Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56Declan exited the company building just in the nick of time. He had a 4 pm appointment with Lord Rowland, and he did not want to be late.
Mondays were usually hectic and today was not an exception. He had a couple of meetings with some investors, with whom he wanted to do business.
He had started his project to reestablish the company and everything was going well so far. Daniel had not shown up to work for days, but that was the least of his worries.
The only thing on his mind as he entered his vehicle was what Lord Rowland wanted to discuss with him. The old man had fallen I'll some weeks ago and was taken to the hospital where he was duly cared for with the company's funds.
Declan had made sure of that. Thinking about it, he had no reason to be angry with his grandfather. Daniel had been the root cause of everything that had happened, and Lord Rowland had acted out of ignorance of what was not.
Declan scrunched his face as the familiar antiseptic smell of the hospital hit him. He was used to it. He had undergone a couple of treatments in the last two years to aid his ailing health.
Lord Rowland was sitting up when Declan opened the door. He was talking to his nurse, a young ravishing beauty, as Declan would later describe her.
She had this air of comfort and peace around her, and her smile was breathtaking. Little wonder Lord Rowland was enjoying her company. When she looked up at Declan, his heart skipped a beat. She looked like someone he knew, but a more beautiful version.
She smiled at him as she ushered him in, and motioned him to a seat. Declan unbuttoned his tux and sat down, smiling back at her. His eyes held her for a brief second before she shifted her gaze to the report sheet before her.
"You must be Declan, his first grandson", she spoke first, with a sing-along tone, like music to Declan's ears. He would bask in this tone later.
He would think about her later when he headed home, had dinner, and lay in his bed. "Rowland has not had many relatives coming around but I'm glad you're here", she continued.
Declan only nodded. He knew he would stutter more than usual because of how he felt being around her.
"Well, his vitals are stable now, and he's feeding properly. He should be out of here by the weekend", she said with a small smile.
"Thank you so much", Declan finally spoke. She nodded at him, oblivious to his stammering self. Here was one person who paid no heed or took any special notice of his speech defect.
He was liking this angel. He watched her until she stepped out and shut the door behind her.
Declan turned back to Lord Rowland, who looked at him with a knowing smile.
"She's such a nice girl", Lord Rowland said, looking away. Declan nodded in agreement. He barely spoke if there was no need to do so.
"Declan, I called you here to render my heartfelt apology to you for everything that has happened in the past. I was not supposed to leave you helpless and uncatered for when you needed your family around", Lord Rowland began, almost breaking down.
Declan just stared at him. He could barely utter a word.
"I've not been a good grandfather to you, and it's all my fault. I think this illness is my reward for how unfairly I've treated you in the past and I'm so sorry".
"Do not say that", Declan finally spoke up. "I know everything that happened was Daniel's doing", he said, consoling lord Rowland.
He listened as his grandfather told him everything that happened. Daniel had planned the whole thing from the start and had made Mary lie that he was not an heir in the family.
He had also not been to the hospital for a single visit and was away on one of his extravagant trips with Patricia. All these only fueled up the hatred Declan had for Daniel.
He would do everything in his power to ensure he got every single pound of flesh from Daniel. Different thoughts crossed his mind, but he already had a plan on how to make Daniel pay for everything.
"I want you to get married to Hannah", Lord Rowland said abruptly after a few minutes of silence. Declan was taken aback by this sudden decision. Nobody was in the right place to give him orders any longer.
"And who is Hannah?" He asked.
"My nurse. The young lady that was here earlier", Lord Rowland replied.
Declan jumped for joy within. But marriage was a very sensitive thing to talk about just yet. He wanted to get to know her more, court her, marry her and give her the world. He was up to the task, plus the girl was driving him nuts already.
"Why would you want me to marry her?" Declan asked.
"That girl is Patricia's sister, Paul's second daughter, but I know she's very different from her sister", Lord Rowland said in her defense.
Declan was slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Hannah had a striking resemblance to Patricia, but she was more beautiful.
Marriage to her would be another way for him to find his way back to Daniel's life and deal with him the way he wanted to.
Here he was again, accepting a decision that was made for him by someone else. However, this was different. He wanted this. He wanted Hannah, and he was willing to take the bull by the horns and go out with her.
Declan heard the machine that sat beside his grandfather's bed beep abnormally. Lord Rowland suddenly began to gasp for air, and Declan rushed to get help immediately.
A medical team soon filled the room, just as lord Rowland went unconscious. They did a series of checks and confirmed that he had only slipped into a coma.
