2024-09-10 08:20:13Shock rippled through the room as they heard the voice. A guest of the Washington family? Eyes turned to Tedmond, widening in disbelief.
To be a guest of the Washington family meant that Tedmond was a big shot or potentially related to them. Even some of the Washingtons' relatives had tried to get in but were always denied entrance.
How could someone like Tedmond be allowed?
“Are you sure it’s the right person?” Gregory questioned. Despite shivering, he couldn’t help but ask.
“How dare you ask me that?” the person on the other end bellowed. “If I lose my job, you're going to regret it! You’d better let that fellow into the ward, or else!”
Gregory was taken aback by the mention of his boss losing his job. As the call ended, he hurriedly bowed to Tedmond, terrified that he might lose the position he had worked so hard for.
“I’m sorry for not recognizing you, sir,” he apologized. “I’ll walk you to the room,” he added, raising his head to look at Tedmond. “Let’s get—”
“No need,” Tedmond cut him off, disgusted by how quickly Gregory had changed his attitude once he realized Tedmond was a guest. “I can find it myself, just like I intended to do before.”
The phone call had confirmed that everything was real, but Tedmond still needed an explanation for all this.
“Sir!” Gregory called out, but Tedmond ignored him and walked off to find the ward.
The women were equally stunned, unable to speak. They just watched Tedmond leave, clinging to the thin hope that they wouldn’t get fired.
Minutes later, Tedmond’s eyes lingered on the sign above the ward that read Room 509. The door was slightly open, and he could see the window but not the hospital bed. He hesitated, wondering if it was right to enter without knocking.
“You’re here,” a familiar voice said.
Tedmond’s head snapped down to see the little girl he had saved earlier peering up at him. She had changed into different clothes and was holding a teddy bear in her hand.
“My grandpa wants to see you before he…” she trailed off softly. “You have to come in quickly.”
Tedmond nodded and followed her into the ward. The first thing that greeted him was the stare of a middle-aged man in glasses and a frail old man lying on the hospital bed.
“Hello,” Tedmond said, swallowing hard. He had no idea what else to say. “I got a call from you and noticed my account had been credited, and you mentioned I’m the heir of the Washington family. What’s going on?”
The man in glasses bowed slightly. “I’m Thomas, the Washington family’s butler. You’ll get your answers soon.” Gesturing to the old man on the bed, he sighed. “This is Mr. Jeffrey Washington, the head of the family.”
Tedmond stepped closer until he could see the old man clearly, the little girl clutching her grandfather’s hand.
“Hello, Mr. Washington,” Tedmond said politely, controlling his curiosity.
Jeffrey didn’t look well, as if he was about to take his final breath, just as his granddaughter had hinted earlier. Tedmond realized the girl was indeed the Washington family’s granddaughter.
Jeffrey managed a smile. “Ted…” he called weakly. “I’ve finally found my heir. Welcome back, grandson.”
“What’s going on?” Tedmond asked, shooting Thomas a questioning look. “Why is he calling me his grandson?”
His question went unanswered as the life support machine began beeping, and the room filled with tension. The beeping quickened, and Tedmond froze. Thomas immediately sprang into action, pressing a button by the bedside.
“We need a doctor! Now!” Thomas shouted, his voice steady but urgent.
A nurse rushed in moments later, her expression shifting to concern as she assessed the situation. “His condition’s worsening,” she muttered, checking the machines. “We need to stabilize him.”
“Where’s the doctor?” Tedmond asked, glancing between Thomas and the nurse. He felt the weight of the situation crashing down on him—he had no idea what was happening, but it seemed he was now part of something much larger than he had ever expected.
“Dr. Howard is on his way,” the nurse replied quickly, turning back to the patient and adjusting the machines.
Jeffrey’s breathing grew more labored, and the little girl clutched her teddy bear tighter, standing silently by her grandfather's side, her eyes filled with worry.
