Ian hid in the corner and watched Riya leave. He pressed the phone against his ear and said in a low voice, "Madam’s security has been taken care of. Soon, we’ll get the antidote. Don’t do anything reckless in front of Zachary. Stay calm and everything will be under our control."
"I know," Nathaniel’s cold voice ca through the phone. "You don’t have to lecture . Just make sure... Oh, shit..."
Bang-Bang...
A violent crash exploded through the speaker, freezing Ian in place. His heart lurched.
"Hello? Mr. Grant? Are you there?"
There was no response, and it only terrified Ian.
"Talk to ," he yelled, breaking into a run. "Nathaniel, are you okay?"
Nathaniel’s silence deepened Ian’s fear. The last thing he’d heard was the unmistakable sound of a collision—Nathaniel’s car must have crashed.
"No, no...This can’t be happening... I have to see what’s going on."
Ian dashed out.
Flashback...
A few hours ago, at the hospital...
It was already late by the ti Nathaniel finally found a mont to breathe. For hours, he had been occupied—coordinating the guards, issuing orders about Jaxon, and ensuring the safety of the people he cared about. Exhaustion weighed down his limbs as he lay back on the sofa, stretching out to ease his tense muscles.
Sleep claid him quickly. But his sleep was disturbed again. Barely two hours had passed when a hand tapped his shoulder, jolting him awake. He snapped his eyes open, disoriented and tense, only to see Ian standing over him.
"You," he groaned, eyes burning from sleeplessness. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pushed himself upright. "What’s the update?" "What is the update?" he asked lazily
"Kelvin reached out," Ian replied, his expression grim. "Zachary is planning sothing. He’ll contact you soon and ask you to et him. He might bait you with the antidote, and in return, he’ll try forcing you to hand over the company and the property."
Nathaniel didn’t look surprised. Riya had already hinted at Zachary’s intentions. "I figured as much. But he is getting nothing—neither the company nor the property. The only thing waiting for him is punishnt."
"Kelvin has already set up a plan to take him down," Ian said, lowering his tone further. "You just have to stay calm. Don’t argue with Zachary. Wait patiently for Kelvin to act. Understood?"
Nathaniel considered his words. "What’s the plan?"
"He didn’t go into details," Ian responded. "Just said he is ready. And this ti, Zachary won’t escape. His little ga is coming to an end."
Nathaniel wasn’t sure how long he had been waiting for this exact mont. The idea of finally crushing his enemy, of wiping Zachary out completely, sent a sharp thrill through him.
"I can’t wait to witness his downfall," he murmured.
Right then, his phone buzzed. Zachary’s na flashed on the screen.
"Speak of the devil," Nathaniel said under his breath.
"Pick it up," Ian instructed.
Nathaniel answered coldly, "It’s been a while. Calling out of the blue... I’m surprised."
"Did you miss ?" Zachary mocked.
"Every single day," Nathaniel replied dryly, "especially after you tried to kill ."
"That was an accident—I told you already," Zachary snapped.
"Oh, really? And you conveniently forgot to pull out of the water," Nathaniel shot back with a cold smirk. "You ran, left there to die."
"I went to get help. When I returned, soone had already saved you."
"Yes, yes... that sa story you’ve repeated a hundred tis," Nathaniel muttered, dismissing him.
Zachary tightened his grip on the phone, eyes blazing. He wasn’t lying. It was an accident.
Back then, the Grant family had treated him as an unwelco reminder of a mistake. Despite all the bitterness swirling within the family, he and Nathaniel had once gotten along. Even though he was Nathaniel’s uncle technically, they had grown up more like brothers. But that one incident had shattered everything, turning them into enemies.
He could still see it clearly: the day they visited the farmhouse during the holidays. They had taken their fishing rods and gone down to the lake, laughing and enjoying themselves. Then a snake had slithered near his foot. Startled, he had jumped back, and in that mont of panic, accidentally shoved Nathaniel into the water.
When he saw Nathaniel struggling, sinking, Zachary had frozen. Fear choked him. He didn’t know whether to try pulling him out or run for help. He panicked, convinced he wouldn’t be strong enough to save Nathaniel alone. So he chose to run, hoping to find help quickly.
But Nathaniel misunderstood everything and accused him of leaving him to die alone.
The family elders hadn’t even questioned the situation. They cast him out, cutting him off, leaving him to fend for himself. Humiliation, rage, and the sting of injustice had festered in him ever since. All he had wanted was revenge, to take back what he believed he deserved, especially to defeat Nathaniel at any cost.
After all, he had lost everything because of that boy.
