The Hidden Trillionaire Heir of Royal Elite Academy

At the hospital

The hospital was an old gray building that looked like it hadn't gotten any funding for ages.

Arthur practically burst through the entrance doors, breathing heavily. His hair was all messy, his work clothes soaked with sweat, and there was still dried blood at the corner of his mouth from Veronica’s slap.

A nurse sitting at the reception desk raised her eyes, looking exhausted.

"My mom," Arthur gasped, leaning on the counter. "Eleanor Moore. An ambulance brought her in. Please, where is she?"

The nurse typed slowly into her computer. Arthur wanted to scream at her to move faster.

"Eleanor Moore," the nurse murmured. "Yes, she's currently in emergency room number three. The doctor is with her now. You'll need to wait here."

"Wait?" Arthur's voice cracked. "I can't wait. I need to see her."

"You can see her when the doctor is finished," the nurse said sharply. "Take a seat."

Arthur’s heart pounded violently. He just stood there, frozen in the middle of the waiting room, with those plastic chairs screwed to the floor all around him and a vending machine quietly humming off in the corner.

When another nurse finally came out of the double doors, Arthur hurried over to her.

"How is she? What happened?"

The nurse held up a hand. "The doctor will speak with you shortly. At the moment, she's stable but her condition is critical. As for what happened, she called 911 herself. She said she was feeling faint. When the paramedics got there, they found her collapsed on the kitchen floor."

Arthur's face fell.

The image burned into his mind: his mother, already so fragile, alone on that cold kitchen floor. Reaching for a phone instead of calling out for him because he wasn't there.

"Collapsed," Arthur whispered softly.

"According to the paramedics, she'd been there for quite some time," the nurse said gently. "She was conscious but very weak."

Arthur pressed his hands against his face, staring at the nurse in horror.

While he was delivering a handbag to a girl who thought he was worthless, his mom was fighting for her life all by herself.

He started pacing back and forth like a crazy person. He hadn't prayed since his dad passed away, but now his lips were moving quietly, and his hands were squeezed so tight his knuckles turned white.

"Please, let her be alright," he whispered, fighting back tears. "Please. I'll do anything. Please don't let me lose my mom. She's all I have."

Half an hour later, the double doors swung open.

A tall man wearing a white coat stepped out with a clipboard in his hand. There was a grave look on his face, like he was about to drop some bad news.

"Family of Eleanor Moore?"

Arthur practically ran to him. "I'm her son. Arthur Moore. How's she doing? Is she okay?"

The doctor, whose name tag said Dr. Harris, motioned toward two chairs by the wall. "Please. Sit down."

Arthur didn't sit. "Just tell me, doctor. I'm dying to know how my mom is doing."

Dr. Harris hesitated, then nodded. "Your mother is stable for now, but I won't lie to you. Her condition is serious. She's suffering from chronic kidney failure, compounded by severe exhaustion and malnutrition. Her body is shutting down, Arthur. Slowly, but surely."

Arthur felt the floor shift under his feet.

"She needs an operation," the doctor continued. "Specifically, she needs a kidney transplant and immediate post-operative care. But this hospital isn't equipped for that kind of procedure. We're a small facility. She needs to be transferred to St. Nicholas Medical Center. They have the specialists she needs."

"St. Nicholas Medical Center," Arthur repeated. He knew that name. Everyone knew that name. This hospital was the best in the world, equipped with a full team of specialists. If his mother was treated there, she's sure to recover.

Sadly, getting medical care there was super expensive.

"How much will it cost?" Arthur inquired.

Dr. Harris looked down at his clipboard. "The whole surgery, including the transplant and specialist charges, will cost around $550,000. That doesn't cover the pre-op care, the time in the hospital, or the meds after surgery. When you add it up, it's close to a million dollars."

Arthur's mouth fell open. Then closed. No sound came out.

"Arthur," the doctor said gently, "I know this is a lot to take in. But time is not on your side. Your mother's kidneys are functioning at less than fifteen percent. Without this surgery, she will die. Chances are it'll happen within a few months. Maybe even sooner if her heart can't take the strain."

"I don't have that kind of money," Arthur finally choked out. "I don't... I can't..."

He thought about his debt. He’s got $35 million hanging over his head like a guillotine blade.

The bank had already bled him dry. They wouldn't lend him another dime. They had no reason to. He was already their property, essentially.

"The bank," Arthur muttered under his breath. "They won't give me that much. I'm already buried in debt. They own my life and my labor. But this...they will not approve this surgery. Cross would never allow it."

Dr. Harris's eyes softened with pity. "I'm sorry about that, Arthur. I truly am. Medicine can only do so much. What happens next is out of my hands."

He put his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Why don't you sit down? I'll get a nurse to bring you some water."

"No," Arthur said, his voice sounding empty.

Dr. Harris pulled his hand back. "Arthur—"

"If she doesn't get the surgery," Arthur said slowly, as if saying the words would make them less real, "is she going to die?"

Dr. Harris nodded with a heavy heart. "I'm afraid so."

Arthur's legs folded under him. He fell to his knees on the cold hospital floor. The impact sent a jolt up his spine, but he didn't feel it.

"No," he whispered, his forehead almost touching the floor. "No, no, no."

Arthur remained on his knees in the middle of the hospital lobby. He was at his lowest point right now. He has no options; his mother is dying, and there is no one to help him.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the screeching sound of tires outside. Everyone in the lobby instinctively turned toward the entrance.

In an instant, headlights from various vehicles poured through the glass doors of the hospital. A line of black luxury cars pulled up one after the other outside the emergency entrance. The hospital staff started whispering right away.

“Oh my God…”

"Who might that be?"

“Is some politician here?”

Arthur lifted his head slowly, too exhausted to bother. As the doors slid open, men dressed in black suits entered first, with an elderly man positioned in the center behind them.

His silver hair was neatly combed back, and he carried himself like a king. The old man's sharp eyes scanned around and then locked onto Arthur.

For a brief second, the old man stared at him.

"Are you Arthur Moore?" He asked quietly.

Arthur eyed him. "Yes, who are you?"

The old man inhaled deeply. "I am William Lanchester, your grandfather."