Moments later, a tall man in a white coat stormed into the room. “Step aside!” he ordered, moving swiftly to the bedside. His hands flew over the equipment, exchanging rapid words with the nurse.
Tedmond stood helpless, watching as the doctor and nurse worked to stabilize Jeffrey. Every second felt like an eternity, and the feeling building in his chest intensified.
Jeffrey’s breathing became increasingly shallow, and the beeping from the machine slowed. Dr. Howard glanced at the nurse, and they exchanged a look that told Tedmond all he needed to know.
Despite their best efforts, it was too late.
The doctor shook his head, his face grim as he checked the old man’s pulse one last time. The room fell silent, except for the soft whimpering of the little girl clutching her grandfather’s hand.
“I’m sorry,” Dr. Howard finally said, his voice low. “He’s gone.”
Tedmond stood there, disbelief washing over him. The man who had just called him his grandson—who had somehow linked him to this mysterious fortune—was now dead.
The little girl let out a soft sob, and Thomas closed his eyes, his expression unreadable as he whispered, “Rest in peace, Mr. Washington.”
Tedmond, unsure of what to feel, watched as the nurse gently covered the old man’s body with a sheet. It was surreal—a few minutes ago, Jeffrey Washington had been calling him “grandson,” and now he was gone. The answers Tedmond had hoped for had died with him.
“What now?” Tedmond whispered, his voice barely audible.
Thomas, though visibly shaken, straightened and turned toward Tedmond. “Mr. Washington made his decision before he passed. You are now the heir to the Washington family’s legacy, Tedmond. It’s up to you to carry it forward.”
Tedmond stared at him in shock, the weight of those words crashing down on him. How could this be happening? Just hours ago, he had nothing—and now he was the heir to a family he didn’t even know.
“What… what does that even mean?” Tedmond stammered, the enormity of the situation closing in on him.
“It means,” Thomas replied solemnly, “that everything Mr. Washington owned now belongs to you. The fortune, the businesses, the responsibilities—it’s all yours.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 761
Max turned to his sister, his gaze hardening with sharp resolve. "Maxine, go. Pack only what belongs to you—nothing bought with Griffin blood money. We’re moving. Tonight."Evelyn let out a sharp, choked sob. "Moving? To where? You have nothing out there! You are Griffins! You don't know how to survive without me!""We'll learn," Maxine said, her voice trembling but certain. She stepped back from her mother’s reaching hand as if it were a contagion. "I’m not staying here another hour. I can't breathe in this house anymore. Every corner feels like it’s hiding a ghost.""Maxine, please!" Evelyn pleaded, crawling forward on her knees, her poise shattered. "You’re a lady! You’ve never worked a day in your life!"Maxine looked down at her mother, a sad, bitter smile touching her lips. "Then it’s time I started. I’m going to find a job, Mother. A real one. I’d rather scrub floors like Millicent did than sit in this drawing room pretending I’m better than the people we stepped on to get
CHAPTER 760
Everyone turned to the corner. Maxine, a silent shadow throughout the night, finally stepped into the light. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face stripped of its usual arrogance. She looked at Tedmond, then Millicent, and finally at her mother with pure horror."I had no idea," Maxine whispered, her voice gaining a hard edge. "You told me Tedmond’s mother was a thief. You told me she was a monster trying to break us apart. I believed you because a daughter is supposed to believe her mother."She stepped beside Max, her small frame shaking. "But he was just a baby. None of it was his fault."Maxine turned on Evelyn, her expression a mirror of Max’s defiance. "You’re a terrible person, Mother. You and Father weren't pillars of the city; you were predators in silk. If Max testifies, I’ll be right there beside him. I’ll tell them about the letters I found. I’ll tell them how you taught us to hate a brother who had done nothing but exist."Evelyn gasped, clutching the back of her chair as
CHAPTER 759
