice. A guest of the Washington family? Eyes turned to Tedmond, widening in disbelief.
To be a guest of the Washington family meant that Tedmond was a big shot or potentially related to them. Even some of the Washingtons' relatives had tried to get in but were always denied entrance.
How could someone like Tedmond be allowed?
“Are you sure it’s the right person?” Gregory questioned. Despite shivering, he couldn’t help but ask.
“How dare you ask me that?” the person on the other end bellowed. “If I lose my job, you're going to regret it! You’d better let that fellow into the ward, or else!”
Gregory was taken aback by the mention of his boss losing his job. As the call ended, he hurriedly bowed to Tedmond, terrified that he might lose the position he had worked so hard for.
“I’m sorry for not recognizing you, sir,” he apologized. “I’ll walk you to the room,” he added, raising his head to look at Tedmond. “Let’s get—”
“No need,” Tedmond cut him off, disgusted by how quickly Gregory had changed his attitude once he realized Tedmond was a guest. “I can find it myself, just like I intended to do before.”
The phone call had confirmed that everything was real, but Tedmond still needed an explanation for all this.
“Sir!” Gregory called out, but Tedmond ignored him and walked off to find the ward.
The women were equally stunned, unable to speak. They just watched Tedmond leave, clinging to the thin hope that they wouldn’t get fired.
Minutes later, Tedmond’s eyes lingered on the sign above the ward that read Room 509. The door was slightly open, and he could see the window but not the hospital bed. He hesitated, wondering if it was right to enter without knocking.
“You’re here,” a familiar voice said.
Tedmond’s head snapped down to see the little girl he had saved earlier peering up at him. She had changed into different clothes and was holding a teddy bear in her hand.
“My grandpa wants to see you before he…” she trailed off softly. “You have to come in quickly.”
Tedmond nodded and followed her into the ward. The first thing that greeted him was the stare of a middle-aged man in glasses and a frail old man lying on the hospital bed.
“Hello,” Tedmond said, swallowing hard. He had no idea what else to say. “I got a call from you and noticed my account had been credited, and you mentioned I’m the heir of the Washington family. What’s going on?”
The man in glasses bowed slightly. “I’m Thomas, the Washington family’s butler. You’ll get your answers soon.” Gesturing to the old man on the bed, he sighed. “This is Mr. Jeffrey Washington, the head of the family.”
Tedmond stepped closer until he could see the old man clearly, the little girl clutching her grandfather’s hand.
“Hello, Mr. Washington,” Tedmond said politely, controlling his curiosity.
Jeffrey didn’t look well, as if he was about to take his final breath, just as his granddaughter had hinted earlier. Tedmond realized the girl was indeed the Washington family’s granddaughter.
Jeffrey managed a smile. “Ted…” he called weakly. “I’ve finally found my heir. Welcome back, grandson.”
“What’s going on?” Tedmond asked, shooting Thomas a questioning look. “Why is he calling me his grandson?”
His question went unanswered as the life support machine began beeping, and the room filled with tension. The beeping quickened, and Tedmond froze. Thomas immediately sprang into action, pressing a button by the bedside.
“We need a doctor! Now!” Thomas shouted, his voice steady but urgent.
A nurse rushed in moments later, her expression shifting to concern as she assessed the situation. “His condition’s worsening,” she muttered, checking the machines. “We need to stabilize him.”
“Where’s the doctor?” Tedmond asked, glancing between Thomas and the nurse. He felt the weight of the situation crashing down on him—he had no idea what was happening, but it seemed he was now part of something much larger than he had ever expected.
“Dr. Howard is on his way,” the nurse replied quickly, turning back to the patient and adjusting the machines.
Jeffrey’s breathing grew more labored, and the little girl clutched her teddy bear tighter, standing silently by her grandfather's side, her eyes filled with worry.
Moments later, a tall man in a white coat stormed into the room. “Step aside!” he ordered, moving swiftly to the bedside. His hands flew over the equipment, exchanging rapid words with the nurse.
Tedmond stood helpless, watching as the doctor and nurse worked to stabilize Jeffrey. Every second felt like an eternity, and the feeling building in his chest intensified.
Jeffrey’s breathing became increasingly shallow, and the beeping from the machine slowed. Dr. Howard glanced at the nurse, and they exchanged a look that told Tedmond all he needed to know.
Despite their best efforts, it was too late.
The doctor shook his head, his face grim as he checked the old man’s pulse one last time. The room fell silent, except for the soft whimpering of the little girl clutching her grandfather’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” Dr. Howard finally said, his voice low. “He’s gone.”
Tedmond stood there, disbelief washing over him. The man who had just called him his grandson—who had somehow linked him to this mysterious fortune—was now dead.
The little girl let out a soft sob, and Thomas closed his eyes, his expression unreadable as he whispered, “Rest in peace, Mr. Washington.”
Tedmond, unsure of what to feel, watched as the nurse gently covered the old man’s body with a sheet. It was surreal—a few minutes ago, Jeffrey Washington had been calling him “grandson,” and now he was gone. The answers Tedmond had hoped for had died with him.
“What now?” Tedmond whispered, his voice barely audible.
Thomas, though visibly shaken, straightened and turned toward Tedmond. “Mr. Washington made his decision before he passed. You are now the heir to the Washington family’s legacy, Tedmond. It’s up to you to carry it forward.”
Tedmond stared at him in shock, the weight of those words crashing down on him. How could this be happening? Just hours ago, he had nothing—and now he was the heir to a family he didn’t even know.
