The Kleptomaniac Son In Law Is Back

The Vermillions

“Sir, can you hear me? Please, you have to stay with me!”

Merrick gripped Donald's hand as the taxi sped through traffic, watching the old man's shallow breathing with growing concern. The driver swerved around a slow-moving vehicle, earning another desperate plea from Merrick to hurry.

Donald Vermillion.

The name kept returning to his thoughts. Vermillion Global stood at the top of the fashion industry, its influence eclipsing even Avery's company. Merrick had spent years studying the industry's biggest players, yet he had never imagined meeting the man behind that legendary name on a bridge, preparing to end his life.

But Donald's wealth meant nothing to him right now. The old man had been so convinced that nobody cared whether he lived or died that Merrick couldn't bear the thought of losing him.

“Please, sir, stay with me,” Merrick whispered, squeezing his hand. “You told me your family doesn't care about you, but that doesn't mean your life is worthless.”

Donald remained unresponsive.

When the taxi finally stopped outside a hospital, Merrick threw open the door and shouted for help. Two attendants rushed over with a stretcher, and he helped them carry Donald inside before explaining the situation to the nearest nurse.

“I found him on a bridge. He suddenly collapsed, and he's seriously ill. Please, you have to help him!”

“We'll take care of him,” she assured Merrick, directing the attendants toward the emergency department.

He followed until another nurse stopped him outside the treatment room, explaining that he needed to wait while the doctors examined Donald.

“Please, he's been battling terminal cancer,” Merrick insisted, glancing at the closing doors. “He was talking to me just minutes ago.”

“The doctors will do everything they can. Please wait here.”

With no other choice, Merrick stepped back as the doors shut.

He paced the corridor, repeatedly glancing toward the emergency department. He had already endured enough heartbreak for one evening, yet he couldn't bring himself to leave Donald alone. Whatever had happened between the old man and his family, Merrick knew what it felt like to be abandoned by someone he loved.

After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor emerged and approached him.

“Are you the person who brought the patient in?”

“Yes, Doctor. Is he going to be okay?”

“We've managed to stabilize him, but his condition remains serious. He has an advanced illness, and his body is extremely weak. He's currently unconscious, so we'll need to monitor him closely.”

Merrick released a breath of relief. “Can I see him?”

“Once we've moved him to a monitored room and confirmed he's stable enough for visitors.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

The doctor left, and Merrick sank into a chair, rubbing his face. At least Donald was alive. That was enough for now.

He wondered whether he should contact the man's family, but he had no phone number and knew nothing about his relatives. Donald had claimed they wouldn't notice his absence for three days, and Merrick desperately hoped that wasn't true.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

A young man in an expensive black suit approached with two uniformed police officers behind him. His expression was tense, and his impatient gaze swept across the waiting area until it settled on Merrick.

“Who brought my father here?” he demanded.

Merrick immediately stood, relieved that someone from Donald's family had finally arrived.

“Your father? You're Donald's son?”

“Julian Vermillion,” the young man answered curtly.

Merrick nodded. “I'm the one who brought him here. I found him on a bridge, and he suddenly collapsed. The doctors have stabilized him, but he's still unconscious.”

Instead of thanking him, Julian narrowed his eyes.

“Where exactly did you find him?”

“On the bridge near the eastern highway.”

“And what was he doing there?”

Merrick hesitated. Donald had confided in him about his illness and his strained relationship with his family, but those were personal matters he had no intention of repeating without permission.

“He was alone and seemed distressed. I stopped him from falling, and we talked for a while before he suddenly became ill. I brought him here as quickly as I could.”

Julian stared at him suspiciously.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“I'm telling you what happened.”

“My father has been missing for three days!” Julian snapped. “Three days without a word, and now he suddenly turns up in a hospital with some stranger?”

Merrick's relief began to fade. “I didn't know he was missing. He never mentioned—”

“Of course he didn't!” Julian interrupted, stepping closer. “How convenient that you happened to find a wealthy old man alone. Did you know who he was before you approached him?”

“No. He told me his name after we started talking. I helped him because he was about to jump off a bridge, not because of his money.”

Julian let out a derisive laugh. “What a touching story. You expect me to believe you risked your own life out of the goodness of your heart?”

Merrick stared at him in disbelief.

“Your father was about to kill himself. What was I supposed to do? Leave him there?”

“You could have called the police instead of taking him somewhere yourself,” Julian retorted. “For all I know, you did something to him and brought him here to cover your tracks.”

“That is ridiculous!” Merrick exclaimed. “I brought him here because he collapsed and needed medical attention. Ask the doctor if you don't believe me!”

Julian's face darkened.

“You don't get to tell me what to do when it concerns my father.”

“And you don't get to accuse me of hurting him when I'm the one who saved his life!”

Julian turned sharply toward the officers.

“Arrest him.”

Merrick froze. One of the officers glanced at his colleague before addressing Julian.

“Sir, what exactly are you accusing him of?”

“My father has been missing for three days, and this man suddenly appears with him at a hospital, claiming he found him on a bridge.” Julian pointed at Merrick, his voice rising with every word. “My father is seriously ill, and I have no idea what this stranger did to him before bringing him here.”

Merrick's hands clenched at his sides. He had saved a man's life, rushed him to the hospital, and waited anxiously for news, only to be treated like a criminal by the very family he'd hoped would care for him.

Julian stepped toward the officers, his expression hardening.

“He obviously did something to my father. Arrest him!”