Declan was barely paying attention to whatever was going on. He was glad that his grandfather was going to be fine, but his eyes were fixed on Hannah throughout the entire exercise.
All her thick hair fitted perfectly into a tight bun, that bounced behind her as she walked. She was very focused as she helped the doctor out, and the concern in her eyes for his grandfather melted him.
When their eyes met, she looked inquisitively at him but he only smiled and looked away.
She was the last medical personnel to leave the room. His grandfather was stable, and she wanted to make sure that he was very comfortable before she started to head out.
Declan impulsively stood in her way, and she shot him a questioning look. He knew this was his chance and he hoped to maximize it.
"I know this is not the right time, but I would realy want to have lunch with you", Declan finally said, stuttering more than usual. He was excited.
Hannah looked at him, amused at his uneasiness. He had this gentility attached to his person and she wanted to know what else lay beneath this wrap of self-consciousness he had managed to create around himself. She wanted to get to know him better too.
"Let me have your card. I'll call you on the day I'm not working. We can have that lunch then", she answered.
"That's totally fine by me", Declan said reaching for his suit's inner pocket, where he had stacked a few of his business cards. Their hands brushed against each other as he handed her the card.
She had the softest hands, and he noticed her blush as she turned around to leave the room. He hoped she would call. He was catching feelings.
The legendary butterflies were filling his stomach. He laughed at his joke as he made his way out of the hospital.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 8
On the day that Hannah finally called, Declan was sitting beside the pool in his penthouse. He had bought the house and other properties before he came back.He had thought of numerous ideas on how to arrange the perfect date for Hannah.He wanted her to know that he liked her and wanted to go for a long-term relationship with her. He had not dated any girl properly before, so he had asked Samson for ideas."Just take her out to a nice restaurant for dinner", Samson had said, after turning down his idea of a small trip, that Declan had come up with, insisting that it was too much for a first date.Declan had insisted that a girl like Hannah deserved the world. It was what love did to a person, partly ridding you of your normal sense of reasoning. Samson laughed so hard.Her voice sounded like music to his ears over the phone. She was not working for the next three days. She also updated him on his grandfather's state of health.He was still in a coma. Declan finally agreed to send a c
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 9
Declan did not see Hannah throughout the following week. They only talked over the phone and he always looked forward to doing so after a long day at work.He always had time for her. He would send her flowers and food at work. He was falling in love with her and he liked that she loved him back.Daniel finally showed up at the office on a Thursday morning. He was not in the best of moods and scolded every staff that worked with him that day."I'm still the boss around here you know", he would say repeatedly, like he was not sure any longer of his place in the office.He knew the gossip had started. People were slowly losing respect for him and he saw it. He was vexed for Declan and had not yet concluded how to deal with him just yet.Declan on his side had sworn that he would not let Daniel go unpunished. He would begin with the house, the family's villa.Every year, the whole family gathered there to celebrate the success of the family business and plan for a better future.Business
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 10
Declan was hit by a sudden wave of anxiety as he thought about tonight. He was going to ask Hannah to marry him. They had been seeing each other for six months and he had finally decided that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.Over the weeks, he had been looking for a perfect way to propose to her. He had asked Samson and Abigail, and they had given him their ideas, but he wanted to do something special.He had invited her for a short trip, and they were going to use his chopper. Hannah was excited about it. She had never been in a chopper, and it would be an amazing experience for her.She was not working on Friday evening so he picked out his date carefully. His office door soon gilded open and Hannah stood there with the most beautiful smile.She was ready for their trip and had packed a bag. He stood and went over to where she was and enclosed her in a warm embrace. She smelt of cinnamon and strawberry, and he inhaled lightly before letting her go."Have a seat. I'l
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 11
Declan was quiet throughout the entire ride back to his apartment. A surge of annoyance pierced through him. He could not bear any more rejection that suddenly seemed to be the order of his life. He was not happy that Hannah just stood there and watched her father talk to him in the manner he did. On the other hand, he had to come to the painful realization that he was her father, and she owed him respect. As he stood in the elevator that led to his penthouse, he thought about his decision to get married to Hannah. He was not so sure that he made the right decision, but he loved her. She had such a gentle aura about her, and that beautiful smile of hers and those soft lips of hers. He had grown so fond of her and he was not sure he would come to love another woman the same way. Just as he stepped out of the shower, his phone beeped. He glanced at the screen, and there was a text from Hannah. How did she know that he had been thinking about her? "We need to talk?" her text said.
