The Rise Of Nicholas Hensaw

Chapter 10

"Understood, sir. We'll make sure of that," the police officer said, speaking to Gabriel on speakerphone.

Nicklaus was allowed to leave the station but had to return by morning. He climbed into Linda's mother's car and said, "Thank you, ma'am."

"You should thank my daughter. You'd still be rotting in that cell otherwise. And I doubt you'll stay free for long—if you can't heal the old man, you'll be right back in prison," she replied coldly.

Nicklaus turned to Linda. "Thank you, Linda. Don't worry—you'll see your grandfather healthy again."

Linda simply smiled in response.

They arrived at the Fins Villa, home to one of the most powerful families in the country. Many people would kill just to set foot in a mansion like this.

The car pulled up in front of the imposing house. As Linda and Nicklaus stepped out, he stared in amazement at the magnificent building, gawking like a peasant. Linda's mother rolled her eyes.

"Linda, bring your friend inside," she said dismissively.

She led them through the opulent foyer to the grand staircase. The mansion's servants began whispering among themselves, wondering if their young mistress had brought home a new worker to help with chores.

Linda took Nicklaus upstairs to her grandfather's room. After knocking, she opened the door to find one of her aunts sitting beside the bed. The woman looked Nicklaus up and down with disgust.

"Who is this?" she demanded.

"He's the doctor I brought to heal Grandpa," Linda said matter-of-factly.

"Have you lost your mind? Are you trying to kill the old man?" her aunt asked furiously.

Linda remained unfazed. "I don't need your permission, Aunt. You need mine! Or did you forget—where were you when your supposedly favorite niece was arrested?"

Her aunt had no response.

"Answer me, or has your tongue suddenly been tied?" Linda pressed.

Her aunt clenched her fists and said quietly, "Suit yourself." She crossed her legs, waiting to see if Nicklaus could accomplish what renowned doctors from around the world had failed to do.

Nicklaus took the old man's wrist and checked his pulse. "There's poison in your grandfather's bloodstream—that's the root problem. The poison is so subtle it's slowly destroying his liver. Even if he received a liver transplant, the new organ would be damaged too."

Linda's eyes widened. "How did you know he'd already had a liver transplant?"

"I didn't know for certain. I was explaining the likely scenario," Nicklaus replied, walking to the bedside table and picking up a water bottle.

"Do you have herbal tea and African herbs?" Nicklaus asked.

Linda nodded. "Yes, but they're in the kitchen."

"Can you show me the way? I need some ingredients," Nicklaus said.

Linda's aunt burst into laughter. "You need ingredients, or are you just hungry? Which is it?"

"What ingredients could you possibly find in a kitchen that would heal the old man?" she asked mockingly.

Ignoring her, they left for the kitchen.

"I need whatever herbs you have available, and most importantly, healthy green tea," Nicklaus requested.

Linda snapped her fingers, signaling the kitchen staff to gather what Nicklaus needed. Everything was ready within thirty seconds.

After five minutes, Nicklaus had prepared an herbal tea using the available ingredients.

"This should provide him relief," Nicklaus said, handing the cup to Linda.

They returned to the room, where Linda's aunt was no longer alone—several family members had gathered.

"Who is this man?" one of Linda's uncles demanded.

"I asked the same question, but she made it clear she has more authority in this house than I do," the aunt replied bitterly.

Linda's eyes narrowed. "It's starting to occur to me that maybe Grandpa is still sick because the enemy is within this house. Some of his own children seem to oppose any change."

She stepped forward. "With or without your permission, I'm giving Grandpa this tea. It will help neutralize the poison."

She moved to her grandfather's bedside and gently placed the cup to his lips. He managed to drink a little before her aunt interrupted.

"Poison? You mean the contents of that cup are poison?"

"Say whatever you want, Aunt. All I care about is Grandpa getting better," Linda replied, helping him drink more.

The old man didn't move, and his face grew pale. The room fell silent.

"What's happening? He doesn't look like he's breathing," one of Linda's uncles said nervously.

"If you've done anything to harm him, I'll make sure you spend the rest of your life in prison," he threatened, reaching to check the old man's pulse.

Suddenly, the old man sneezed.

The room fell silent again. The old man hadn't made such a strong movement in months—this was the first time in nearly two months.

"Water..." he whispered weakly.

Everyone in the room was stunned.

"I need water," the old man repeated, his voice slightly stronger.