“What… what does that even mean?” Tedmond stammered, the enormity of the situation closing in on him.
“It means,” Thomas replied solemnly, “that everything Mr. Washington owned now belongs to you. The fortune, the businesses, the responsibilities—it’s all yours.”
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CHAPTER 484
Months later, Otis was excited, truly excited for the first time in months.His father had finally come back.And now Otis could finally introduce Mill to him properly.Now he could convince him to marry her, to let her stay, to make her officially the mother he always wanted.He couldn’t stop smiling.He ran down the stairs, through the long hallway, and then rushed toward the kitchen because Mill was always there at this hour.The comforting smell of fresh baking usually led him right to her.“Mill! Father is home! I’m going to—!”He didn’t finish.The smile on his face disappeared, and his feet froze.The world tilted, and the sudden, horrific reality of the scene before him slammed into his consciousness like a physical blow.There, on the cold stone floor, Mill was lying on her side, curled into a defensive ball.Her arms were wrapped tightly around her midsection, shielding her belly with desperate, heartbreaking urgency.And Evelyn, his aunt, was on top of her, hitting her over
CHAPTER 483
Otis Griffin – Otis’s historyOtis had always been an odd one growing up.He had been the child who never had a mother, and he had always hated that.And not only did he hate it, but he also had no explanation for why his mother was no longer there with him. Though all his cousins had mothers who took care of them, he had none, and he had always been alone during those times.His father had not been with him either. He was mostly left at home with his nanny or babysitters, and that had been the worst thing that had ever happened to him.To him, not having a mother was one of the worst things he experienced growing up. He had wished he could change it, but nothing happened. His father wasn’t getting remarried, nor was the man even dating anyone.Otis carried the fact that he was motherless like a brand.It wasn’t just a missing person; it was a gaping hole in his existence, a vulnerability that others, even children, sensed and exploited.He would often stand by the massive window of
CHAPTER 482
Tedmond was used to them talking without sense. However, it seemed like the more he stayed away from them, the more stupid they became, and that didn’t even surprise him.He had lived with them long enough to know they would always be stupid no matter the situation, and he knew better than to expect anything different.He also had no idea what he might do to them, and he cared even less about what they planned to do.All he wanted now was to do what he had come for and finally leave.“What do you mean by that?” Gerald demanded. “You should know Otis was just playing with you. He’s mad because you took all of his assets, and you brought that on yourself for still holding onto them without giving them back.”At the mention of the assets, the others all nodded in agreement.“That’s right!” Adeline said.Since she had been the one handling the documents that were supposed to be fake, she wanted to use this moment to prove she wasn’t the one who made them valid.“You should have handed th
CHAPTER 481
As soon as Otis dashed at Tedmond, Tedmond did not bother to move to the side or even think about what would happen if the knife hit him.Instead, his gaze stayed on Otis, as if daring him to do it.However, before Otis could even reach Tedmond, the others were already reacting. Gerald sprang to his feet and grabbed Otis by the arm, the same arm holding the knife, and dragged him back before he could get any closer.“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Gerald demanded, eyes wide in disbelief.He knew Otis hated Tedmond, but he had no idea Otis hated him so much that he would actually want to kill him, and in front of people, too.“Let go of me!” Otis snapped, trying to snatch his arm out of his father’s grip, but his arm wouldn’t budge.The others stared at Otis, disbelief on their faces.They all hated Tedmond, but none of them had thought of killing him in public like that, and neither had they ever considered ending his life in such a manner.“Shut up!” Gerald snapped, tired
CHAPTER 480
The liquid splashed from Tedmond’s mouth and hit Adeline square in the face.For a heartbeat, the room froze. No one said a word. Everyone just stared at Adeline, waiting for her reaction, expecting her to act as if nothing had happened.But her face betrayed her: shock, humiliation, disgust—all tangled together.Utensils hovered mid-air. Conversations died mid-sentence. Even the faint hum of the chandelier seemed to halt.Adeline shot up from her chair, the legs scraping harshly against the floor, and let out a high-pitched screech that echoed through the dining room.“Kahhhh!”“Ugh! Gross! Tedmond!” she shrieked, clawing at her face with trembling hands. She dabbed frantically, but the liquid only smeared, leaving sticky dark stains that ran down onto her dress.“Get it off! Someone—please!” she cried, panic rising in her voice. Her eyes darted around, pleading for help, but everyone remained rooted to their spots. Gerald gawked silently. Tina looked horrified. Even Evelyn’s us
CHAPTER 479
Otis glared at Tedmond.He could see the grin on Tedmond’s face, and he was sure Tedmond was mocking him with it.The more he looked, the more his anger burned, but he knew he couldn’t act rashly, not with their grandmother watching.“Watch yourself,” Otis muttered through clenched teeth before slumping back into his seat.The tension was still in the air, even as the others tried to focus on their meals.The clinking of cutlery was the only sound filling the room until Vivian turned her head toward Neil.Her voice broke the silence.“Alicia,” she said, her tone calmer now but still edged with authority. “You mentioned your uncle earlier… When is your uncle coming?”Neil hesitated for a moment, his hand tightening around his fork.Then he raised his head and met her gaze respectfully.“He’ll be here soon, ma’am,” he said softly. “He asked me to come first and make sure everything was ready. He’ll join us once his meeting ends.”“Call me Grandma,” Vivian said, a slight smile appearing
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