The Forgotten Heir Of Pendragon

Chapter 4

STERLING CITY HOSPITAL

Adrian arrived at Sterling City Hospital with his head still aching from the beating he had received at the workshop. He had barely recovered enough strength to walk properly, but the thought of his sister kept him moving. He had to find a way to pay her medical bills before it was too late.

However, the moment he entered the ward, his heart sank.

His sister was no longer in her room. Instead, she lay on a narrow bed in the corridor, surrounded by other patients who had also been moved out of their rooms. Her face looked pale, and the sight of her lying helplessly in such a place made Adrian’s chest tighten with pain.

He hurried toward the nurses’ station and approached the nurse responsible for his sister’s care.

“Why has my sister been moved out of her room?” he demanded, struggling to keep his voice steady. “Why is she lying here in the corridor?”

The nurse looked up at him with an irritated expression, as though his presence had become an inconvenience.

“Is that supposed to be a serious question, Mr. Cole? You haven't paid the outstanding bills, so what exactly do you expect us to do?”

“I know I haven’t paid,” Adrian replied, swallowing his anger. “But does that mean you can leave a seriously ill woman in the corridor? She can barely move on her own. How can you treat her like this?”

The nurse folded her arms. “I'm sorry, but this hospital has a policy. No payment, no continued treatment. If you cannot settle the bill, you will have to make arrangements to take her elsewhere.”

“B...but where am I supposed to take her?” Adrian asked, his voice breaking. “She is too weak to be moved around, and I don't have the money to pay another hospital.”

The nurse gave him an indifferent look before turning away. “Then you should have thought about that before allowing the bills to accumulate.”

She walked off before Adrian could respond, leaving him standing there with his hands clenched at his sides. For a moment, he wanted to shout at her, but he knew that anger would not pay the bills or get his sister back into her room.

He lowered his head and walked toward his sister’s bed.

When she noticed him, she tried to smile despite her weakness. She had heard enough of his conversation with the nurse to understand what was happening, and seeing the pain on his face seemed to trouble her more than her own condition.

“You're... doing... your best, Adrian,” she whispered.

Adrian pulled a chair closer and sat beside her. He took her cold hand in his, trying to hold himself together, but the tears burning behind his eyes were becoming difficult to control.

“No, you're not supposed to be lying here like this,” he said quietly. “Look at you. You're getting weaker every day, and I still can't find enough money to make sure you receive proper treatment. What kind of brother am I if I can't even protect you?”

“Please... don't blame yourself,” she murmured, pausing to catch her breath. “Even... if you pay... everything... you can't control what happens to me.”

“Don't say that.” Adrian shook his head and tightened his grip on her hand. “You're going to get better. I just need more time. I'll find the money somehow, even if I have to beg everyone I know.”

His sister studied his face for a moment, then managed another faint smile.

“Adrian... you've already done so much for me. I don't want you to destroy yourself trying to save me.”

“How can you ask me to stop?” he replied, his voice trembling. “You're my sister. You're the only family I have left who truly matters to me. I'm not going to give up on you.”

She coughed weakly, and Adrian immediately leaned forward, worried that she was struggling to breathe. After a few moments, she settled back against the pillow, looking more exhausted than before.

“Please... just stay with me for a while,” she whispered.

Adrian's expression softened. He moved his chair closer to the bed and gently held her hand between both of his.

“I'm here,” he promised. “I'm not going anywhere. But you have to keep fighting, okay? Don't talk as if you've already given up.”

“There’s... a silver... pendant... in my bag,” Adrian’s sister whispered, struggling to keep her eyes open.

Adrian looked at her in surprise. “A pendant? You’ve had a valuable piece of jewelry all this time, and you never told me about it? We could have sold it to pay for your treatment. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“No...” She tightened her weak fingers around his hand. “You mustn’t... sell it.”

Adrian frowned, confused by her sudden insistence. “Why not? You’re lying here without proper treatment, and I don’t even have enough money to pay the hospital. What could be more important than getting you better?”

His sister took a shallow breath before answering. “That pendant... is your key... to a better life.”

