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 596
Back at the formal Hargrove mansion, Amara crept through the servants’ entrance, her breath hitching in her throat.Her bare feet were caked in dried mud and pine needles, the hem of her silk dress reduced to a tattered rag. She moved with the twitchy, desperate energy of a cornered animal. She didn’t care that the rooms were empty or that the locks were scheduled to be changed. All she knew was that she needed her insurance.The pink diamond.The emeralds.The platinum sets.As long as she could get her hands on them, she could disappear, live well somewhere else, and when the others eventually got out of jail, she could come back.In her mind, the jewels were her salvation. She would take them, flee to the city, and buy herself a new life far away from the police and Lisa’s cold, triumphant eyes.She scrambled up the back stairs and burst into her bedroom.“Where is it?” she hissed, yanking open the vanity drawer.Empty.She tore through jewelry boxes, flinging velvet linings onto
CHAPTER 595
The roar of the SUV’s engine was a deafening wall of sound, and the heat radiating from its grill bit at Lisa’s skin. She was mid-fall, her balance gone, the asphalt rushing to meet her as the horn blared a desperate, useless warning.Death was inches away.In that split second, Lisa didn’t think about the fifty-two million dollars, the mansion, or the jewels. Her hand instinctively flew to her stomach, fingers clawing at her own skin through her clothes.‘No! Not like this!’ her mind screamed in a shattered echo. ‘I finally have it. I finally have the money to protect you. I finally have the life we were supposed to live…’The thought of her unborn child crushed beneath cold steel sent a jolt of pure, maternal agony through her. She had endured the beatings, the insults, the betrayal of her entire family just to reach this point. She couldn’t let her baby die in the middle of the street because of a girl as pathetic as Chloe.“Please,” she begged a God she hadn’t spoken to in years
CHAPTER 594
Lisa drove straight to the city’s most prestigious jewelry district. She walked into a high-end store, the heavy bag over her shoulder a stark contrast to her elegant movements.The jeweler’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as Lisa began emptying the contents onto the black velvet display tray. He spent nearly an hour with his loupe, calculating values."The pink diamond alone is a fortune," he whispered, hands trembling as he held up Amara’s prized necklace."How much for the lot?" Lisa asked, her voice cold and bored."I can offer you—""Lisa? Is that actually you?"A shrill, mocking voice cut through the quiet of the luxury boutique. Lisa didn’t have to turn to recognize it.It was Chloe, one of Amara’s most loyal friends, a girl who had spent years helping Amara torment Lisa in exchange for designer hand-me-downs.Chloe strutted over, her eyes darting from Lisa’s face to the glittering mountain of gems on the tray. Her lip curled in disgust."I saw the news, you pathetic snake.
CHAPTER 593
Lisa stared at the thick file on the mahogany table, then flicked her gaze up at the lawyer.A flicker of suspicion crossed her mind. It had been less than ten minutes since she’d hit Submit on the real estate portal. How could a buyer move this fast?The thought was quickly drowned beneath a wave of cold indifference.Whether it was one of her father’s business rivals or an opportunistic shark didn’t matter. What mattered was the exit strategy.She hadn’t bought or built the house, so she felt no attachment to how it was sold.“You’re quite efficient, Mr. Jamy,” Lisa said smoothly.She pulled the document toward her and read. Her eyes skimmed the clauses: cash offer, twenty-percent premium, immediate transfer of title, total waiver of inspections.It was more than acceptable. It was a miracle.She picked up the pen and scrawled her signature across the final page.With that single stroke, the house, the site of her misery and her ultimate victory, no longer belonged to the Hargrove
CHAPTER 592
The sun was high and unapologetic, pouring through the mansion’s floor-to-ceiling windows.Inside, the atmosphere wasn’t somber or heavy with the lingering dread of the previous night. The house was vibrating.Lisa had the speakers turned up to a deafening volume.An upbeat, rhythmic pop track ricocheted off the marble walls as she moved through the grand foyer, not walking, but dancing. She twirled with a trash bag in one hand, her movements fluid and celebratory. She started in Daniel’s room, then moved on to Matthew’s and Ethan’s. She didn’t hesitate for a second. Branded watches, silk ties, and custom-made suits were swept from hangers and tossed into black bags. She dragged them to the top of the staircase and sent them tumbling down the steps, laughing as the Hargrove legacy landed in a tangled heap at the bottom.“Out! All of it!” she chirped, spinning past the remaining maids huddled near the linen closet, their eyes wide with terror.Lisa stopped mid-dance and pointed at t
CHAPTER 591
The next day, Tedmond sat down in the fluffy, oversized chair, his posture relaxed despite the sharp intensity in his eyes. The morning sun streamed through the study windows, casting long, golden bars across the room and illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. The storm from the previous night had vanished, leaving behind a sky so clear it looked painted.He picked up his red wine glass, swirling the liquid absentmindedly. On the desk beside him, a second glass sat half-filled with water, sweating slightly onto the polished wood. Spread out between the two glasses were the files Nalla had sent earlier, the cold, hard evidence of Lisa’s brilliance.He leafed through the pages, his fingers tracing the logs of the bank transfers.Thirty million dollars.She had stripped her brothers and parents of their liquid assets in a single hour, then handed them over to the authorities before the ink on the digital transfers was even dry.“Clever girl,” Tedmond murmured.He turned to the s
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