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.”
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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
CHAPTER 755
By the third day, Millicent’s voice was gone. She hung from the bindings, her head lolling, her consciousness flickering like a dying candle. She prayed for the darkness to take her, but their cruelty was precise; they ensured she stayed awake to feel every insult."That's enough," Evelyn finally said on the third evening. She stood and smoothed her silk skirt. "Untie her. And listen well: not a scrap of food. Not a drop of milk. If she wants to eat, she can pray to the God of strays. Let her rot in that cellar until she learns that a Griffin husband is not for the likes of her."The guards roughly cut her down. Millicent collapsed into the dirt, her body a map of pain. She crawled, inch by agonizing inch, toward the service entrance and down into the darkness of the cellar.Hours later, the heavy door creaked open. Millicent flinched, pulling a tattered blanket over her ruined back, expecting another blow. Instead, a shadow fell over her. Martha knelt by the cot, her face a m
CHAPTER 754
"Sir? The mistress is asking for you in the solarium. The gala committee has arrived."Martha stood in the doorway, her face a mask of iron. She didn't look at Millicent, but her presence was a physical barrier. Harold stiffened, the predatory heat in his eyes flickering out as he straightened his silk tie. He stepped back, giving Millicent one last, warning look that promised this wasn't over."See to it she finishes the dusting, Martha," Harold snapped, brushing past the older maid with cold arrogance.As soon as his footsteps faded, Millicent collapsed against the shelves, her breath coming in ragged hitches. Martha moved quickly, shutting the door."I told you," Martha hissed, though she gently squeezed Millicent's shoulder. "He’s a beast in a suit. Now, move. You can't be found here like this."***Six Months Later,The seasons shifted, and so did the weight Millicent carried.Her uniform, once loose and crisp, was now a prison of tight fabric. She had mastered the art of th
CHAPTER 753
The girl staring back looked older, the light in her eyes replaced by a hard, flickering survival instinct."I need to leave," Millicent said, turning back to Martha. "I can't stay here until the baby... until it's too late.""You need money," Martha said, standing up and smoothing her own uniform. "And you need a plan. For now, you go upstairs. You serve breakfast. You smile at the children. And you wait."Millicent nodded, her hand instinctively drifting to her stomach. It felt as though a ticking clock were now buried deep inside her. As she walked up the basement stairs, the transition from the dark, damp cellar to the sun-drenched, opulent hallways felt more jarring than ever.The smell of fresh coffee and expensive lilies was suffocating. She was halfway to the dining room when she saw them. Harold was standing by the large bay window, his back to her, sunlight glinting off his silver hair. Evelyn was beside him, adjusting his tie with a tender, adoring smile. They looked
CHAPTER 752
Millicent looked at Martha, her chest heaving as the walls of the basement seemed to pulse with the rhythm of her racing heart. She was terrified, a cold, paralyzing fear that made her knees feel like water."She’s a woman," Millicent countered, her voice gaining a desperate, hysterical edge. "She loves her husband. She... she won't let him do this. She has to know what he’s doing in her own home!"But as the words left her mouth, a jagged realization pierced through her panic. Her mind searched frantically, clawing at the empty spaces where memories should have been, trying to find the moment it had happened. The car came back to her, the roar of the engine and the terrifying impact of her head against the wood, but after that, there was only a void.A dark, suffocating silence.No memory of the act. No recollection of his touch, his weight, or the moment her life had been stolen from her."I don't... I don't remember," she whispered, her eyes widening in horror. "Martha, I can't
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