“My key to a better life?” Adrian repeated, leaning closer to hear her. “What does that mean? Where did you get it, and why have you kept it hidden from me?”

She tried to answer, but a violent coughing fit interrupted her. Adrian immediately supported her shoulders and gently patted her back until she could breathe more comfortably. He called for a nurse, but none came to help. After several exhausting moments, his sister finally settled against her pillow and drifted into a troubled sleep.

Adrian remained beside her for a long time, staring at her face and wondering what she had meant. He wanted to ask more questions, but he could not bring himself to wake her. With no money to pay the hospital and no one willing to help, he could only wait and hope her condition would not worsen overnight.

The following morning, after making sure his sister was resting, Adrian collected her belongings and searched through the small bag she had mentioned. Beneath a few folded clothes, he found a piece of soft fabric wrapped around a silver pendant.

The moment he uncovered it, he froze.

He had seen that pendant before.

A faint memory stirred in his mind, bringing back the image of the bloodied man in the luxury car, the same man who had pressed a pendant into the hand of a young boy and called him the rightful heir. Adrian turned the jewelry over several times, trying to convince himself that the resemblance was only a coincidence, but the more he examined it, the more familiar it seemed.

“Where did you get this, and why have you never told me anything about it?” he murmured, though his sleeping sister could not hear him.

He carefully inspected the back of the pendant and discovered a symbol engraved into the silver surface. It was a distinctive family crest he had seen in business magazines and news reports: the insignia of the Pendragon family.

Adrian’s eyes widened as he recognized it.

“The Pendragons?” he whispered. “This is their family crest.”

The Pendragon family was the wealthiest and most influential business dynasty in the city, with investments spanning banking, real estate, technology, and several other major industries. Their connections extended far beyond the country, and even powerful business executives thought carefully before crossing them.

Adrian looked from the pendant to his sister, struggling to understand how she had come to possess something bearing such a prestigious family symbol.

“If this is genuine, it could be worth a fortune,” he thought. “I could sell it and pay the hospital bills.”

He remembered his sister’s warning and hesitated. She had insisted that he must not sell it, claiming it was his key to a better life. Yet she had not explained what she meant, and Adrian could not see how a piece of jewelry could change his circumstances unless it was valuable.

After a moment, another possibility occurred to him.

“What if I return it to the Pendragon family instead of selling it? They might reward me for bringing it back. That could be enough to settle the bills and give my sister the treatment she needs.”

The idea gave him a small measure of hope. He carefully wrapped the pendant, placed it in his pocket, and made sure his sister was comfortable before leaving the hospital. He had no intention of abandoning her, but he could not afford to sit beside her helplessly while her condition continued to deteriorate.

As he hurried toward the Pendragon company headquarters, his thoughts were filled with the possibility of finally finding a solution to his problems. He did not know whether the family would believe his story or offer him any reward, but he had to try.

He was so distracted that he barely noticed the traffic around him until the loud screech of tires jolted him back to reality.

A large red bus was bearing down on him.

Adrian’s eyes widened, and he stumbled backward, but his injured body was too slow to react. The driver slammed on the brakes, and the bus skidded to a stop just inches away from him.

For a few seconds, Adrian stood frozen, his legs trembling beneath him. Then the driver leaned out of the window, his face twisted with anger.

“Are you blind? Don't you know how to watch the road?” the driver shouted. “Do you want to get yourself killed?”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Adrian replied quickly, raising one hand in apology.

“Then pay attention next time!”

Adrian did not argue. He moved away from the bus and continued down the road, his heart still pounding from the near accident. He had enough trouble in his life already and could not afford another injury.

PENDRAGON GROUP HEADQUARTERS

The Pendragon Group headquarters stood in the heart of the city’s business district, surrounded by modern office buildings, luxury vehicles, and neatly maintained gardens. Visitors could enter the main reception without much difficulty, provided they passed the security checks at the entrance. However, Adrian’s shabby clothes and bandaged head attracted curious looks from employees and visitors as he walked through the lobby.