"Nathaniel, let’s et," Zachary said with an icy tone.
"Why do you want to et ?" Nathaniel hissed. "Planning to kill again?"
"Not so soon, my dear nephew. Co to the old place, the café near the lake. You rember it, don’t you?"
Nathaniel’s face hardened. He rembered that place vividly, the little café he and Nora used to visit. He had no idea why Zachary had selected that place.
"What if I refuse?" Nathaniel asked, raising his gaze at Ian.
’You should go,’ Ian mouthed.
"Co if you want to save your parents," said Zachary. "Or you will lose them forever."
’Threatening again? You have not changed, Zachary,’ Nathaniel scoffed inwardly.
"Alright, let’s et."
As the call ended, Nathaniel looked up at Ian again. "He wants to et ."
"Good. Kelvin and his team will be nearby. They’ll make sure you’re safe," Ian assured him. "Zachary will definitely try to bait you, but he has no idea he is the one walking straight into our trap."
Nathaniel quirked his lips with a sly smile, convinced that Zachary would finally be pulled down. "Let’s do it. I’m ready to et him."
He had never been so eager to see Zachary.
"I’m coming with you," Ian said, as thrilled as Nathaniel.
"No. Stay here," Nathaniel ordered firmly. "I need you more in the hospital. My mother’s safety depends on you."
"I can’t let you go alone," Ian argued. "Mrs. Grant is protected. The dical team is already assigned. Riya can’t get close to her anymore. She is safe, I promise."
"I know," Nathaniel replied, "but I still want you here. I’ll be fine. Kelvin won’t let anything happen to ."
Ian hesitated, clearly torn.
"Besides," Nathaniel added, "Zachary may have planted more people inside the hospital to help Riya. You are the only one I trust completely. Stay and keep inford."
"Fine," Ian relented. "I’ll stay."
"Good. Now, bring so fresh clothes for ."
Ian gave a small nod before leaving.
Nathaniel left early, knowing the trip would take several hours. While driving, he noticed a black car following him. At first, he didn’t think much of it—assuming the driver was looking for a chance to pass. He slowed down and moved aside to give it space, but to his surprise, the car didn’t overtake him. It stayed right behind, matching his pace.
A flicker of suspicion sparked.
’Soone is following ,’ he realized. With a frown, he watched the car in the rearview mirror. ’Could be one of Zachary’s spies.’
He pressed the accelerator, and the car instantly sped up too. Nathaniel took a turn, hoping to shake it off, but it tailed him relentlessly.
"This is getting on my nerves," he muttered, pushing harder on the accelerator.
The black car responded just as aggressively.
Suddenly, his phone rang, slicing through the tension. Nathaniel glanced down, an unknown number flashing on the screen. He reached for it, but the car behind swerved closer, nearly clipping him.
"Damn it..." he hissed, jerking the wheel and taking a sharp turn.
This stretch of road was deserted, giving him room to accelerate. After a while, the black car disappeared. Thinking he had finally shaken it off, Nathaniel eased his speed.
Then the phone rang again—the sa unknown number.
Curiosity tugging at him, he reached for the call.
Beep—beep—beep...
The blaring horn erupted behind him before he could answer the unknown call. Nathaniel glanced at the side mirror and saw the headlights flashing aggressively.
"He is back again," he growled, pulling his car to the side once more in hopes of getting away.
This ti, the black car finally overtook him, speeding past. Nathaniel exhaled a small breath of relief.
His phone rang again. It was Ian this ti. He answered imdiately.
"We found the insider," Ian reported. "It’s Claire, the head nurse. She is the one helping Riya."
"Good. Make her understand what happens when soone crosses the Grants. And my mother?" Nathaniel demanded.
"Her security is secured. We’ll have the antidote soon. Just don’t do anything impulsive with Zachary. Stay calm— everything is going according to plan."
"I know," Nathaniel muttered, irritation bleeding into his tone. "You don’t have to lecture . Just make sure—Oh...Shit—"
His words died as his eyes widened. The sa black car had suddenly slowed and stopped dead in the middle of the road.
The phone slipped from his hand as he grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and jerked it hard. His car skidded violently, slamming into the concrete guardrail.
Nathaniel’s head smashed against the steering wheel. A sharp ringing filled his ears; his vision swam.
"Hello? Mr. Grant? Can you hear ?" Ian’s distant voice crackled through the fallen phone.
But Nathaniel couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. Through his fading sight, he caught a glimpse of the black car racing away.
Darkness closed in, swallowing him as he slipped into unconsciousness.
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