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 12
"I can't believe he asked Hannah to marry him", Patricia blurted out to Daniel, with obvious disgust, as she strolled into their lavishly furnished mansion.She had gone to get him from the airport.According to him, he was away at a business meeting, but she knew that he had just rounded up a vacation with one of his mistresses.She had employed someone to keep tabs on him, and she had photo shreds of evidence that depicted his philandering ways.That has been his lifestyle even before she married him. Women flocked around him because he was the face of his prestigious family business for a long time.Every lady wanted to be associated with him and he opened his hands to welcome all their advances.It disgusted her that despite being married to her, he continued with what he was doing. Sometimes, she wished that she ended up marrying Declan.She was always scared for her life that Daniel would infect her with some disease, but she would never confront him for his lifestyle.She let i
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 13
Declan glanced at the screen of his phone. He was surprised to see that it was Hannah calling him. He had tried to reach out to her for the past few weeks, and she had been ignoring him. He avoided visiting the hospital to see her. He did not want to cause a scene and embarrass her. "Hey babe, I've been trying to get a hold of you. I'm surprised you called. How are you doing?" Declan spoke up first, and immediately wished he had not. He was suddenly blabbing. He wondered why he felt so uneasy even when she was not standing before him. She had that effect
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 14
The family business was calling for a different kind of expansion, and Declan was willing to try out new things. If there was a right time to work on his legacy, it would be at this time. Despite his relationship problems, Declan had stayed consistent with working to sustain the family business and create room for expansion. Once Hannah complained about how she felt like a second girlfriend because he dedicated so much time to his work. He had laughed so hard and told her that he had tasted the bitter side of life, that robbed him of basic needs, and so, she had to decide if she wanted a broke boyfriend who would spend the whole day with her or a busy one who could provide for her and still try to spend time with her.
Vindication of the Rejected Heir Chapter 15
Declan drove to the hospital hastily. Hannah's distance from him was still driving him insane, but he was not going to see her.Lord Rowland had sent for him, but there was this gnawing need in him to just catch a glimpse of her at the very least.He had also decided to relate his new business idea to Lord Rowland for a sort of approval, which he did not need, but thought necessary.He swerved into the driveway and parked his convertible car in a safe spot. A knot tightened in his stomach as he entered the hospital.His nose scrunched up with the antiseptic smell that he had become accustomed to, the perks of having a nurse for a girlfriend.As
Latest Chapter
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 241
It had been over two months since the doctor told them that their babies had high chances of survival as they showed massive improvements with their treatment. Samantha had stopped going to the office totally, and Declan had requested that an office space to be set up in the executive ward for him. Lucy was getting so much better and she was able to breastfeed the children as Samantha had required of her. It was as though they were living in the hospital with their children. Declan's heart swelled with joy with every inch that was added to their height, and every iota of flesh they put on. He would spend most of his time looking down on his boys, wondering if it was the same way his father looked at him and Daniel when they were babies. As he thought about Daniel, the events of the court's final verdict the previous week all came rushing back to him. He had always dreamed of the day Daniel would be sentenced to prison, and he would rejoice and rub it in his face. But on
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 240
Samantha was the first to notice his dazed expression once he was done with the phone call. He entered the private chamber of his office and stayed there.When she saw that he was not going to come out anytime soon, she went in there to search for him. "A celebrant can't leave his party, you know," she began in an attempt to lighten up his sour mood. He looked up at her and would not say a word. "What is going on?" She finally asked him. He dreaded saying anything to her. The news that he had just heard was capable of breaking her, and he did not want that for her. "You don't need to worry about it. I will fix it," he replied. "I did not ask you if you could fix it," she said. "I asked what was the matter," she was insistent. "Abigail just called me and she informed me that Lucy was rushed to the hospital," he finally spilled. "What are you talking about?" She asked, very bewildered. "Lucy was rushed to the hospital," he repeated. "And what are you doing about it?" She asked
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 239
The news about the court case had spread like wildfire, but Declan was not disturbed because he was on top of the case, gaining some level of victory over Daniel. The best part of it all was that he now had the judge on his side without having to try so much. It was in the course of these coincidences that he learned of the good legacy that his father had left behind because of his good deed. The judge had told him how he knew his father. When he kicked off his career as a barrister, he encountered different types of attacks from his rivals on the court. It was very unsafe for him and he was always running. One particular night, some armed men attacked him and beat him up so much that one could hardly recognize him except if they looked closely. He went about, knocking on doors and asking people for help, but no one would attend to him, especially because it was very late at night. They thought he was a thief or killer in disguise.Ferdinand was the only one who opened up to him.