He paid little attention to them. His only concern was the silver pendant in his pocket and the possibility that returning it to the Pendragon family might earn him enough money to settle his sister’s hospital bills. He knew he did not look like someone who belonged in such an expensive building, but he had no intention of leaving without speaking to someone who could help him.

Adrian approached the reception desk, where a neatly dressed woman with glasses was working on a computer. She looked up when he stopped in front of her, and her expression changed as she took in his wrinkled clothes and bandaged head.

“How may I help you?” she asked, her voice polite on the surface but unmistakably dismissive.

“Good morning. I would like to speak with the head of the Pendragon family, or whoever is authorized to handle matters concerning the family’s property,” Adrian replied.

The receptionist raised her eyebrows and looked him over again. “You want to speak with whom?”

“Someone from the Pendragon family,” Adrian repeated. “I have something that belongs to them, and I believe they need to see it.”

She gave a short, mocking laugh. “Do you have any idea how many people come here every day claiming to have something important for the Pendragons? Some pretend to have business proposals, others invent stories about lost property, and a few simply come here looking for money. We cannot allow every stranger to meet the family.”

“I understand, but this is different,” Adrian insisted. “Please, just let me speak with someone. It won't take long.”

The receptionist leaned back in her chair, her expression growing colder. “Look at yourself. You can barely afford decent clothes, yet you expect me to believe you have something important for one of the most powerful families in the country? If you are looking for charity, you have come to the wrong place. We are a business organization, not a shelter for desperate people.”

Adrian felt anger rise in his chest, but he forced himself to remain calm. He had endured enough humiliation at the Sterling mansion and the hospital. He did not want another argument to ruin the only opportunity he had left.

“I didn't come here to beg,” he said firmly. “I came because I have a silver pendant bearing the Pendragon family crest. I want to return it to its rightful owner.”

For the first time, the receptionist paused. However, her surprise quickly gave way to suspicion.

“Let me guess. You found some cheap piece of jewelry and decided to invent a story around it,” she said. “I'm giving you one last chance to leave peacefully. If you continue disturbing the reception, I'll call security.”

Adrian shook his head. “I'm not leaving until someone examines the pendant. You don't have to believe me, but at least give me the chance to prove what I'm saying.”

The receptionist pressed a button beneath her desk. Within moments, a tall security guard wearing a dark suit and sunglasses entered the reception area.

“Is there a problem, ma'am?” he asked.

“This man refuses to leave,” she replied, pointing at Adrian. “Please escort him outside before he causes a scene.”

The guard stepped forward and seized Adrian by the arm. “You heard her. Come with me.”

“Wait! You haven't even looked at what I brought!” Adrian protested, struggling to free himself. “I have the Pendragon family pendant. You need to let me speak to someone about it!”

His raised voice attracted the attention of several visitors, who turned to see what was happening. A few employees slowed their steps, curious about the commotion, while the receptionist watched with a satisfied expression.

Then a calm, authoritative voice came from behind them.

“What is happening here?”

The guard immediately stopped. The receptionist straightened in her chair and turned toward the approaching man. He was in his early fifties, with neatly combed dark hair beginning to turn gray at the temples.

“Mr. Bennett,” the receptionist said quickly, eager to explain herself before the stranger could. “This man came in demanding to see the family. I tried to explain that he needed an appointment, but he refused to listen and began causing a disturbance.”

Mr. Bennett, the company's managing director, looked at Adrian before turning back to her.

“And did you ask why he wanted to see the family?”

“He claims to have some pendant,” she replied dismissively. “I believe he's simply looking for money.”

The managing director's expression remained composed, but he did not immediately agree with her. Instead, he studied Adrian's bandaged head and worn clothes before asking, “What pendant are you talking about?”

Adrian seized the opportunity. “A silver pendant with the Pendragon family crest engraved on the back. I found it among my sister's belongings, and I believe it belongs to your family. I came here hoping to return it and ask for help with her hospital bills.”

At the mention of the pendant, Mr. Bennett's expression changed. The calm confidence in his eyes gave way to sudden interest.

“Release him,” he ordered.