Max stayed on his knees, the cold floor biting into his skin, but the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the violent reconstruction occurring within his mind. Every memory, every time he had mocked Tedmond’s lowly blood, every time he had sabotaged his brother to protect the legacy, replayed like a series of crimes.‘I was the hero,’ he thought, a bitter, hysterical laugh bubbling in his chest. ‘I thought I was the white knight protecting my mother from a gold-digger. I was just the attack dog for a monster.’He looked up at Tedmond. For years, he had seen a rival, a threat, a bastard reaching for what was rightfully theirs. Now, for the first time, he saw a survivor. He saw a man shaped by the very fires that had tried to consume his mother."All those years," Max rasped, his voice cracking. "I followed Father's lead. I thought his coldness toward you was a sign of your unworthiness.”“I thought his discipline was a necessity. I didn't see that he was just beating the tru
CHAPTER 758
“That’s a lie,” Millicent countered, her voice rising with a quiet, lethal authority. “You didn't love him. You loved the power. You loved the crown so much that you were willing to sharpen the blades he used on us.”Beside them, Persis and Tedmond sat in a paralyzed silence. Tedmond’s face was ashen, his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. To hear the story of his own birth, to realize he was the parasite Harold had tried to erase and the filth Evelyn had kicked down the stairs, left him breathless. The man he had been told to respect was a monster; the woman before him was his accomplice.Persis looked at Millicent with a mixture of horror and profound reverence. The woman she thought she knew was only a fraction of the survivor sitting in that chair.Millicent turned to her son and her friend, a weary sadness softening her features. “There are parts I have left out,” she said quietly. “Deeply painful parts... things that happened during those days of the whip and those n
CHAPTER 757
To the world, Millicent was back to being a maid. But behind her hollow eyes, a clock was still ticking. She would scrub their floors, she would endure their cruelty, and she would wait. She had to survive long enough to find the exit that Martha had died trying to show her.The eighth month arrived like a heavy shroud. Millicent’s body was a map of exhaustion, her frame gaunt everywhere except for the prominent swell of her stomach. She was a walking shadow, held together by nothing but the rhythmic kicks of the life inside her.Harold, however, could no longer tolerate the sight of his mistake. The scandal was a ticking bomb, and he decided to defuse it. He cornered her in the secluded wing of the upper gallery."I’ve made arrangements, Mill," he said, his voice as cold as a winter grave. "A clinic on the outskirts. They’ll take care of the... problem. It’s too late for a simple procedure, but they are discreet. You’ll be rid of it by morning."Millicent clutched the railing, he
CHAPTER 756
Martha squeezed Millicent’s hands one last time, her eyes burning with desperate resolve. "Don't move. Don't even breathe loud," she cautioned, before vanishing into the corridor’s shadows.The darkness of the basement didn't stay empty for long. Hardly a minute had passed when the heavy door at the top of the stairs groaned on its hinges. These weren't Martha’s hurried, scuffling steps; these were slow, rhythmic, and heavy. The sound of expensive leather soles striking the wooden treads sent a fresh jolt of terror through Millicent’s body.Harold stepped into the dim light of the cellar. He had shed his suit jacket, his white shirt sleeves rolled up as if for labor. The kind benefactor was gone, replaced by a man whose eyes held the flat, dead sheen of a shark. He walked into Millicent’s small room and loomed over her cot, his presence sucking the oxygen out of the cramped space. He didn't look down at her with pity, or even the lust that had once fueled his pursuit. He looked
You may also like
The Trillionaire's Heir
Renglassi336.5K viewsUnderrated Son-In-Law
Estherace107.8K viewsTHE GREAT GENERAL
Ardy-sensei136.2K viewsBecoming A Trillionaire After Divorce
Esther Writes73.0K viewsThe Supreme War God Has Returned!
Rex Magnus2.0K viewsFrom Damnation to Dominance: Revenge of the Abused Heir
Inkspread315 viewsAshes of a Good Man
Milky-Ink901 viewsThe Billionaire Tech Genius Gets His Revenge
Author Kelvin455 views