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 238
Declan's eyes did not leave Georgina as she walked up to the witness box. He wondered what it was that she wanted to be a witness to. He saw the way she quivered as she stood there and he suspected that she had been coerced into doing what she did. He listened closely to her as she spoke, saying her vow on the holy book, even though everything that would come out of her mouth was all going to be lies. She did what he least expected. She said to the hearing of everyone in the court that she was raped by Declan the first time she came to be a surrogate for them.Declan was too stunned to say a word at all and just kept his eyes on her. She was crying bitterly. Looking intently at her, he was forced to wonder if these were just fake tears to back up her lie, or if it was a sign that she regretted betraying him. Daniel could have been the one coercing her to do this, but he did not say anything. His eyes still followed her as she walked down the witness box. She glanced at where Dan
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 237
If Declan could have collected all the pieces of evidence and witnesses he wanted in just a week or a month, it would not have been sufficient. But it took him three months, with Samantha solidly behind him. Micheal was not left out of the entire planning process for Daniel's court case. All they wanted to do was get him out of the way as soon as possible. To take down someone like Daniel, who hardly left any stone unturned or left loose ends, they needed to be well prepared, and Declan insisted that they were going to prepare well. The surrogacy plan kicked off in the second month. Lucy was giving off so many dangerous side effects at first that they kept wondering if her body could hold a child. She knew what she had gone through to produce a child that her body did not agree to. The one time that she thought she was close, was when the incident with Daniel happened. But Lucy's body adjusted afterward to the treatment. She began to respond positively and soon, she fell pregna
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 236
Declan paced about in the bedroom endlessly and Samantha was beginning to get dizzy from following him with her eyes. "You are going to bore holes in this floor if you don't stop pacing so much," she said to him. "That boy is making me go crazy," Declan said as he rubbed his forehead in exhaustion. Samantha wondered if it was Daniel he was calling a boy, but she resolved that there was no better way to refer to someone so petty than a boy. "What did he do this time?" She asked him gently, not wanting to piss him off further."He fired the entire members of the accounting department before I could come to the office," Declan complained. Samantha was left to wonder if Daniel was going insane or not. She had never seen someone that acted so much on impulse in an instant. He was so quick to act that one would think that he was not thinking at all. "I thought he was no longer CEO.""I nullified what he did immediately after I got the notice.""Then what are you worried about?""Don't
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 235
Samantha had never been pleased to hear the news before. Declan's agreement to still go ahead with having a child despite the Georgina drama was like music to her ears. She had not bothered to pester him about it anymore, as she did not want him to say he was right after all about Georgina. Instead, she had been more intentional about living her best life. She thought of the children back at the country home. They were enough to suffice for what she could not have. "Do you want to do an adoption or should we still search for a surrogate?" She asked him, deciding to lay all the cards on the table so they could deliberate together. She was not going to be selfish this time. Having a child was going to be a big step for them. It was not the financial aspect that bothered them. Declan's companies and businesses were worth an amount that could feed an entire city comfortably."We are both hoping to carry our child in our hands someday, so I guess surrogacy would not be a bad idea," he
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 234
"I will have to leave very early today," Micheal informed Declan ahead of time. He did not want to be faced with the challenge of having so much work that he could barely manage any spare time. "You have a date with your girlfriend, I guess," Declan said as he looked up at Micheal."Let's not say it's a date," Micheal began, blushing lightly. "It's just a little thing that I do with her every month," he explained. "What is that?" Declan asked, not feeling bad about prying. It was the same thing Micheal did as well. He could swear that Michael knew so many things about him that Samantha had yet to find out. He was very observant and he loved that about her. "We go to the prison for a visit before we head to the orphanage," Micheal said. "Shonda said she wants to own an NGO in Africa in the future, so this is a good start for us."Declan was highly impressed by this agenda. His father ran several orphanages and charitable homes before he died. It was conferred on him in the will. He
- Vindication of the Rejected Heir
Chapter 233
Daniel had been very cranky the entire week. First, all the money that he stole from the company's account had magically returned to it, and it still surprised him that they found out about the offshore account. He also received news that Declan hosted a birthday party over the weekend. He had not been invited nor did he have any knowledge about it. He knew what he could do with the knowledge of such a gathering. He was angry because, after months of being CEO, he had still not successfully convinced the board why he should take over the house. The will stated that it was primarily Declan's inheritance, and there was nothing that he could do about it. Declan, on the other hand, had suddenly banned him from entering the house. The security around it was toughened up so that no matter how much he tried to meander his way in, he would not succeed. This morning, Declan called for a board meeting that he said was going to be used to pass some information. He wished he could stop De
