The Rise Of Nicholas Hensaw

Chapter 11

Without wasting any time, Linda rushed out to get water for her grandfather.

She returned quickly with a pitcher of water. The family helped the old man sit up, and Linda carefully gave him water to drink.

For months, the old man could barely speak a word. He hardly drank water or ate anything.

He finished the entire cup and even asked for more. Everyone in the room was stunned.

"This is a miracle," Linda's mother said as she entered the room. She was amazed—she could hardly believe her eyes. It seemed like a dream.

She swallowed hard and bit her lip before approaching her daughter. "Where did you find this man? How did he do this?" She couldn't hide her excitement.

For years, she had been waiting for the old man to recover because Linda's male cousin had been claiming to be the next heir. Though the old man had clearly stated that Linda was his heir, it was never made public, so conflict arose when he fell ill.

"I need some food," the old man said, making Linda's smile grow even wider.

"Oh my God! This truly is a miracle," Linda exclaimed, rushing out of the room. She ordered a servant in the hallway to prepare food for her grandfather.

"What's with all the excitement, young mistress?" the servant asked. Linda was typically easygoing and rarely got this animated.

"Grandfather Fin is finally well!" she shouted with joy.

The excitement spread throughout the mansion. Linda returned to the room and waited patiently for the servant to bring food.

The room fell quiet as they all watched the old man's every movement. Linda swallowed hard and whispered, "Is he still breathing?"

Her Aunt Danila, who had a smug smile on her lips, turned to Linda and said, "I don't think he's breathing anymore. Check his pulse. I think he's dead now. Oh my God, don't tell me you killed your grandfather by bringing in some stranger to treat him..."

"Aunt Danila, you're thinking negatively. Grandfather just spoke his first words in months and even asked for food." She paused and swallowed hard before continuing. "All you can think about is this? Are you serious? Sometimes you make me wonder if you care about your father or just his wealth."

Suddenly, a sharp slap landed across Linda's face. "How dare you speak to me like that?" Danila demanded.

Linda was stunned—no one had ever slapped her before. This was completely unprecedented.

Linda turned to her mother, who was furious but chose to contain her rage.

Nicklaus stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Observing the tension, he noticed Danila's defensive behavior and asked, "When did Mr. Fin first become ill?"

No one responded for ten seconds. Finally, to break the tension, Danila answered.

"After the company's anniversary celebration. That was quite some time ago—about two to three months," she said, causing Nicklaus to nod.

"Did he start taking any new medications during that period?" Nicklaus asked, and Danila's eyebrows immediately twitched.

"What kind of question is that? You performed some trick that made our father seem well for ten seconds, and now you think you have the right to interrogate us?" she snapped.

"He started taking a blood tonic. I didn't see any improvement, but he claimed it would make him healthier. He wasn't sick then, but became ill afterward," Linda responded. She intentionally answered to irritate her aunt, knowing it would provoke her.

"Can I examine this blood tonic?" Nicklaus asked, now deeply interested. Something wasn't right, and he could sense it.

"Blood tonic? You're joking, right? Why do you want to see it? Did any of us ask for your medical license before letting you touch our father?" Danila asked angrily.

"You know what? I want to see your license! Show me your medical credentials," she demanded.

Nicklaus raised his eyebrows, unable to understand what was making Danila so agitated.

"What's wrong, miss? The worry lines on your forehead are quite obvious. What's the matter? Are you trying to hide something?" Nicklaus asked directly. He chose not to voice his suspicions outright—accusing someone without evidence would be inappropriate.

Danila laughed and turned to Linda, then back to Nicklaus. "You're joking, right? You're quite amusing!"

She cleared her throat before continuing, "I don't even know where the blood tonic is! Don't bother looking—he finished it already."

"That's a lie! I saw you giving Grandfather the blood tonic three days ago. Remember, I asked you why you were giving it to him when the doctor hadn't prescribed it? You said you wanted him to get better and that the tonic would help," Linda countered.

"Yes, but after that day, he didn't take it anymore," Danila responded immediately.

"That's not what Nicklaus asked. He wants to examine the blood tonic," Linda said with a knowing smile.

She cleared her throat and stepped forward, biting her lip. "I don't know where it is."

Linda narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She walked toward the bedside table and said, "You always keep it in this drawer!"

As Linda reached for the drawer handle, Danila quickly stopped her. "Wait! Don't open it!"